How to Write an Analytical Essay: A Complete Guide & Examples [UPD 2024]

Analytical Essay aim.

Have an analytical essay to write? Not an easy assignment. We are ready to provide you with several insights on how to write a successful paper. If you have a school or a college assignment, this article is just for you. Continue reading it, and you’ll find out:

  • What is an analytical essay?
  • Secrets of a perfect analytical essay.
  • What is a literary essay?
  • A piece of practice: A Literary analysis essay example and an analytical essay example.

📝 What Is an Analytical Essay?

You can write an analytical essay on any topic. It could be politics, art, economics, music, etc. The goal of analytical writing is to analyze the issue. Before writing such an essay, writers review the topic. They study the question from different points of view. Then, they express their opinion in the paper.

Components of an Analytical Essay

Point of viewA thesis statement is the stem of your work. Concentrate your whole analytical work around one central idea.
Introductory paragraphAn introductory paragraph begins your article. Your goal is to grab the reader’s interest. It is best to start with a hook. A hook can appear in a rhetorical question or just a statement. After the hook, discuss the questions that your analysis will handle.
Carefully organized structureAll paragraphs must support your thesis statement. They can provide additional information or suggest contrasting ideas.
Clear topic sentencesTopic sentences in a good text are like milestones in a person’s life. They provide the readers with a clear structure. They help to understand what every paragraph is about.
EvidenceThe broader your thesis is, the more evidence you will need. The purpose here is to fill your main body with substance and analysis.

🖊️ How to Write an Analysis? 3 Key Steps

1. Pick a Good Analysis Essay Topic

Choosing an excellent analytical essay topic isn’t an easy task. We are here to offer you several working strategies:

  • Study your subject. Before analyzing any topic, it is helpful to study it. You need to become a real expert on the subject. Then you will realize that analysis is easy.
  • Try to find examples of similar essay topics. It would be great to find sample essays on similar topics. Use websites of different schools and libraries. They can help you to understand the structure of your work better. They can give you inspiration about the ideas you might discuss in your work.
  • Don’t keep silent. If you need any help – ask for it. Teachers are happy to answer the questions of interested students. You could discuss problematic points with your classmates. They might have similar problems, and group thinking could be a big deal of help.

2. Develop an Analytical Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the main idea of your work. You can express it in one sentence and support it with arguments.

An analytical essay statement’s goal is to answer two key questions:

  1. How does something do what it does?
  2. Why is it as it is?

A working thesis statement helps the readers with the structure of your paper. It provides them with the central point of your work. They also get to know the main arguments supporting the idea. It declares a position about the subject that needs discussing and proving.

Bad Thesis StatementGood Thesis Statement
“The economic situation suffers regularly.”“Worldwide nature preserving measures should concentrate on endangered species. It would allow rare kinds of animals to breed in a safe environment”.
This statement is broad and not specific at all. It doesn’t provide the reader with a debatable question. It doesn’t give any evidence of the author’s position.This statement is narrow enough. It offers the reader a debatable issue.

Sometimes you generalize your thesis statement. Try to use more specific words and ideas. To answer a how or why question, use such words as “by” or “because.”

3. Create an Analysis Essay Outline

Any written assignment needs thorough planning. Analytical essays are no exception. Before starting your writing, make a well-structured outline of your work. The outline should include every paragraph’s essential points.

An analysis essay consists of three parts. They are an introduction, main body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Let’s look into these parts in more detail.

The picture contains a list of an outline's elements.

Analysis Essay Introduction

The goal of the introduction is to catch the readers’ attention. To bring this focus to your subject, you need to start with a hook. The hook can be in the form of a rhetorical or provocative question. It can look like a quotation or a bold statement. A good introduction includes the question you will discuss. Apart from that, it states the position you are taking. Background information on the topic is in the intro too.

Analysis Essay Main Body

The main body is an essential part of an essay. Its goal is to provide the reader with the central idea’s development. In this section, you need to support your thesis with evidence. Usually, this part consists of at least three paragraphs. The number of paragraphs depends on how broad the thesis statement is. Writers take the evidence from different textual resources. It may be a summary, a direct quotation, or even a paraphrase.

Don’t forget about topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph! It should contain the main idea of the paragraph. It is essential to express its connection to your work’s central position.

It is vital to support everything you claim in the thesis statement. That is why you need to have a narrow thesis statement. The broader your thesis is – the more paragraphs the main body will contain.

Analysis Essay Conclusion

The concluding paragraph aims to give your paper a sense of completeness. Its purpose is to mark the end of your work. It is vital to stick to your point in the conclusion. Do not introduce any new topics or ideas. The goal here is to restate the thesis. You need to summarize the central issues you have discussed. An ideal conclusion reminds the reader of how you proved your argument. It leaves some space for an open discussion.

