An analysis / analytical essay is a standard assignment in college or university. You might be asked to conduct an in-depth analysis of a research paper, a report, a movie, a company, a book, or an event. In this article, you’ll find out how to write an analysis paper introduction, thesis, main body, and conclusion, and analytical essay example.
So, what is an analytical essay? This type of assignment implies that you set up an argument and analyze it using a range of claims. The claims should be supported by appropriate empirical evidence. Note that you need to explore both the positive and negative sides of the issue fully.
Analytical skills are the key to getting through your academic career. Moreover, they can be useful in many real-life situations. Keep reading this article by Custom-writing experts to learn how to write an analysis!
Contents
❓ What Is an Analytical Essay?
🤔 Getting Started
📑 Analytical Essay Outline
📔 Choosing a Title
💁 Writing an Introduction
🏋 Writing a Body
🏁 Writing a Conclusion
✏️ FAQ
🔗 References
❓ What Is an Analytical Essay?
Before you learn how to start an analysis essay, you should understand some fundamentals of writing this type of paper. It implies that you analyze an argument using a range of claims supported by facts. It is essential to understand that in your analysis essay, you’ll need to explore the negative sides of the issue and the positive ones. That’s what distinguishes an analytical essay from, say, a persuasive one.
These are the steps to write an academic paper:
Review the literature. Before starting any paper, you should familiarize yourself with what has already been written in the field. And the analytical essay is no exception. The easiest way is to search on the web for the information.
Brainstorm ideas. After you’ve done your search, it is time for a brainstorm! Make a list of topics for your analysis essay, and then choose the best one. Generate your thesis statement in the same way.
Prepare an outline. Now, when you’ve decided on the topic and the thesis statement of your analytical essay, think of its structure. Below you will find more detailed information on how your paper should be structured.
(Video) How To Write An Analytical Essay (Definition, Preparation, Outline) | EssayProWrite the first draft. You’ve done a lot of work by now. Congratulations! Your next goal is to write the first version of your analysis essay, using all the notes that you have. Remember, you don’t need to make it perfect!
Polish your draft. Now take your time to polish and edit your draft to transform it into the paper’s final version.
You are usually assigned to analyze an article, a book, a movie, or an event. If you need to write your analytical essay on a book or an article, you’ll have to analyze the style of the text, its main points, and the author’s purported goals.
🤔 Analytical Essay: Getting Started
The key to writing an analysis paper is to choose an argument that you will defend throughout it. For example: maybe you are writing a critical analysis paper on George Orwell’s Animal Farm The first and imperative task is to think about your thesis statement. In the case of Animal Farm, the argument could be:
Example:
In Orwell’s Animal Farm, rhetoric and language prove to be more effective ways to keep social control than physical power.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gives a great explanation of the thesis statement, how to create one, and what its function is.
But that’s not all. Once you have your thesis statement, you need to break down how you will approach your analysis essay to prove your thesis. To do this, follow these steps:
Define the main goal(s) of your analysis. Remember that it is impossible to address each and every aspect in a single paper. Know your goal and focus on it.
Conduct research, both online and offline, to clarify the issue contained within your thesis statement.
Identify the main parts of the issue by looking at each part separately to see how it works.
Try to clearly understand how each part works.
Identify the links between the various aspects of the topic.
By using the information you found, try to solve your main problem.
At this point, you should have a clear understanding of both the topic and your thesis statement. You should also have a clear direction for your analysis paper firmly planted in your mind and recorded in writing.
This will give you what you need to produce the paper’s outline.
📑 Analytical Essay Outline
An outline is the starting point for your work. A typical analytical essay features the usual essay structure. A 500-word essay should consist of a one-paragraph introduction, a three-paragraph body, and a one-paragraph conclusion. Find below a great analytical essay outline sample. Feel free to use it as an example when doing your own work!
Analysis Essay: Introduction
Start with a startling statement or provocative question.
Example:
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal”. Animal Farm abounds in ironic and provocative phrases to start an analytical essay.
Introduce the work and its author.
Give background information that would help the reader understand your opinion.
Formulate a thesis statement informing the reader about the purpose of the essay. Essay format does not presuppose telling everything possible on the given topic. Thus, a thesis statement tells what you are going to say, implying what you will not discuss, establishing the limits.
Example:
In Animal Farm, Orwell uses different irony types to ridicule totalitarianism to manifest its inability to make every member of society equal and happy.
