This slideshow introduces one method for turning the three central structures of Toulmin argumentation--claims, evidence, and warrants--into paragraphs, through a structure called a "Quote Sandwich"--an intro, quote, and analysis.

1. Making Quote Sandwiches:
Turning evidence into a paper using
Classical Ora;on and Toulmin
argumenta;on

2. Classical Ora;on:
• Intro: Hook, Ethos, Claim
• Background: Necessary context and facts
• Argument: Logos/pathos to support the claim
• Alterna;ves: Counterarguments stated and/or
refuted
• Conclusion: Summary, elaborate implica;ons,
closing

3. The Toulmin Model:
Underlying
Assump;ons
•Debatable Facts, Reasoning,
•Controversial Appeals to Authority

4. Quote Sandwiches:
• The “quote sandwich” is the building block of
the academic paper.
• It’s oSen one paragraph long, but this isn’t set
in stone.
• It’s composed of three parts—two are your
words (the “bread”), and one is someone
else’s (the “filler”)

5. A Basic Quote Sandwich:

6. From Charles Murray, “Are Too
Many People Going to College?”
Here’s the “Intro:”
Liberal educa;on in college means taking on the
tough stuff. A high‐school graduate who has acquired
Hirsch’s core knowledge will know, for example, that
John Stuart Mill was an important 19th‐century English
philosopher who was associated with something called
U;litarianism and wrote a famous book called On
Liberty. But learning philosophy in college, which is an
essen;al component of a liberal educa;on, means that
the student has to be able to read and understand the
actual text of On Liberty.

7. Murray’s “evidence”:
That brings us to the limits set by the nature of
college‐level material. Here is the first sentence
of On Liberty: “The subject of this essay is not
the so‐called liberty of the will, so unfortunately
opposed to the misnamed doctrine of
philosophical necessity; but civil, or social liberty:
the nature and limits of the power which can be
legi;mately exercised by society over the
individual.”

8. The “analysis”:
I will not burden you with On Liberty’s last
sentence. It is 126 words long. And Mill is one of
the more accessible philosophers, and On Liberty
is one of Mill’s more accessible works. It would
be nice if everyone could acquire a fully formed
liberal educa;on, but they cannot.

9. The whole thing:
Liberal educa;on in college means taking on the tough stuff. A
high‐school graduate who has acquired Hirsch’s core knowledge will
know, for example, that John Stuart Mill was an important 19th‐
century English philosopher who was associated with something called
U;litarianism and wrote a famous book called On Liberty. But learning
philosophy in college, which is an essen;al component of a liberal
educa;on, means that the student has to be able to read and
understand the actual text of On Liberty. That brings us to the limits
set by the nature of college‐level material. Here is the first sentence of
On Liberty: “The subject of this essay is not the so‐called liberty of the
will, so unfortunately opposed to the misnamed doctrine of
philosophical necessity; but civil, or social liberty: the nature and limits
of the power which can be legi;mately exercised by society over the
individual.” I will not burden you with On Liberty’s last sentence. It is
126 words long. And Mill is one of the more accessible philosophers,
and On Liberty is one of Mill’s more accessible works. It would be nice
if everyone could acquire a fully formed liberal educa;on, but they
cannot.

10. No;ce:
• The argument in the “intro” is not just a
rewording of the quote—it makes an argument,
an interpreta;on.
• The intro also makes sure to let us know that the
source is reputable and trustworthy.
• The quote is long, complex, and analy;cal.
• The “analysis” sec;on makes sure to explicitly
state the warrants between the intro and the
evidence. It gives the “so what?”, the deeper
reading and further implica;ons of the quote.

11. So how do I use these sandwich things to
write a paper?
1. Don’t write the introduc;on first.
2. Collect quotes and evidence you like, and
type (or paste) it into a blank document.
3. Slowly flesh these quotes out into quote
sandwiches.
4. Rearrange them, tweak them. You just wrote
a paper!
5. NOW: Write the conclusion and the intro.

12. ASer that:
• Add more quotes as necessary.
• Rearrange, reshape, and expand.
• Add intros to the beginnings of your paragraphs.
• ONLY THEN: add the conclusion and the
introductory paragraph at the start of the essay.
• Last step: proofread and edit.

13. Don’t Forget:
• Intro: Hook, Ethos, Claim
• Background: Necessary context and facts
• Argument: Logos/pathos to support the claim
• Alterna;ves: Counterarguments stated and/or
refuted
• Conclusion: Summary, elaborate implica;ons,
closing