Instructions for Students
An analytical paragraph has three parts. Use this sheet to build your paragraph step by step. Read the extract, then follow the prompts in order. Your finished paragraph should flow as a single, polished response.
Step 1: Point
What is the main idea of your paragraph? Answer the question directly in one clear sentence.
Sentence starters
- • The writer presents [character] as...
- • From the opening, it is clear that...
- • [Writer] uses [method] to suggest that...
- • One way [idea] is explored is through...
Your point
Step 2: Evidence
Choose a short quotation from the extract that proves your point. Keep it short - a phrase or single sentence is enough. Embed it inside your own sentence.
Embedding prompts
- • This is shown when [character] is described as "..."
- • The writer's use of "..." creates...
- • The phrase "..." reveals...
Your evidence
Step 3: Explain
This is the most important part. Zoom in on a specific word or technique in your evidence. What method has the writer used? What effect does it create? Why has the writer made that choice?
Explain prompts
- • The word "..." suggests that...
- • The writer's use of [metaphor / personification / verb choice] creates...
- • This makes the reader feel...
- • Perhaps the writer wants us to consider...
Your explanation
Worked Example
Question: How does Dickens present Scrooge in the opening of A Christmas Carol?
Point: Dickens presents Scrooge as emotionally closed off from the world around him.
Evidence: This is shown when Dickens describes him as "solitary as an oyster".
Explain: The simile suggests that Scrooge is hard on the outside and almost impossible to open, just like an oyster. The adjective "solitary" reinforces his isolation, making the reader feel a mix of pity and dislike. Perhaps Dickens wants us to question whether anyone could ever reach Scrooge - a question the rest of the novella sets out to answer.
Differentiation Ideas
Support
- • Pre-choose the quotation for weaker students
- • Provide a completed Point line to build from
- • Pair with a more confident writer
- • Cap task at 3 sentences per step
Stretch
- • Add a second Evidence & Explain to make a PEEEL
- • Link the quotation to context (AO3)
- • Challenge: use two analytical connectives
- • Redraft the paragraph without the scaffold
Use in Classroom - Tips
- Read the example first: Walk through the worked example together before students start their own.
- Live model: Build a fresh example on the board in real time so students see the thinking, not just the finished product.
- Keep Point short: Students often over-write the Point. One sentence is the target.
- Push Explain: Most low-grade paragraphs die in the Explain stage. Ask "so what?" twice.