Reference List
- 28 June 2019
- 571 words
This article explains the purpose, structure, and key elements of an analytical or analysis essay, providing a valid guidance on how to critically evaluate and interpret a subject effectively. Basically, a presented guide emphasizes a unique purpose, format, and structure of this type of writing by giving a general definition of an analytical essay. Then, an entire text lists possible prompts students and scholars can choose for analysis, covering diverse domains, including politics, healthcare, general knowledge, technology, and science. In principle, a main focus of an analytical essay is to critically examine and interpret a subject by breaking it down into key components and presenting an argument supported by evidence. Moreover, guidelines include defining features of such texts and examples of an outline, a template, and a paper itself with crucial explanations. Further on, an outlined guide provides a detailed procedure for writing an analytical essay step by step, covering technical details students must observe to produce high-quality papers. In turn, these details include defining and researching a topic, selecting sources, creating an outline, writing a draft, and perfecting a final draft by correcting grammatical and formatting errors and any illogical flow of ideas and thoughts. Finally, students can find information on what they can include in organizing their paper and what they should avoid.
Writing is an academic and intellectual exercise in which students and scholars engage from time to time in their respective domains. In this case, an analytical essay is a type of essay that involves breaking down and examining a subject or text in detail to interpret its meaning and present an argument supported by evidence. Basically, the 3 main elements of an analytical essay are a clear thesis statement, supporting evidence, and critical analysis of a chosen subject. As such, the principal purpose of writing is to expand one’s intellect by utilizing information to construct new knowledge. Further on, analytical essays are vital because they help readers to understand an issue more comprehensively. Technically, these papers provide an argument or claim about a problem and explore diverse viewpoints to confirm it. When writing different types of essays, one should consider topics or prompts that provide a valid basis for an argument or claim. Additionally, such topics under analysis should allow a comprehensive discussion to ensure students exhaust all information, including claims, counterclaims, rebuttals, and criticisms, in their outlines or templates. Thus, this article is a guideline on how to write an analytical or analysis essay that students, scholars, and anyone interested in writing various types of papers will find helpful.
According to its definition, an analytical essay is a form and type of writing where an author examines a specific topic, event, or piece of literature under analysis in detail to explore its meaning or significance. For example, the main purpose of writing an analytical essay is to encourage deeper thought, analysis, and understanding by examining an underlying structure or elements of a chosen subject (Mentan, 2022). In writing, rather than simply describing or summarizing a subject, a person breaks it down into key components, analyzes how they interact, and explains their relevance. Further on, such a paper enables people to develop critical thinking skills, form coherent arguments, and provide a clear, well-supported interpretation (Sheckler, 2022). In academic settings, these analytical compositions help readers to engage with am assigned or chosen topic by offering fresh insights or perspectives, prompting them to consider a subject from a new angle. Moreover, by focusing on evidence and logical reasoning in writing, authors can demonstrate their ability to connect ideas and offer a deeper exploration of a topic (Steiss et al., 2022). In terms of pages and words, the length of an analytical essay depends on academic levels, assignment requiems, and chosen subjects, while general writing guidelines are:
High School
College (Undergraduate)
University (Advanced Undergraduate)
Master’s
Ph.D.
Section | Content |
---|---|
Title | Present a clear, concise title that reflects an analytical essay’s focus and argument. |
Introduction | Hook: Start with an engaging and captivating sentence to draw a reader’s attention. |
Context: Provide a brief background information or context on a chosen topic. | |
Thesis Statement: Write a concise statement that presents a main argument or analysis of an analytical essay. | |
Body Paragraph 1 | Topic Sentence: Introduce a first main idea of a body paragraph. |
Evidence: Use textual evidence, examples, or quotes to support a topic sentence. | |
Analysis: Break down the evidence and explain how it supports a thesis. | |
Transition: Link to a next body paragraph. | |
Body Paragraph 2 | Topic Sentence: Introduce a second main idea of a body paragraph. |
Evidence: Use textual evidence, examples, or quotes to support a topic sentence. | |
Analysis: Break down the evidence and explain how it supports a thesis. | |
Transition: Link to a next body paragraph. | |
Body Paragraph 3 | Topic Sentence: Introduce a third main idea of a body paragraph. |
Evidence: Use textual evidence, examples, or quotes to support a topic sentence. | |
Analysis: Break down the evidence and explain how it supports a thesis. | |
Transition: Link to a next body paragraph. | |
Body Paragraphs 4+ | Follow the same structure when writing any other body paragraph. |