Analysis Essay: Body
The analytical essay structure requires 2-3 developmental paragraphs, each dedicated to one separate idea confirming your thesis statement. The following template should be used for each of the body paragraphs.
Start with a topic sentence that supports an aspect of your thesis.
Example:
Dramatic irony is used in Animal Farm to point out society’s ignorance.
Continue with textual evidence (paraphrase, summary, direct quotations, specific details). Use several examples that substantiate the topic sentence.
Example:
Animals are unaware of the fact that Boxer was never sent to the hospital. He was sent to the slaughterhouse. However, the reader and writer understand that this is a lie.
Conclude with an explanation.
Example:
By allowing the readers to learn some essential facts before the characters, dramatic irony creates suspense and shows how easy it is to persuade and manipulate the public.
Analysis Essay Conclusion
The next four points will give you a short instruction on how to conclude an analytical essay.
Never use new information or topics here.
Restate your thesis in a different formulation.
Summarize the body paragraphs.
Comment on the analyzed text from a new perspective.
📔 Choosing a Title for Your Analysis Essay
Choosing a title seems like not a significant step, but it is actually very important. The title of your critical analysis paper should:
Entice and engage the reader
Be unique and capture the readers’ attention
Provide an adequate explanation of the content of the essay in just a few carefully chosen words
In the Animal Farm example, your title could be:
Example:
“How Do the Pigs Manage to Keep Social Control on Animal Farm?”
💁 Writing Your Analytical Essay Introduction
You must understand how to compose an introduction to an analysis paper. The University of Wollongong describes the introduction as a “map” of any writing. When writing the introduction, follow these steps:
Provide a lead-in for the reader by offering a general introduction to the topic of the paper.
Include your thesis statement, which shifts the reader from the generalized introduction to the specific topic and its related issues to your unique take on the essay topic.
Present a general outline of the analysis paper.
(Video) How To Write An Analytical Essay: What Is It?
Watch this great video for further instructions on how to write an introduction to an analysis essay.
Example of an Analytical Essay Introduction
Example:
“Four legs good, two legs bad” is one of the many postulates invented by George Orwell for his characters in Animal Farm to vest them with socialist ideology and control over the animal population. The social revolution on Manor Farm was built on language instruments, first for the collective success of the animals, and later for the power consolidation by the pigs. The novel was written in 1945 when the transition from limitless freedoms of socialist countries transformed into dictatorship. Through his animal protagonists, the author analyzes the reasons for peoples’ belief in the totalitarian regime. In Orwell’s Animal Farm, rhetoric and language prove to be more effective ways to keep social control than physical power.
🏋 Writing Your Analytical Essay Body
The body of the paper may be compared to its heart. This is the part where you show off your talent for analysis by providing convincing, well-researched, and well-thought-out arguments to support your thesis statement. You have already gathered the information, and now all you may start crafting your paper.
To make the body of an analytical essay, keep the following in mind:
Discuss one argument per paragraph, although each argument can relate to multiple issues
Strike a balance between writing in an unbiased tone, while expressing your personal opinion
Be reasonable when making judgments regarding any of the problems you discuss
Remember to include the opposing point of view to create a balanced perspective
The bottom line is: you want to offer opposing views, but you must pose your arguments so they will counter those opposing views and prove your point of view. Follow these steps when constructing each body paragraph:
Choose the main sentence. The main or topic sentence will be the first line in your essay. The topic sentence is responsible for presenting the argument you will discuss in the paragraph and demonstrate how this argument relates to the thesis statement.
Provide the context for the topic sentence, whether it relates to a quote, a specific incident in society, or something else. Offer evidence on who, what, where, when, why, and how.
Give your analysis of the argument and how it adequately proves your thesis.
Write a closing sentence that sums up the paragraph and provides a transition to the following paragraph.
Example of an Analytical Essay Body
Example:
Literacy can grant power, provided that there are animals who cannot read or write. In the beginning, the animals’ literacy and intellect are relatively the same. Old Major is the cleverest pig; he is the kind old philosopher, like Karl Marx or Vladimir Lenin. During his retirement, he develops a theory that all humans are the root of evil. His speech was the foundation for the pigs’ assumption of power. They refined his ideas into a new ideology and called it Animalism. They also learned how to read. It allowed the pigs to declare themselves the “mind workers.” Therefore, the pigs’ literacy assured the illiterate animals in their objective superiority.
