how to start off a advertisement analysis essay

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16 Drafting Your Ad Analysis

Dr. Karen Palmer

Now that you have a solid outline, it’s time to start writing your ad analysis paper! Here we will work through fleshing out each part of your outline–turning your outline into a full draft.

Introduction

The first part of your paper is your introduction. You may remember from the Writing Formula chapter that an introduction consists of three main parts: the hook, the introduction to the topic, and the thesis. Let’s begin with the hook. A hook does two jobs–it connects the topic of your paper to your readers, and it attempts to capture their attention.

This video highlights some of the most common techniques for writing a good hook:

Now that you have a general idea of what a hook does, let’s focus in on the kind of hook that would be most useful for your ad analysis essay. Let’s say you are doing an analysis on that milk ad we discussed earlier in the text.

Strategy 1: Connect to the topic of the ad: milk. You could say something like, “Do you drink milk?” But…would that really draw in readers? Surely, there is a better way to grab the attention of our audience.

Strategy 2: Connect to the broader topic of advertising. Here you might say something like, “Advertisers are always trying to get our attention.” Sure, this is a broad opening to the paper, but is it really going to make anyone interested in the topic?

A good idea is to brainstorm some current events or topics that link to your ad. A brainstorming list for this milk ad could include lactose intolerance, the concept of looking at TV sitcom characters as role models, the changing role of mothers, and even the pressure placed on moms (and women in general)  to be perfect. Choose something that appeals to you and that illustrates a theme that runs through the ad. When brainstorming with my classes, we often land on the idea of perfection with this particular milk ad. It makes a compelling frame for the paper.

Introducing the topic is just that–letting readers know what the paper will be about. ie An ad for ________ located in _________ magazine illustrates this concept. Note that you need to include the specific product advertised in the ad, the name of the magazine in which the ad is located, and include a connection/transition to your hook.

Finally, the last sentence of your introduction is your thesis. Here you make your argument. While you already wrote a thesis for your outline, you want to double check that the thesis connects in some way to your hook. Our example thesis is: “The advertisers successfully persuade the consumer that milk will make them a great mom by using nostalgia, milk branding, and the image of ideal motherhood.” We might make a slight adjustment here to make the connection a bit more explicit: “The advertisers play on the desire of moms to fulfill an image of perfection by using nostalgia, milk branding, and the image of ideal motherhood.”

In the ad analysis, our background consists of two different sections: the description and the discussion of context.

Description

Remember that your audience cannot see the ad you are discussing. If you were in a room presenting to your audience, you might project an image of the ad up on a screen. Since we can’t do that in an essay, we need to describe the ad for our readers. Essentially, you want your readers to be able to draw a basic picture of your ad–or at least visualize it accurately in their minds.

This video from James Rath discussing how people with visual impairments see images on social media gives an important life reason for learning how to write solid image descriptions:

Here are some good tips for writing a description of an image:

1. Start by giving readers a one sentence overview of the ad. For our milk ad, that might be, “In this ad, three mothers from iconic sitcoms sit side by side in a beauty parlor under old-fashioned hair dryers.”

2. Determine in advance how you want readers to see the image–do you want them to look at the image left to right? Foreground to background? Clockwise? Bottom line here–don’t make readers minds jump around from place to place as they try to visualize the image.

3. Choose the key elements. You don’t have to describe every single thing in this paragraph. Tell readers who the three moms are and what show they are from. Give enough basic details so that readers know the setting is old-fashioned. Remember, you’ll be able to bring forward more detail as you analyze the ad in the body of your paper. Readers don’t need to know what color a person’s eyes are unless it’s a key part of the ad.

4. Don’t forget the text! While you should not write every word in the ad in your description, especially if there are lengthy paragraphs, you should include a brief overview of the text. ie placement, basic overview Again, you’ll be able to give specific quotes that are relevant to your analysis in the body of your paper.

5. Write in present tense!

The context of an ad really focuses on the audience of the ad. Remember that advertisers very carefully consider the audience for their product and create their advertisements to best reach that target audience. Let’s look at this from the perspective of a company looking to place an ad:

So, if an advertiser goes to this much trouble to determine the demographics of their target audience, it’s obviously important! The ad (unless perhaps it was published by an inexperienced advertiser) is not “for everyone.” An ad in Newsweek , no matter how childlike it appears, was not created for children. It was created for the audience who will purchase and read this magazine. When we do an ad analysis, we want to share similar information with our readers. What magazine is the ad placed in? What is the general focus of that publication? What kinds of articles appear in the publication? What general types of ads appear? In short, who is the audience? Of course, you can look at a magazine and get some of this information. You can also do a quick online search for the demographics of the magazine or for their media kit, which is what advertisers look at prior to purchasing advertising space to ensure the magazine is a good fit for their ad.

