Sample Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Alright, let’s walk through a real example and break it down using PEEL.
- Basically, PEEL is your cheat code for writing strong, convincing analysis. It helps your ideas make sense and stick.
- By the end of it, you'll know how to spot techniques, figure out what they’re doing, and link it all back to what the writer’s really trying to say.
Note
PEEL = Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link
- P: Point
- Start with a clear idea or argument.
- What is the writer showing or saying through the text?
- E: Evidence
- Drop in a quote or describe a specific moment.
- This should show how the writer is doing what you just said.
- E – Explanation
- Unpack how the technique works.
- What effect does it have? Why did the writer choose it?
- What does it make the reader think or feel?
- L – Link
- Tie it all back to your main point.
- How does it support your overall argument or the text’s big idea?
Step 1: Read the Passage
“I crept through the silence, each step resonating like a drumbeat. You cannot turn back now.”
Step 2: Deconstruct the Passage
- What techniques are being used?
- What images, tone, or emotions are created?
- What themes or ideas emerge?
- What effect does the language have on the reader?
- What is the writer’s purpose?
| Technique | Identification | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Voice | Second-person (“You”) | Draws the reader directly into the scene, heightening suspense and urgency. |
| Diction | “Silence,” “resonating” | Creates tension—quiet broken by sudden sound suggests looming danger. |
| Imperative tone | “You cannot turn back” | Establishes a sense of command and inevitability—there’s no escape. |
| Symbolism | Drumbeat-like footsteps | May imply a march toward something inevitable or dangerous. |
Step 3: Using PEEL To Structure Your Analysis
- Point:
- The author uses second-person narration and sound imagery to create a powerful sense of suspense and urgency, immersing the reader in the character’s tense psychological state.
- Evidence:
- This is seen in the imperative line, “You cannot turn back now”, and the auditory image of footsteps “resonating like a drumbeat.”
- Explanation:
- By addressing the reader as “you,” the author collapses the distance between the audience and the character, forcing us to feel the pressure of the moment.
- The use of the command form makes the experience feel final and inescapable
- The metaphor comparing footsteps to a “drumbeat” adds rhythmic tension, evoking a sense of doom or inevitability.
- The contrast between silence and sudden noise enhances this unease, making the threat feel both internal and external.
- Link:
- Together, these techniques craft an atmosphere of growing dread and helplessness, reinforcing the theme of fear in the face of unstoppable forces.
Here is a model analytical paragraph:
Example
The author uses second-person narration and sound imagery to create a powerful sense of suspense and urgency, immersing the reader in the character’s tense psychological state. This is seen in the imperative line, “You cannot turn back now,” and the auditory image of footsteps “resonating like a drumbeat.” By addressing the reader directly with “you,” the author removes the emotional distance between character and audience, making the moment feel intensely personal and immediate. The use of the command form suggests there is no choice or escape, heightening the sense of pressure. Meanwhile, the comparison of footsteps to a “drumbeat” introduces rhythmic tension that evokes inevitability, almost like a march toward something dangerous. This metaphor reinforces a looming sense of dread. The shift from silence to this pounding noise intensifies the contrast and reflects the sudden escalation of fear, both internal and external. Together, these techniques create a charged atmosphere of urgency and entrapment, reinforcing the broader theme of how fear can corner individuals into moments of psychological crisis.
Step 4: Writing a More Concise Version
Example
The author uses second-person narration and commanding diction to draw the reader into a fearful, inescapable situation. The phrase “You cannot turn back now” implicates the reader in the scene, while the image of footsteps “resonating like a drumbeat” builds suspense and symbolises an inevitable confrontation with danger.
Tip
- Slip in micro-quotes, just one or two words, from earlier or later in the passage to show how meaning is built across the text.
- This makes your analysis feel cohesive and shows the examiner you’re paying attention to structure and development, not just isolated lines.
Key Lessons
- Combine steps into smooth, connected sentences, don’t treat them like a rigid list.
- Some quotations require deep analysis, others are more direct. Use your judgment.
- There’s no single “right” interpretation, as long as your point is well-supported and purposeful, it’s valid.
- Strong analysis isn’t about finding more techniques, it’s about explaining them better.
Exam technique
- Lead with Analysis, Not the Quote
- Avoid opening a sentence with a quotation, it often leads to shallow explanation or paraphrase.
- Instead, begin with the writer’s intention or the effect on the reader, and use the quote as supporting evidence.
- Example:
- Strong: To heighten tension, the author commands “you cannot turn back now,” pulling the reader into the character’s fear.
- Weak: “You cannot turn back now” shows that the character is afraid.
- Quick check:
- If your sentence still makes sense without the quote, your analysis is doing the work.