Meanwhile, as the pigs were the intellectual elite, they were not supposed to work, which raised their social status by itself. Snowball tried to promote education among all the animals, but most of them failed to master the alphabet. This is a metaphor for the general public being predominantly ignorant and easy to manipulate. At the same time, Boxer and other animals that spend most of the day in hard work merely have no time to develop their intellect. Thus, the pigs’ intention to build a school for pig children was highly efficient. Unequal access to education and unequal ability to express one’s thoughts in perspective reinforce the social divide, making the pigs smarter and more powerful and undermining other animals’ self-esteem.
At this point, the pigs resort to propaganda and rhetoric. Squealer uses his oratorical gift to refine the pigs’ message to the other animals. Upon Napoleon’s order, he breaks the Seven Commandments of farm governance. At night, he climbs the ladder to change them, and once even falls from the ladder trying to change the commandment on alcohol. The “proletarian” animals soon forget what the Seven Commandments were like in the first place and are unsure if they have ever been altered. Further on, Minimus writes a poem praising Napoleon. Finally, Squealer replaces the Commandments with a single assertion: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Language is no longer used to convince. It is used to control and manipulate.
🏁 Writing Your Analytical Essay Conclusion
The conclusion is short and sweet. It summarizes everything you just wrote in the essay and wraps it up with a beautiful shiny bow. Follow these steps to write a convincing conclusion:
Repeat the thesis statement and summarize your argument. Even when using the best summary generator for the task, reread it to make sure all the crucial points are included.
Take your argument beyond what is simply stated in your paper. You want to show how it is essential in terms of the bigger picture. Also, you may dwell on the influence on citizens of the country.
Example of an Analytical Essay Conclusion
Example:
Because of everything mentioned above, it becomes clear that language and rhetoric can rise to power, establish authority, and manipulate ordinary people. Animal Farm is the simplified version of a communist society. It shows how wise philosophers’ good intentions can be used by mean leaders to gain unopposed power and unconditional trust. Unfortunately, this can lead to the death of many innocent animals, i.e., people, as totalitarianism has nothing to do with people’s rule. Therefore, language and oratory are potent tools that can keep people oppressed and weak, deprive them of any chance for improvement and growth, and make them think that there is no other possible existence.
Now you are ready to write an analysis essay! See, it’s easier than you thought.
Of course, it’s always helpful to see other analysis essay examples. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock provides some great examples of an analytical paper.
✏️ Analysis Essay FAQ
❓ What makes a good analysis?
A great analytical paper should be well-structured, cohesive, and logically consistent. Each part of the essay should be in its place, creating a smooth and easy-to-read text. Most importantly, the statements should be objective and backed by arguments and examples.
❓ What is an analysis essay?
It is a paper devoted to analyzing a certain topic or subject. An analysis essay is all about reviewing certain details of the subject and interpreting them. For example, such an analysis for a poem includes a description of artistic means that helped the poet convey the idea.
❓ How to write an analytical essay?
Writing an analytical essay on a book/movie/poem start with an outline. Point out what catches the eye when reviewing the subject. See how these details can be interpreted. Make sure that you refer to the main idea/message. Add an appropriate introduction and a logical conclusion.
❓ How to be analytical in writing?
Being more analytical in writing can be essential for a student. This is a skill that can be self-taught: try to start noticing subtle details and describe them. As you write, interpret the facts and strive to draw conclusions. Try to be as objective as possible.
🔗 References
Organizing Your Analysis // Purdue Writing Lab
(Video) How To: Write an Analysis Paper
FAQs
How do you write an analytical analysis essay? ›
- 1 Choose your topic. This step may be optional if your topic has been given to you as an assignment. ...
- 2 Research your topic. ...
- 3 Create an outline. ...
- 4 Write your first draft. ...
- 5 Revise your draft. ...
- 6 Proofread your essay.
- Choose your argument.
- Define your thesis.
- Write the introduction.
- Write the body paragraphs.
- Add a conclusion.
To write an analytical essay, first write an introduction that gives your reader background information and introduces your thesis. Then, write body paragraphs in support of your thesis that include a topic sentence, an analysis of some part of the text, and evidence from the text that supports your analysis.
What is a good example for analytical writing? ›“I say to my fellow humans: It's time to stop feeding off the dead and grow up! I don't know about food, but I have a plan for achieving fuel self-sufficiency in less time than it takes to say 'Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
What does an analytical essay look like? ›What does an analytical essay look like? An analytical essay is basically an expanded five-paragraph essay containing an introduction, body, and conclusion, with specific components required for each section.
What are the four parts of analytical essay? ›...
A conclusion will include:
- Paraphrase of thesis.
