Analytical Paragraphs
An analytical paragraph makes one point and proves it. The paragraph is a unit of thought, not a container for everything you know about the text.
The four moves
| Move | Job | Useful language |
|---|---|---|
| Claim | State a specific interpretation. | “The opening presents the town as ...” |
| Evidence | Offer a short, precise detail. | “The repeated word ...” / “When the narrator says ...” |
| Explanation | Explain how the evidence creates meaning. | “This suggests ... because ...” / “The effect is ...” |
| Link | Connect to the text's larger pattern or the question. | “The moment therefore prepares the reader for ...” |
A model paragraph
The market is not simply a setting in the opening; it is a machine for managing disappointment. The stalls fold, the fishmonger hoses the concrete and the smell of the morning runs “toward the drain”, so the place is described as closing itself down before Ana's wait is named. This makes her stillness feel active rather than passive: she is holding herself inside a scene that is already packing up. The reader understands her hope through what she refuses to look at, not through a direct statement of feeling.
The paragraph makes one claim, uses a short phrase as evidence, explains the effect and links to character. It does not list every technique in the passage.
Paragraph shapes
- Point-first: claim, evidence, explanation, link. Clear and efficient.
- Evidence-first: a short quotation, then the claim it supports. Useful for surprising details.
- Comparison: claim, evidence from Text A, evidence from Text B, explanation of the difference.
- Counterargument: common reading, evidence against it, revised claim. Useful for discussion and evaluation.
Cohesion
Link sentences with meaning, not just connectives. “Furthermore” does not create a relationship if the next sentence repeats the same idea. Use pronouns, repeated key terms and causal language to show how the thought develops. A paragraph should feel like one mind working through one problem.
Revising a paragraph
- Underline the claim. Is it specific?
- Circle the evidence. Is it short and relevant?
- Mark the explanation. Is it longer than the evidence?
- Check the link. Does it connect to a larger idea?
- Cut any sentence that does not serve the claim.
One paragraph, one idea. If you can split the paragraph into two claims, it probably should be two paragraphs.