Your task is not to evaluate whether the columnist's argument is correct: it is to analyse how they construct and deliver that argument. The method of persuasion is the analysis.
Before writing anything,identify the thesis: state what the columnist is arguing in one sentence. Every analytical point you make should connect back to this claim.
Identify theprimary rhetorical strategy the columnist uses (anecdote, irony, accumulation of evidence, concession) and explain how that strategy serves the specific argument being made.
Characterise thetone precisely: not just "persuasive", but sardonic, measured, outraged, urgent, or wry. Name the tone and then justify it with specific language evidence.
Evaluate thepersuasive effect: does the column preach to the converted or challenge its audience? Does it use fair argument or manipulative rhetoric?
The strongest analysis evaluates the column's methods, not just its content.
Device-Effect-Purpose
Name the device precisely ("anaphora", not "repetition"), then explain the effect it creates on the reader, then explain how that effect serves the columnist's overall purpose.
Whenanalysing irony, always state what the writer is literally saying and what they actually mean: do not assume the irony is self-evident.
When analysinghumour or wit, do not dismiss it as entertainment: it is a device that softens the reader and makes them receptive to the argument that follows.
Example
Weak: "The writer uses rhetorical questions to persuade the reader."
Strong:
"The series of rhetorical questions in the third paragraph, each implying that the answer is obvious, pulls the reader into agreement through the flattery of shared common sense, making the writer's position feel like self-evident truth rather than a contested argument."
Useful Phrases for Opinion Column Analysis
"The columnist's use of [device] constructs a sense of..." links individual devices to the column's overall argumentative goal.
"By positioning the reader as part of 'we', the writer implies a shared set of values that..." connects pronoun choice to its persuasive function.
"The irony of [phrase] deflates the target by..." explains how irony does argumentative work without the writer having to state their view directly.
"The concession in paragraph [X] makes the subsequent rebuttal appear more credible because..." demonstrates structural and rhetorical awareness together.
Exam technique
Track pronoun shifts throughout a column: a move from "I" to "we" often marks when the writer builds solidarity; a move to "they" marks the construction of an antagonist.
Short, deliberately isolated paragraphs are a structural device worth naming: brevity signals importance and typically marks an argumentative pivot.
Interactive question
What should your analysis of an opinion column establish before identifying specific devices?
Markscheme
Identifying the thesis first allows you to connect every device you analyse to the argument it serves [1]
Active recall
Why should you identify the columnist's thesis before writing anything else?
Explain what device-effect-purpose means and why it produces stronger analysis than simply naming a device.
Give three vocabulary phrases useful for writing about opinion columns in a Paper 1 response.