Counterargument (Optional) | Opposing Views: Acknowledge differing opinions or interpretations. |
Refutation: Explain why your analysis still holds strong against these views. | |
Conclusion | Restatement of a Thesis: Reword a central thesis in light of an entire analysis presented. |
Summarize Key Points: Briefly revisit main arguments of an analytical essay. | |
Closing Statement: Offer final thoughts or insights, perhaps suggesting broader implications of your analysis. | |
List of Works Cited, References, or Bibliography | List all academic sources cited in an analytical essay. |
Use a proper citation style (APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago/Turabian, etc.) as required by an assignment or field of study. |
Note: Some writing sections of an analytical essay can be added, deleted, or combined with each other, while specific assignments may vary based on institution and instructor requirements. For example, a standard analytical essay format is an organized structure that outlines how an entire paper is arranged, typically including an introduction with a thesis, body paragraphs with evidence and analysis, and a conclusion (Lauritzen, 2021). Basically, analytical writing involves breaking down a specific subject into its core components, critically examining them, and presenting reasoned arguments supported by evidence to explain or interpret a given topic. Further on, an analytical paper is for examining, interpreting, and explaining a subject in depth, using evidence to support an argument or provide insight into its meaning (Cho et al., 2022). In writing, an average length of an analysis essay ranges from 500 to 2,500 words, depending on a specific assignment and academic level. Moreover, including evidence in an analytical essay is essential to support main arguments and validate an entire analysis (Sheckler, 2022). As such, examples of analytical writing include literary analysis essays, research papers, critical reviews, and reports that evaluate data or arguments on a specific topic. Finally, a general rule of thumb for adding a Works Cited, Reference, or Bibliography page is to include it whenever a person uses, quotes, or paraphrases external sources or information that is not their original work (Pears & Shields, 2022). In turn, to start an analytical essay, people begin with an engaging hook, provide relevant background information, and end an introduction with a clear thesis statement that outlines their main argument or analysis.
In a simple definition, an analytical essay is a text that dissects a concept, idea, or topic under analysis through logical arguments, claims, counterclaims, rebuttals, and criticisms. Basically, the 4 parts of an analytical essay are an introduction with a thesis statement sentence, body paragraphs with evidence and analysis, counterarguments or additional viewpoints, and a conclusion that summarizes and reinforces a central claim (Lauritzen, 2021). In writing, analysis essays are important because they provide critical insights into issues in a manner that one may not understand from reading other types of texts about an interconnectivity of some problems in society. Further on, analytical essays are most appropriate in public and intellectual discourses where an in-depth analysis of issues is critical to debate (Mentan, 2022). Besides, an analytical essay differs from argumentative, descriptive, expository, or persuasive compositions. In this case, the main point of difference is that, while these other papers also involve an argument or claim and its defense, an analytical paper goes a step further to interpret information (Sheckler, 2022). Simply put, this type of analytical writing helps readers to know about an issue and how it impacts people or society. In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning an analytical essay are:
Title: Unique Topic
I. Introduction
II. Body
First body paragraph
Second body paragraph
Third body paragraph
Note: Follow this structure for any other body paragraph if needed.
III. Conclusion
List of Works Cited, References, or Bibliography
When people want to know how many paragraphs are in an essay in writing, they should understand that an analytical or analysis paper is usually a 5-paragraph text characterized by 1 introduction paragraph, 3 body paragraphs, and 1 conclusion paragraph. For example, an analytical essay structure typically includes an introduction with a thesis statement sentence, body paragraphs that present evidence and analysis, and a conclusion that reinforces a main argument (Lauritzen, 2021). However, body paragraphs form an entire essay structure because it is where students analyze their topics. As such, an essay’s general writing format has 3 main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Further on, the principal difference between an analytical essay and a descriptive essay is that the former involves critical evaluation and interpretation of a subject, while the latter focuses on providing a detailed, factual description without analysis (Mentan, 2022). Therefore, each section has a specific purpose students must recognize and demonstrate. In turn, the 7 steps to writing an analytical essay are choosing a specific topic, crafting a strong thesis, gathering evidence, creating an outline, starting with an introduction, developing body paragraphs with analysis, and concluding by summarizing main points and reinforcing a central claim (Sheckler, 2022). Finally, examples of analytical essays include a literary analysis of a novel, a film critique, an examination of historical events, or an evaluation of a scientific study or data.