- Summary of key points of analysis.
- Final concluding thought(s)
An analytical essay is usually between 500 and 1,000 words, which means that it can follow the classic five paragraph format of essays with an introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph.
How do you start an analysis sentence? ›In general, an analysis paragraph can have the same format as other types of paragraphs. The first sentence would be the topic sentence and state your main analysis of the essay. That would be followed by examples from the essay to support that main point.
What is an analytical paper? ›What is an analytical essay? An analytical essay means you will need to present some type of argument, or claim, about what you are analyzing. An analytical essay is not a summary. Analytical essays usually concentrate on how the piece was written – for example how certain themes present themselves in a story.
What are the 7 steps to writing an analytical essay? ›- Choose a point of view. ...
- Write an introductory paragraph ending in a thesis statement. ...
- Carefully organize the body of your essay. ...
- Craft clear topic sentences. ...
- Populate your essay with evidence. ...
- Provide space for contrasting opinions.
How do you write a topic sentence for an analytical essay? ›
...
It needs to meet three criteria:
- It must be arguable rather than a statement of fact. ...
- It must be limited enough so that the paper develops in some depth. ...
- It must be unified so that the paper does not stray from the topic.
Analysis should be a minimum of two (2) sentences. 6. Concluding/Transition Sentence – If you are writing just one analytical paragraph then this sentence serves as your conclusion. It answers the question “what's your point?” It should tie back to the topic sentence.
What is the analytical style of writing? ›Analytical writing is evaluative and critical. It seeks to go beyond the descriptive presentation of facts or details to the reader, and instead evaluates and investigates their significance.
How do you end an analytical essay? ›- Restate the thesis by making the same point with other words (paraphrase).
- Review your supporting ideas.
- For that, summarize all arguments by paraphrasing how you proved the thesis.
- Connect back to the essay hook and relate your closing statement to the opening one.
An analytical paragraph is a paragraph that is used to critically examine and analyze a topic. It has three main parts: An introduction that provides the context of the paragraph and explains why it is necessary to analyze the subject.
Does an analytical essay need a thesis? ›Do they sound convincing or specific? No, and without a strong thesis statement, your analytical essay will not be a convincing piece of writing as it will have no real purpose. So make sure your thesis statement reflects your claims regarding the topic.
How many paragraphs are in a text analysis essay? ›Paragraph structure
A typical structure for a high school literary analysis essay consists of five paragraphs: the three paragraphs of the body, plus the introduction and conclusion. Each paragraph in the main body should focus on one topic.
The most important part of an analytical essay is its thesis statement (including supporting evidence and its analysis). However, analytical essays should also include an introduction, body paragraphs that develop the thesis, and a conclusion.
What are the parts of an analysis? ›The elements to be analyzed are plot, setting, characters, point of view, figurative language, and style. This will serve as the evidence/support throughout your paper. Setting: Is there anything to note about the role that time of day plays in the story?
Can you use i in an analysis essay? ›Use formal, academic diction (word choice) in a literary analysis. Therefore, write in the third person. First person (I, me, our, we, etc.) and second person (you) are too informal for academic writing, and most literature professors prefer students to write in third person.
What makes a good analysis? ›
Answer Questions that Explain and Expand on the Evidence
Questions can take the form of explaining the evidence or expanding on evidence; in other words, questions can give context or add meaning. Asking both kinds of questions is crucial to creating strong analysis.
Analytical Essay: Introduction - YouTube
What is an analytical thesis statement example? ›Analytical Thesis Statements
In turn, an excellent example of an analytical thesis statement is: “The process of metamorphosis signifies the class struggles of the organisms to break out of a life of being oppressed.” Hence, the above thesis explains “how” the animals behave during metamorphosis.
An outline is the first step of the writing stage. Writing an analytical essay outline requires a lot of concentration and research. An outline works as a roadmap throughout the essay. Before writing the analytical essay, you have to create an outline and decide what to write in which section.
How do you write a strong opening sentence? ›Start with the chase. A good hook might also be a question or a claim—anything that will elicit an emotional response from a reader. Think about it this way: a good opening sentence is the thing you don't think you can say, but you still want to say. Like, “This book will change your life.”
How do you start a writing sample? ›- 1.2.4.1 Stating the topic argument in one sentence. The introduction of the write-up is an extension of the main question argument. ...
- 1.2. 4.2 Stating key points that support the argument. ...
- 1.2. 4.3 Stating one key point to leave in the readers' minds.