🔢 Analytical Essay Topics

  1. 2010 midterm Senate elections analysis
  2. Post traumatic stress disorder analysis
  3. Alibaba Company’s external analysis
  4. Folklore genres and analysis
  5. Allied Cooperative Insurance Group: financial analysis
  6. Amazon INC.’s strategic analysis report
  7. Analysis of a sample of spoken and written discourse
  8. “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost: critical analysis
  9. Analysis of factors impact on organizational management
  10. Analysis of finance, internal competitive resources, and strategy
  11. Business and corporate law: analysis of three cases
  12. “Should a Woman Work Outside the Home?” analysis
  13. Porter’s Five Forces: strategy analysis in airline industry
  14. Analysis of Enterprise Web Services security model
  15. Analysis of inaugural speeches
  16. Hamlet: character analysis
  17. Electoral College system analysis
  18. Analysis of Kate Chopin’s “The Story Of An Hour”
  19. Analysis of Penfold Company
  20. Analysis of “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman
  21. The Dodd-Frank Act: federal policy analysis
  22. Analysis of the Riordan Manufacturing System
  23. Benihana Tokyo: the company analysis
  24. Marxist anthropology: analysis and critique
  25. Internet financial reporting analysis
  26. Novels Renaissance analysis
  27. Child poverty in Canada problem analysis
  28. Childhood obesity issue analysis
  29. Analysis of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”
  30. Chronic disease: diabetes analysis
  31. The analysis of Wallada’s poetry
  32. Coca-Cola: company analysis
  33. Theory of planned behavior analysis
  34. Analysis of Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost
  35. Cultural assessment models analysis
  36. Canonization of the Bible analysis
  37. “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin analysis
  38. Health system reform analysis in Canada
  39. Nintendo – strategic analysis
  40. “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald: plot analysis

💡 Writing an Analytical Essay: A Wonderful Example

Paragraph NameExample
Introduction: HookA woman’s work is never done. This saying has existed in the center of worldwide cultures for many years…
Introduction: Background informationJessica Grose wrote “Cleaning: The Final Feminist Frontier.” She argues that…
Thesis statementGrose starts her argument with reliable sources. She quotes compelling facts and statistics. But closer to the end of the paper, her credibility weakens. This happens as she attempts to call upon readers’ emotions.
Main body: Paragraph 1In the article, the author describes a particular scenario. It is a pattern of doing house chores with her husband. She is paving the way for the following discussion of…
Main body: Paragraph 2Across the article, the author appeals to many reliable sources. It helps to improve her credibility. Among them, we can find…
Main body: Paragraph 3Towards the end of the article, Grose turns to the reader’s feelings. The author discusses her personal experience of being…
ConclusionFeminism today is an issue that is impossible to ignore. Articles like “Cleaning…” help discuss different sides of the question. The authors should be careful while turning to the audience’s feelings. It may weaken their argument.

📚 Literary Analysis Essay: Example & Guide

What Is a Literary Analysis Essay?

When writing a literary essay, we analyze literature. Sometimes you need to analyze only a particular character. Or you will talk about one aspect of the work. When you study literary work elements, you’ll understand the piece of literature better.

Literary Analysis Essay Components

Strong thesis statementYour essay needs a working thesis statement. A good statement expresses a writer’s opinion. It also allows the readers to find their conclusions. Make it assertive but debatable.
Quotes’ explanationWe use quotes to demonstrate our perspective. But remember that you have to explain the quotes supporting the central idea.
Utilization of credible sourcesThis kind of paper requires examining the original text. Apart from that, it discusses other authors’ writings on similar topics. So, you need to include all the sources you use in your work. Make sure they are scholarly and credible.

Literary Analysis Essay: How Does It Look Like?

A literary analysis is not a summary of writing. On the contrary, it is a debate about the work. It conveys a writer’s analysis of the work. It should include analysis and assessment of the piece of writing. To accomplish this goal, writers use different literary devices. The idea of literary analysis is to discuss writers’ thoughts.

Literary Analysis Essay Example

Paragraph NameExample
IntroductionErnest Hemingway is an acknowledged writer. He is one of the most recognized stylists. The distinctive features of his style are…
Thesis statementOne of his well-known works is The Old Man and the Sea. It shows the ironic technique of the author. The Old Man and the Sea deals with the problem of discussing deep moral questions.
Main body: discussion and quotationAt first glance, the plot of the story may seem direct. It tells a story of… The central question of the story is the search for meaning in life. For instance: “Never have I had such a strong fish nor one who acted so strangely. Perhaps he is too wise to jump…”. This passage shows the readers the simple structure of…
ConclusionWe see Hemingway’s style as one built upon the simplicity of structures. The author combines the structures with profound ideas and…

📓 5 General Tips to Get Your Analytical Writing Done

Don’t Neglect the Outline Before You Start Writing

You need to organize your thoughts and ideas. It will help you remember the order of the essay components. Also, it will prompt the main ideas that the author has to mention.

Check Your Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is the stem of your paper. You need to discuss it further and support it with evidence. Before writing the main body, make sure that your statement is clear. It is essential to make your thesis statement assertive. In this case, the readers will understand your perspective. They will also believe what you are saying.

Review the Paper’s Structure

When you have done the first rough draft, revise the structure of your literary analysis. First, you need to check your thesis statement’s position. Don’t forget to check the arguments. Secondly, review the use of sentence structures, try to use a variety of different constructions. It is vital that you use the third-person perspective in the essay. Remember to include reliable sources.

Don’t Forget about Transitions

Literary analysis essays consist of several paragraphs. Different paragraphs discuss different ideas. So it is crucial to make the transitions between the sections smooth. Try not to jump from one fact to another. Use logical connectors instead. The essay should be coherent, with one idea following the previous one.

Use Academic Language

When discussing a work of literature, it is essential to remember your work’s style. Try to avoid informal style, slang, and jargon words. Use your dictionary or online resources if you need help with word choice. Remember that you are writing an academic paper. Academic papers require appropriate vocabulary.

Now you know all the excellent tips for writing an analytical essay. Why wait? Start writing your own paper! We wish you good luck!

🔗 References

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