🌅 Introduction
A good analytical essay has an exciting and informative introduction with a clear thesis statement. For example, an introduction paragraph is a first part of an analytical paper characterized by information that increases a reader’s interest to continue reading (Lauritzen, 2021). As such, the purpose of this part is to capture a reader’s attention and compel them to want to know more about an author’s thinking about the topic. In writing, a hook sentence may be a fact, statistic, quote, or statement that grabs a reader’s attention. Then, contextual information entails details, helping readers to understand a topic’s background and why an author is interested in writing about it (Mentan, 2022). In turn, an analytical thesis statement gives readers a narrow focus on a person’s goal since a chosen topic may be broad for a short paper. Moreover, such a format gives a brief account of main analysis points and claims and contains a strong thesis statement (Sheckler, 2022). When writing an introduction section, people must ensure the provided information is sufficient to make readers proceed to body paragraphs. Thus, an introduction paragraph of an analytical essay gives readers a clear picture of an entire content and outlines body paragraphs.
🔵 Body
Body paragraphs of an analytical essay contain convincing assertions and a transition to a next section. For example, a body is a central part of an analytical paper because students provide information to support a thesis statement’s claim (Lauritzen, 2021). In writing, each of the 3 body paragraphs starts with a topic sentence that touches on a single idea about a general topic under analysis. As such, people use a single paragraph to convince readers about a paper’s central claim. Moreover, every paragraph offers evidence to support main claims and accounts. Further on, the best way to write this essay section is to formulate unique ideas for each paragraph (Mentan, 2022). In principle, a first body paragraph may explore a concept, a second body paragraph may examine facts and statistics, and a third body paragraph may discuss popular opinion. However, readers must sense a logical flow of thought throughout an entire section. In turn, a last sentence in every paragraph contains a summary of key ideas presented and a transitioning statement (Sheckler, 2022). Thus, writing an excellent analytical essay contains substantial body paragraphs that support a thesis statement and maintain a good flow of ideas.
🏁 Conclusion
An excellent analytical essay ends with a conclusion that restates a central claim and summarizes a discussed content. For example, as a last part of an analytical paper, writing a conclusion paragraph allows students to make concluding remarks (Lauritzen, 2021). Besides restating main points, they need to reword a central thesis statement and give final thoughts about a topic under analysis. However, in this part, people should not introduce new concepts if they are not discussed in body paragraphs (Mentan, 2022). By reading a conclusion paragraph, one can understand a paper’s purpose and what an author considers vital regarding a presented subject. Thus, writing an excellent analytical essay contains a conclusion that summarizes the general arguments.
Since analytical essay topics help readers to understand issues more comprehensively, students and scholars often use them to disseminate knowledge across various political, economic, social, cultural, and technological domains. For example, a first step in constructing an analytical essay is choosing a clear topic and formulating a strong thesis statement that outlines a main argument or focus of an entire analysis (Sheckler, 2022). In writing, an analytical essay contains a clear thesis, a critical evaluation of a subject, supporting evidence, and a conclusion that ties an entire analysis back to a main argument. As such, students and scholars can pick some prompts from the following list to write a good analytical paper. Essentially, each prompt requires students to make a claim, defend it, and demonstrate an actual significance of the information about a particular issue.
Topic: Politics and Social Ills
I. Introduction
II. Three Body Paragraphs
First paragraph
Second paragraph
Third paragraph
III. Conclusion
List of Works Cited, References, or Bibliography
Paper Topic: Politics and Social Ills
Introduction
Politics and social ills have a historical relationship globally. This relationship explains why social ills take center stage in all political campaigns. As such, people need to discuss the relationship between issues across various domains, resulting in social problems. The nexus between politics and social ills is the politicization of social life, where citizens of any country believe that politicians hold the answer to every social problem.
Body Paragraphs
Managing Societal Expectations
Technically, politics is a structural phenomenon whose purpose is to manage societal expectations. Basically, politics exists in almost every domain of society because people have different expectations that require effective management to avoid conflict (Hoffmann et al., 2024). Whether in the home, school, or work environment, people are political because they have selfish interests. At national levels, politics, exercised through legitimate legal institutions like parliament, help to balance expectations from diverse groups, including racial or ethnic communities, civil society, and foreign powers (Gehl & Porter, 2020). This societal architecture makes politics central to a country’s political, economic, and social progress. Ultimately, people see their politicians as capable of eliminating problems they face, while they may be unaware that they may be a real reason why those problems exist.
Social Ills
In principle, social ills do not develop or exist in a vacuum. Generally, crime and economic inequality result from policy failures, where the government either fails or refuses to develop or implement effective policy interventions (Gehl & Porter, 2020). Since the government is political because it comes into being following an election, one can conclude that politicians are to blame for social ills. However, it is impossible to imagine that the government is unaware of key causes of chronic unemployment and how to solve this issue (Evans, 2021). In turn, the only logical argument for why such a social problem remains unresolved for years is that politicians see these problems as a platform for political relevance. Without social problems, politicians would lack the political capital to position themselves as saviors of people.
