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Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him.

Of Mice and Men - Illustrating and Supporting Points

Practise choosing sharp quotations from Of Mice and Men and learn how to turn them into strong, well-supported points for your GCSE English Literature essays.

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Fascinating Fact:

Slim’s gentle reassurance “You hadda, George” supports interpretation of the ending as an act of mercy shaped by friendship and necessity.

In GCSE English Literature, this quiz helps you choose precise quotations from Of Mice and Men and explain how they back up your ideas about character, theme and the novel’s ending.

Key Terms

Point: A clear statement that answers the question or makes an argument about the text.
Evidence: A short, well-chosen quotation that directly supports your point.
Analysis: Explanation of how the evidence proves your point and links to wider themes.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What does illustrating and supporting points mean in GCSE English?

It means making a clear point and backing it up with a short, relevant quotation and focused analysis. Together, these show the examiner you can argue using the text.

How many quotations should I use in an Of Mice and Men paragraph?

For GCSE, one or two carefully chosen quotations are usually enough. It is better to use a short quote and analyse it well than to copy long chunks of the novel.

How do I link a quotation to themes in Of Mice and Men?

After quoting, explain what the words suggest about big ideas such as friendship, power, dreams or loneliness, and then connect this back to the exam question.

Try These Related Quizzes

Read the text from Of Mice and Men and then choose the answer which best uses evidence in support of a point. The right answer will also be grammatically correct.

1 .

"The old man squirmed uncomfortably. 'Well — hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him.' He said proudly, 'You wouldn't think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen.'"

Candy has had his old dog since it was a "pup"

Candy says his sheep dog is the "best damn sheep dog I ever seen"

Candy's pride in his former work as a shepherd is evident when he describes his dog as the best sheep dog he'd ever seen

Candy says his sheep dog is the "best damn sheep dog he's ever seen"

Remember, referring to the text in detail does not always mean using direct quotations. Sometimes paraphrasing is more appropriate in supporting a point. Do not quote merely for the sake of quoting; instead use quotes to back up your point with evidence

2 .

"George sat entranced with his own picture. When Candy spoke they both jumped as though they had been caught doing something reprehensible. Candy said, 'You know where's a place like that?'"

George sits entranced with a picture until Candy interrupts him with a question

The use of the term "picture" to describe George's dream emphasises its vividness

The place where George and Lennie hope to live is described as a "picture"

George is "entranced" with a "picture"

It's important not just to repeat what the text says, but to use the text in support of a specific point

3 .

"Old Candy was watching her, fascinated. 'If you was to do that, we'd tell,' he said quietly. 'We'd tell about you framin' Crooks.'
'Tell and be damned,' she cried. 'Nobody'd listen to you, an' you know it. Nobody'd listen to you.'
Candy subsided. 'No...' he agreed. 'Nobody'd listen to us.'"

Candy is cowed by Curley's wife. He shows this by repeating her phrase that "nobody" would "listen"

Candy repeats Curley's wife's comment that "nobody would listen to them"

Candy is cowed by Curley's wife, submitting to her view that nobody would listen to men such as him

Candy repeats Curley's wife's comment that nobody would "listen" to men such as him

Paraphrasing can offer a simpler way of making a point sometimes

4 .

"Lennie sat in the hay and looked at a little dead puppy that lay in front of him. Lennie looked at it for a long time, and then he put out his huge hand and stroked it, stroked it clear from one end to the other."

The phrase "stroked it clear from one end to the other" emphasises how Lennie lingers sorrowfully over his dead puppy

The repetition of the word "stroked" emphasises the way Lennie lingers over his dead puppy

The juxtaposition of Lennie's "huge hand" with the gentle intention of his touch emphasises the tragedy of the puppy's death

All of the above

There are many correct ways to use evidence. Enjoy being creative!

5 .

"Lennie, who had been watching, imitated George exactly. He pushed himself back, drew up his knees, embraced them, looked over to George to see whether he had it just right. He pulled his hat down a little more over his eyes, the way George's hat was."

Lennie "pushed", "drew up his knees", "embraced" and "looked" at George

"Exactly" shows how observant Lennie is

Lennie wears his hat "over his eyes"

Lennie observes George closely, aiming to mimic the other man in such detail that he has it "just right"

Remember, quote with a purpose! The first and third answers, for example, do not give any new information

6 .

"The light climbed on out of the valley, and as it went, the tops of the mountains seemed to blaze with increasing brightness."

The last shining of the light which seems to "blaze with increasing brightness" contrasts with the darkness of George's deed

The last "blazing" of the light symbolises the last few shining moments of Lennie's life

The blazing "light" contrasts with the darkness falling in the valley

George's dark deed contrasts with the increasing brightness on the tops of the mountains

Remember that you must quote accurately. The second answer, for example, is incorrect because its quote is not accurate. The fourth fails to use quotation marks around an exact phrase

7 .

"'You're nuts.' Crooks was scornful. 'I seen hunderds of men come by on the road an' on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an' that same damn thing in their heads. Hunderds of them. They come, an' they quit an' go on; an' every damn one of 'em's got a little piece of land in their heads. An' never a God damn one of 'em ever gets it. Just like heaven.'"

"Heaven" means that land is impossible for the men to buy

By describing the shared dream of the men as "heaven", Crooks shows his despairing belief that both land and heaven are unattainable

Crooks is "scornful" because he doesn't believe in Lennie's dream

Crooks has seen hunderds and hunderds of men pass through the ranch and never buy any land

To quote a single word successfully, your point must be about the use of that specific word. The third answer is not a good example of using quotations because it is Crooks's disbelief in the dream which is the point, rather than the use of the word "scornful"

8 .

"The group burst into the clearing, and Curley was ahead. He saw Lennie lying on the sand. 'Got him, by God.' He went over and looked down at Lennie, and then he looked back at George. 'Right in the back of the head,' he said softly."

"Right in the back of the head" means that Curley thinks George's action is brave

Curley demonstrates his admiration for George when he praises him for shooting Lennie "right in the back of the head"

Curley thinks George is brave for shooting Lennie right in the back of the head

Curley admires George for shooting Lennie in the "back" of the head

Remember never to use a specific phrase from a text without using quotation marks

9 .

"The swamper stood up from his box. 'Know what I think?' George did not answer. 'Well, I think Curley's married...a tart.'"

Candy calls Curley's wife a "tart" because he likes to tell people what he "thinks"

The ellipsis in the sentence is because Candy can't think of the word to say

The ellipsis represents Candy hesitating to say what he "thinks"

The use of an ellipsis suggests that Candy is reluctant to call Curley's wife a "tart"

Sometimes you can make a good point by commenting on punctuation

10 .

"George's hand remained outstretched imperiously. Slowly, like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again. George snapped his fingers sharply, and at the sound Lennie laid the mouse in his hand."

George's snapping of the fingers combines with the use of the words "terrier", "ball" and "master" to characterise Lennie as animal-like

George's "snapping" of the "fingers" combines with the use of the words "terrier", "ball" and "master" to characterise Lennie as "animal-like"

George's snapping of the fingers combines with the use of the words terrier, ball and master to characterise Lennie as animal-like

George's snapping of the fingers combines with the use of the words terrier, "ball" and master to characterise Lennie as "animal-like"

It can be tricky deciding which words to quote. Remember that single words can be very significant, such as here, where Lennie is depicted as a dog reluctant to return its ball to its master. Several individual words combine to create this image

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Of Mice and Men

Author: Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)