Analytical essays are an advanced method of testing students’ critical thinking. As such, these essays require deep analysis of a given text, be it a novel, poem, essay, or else.
To score a higher grade, prior knowledge of the subject matter won’t do enough for your essay, since you also have to organize the content into a well-structured whole.
Analytical essays have several criteria that can help you elaborate and analyze the topic whilst also shaping your thoughts into a logical piece.
Although analytical essays sound hostile, they will teach you how to think outside the box. And to help you master writing an analytical essay here is a full guideline to follow.
Writing an analytical essay: The structure
Before you start writing an analytical essay, know that you shouldn’t answer the What in your question – but the how and why.
So, you’ll have to narrow down your thinking to answer these questions and collect better arguments for your thesis.
After you shape your opinion on the topic, pay attention to the essay structure. This is where your analysis should take center stage. To create your essay structure, know that every analytical essay must have the basics – introduction, body, and conclusion.
However, the catch with writing analytical essays lies in structuring each of these components as required. Think of your analytical essay as a layered examination, where each component shows your ability to research deeper, and incorporate the valuable information in the text by supporting it with arguments.
How to write an analytical essay introduction
Essay introductions often determine if a student has learned their assignment.
Some students present their thesis by addressing the issue and stating what they will examine below in the essay.
When it comes to formatting, you want to be descriptive and vibrant. Also, avoid rhetorical questions and fluff language. Instead, try to remain formal, or throw the razzle-dazzle only after clearly stating the issue. In general, keep an objective tone – it is academic writing, after all.
In an analytical essay, remember to answer the how and why questions straight away. Or, come up with a statement that will intrigue the reader to want to read on and analyze alongside you.
How to write an analytical essay body
The body of an analytical essay is where all the fun is hiding. Here, you will have to analyze the text into 4-5 paragraphs by following several criteria.
Before you start writing your first paragraph, analytical essays ask the writer to make a topic validation. This means that you have to state an introduction sentence that corresponds to the essay title. And then, you will have to state an issue you’ve come across when writing your content and support the claim with a relevant excerpt.
After completing these steps, your analytical essay will be valid in the analytical format.
All you have to do in the body part of the essay is break down the given text in pieces – but always confirm the topic validation.
That said, however, each essay paragraph should discuss a different subject matter.
Here, you can use the reversed pyramid approach. Start with the basics first. Analyze the format of the text, then comment on the techniques used to convey the idea at hand.
Next, draw the theme, ideas, and subject matters of the content at hand, whilst also answering how these matters reflect today’s society.
Jump into deep analysis next. Interpret the author’s means of expression. Elaborate how and why they chose to express themselves in a way that triggers emotions in the reader?
The point of an analytical essay is to get to the very core of examining. Still, each statement you will use needs to be supported with arguments you find in the text, or by the author. That will make your work more plausible.
When using quotes, or anything that’s not your own statement, always point it out or reference it, since it can be otherwise deemed as plagiarism.
How to write an analytical essay conclusion
70 percent of the conclusion of an analytical essay should be your interpretation of the text. That means you can reiterate the thesis in a nutshell, but make sure to interpret the text in your own words.
The interpretation will give out your point of view and the final verdict of the overall analysis. In an analytical essay, conclusions can become redundant if they repeat what’s already been said in the text.
Pay attention to how you end your thesis. The last sentence of an essay is just as important as the hook sentence. You have to leave a positive impact on the reader that will trigger more discussion.
In case you have any further issues, don’t hesitate to reach a custom writing company to guide you forward.
Story by John Tale
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