Explanations

Any time you use evidence to support your opinion, you need to explain how that evidence proves your point.  You must do several things to clearly explain evidence.

First, you should try to re-phrase the evidence in your own words.  This allows you to explain what you, personally, think the evidence means; this helps show your interpretation of the evidence without having to say, "I think."  Some common ways to begin the re-phrasing include, "In other words," "What the author is saying is," and "Another way to say this could be".   This will take at least a sentence; it could take several.

Another part of any good explanation is connecting your evidence directly to your main opinion (or thesis).  You chose your evidence because, in your mind, it helps to prove your point.  How?  You need to walk the reader through the chain of thoughts in your mind that show how the evidence you chose connects to your thesis.  It may seem obvious to you, but, as with any writing, you have to help the reader see what you see in your head.  One way to begin this part of your explanation is to say, "This proves (write in the main part of your opinion) because..."  To do this clearly and correctly may take several sentences.