Now that you have the background out of the way and your audiences thoroughly understand the topic, it’s time to begin your analysis. Your thesis should have given at least three advertising strategies used in the ad. Your paper should include a paragraph for each one of those strategies.

Topic Sentence

The topic sentence should echo the wording of the thesis and clearly introduce the topic. For example, “One way the advertisers use the concept of the perfect mother to convince readers to purchase milk is by using iconic mothers from television shows.” For your next paragraph, you’d want to be sure to include a transition. For example, “Another way” or “In addition to” are both phrases that can be used to show that you are building onto your previous paragraph.

In this part of the paragraph, you want to give specific examples from the ad to support your point.

First, you should introduce the example. “The three moms from iconic tv shows are the focus of this ad.”

Next, you should give specific examples from the ad–this could be pointing out particular details about the images in the ad or quoting from the text–or both! For example, for the milk ad, you might give the specific names of the characters and the shows they are from. You might point out that every detail of their outfits are perfect. That they are wearing makeup and jewelry. That they have their wedding rings prominently focused in the image. You might also quote text, like the line from the ad that says, “Another all-time great mom line.”

Finally, wrap up your examples with a clear explanation of how the example proves your point. For example, you might say that, especially in modern times, it is very difficult for mothers to live up to the standard of perfection set by these three television moms. You might explain how causing readers to feel “less than” sets the stage for them to accept the premise that giving their children milk will make them more like these TV moms.

The wrap up for your paragraph is similar to the wrap up for the evidence provided. Here you want to reiterate your thesis in a simple sentence. For example, you might say, “Using the images of these iconic moms convinces moms that, in order to be a good mom, they must buy milk for their children.”

The conclusion of your paper is essentially a mirror image of your introduction. Think of your paper as an Oreo cookie. The introduction and the conclusion are the cookies that surround the best part–the body of the paper. Like the cookie outsides of the Oreo, the introduction and conclusion should be mirror images of each other.

1. Start with re-stating the thesis.

2. Reiterate the topic.

3. Return to your hook and elaborate.

Unlike an Oreo, the conclusion should not simply copy your introduction word for word in a different order. Try to restate your sentences in a different way. Elaborate on your hook so that you leave readers with something to think about!

 Content written by Dr. Karen Palmer and is licensed CC BY NC.

The Worry Free Writer Copyright © 2020 by Dr. Karen Palmer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Advertisement Analysis – How to Write & Ad Analysis Essay Examples

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In this day and age, advertising is everywhere, from billboards and TV commercials to social media feeds and mobile apps. It’s an essential tool many companies use to draw customers’ attention and showcase their products and services. However, creating a compelling and distinctive advertisement is more challenging than it seems, and professionals often rely on ad analysis to achieve this goal. Advertisement analysis is a form of research that examines advertisements’ effectiveness and impact on society. Below, we will discuss how advertisement analysis can help businesses develop successful ad campaigns while ensuring their ads are ethical and socially responsible.

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Ad analysis is a type of research that experts use to develop compelling and eye-catching advertisements . It addresses each step of the ad’s creation process. Such an approach has become increasingly common because it shows marketing techniques’ impact on human consciousness. Experts evaluate the effectiveness of an ad using qualitative and quantitative methods , which help them create better advertisements. Language, imagery, and music used in a successful marketing campaign are just a few examples of what makes up effective ad messaging.

How to analyze the advertisement? While every company and its marketing team may have their own approach to ad analysis, the framework usually includes these 5 major steps:

Gather information. Before starting a project, looking up information about the product is vital. Make a SWOT analysis of the company for which you are conducting an ad analysis. This method will help you identify potential market opportunities and internal weaknesses.

Find target-audience preferences. To choose the perfect media tools for your marketing campaign, you must know your ad’s target audience . Knowing your audience will also assist you in learning how to convince the customers to get interested and purchase the product you are advertising.

Start questioning. You have to create a list of detailed inquiries regarding the advertisement. These questions will aid in finding information about the message or context of the ad . Also, it will help you understand which areas require more research and improvement.