How to Write a Topic Sentence | Scribbr - YouTube
What should you not do in an analytical essay? ›Do not abuse plot summaries and/or unnecessary long descriptions. Remember that your argument is based on an analysis; you're not writing a book report, but an argument.
How do you write critically and analytically? ›- Choose your source material and read it carefully. Before you write a critical analysis, first select your source material. ...
- Structure your argument around a main statement. ...
- Write a clear and inclusive introduction and conclusion to your analysis.
...
4 The difference between descriptive and critical writing.
| Descriptive writing | Critical/analytical writing |
|---|---|
| Explains how something works | Indicates why something will work (best) |
Do you need a conclusion for an analysis essay? ›
Analytical Essay Conclusion
As in any other essay, you also need to restate your thesis in an analytical essay. If you are thinking of how to restate a thesis, consider using synonyms for your original key-points' essential concepts. You may also want to slightly change the structure of the sentences you will be using.
The introductory paragraph of any paper, long or short, should start with a sentence that piques the interest of your readers. In a typical essay, that first sentence leads into two or three more sentences that provide details about your subject or your process.
What is a good sentence to start a conclusion? ›Concluding sentences can start out with phrases such as 'In conclusion,' 'Thus,' and 'For this reason. '
How do you write a topic sentence for an analytical essay? ›...
It needs to meet three criteria:
- It must be arguable rather than a statement of fact. ...
- It must be limited enough so that the paper develops in some depth. ...
- It must be unified so that the paper does not stray from the topic.
Analytical Thesis Statements
In turn, an excellent example of an analytical thesis statement is: “The process of metamorphosis signifies the class struggles of the organisms to break out of a life of being oppressed.” Hence, the above thesis explains “how” the animals behave during metamorphosis.
Most analyses begin with a brief summary of the main points that the analysis will make. Writing your thesis first will help you stay focused as you plan out and draft the rest of your analysis. In 1 or 2 sentences, summarize the major argument(s) you will be making.
What is the purpose of an analytical essay? ›Analytical essays usually concentrate on how the piece was written – for example how certain themes present themselves in a story. Thesis Statement To analyze something is to ask what that something means. An analytical essay answers how something does what it does or why it is as it is.
What is the topic sentence of each paragraph in an analytical essay? ›The topic sentence is usually the first sentence of the paragraph because it gives an overview of the sentences to follow. The supporting sentences after the topic sentence help to develop the main idea. These sentences give specific details related to the topic sentence.
How do you write a strong opening sentence? ›Start with the chase. A good hook might also be a question or a claim—anything that will elicit an emotional response from a reader. Think about it this way: a good opening sentence is the thing you don't think you can say, but you still want to say. Like, “This book will change your life.”
How do you end an analytical essay? ›- Restate the thesis by making the same point with other words (paraphrase).
- Review your supporting ideas.
- For that, summarize all arguments by paraphrasing how you proved the thesis.
- Connect back to the essay hook and relate your closing statement to the opening one.
What is a good thesis for an analysis paper? ›
Therefore, a thesis statement in an analysis paper should be answering a HOW or WHY question. A strong thesis makes a claim about the subject that needs proving. It provides the writer (and the reader) with a clearly focused lens through which to view the subject.
What are the 3 parts of a thesis statement? ›...
The thesis statement has 3 main parts: the limited subject, the precise opinion, and the blueprint of reasons.
- Limited Subject. ...
- Precise Opinion. ...
- Blueprint of Reasons.
Thesis: In your thesis, state the points of analysis on this work of art which you will discuss in your essay. Body: Explore the work of art and all of its aspects in detail. Refer to the section above titled “A Detailed Process of Analyzing Visual Art,” which will comprise most of your essay's body.
What makes a good analysis? ›Answer Questions that Explain and Expand on the Evidence
Questions can take the form of explaining the evidence or expanding on evidence; in other words, questions can give context or add meaning. Asking both kinds of questions is crucial to creating strong analysis.
Analysis should be a minimum of two (2) sentences. 6. Concluding/Transition Sentence – If you are writing just one analytical paragraph then this sentence serves as your conclusion. It answers the question “what's your point?” It should tie back to the topic sentence.
How long should an analysis essay be? ›An analytical essay is usually between 500 and 1,000 words, which means that it can follow the classic five paragraph format of essays with an introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph.
What is the analytical style of writing? ›Analytical writing is evaluative and critical. It seeks to go beyond the descriptive presentation of facts or details to the reader, and instead evaluates and investigates their significance.