How To Write An Analysis Essay

An analysis essay covers a topic, subject or problem and goes into detail about the issue by breaking it into smaller parts. These smaller chunks of information are easier to understand and go through. Analysis essays use both division and classification methods. When using classification you will arrange the ideas, people or objects of the essay to show how there are common characteristics or groups within the content. You are essentially creating an order within the essay. When you classify you also divide the information, since you are separating the parts of the content into different areas. This will create groups and subgroups of information for the analysis essay.

When you begin writing you will be taking apart the subject or topics to show how it works. Then there is identifying the parts of the subject so you are able explain the connection between them. By doing this you are able to show the point you are trying to make with the topic.

There are multiple parts to writing an analysis essay, these are:

  • Understanding The Tone Of The Work To Be Analyzed – When you write an analysis essay, you want to make sure you are understanding the tone that the author is trying to make. Make sure think of what is the author’s feelings towards the subject? Is the writing ironic? Is is to taken at face value?
  • The Author’s Main Point – Determine the essence and statement of the work in question. Usually you can look at the first sentence of the piece you will be analyzing since this is usually where the thesis statement is. However, keep in mind that at times there is no one sentence that will have the main point, it may be a combination of sentences that do this.
  • Summarize and Paraphrase The Author’s Words – When you go to summarize the work how this is done will be determined by if you are analyzing an essay or a narrative. With narratives you are doing a plot summary, which can be comprehensive or sequential in order. This will either follow the events that happen in the story, mainly keying on the main points. With a narrative you can also analyze the main actions of the story and than the events that led to those actions. On the other side there is the summary of an essay. You will state the main point of the entire essay and then go through and show the supporting facts from the essay to prove it. Each point is important, as well as every sub point to so that none over shadow any other points in the analysis. If you choose paraphrasing, than you make sure to put it in your own words, as well as state any resources that are used.
  • The Supporting Points Needs To Be Judged – When you are bringing together the points of the essay, make sure you take in to account which are of true relevance to the authors work and supporting your essay. Consider if the points are facts of opinions? Look for exaggerations, questionable numbers or information that looks like facts but are only opinions. Are there are enough points that correlate back to the main point? Do the points make an example of people or objects from the work? Is the author considering other views in their work? Does the author’s work have any fallacies to it.

Once you have gone over this information, you can begin putting the analysis essay together in written form in a cohesive manner.


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