Policymaking
The concept of policymaking is central to political governance in any country. Because the government is a robust entity that operates through agencies and departments, policymaking is the instrument that politicians use to make the government functional (Lee, 2022). This feature is essential to service delivery, including ensuring easy access to quality healthcare, crime prevention and control, and promoting the economic participation of local and foreign investors. In this respect, the government focuses on enhancing people’s welfare. However, because politicians form the government, selfish interests, including political survival, hinder its functionality (Evans, 2021). As a result, these conflicts between the role of the government and politicians’ selfish interests create an environment in which social ills develop and entrench into society’s social fabric.
Conclusion
The nexus between politics and social ills is the erroneous perception of masses that politicians can address and solve all social problems. While the government exists to improve people’s social welfare, politicians’ selfish interests are a powerful obstacle to this noble goal. In essence, politicians have perfected the art of positioning themselves as saviors of masses. On the other hand, social ills remain a constant issue in every election cycle in most countries and communities because people have come to believe politicians have the solution to all issues plaguing them year after year.
List of References
Evans, R. W. (2021). Handbook on teaching social issues. Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Gehl, K. M., & Porter, M. E. (2020). The politics industry: How political innovation can break partisan gridlock and save our democracy. Harvard Business Review Press.
Hoffmann, M., Liu, J., Neumayer, C., & Trenz, H.-J. (2024). Social media and political contention – Challenges and opportunities for comparative research. Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 21(3), 209–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/19331681.2024.2356435
Lee, A. H.-Y. (2022). Social trust in polarized times: How perceptions of political polarization affect Americans’ trust in each other. Political Behavior, 44(3), 1533–1554. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-022-09787-1
Get professional writing assistance that ensures your paper stands out among the rest.
Writing an analytical essay is technical because students or scholars must observe certain conventions when writing. For example, to write an analytical essay, people break down an assigned topic into key components, support their thesis with well-organized evidence and critical analysis, and conclude by reinforcing their main argument and insights (Lauritzen, 2021). In this case, writing conventions are rules that authors should follow when organizing academic texts. On the other hand, violation of such rules can result in penalties for students. For scholars, such violations can deny their analytical work credibility in an intellectual world (Mentan, 2022). Therefore, students and scholars need to know what it takes to write a quality analytical essay. The most critical knowledge is knowing basic steps in writing an analytical essay. As such, these steps include preparation, stage set up, starting of writing, and wrap-up. In each stage, people must address specific issues under analysis and provide logical details. Finally, each step also requires authors to produce a high-standard paper: zero grammatical or formatting errors or illogical flow of thought.
Step 1: Preparation for Analysis
In this step, students define a specific topic they want to write about, which is vital in establishing intellectual focus. For example, this exercise is critical in guiding research because searching for information using specific keywords is easy (Sheckler, 2022). Most importantly, defining a topic under analysis helps authors to prepare ideas that may serve as topic sentences in a paper’s body. Further on, a next exercise is to consider an intended audience, those who may read an analytical essay out of intellectual curiosity, such as students, scholars, politicians, organizational leaders, or policy experts. Since the goal is to write an outstanding analytical essay, students or scholars should choose a specific topic that allows them to make a good claim, support and defend using evidence, and interpret information to give readers a comprehensive understanding of issues under analysis (Lauritzen, 2021). Generally, it is best to avoid using “I” in an analytical essay to maintain a formal and objective tone unless an assignment specifically allows for personal reflection.
Step 2: Setting Up a Stage
Students should locate credible sources that help to support and defend some claims they intend to make in a thesis statement for an entire analysis. For example, people should note any information that helps to formulate ideas in body paragraphs (Mentan, 2022). Then, they should create a clear outline for writing their paper with 3 main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. In turn, students should also create an annotated bibliography when making notes to ensure they relate every piece of information to a source document to avoid plagiarism (Sheckler, 2022). Researching an analytical topic helps to provide a quality and in-depth analysis because authors can consult reliable sources, such as peer-reviewed journal articles. Besides using Google to search for information, students can use online databases, like Google Scholar, JSTOR, EBSCO, and ProQuest. Finally, other credible sources for analysis include government reports, scholarly magazines or journals, educational websites, and stakeholder policy statements.
