Model Analytical Paragraph
Use a short model to see how a claim, evidence, technique, effect, and link work together.
Success criteria
- I can write a claim that answers the question, not just describes the story.
- I can use a precise detail as evidence.
- I can name a technique and explain its effect on the reader.
- I can link the paragraph back to the novel's wider idea.
Model paragraph
Question: How does Gaiman make the Other World feel both attractive and dangerous?
Gaiman makes the Other World feel attractive and dangerous by turning Coraline's ordinary home into a brighter, more generous copy. When Coraline enters the other flat, the food is better, the rooms are warmer, and the adults pay attention to her. This contrast with her neglected everyday life makes the offer of a new home seem appealing. However, the button eyes of the Other Mother and Other Father create a disturbing detail that the comfort cannot explain. The reader is pushed to distrust the generosity: the more perfect the copy becomes, the more it feels like a trap. Gaiman therefore suggests that a home is not made by better food or brighter rooms, but by real relationships in which a child is seen without being owned.
How the model works
| Move | Example from the model | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Claim | “Gaiman makes the Other World feel attractive and dangerous by turning Coraline's ordinary home into a brighter, more generous copy.” | It answers the question and names the method: contrast and copying. |
| Evidence | “the food is better, the rooms are warmer, and the adults pay attention to her” | It uses specific details rather than a general statement that the Other World is “nice”. |
| Technique | “the button eyes… create a disturbing detail” | It names a visual motif and connects it to the mood. |
| Effect | “The reader is pushed to distrust the generosity” | It explains what the reader thinks or feels, not just what happens. |
| Link | “a home is not made by better food or brighter rooms, but by real relationships” | It moves from the scene to the novel's wider idea about home and belonging. |
Model check. The paragraph does not retell the whole plot. It selects one pattern, uses details, explains the effect, and makes a judgement.
Sentence starters
- Gaiman presents [idea] as…
- This is shown when [brief scene or detail].
- The use of [technique] makes the reader…
- This suggests that…
- By the end of the novel, Gaiman invites the reader to…
Your turn
Choose one question and write one paragraph. Use the model's five moves.
- How does Gaiman make the Other World seem appealing?
- How does Gaiman present Coraline's courage?
- How does the cat help the reader understand the Other Mother?
| Check | My paragraph |
|---|---|
| Claim answers the question | |
| Evidence is precise, not general | |
| Technique is named | |
| Effect is explained | |
| Link returns to a wider idea |
Teacher notes
Do not let students copy the model's wording. Use it to make the structure visible, then remove it before drafting.
The most common Year 7 weakness is retelling. Ask: What does this detail make the reader think or feel?
Support: give students the sentence starters and one scene reference, then ask for two details and one technique.
Extension: ask students to write a counter-claim paragraph in which the Other World genuinely seems like a better home.
Students should use their own copy of the novel for quotations. This model uses scene references and a motif, not a long quotation.