The goal of every essay writer, or writers in general, is to deliver a message to their readers. The reader’s job then is to unravel the meaning of the essays. For the readers to fully comprehend, they must acquire the basic knowledge of analysing an essay. This task not only involves identification of the main elements of the essay but also incorporates a critical analysis of how the various elements make up different pieces to complete a puzzle – a piece of writing or, in this case, an essay.

This may not be an easy feat. It requires skills to successfully perform the task of analysing an essay. But do not fret, it is not rocket science. The following sections aim to guide you on how to analyse in an essay or how to analyse something in an essay simply so that you will be able to gain a better understanding of any essay required of you.

Why Is There a Need to Learn How To Analyse Something In An Essay?

Whenever someone asks us to analyse an essay writing, we tend to give them a summary of the essay. However, summary and analysis are not interchangeable words. These words are different from each other and connote different functions. It is crucial for a reader to know the difference between the two.

A summary is an outline of all the main points of an essay. This is done by taking out only the important elements in an essay and condensing it in a much more concise manner, leaving the uncalled-for arguments behind. Analysis, on the other hand, focuses more on the reader’s point of view and how they incorporate it into the essay. With the reader’s own take on the writing, they can conclude how all the elements of an essay are connected by examining and interpreting its elements. The reality that many are still bewildered when asked to analyse an essay leads to the reality that there is a need to learn how to analyse in an essay effectively and properly.

One cannot hide the fact that this expertise is essential. For you to grasp the ideas and concepts hidden behind writing, you must have the ability to effectively analyse an essay given any situation. The significance of this proficiency is to expand the comprehension of the readers, bridging the gap between the writer and the reader. In this article, we provide you with different methods on how to analyse in an essay that is easy to follow.

How to Critically Analyse in an Essay

The difficult task of analysing literary writing like an essay can be intimidating at first. But it does not have to be that way. To execute the task of how to analyse in an essay, consider the definition of the word “analyse.”

In general, analysis is defined as examining something critically by looking at its separate parts. So, if, for example, you are analysing a basketball team’s chance of winning, you would not just focus on their records. Instead, you would also have to consider the abilities of the players, including their strengths and weaknesses, the skills of the coaches, even their motivations. These factors contribute to the bigger picture, and this is exactly how analysis works only instead of a basketball team, you are analysing an essay. Here are simple steps on how to analyse in an essay certainly.

  1. Read the essay thoroughly from the start to the end. While you are reading the essay, you will be able to notice some words, terms, notions, and themes that you are not familiar with. To help you with how to critically analyse in an essay, you can conduct prior research to further your understanding.
  2. Identify the main subject of the essay. The main subject should be based on the author’s proposition, whether subjective or objective. After identifying the core idea, you can now move on to analysing the appeal or position of the author in the essay.
  3. Compose an outline. An outline will help you organise your analysis. You can structure your analysis outline into three parts — introduction, body, and conclusion. Starting your outline using this format will help you to easily point out what is necessary to include in your analysis. This will help you on how to critically analyse in an essay leading a possibly vague opinion into a more profound one.
  4. Write down your analysis. Once you have finalised your outline, you can now start writing your analysis. Seeing it in paper will provide you with a clear visualisation. Make it precise and be sure to limit your analysis to make sure that the readers will have a definite understanding of the paper following the three-part format of your outline. To conclude your analytical process, you must restate your own perspective about the main subject and also your position in the said argument. In how to analyse in an essay, the conclusion should correspond to the introduction without the intention of reiterating it. For the last sentence of your paper, write your final argument.
  5. Go over your paper. After you finish writing your paper, feel free to take some rest to recharge your mind. Read your analysis repeatedly to see if there are any errors and ideas that you might have missed. Focus on the smallest details of your paper. If you can, it is always a good idea to ask for assistance from someone knowledgeable – such as your professor.

How to Analyse Quotes in an Essay

Here are some tips on how to analyse quotes in an essay easily. For this example, take the quote, “You must do the thing you think you cannot do” by Eleanor Roosevelt.

  •  Introduce the speaker. Start your analysis with an introduction regarding the person who said the quote. Introduce the speaker with something they are known for; it can be an invention, a literary piece, an important work, art, heroic-act, or a record-breaking title they are famous for. In our example, Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She is the longest-serving First Lady of the United States.
  • Point out the emotional state of the speaker. This initiates your process of how to analyse quotes in an essay by factoring the author’s emotional activity. Describe the emotion, environment, and circumstance the speaker is in when they said the quote – especially if you are going to quote a passage from a novel or story.
  •  Why did the speaker make or say the statement? Put yourself into the writer’s shoes and think of the idea that the writer is trying to convey through the quote. What made them say that? Also, think about the unique characteristics that you can derive about the speaker based on their statement. A possible reason behind Roosevelt’s famous quote is that she wants to remind people that one regains courage and confidence through experience. Roosevelt sees that one must do something they think they cannot do for them to be fearless.
  • Break the quotes into parts. Section the quote and analyse each part based on grammar and tense. Note the key features of the quote then explain why they were used.
  • What does the quote mean? Go into the depth of the quote, and explain the context from a philosophical, literal, or metaphorical perspective. You can also explain what the quote means to you. Ask yourself what lesson did you get from the quote? Did it change the way you look at life? What is the message it is trying to convey? What we can take from Roosevelt’s quote is that through experience, one will be able to say that they have lived through horror but still take the next thing that comes along and challenges that life will throw at them.
  • Summarise with a closing statement. Conclude all your main thoughts, restate the main point of your analysis using different words. It may include a summary of the meaning of the quote. This is where the process of how to analyse quotes in an essay end. Example: Overall, it may be said that one must do the thing they think they cannot do because one gets stronger through experience.

Do You Need Help Analysing Literary Writing?

We have provided you above with methods on how to analyse something in an essay effectively. If even now your mind is still clouded with questions on how to analyse in an essay or how to critically analyse in an essay, you can always turn to others for assistance. We are always ready to tend to your writing needs. With a reliable team of professional writers who will provide you with their expertise on how to analyse in an essay credibly, what more can you ask for?

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