Step 3: Starting a Writing Process
When starting a writing process, students should begin by organizing a first draft in which they put all ideas together. For example, to start an analysis essay, people begin with an engaging hook sentence, provide necessary background information, and end an introduction paragraph with a clear thesis statement, which outlines a main argument or focus (Lauritzen, 2021). Upon completion of a draft, they should read a paper to ensure all ideas flow logically from start to finish. Further on, authors should ensure their papers have a strong and clear thesis that addresses an issue under analysis in a manner that supports intellectual discourse (Mentan, 2022). Essentially, they should ensure a paper’s outline aligns with format rules of an analytical essay. In turn, an introduction paragraph should have a hook and a thesis statement. Moreover, each body paragraph should have a topic sentence, a claim, evidence, information connecting this claim and evidence, and a transition that allows readers a logical flow to next body paragraphs (Sheckler, 2022). In this case, a conclusion paragraph should restate a central thesis and offer an author’s final thoughts on a topic under analysis. Finally, people should always add a Works Cited, Reference, or Bibliography section to their analytical essay if they use external sources, quotes, or ideas that are not their own, following a required citation style for their writing assignment.
Note (!): A critical exercise that students should undertake when organizing a first draft is ensuring their analytical work follows applicable writing conventions. Besides following general outline rules indicated above, all papers must align with standards of an applicable citation style, whether APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago/Turabian, or any other (Pears & Shields, 2022). As a result, doing so ensures analytical essays meet all standards of academic texts.
Step 4: Wrapping Up
After writing and reading a first draft, students should wrap up their papers by perfecting them. For example, a first exercise is to revise any mistakes, including statements that do not make any logical sense for an entire analysis (Lauritzen, 2021). Then, a next activity is to edit papers by deleting or adding information. In writing, this exercise is vital in making an entire flow of thought logical throughout a whole document. Further on, a next point is to ensure each body paragraph is of high quality by confirming a topic sentence, appropriate evidence, concluding sentence, and transition (Mentan, 2022). Lastly, people should ensure their papers are of high quality by eliminating any formatting errors, while the information is peer-reviewed and cited adequately per an applicable writing style. As a result, a final draft of an analytical essay should be a perfect paper with no mistakes.
Element | Description |
---|---|
Textual Evidence | Quotes, examples, or passages from an assigned text or topic being analyzed to support arguments. |
Critical Interpretations | Personal insights and interpretations of a chosen topic, examining how specific elements contribute to an overall meaning. |
Character Analysis | Examination of character traits, motivations, and development throughout a text or subject matter. |
Themes | Exploration of central themes or ideas presented in a discussed piece of literature and how they relate to an overall analysis. |
Symbolism | Analysis of symbols or objects that represent deeper meanings in a text. |
Cultural or Historical Context | Information about a historical, social, or cultural background that informs a text or topic being analyzed. |
Comparative Analysis | Comparisons between different characters, texts, or themes to highlight similarities or differences. |
Author’s Purpose | Insight into why an author may have chosen certain narrative techniques or themes and their intended impact. |
Language and Style | Analysis of an author’s language, tone, and stylistic choices and their effects on a reader’s understanding. |
Counterarguments | Consideration of opposing perspectives or interpretations and explaining why a writer’s analysis is more convincing. |
A perfect analytical essay closely examines a subject or another material to invoke a better understanding. Basically, this type of essay supports a central theme with reasons and substantial evidence. As such, excellent analytical essays contain a well-organized introduction that covers main points of 3 body paragraphs. In writing, the 3 main ingredients essential to an analytical essay are a clear thesis statement, well-supported evidence, and critical analysis. Moreover, an introduction paragraph should attract a reader’s attention and give a clear picture of a whole analytical essay. Then, all body paragraphs must examine and interpret evidence to convince readers of a primary claim’s validity. Besides, a conclusion paragraph of an analytical essay restates a central argument, including main ideas covered in body paragraphs. In turn, key takeaways to remember are:
Cho, M., Kim, Y.-S. G., & Wang, J. (2022). Perspective taking and language features in secondary students’ text-based analytical writing. Scientific Studies of Reading, 27(3), 199–214. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2022.2132864
Lauritzen, J. (2021). Read, write, and cite. Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.
Mentan, T. (2022). English essay writing handbook. Authors’ Tranquility Press.
Ogden, T. H. (2021). Analytic writing as a form of fiction. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 69(1), 221–223. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003065121994125
Sheckler, K. (2022). Words that count: A guide to writing analytical essays about fiction. Éditions JFD Inc.
Steiss, J., Krishnan, J., Kim, Y.-S. G., & Olson, C. B. (2022). Dimensions of text-based analytical writing of secondary students. Assessing Writing, 51, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2021.100600
Pears, R., & Shields, G. J. (2022). Cite them right: The essential referencing guide (12th ed.). A&C Black.