Examine the strategic and tactical components. During this step, you first need to identify the objective. Make sure the message is conveyed clearly so the advertisement can serve its intended purpose. Then, you need to identify the target message. It’ll help to create a brief messaging framework.

Onlook the results. You have to watch whether your advertisement analysis works or not. Analyze how many new customers you receive after publication and your product’s popularity level. That way, you will both improve your research and gain experience for your next project.

Here you can find 2 incredible examples of advertisement analysis essays! The primary focus of each report is to examine how the created advertisement will affect potential customers.

Essay sample #1 – Pepsi advertisement

Target Audience: Pepsi targets consumers in their teens, early 20s, and early middle age. Pepsi print is of bright color , and that instantly attracts customers’ attention. In the commercial, many young people with happy smiles enjoy life, skating on the board and drinking Pepsi.

Implicit messages: The appearance of joyful teens in the Pepsi ad makes you want to buy this drink. The advertisement suggests that after consuming the product, you’ll feel like you’re living your best life.

Essay sample #2 – YSL perfume advertisement

Target Audience: YSL perfume advertisement targets women of early middle age. In the ad, the women are confident, independent, and successful. The advertisement connects the sensation of freedom and high status in society to the perfume itself.

Implicit messages: The advertisement appeals to those who want to make their own rules. YSL customers are women, so the company creates an image of powerful yet feminine females. The commercial suggests that after buying the perfume, you will embrace freedom and will be able to set old bridges on fire.

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Advertisement Analysis Essay: Steps, Tips, Insights, & Example

Conventional selling methods that entail rational thoughts are no longer effective.

Today, advertisements that motivate the viewer or reader to take deliberate action stimulate emotion.

Therefore, knowing how to write an advertisement analysis essay correctly is an essential skill that all marketing or business students should master before graduation.

Advertisement analysis essays, also known as ad analysis essays, are quite popular among students.

Such essays are more about ad reviewing and have a specific format that should be adhered to.

What is an advertisement analysis essay, and how do you correctly write one? Keep on reading to find out more.

What is an Advertisement Analysis Essay?

An advertisement analysis essay is an academic essay that needs the student or writer to study an advert properly.

The essay is typically written about a television or print commercial, and it aims to disclose any hidden messages featured in the advertisement which might be misleading or false.

This can be achieved through studying different aspects like gender, used color schemes, age of the target market, and even the genre of music featured, among other things.

For instance, you can highlight how advertising primarily gives males dominant positions over women through virtually all details displayed in the advert.

A counterpart will then have to examine the same advert from the standpoint that it treats both genders equally, thus eliminating any preconceived thoughts about gender discrimination.

Nonetheless, even though ad analysis essays focus on specific works, whether visual or print, the analysis can be stretched to cover how media is used in audience manipulation.

You can, for instance, have an ad analysis essay that compares and contrasts gender roles across different ads or TV programs like soap operas and commercials.

And one great advantage that this kind of essay has over other essays written on the same topic is its ability to use several sources in backing and supporting an argument, and this not only shows that you have conducted thorough research on the topic but also proves your point.

Steps for Writing a Critical Analysis Essay for an Advertisement

Writing an advertisement essay is as simple as keenly reading or observing the advert and then interpreting its meaning to the target audience or exploring how well a brand or a company uses the Ad to achieve its marketing functions.

Today, there are many ways to run adverts apart from print media. Online platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube allow influencers, companies/brands, and marketing agencies to run different ads. Besides, there is also a choice of running ads on commercial TV or radio.

Like a standard academic essay , specific steps should be followed when writing an ad analysis essay.

Below are the steps involved in writing an ad analysis essay like a pro!

Step One: Analyze The Chosen Ad

You can look through magazines or newspapers to find one to discuss if not already provided. Pick an advertisement you understand and have sufficient background information on. Knowing the different parts of an ad and a few advertising methods will help you develop a comprehensive analysis and informative essay.

What five parts of an ad should you look out for? They are;

• A captivating headline
• Relatable color schemes, images, as well as packaging that capture the consumer's interest
• Marketing the benefits
• A call to action
• A memorable tagline

When assessing the advertisement, observe specific factors like the language, graphics, target audience, message, and cultural significance. In addition, the utilized advertising techniques should also be examined.

Step Two: Use Your Introduction to Introduce the Ad

The first sentence of your introduction should be an attention-grabber/hook that attracts your readers. It can be a statement, observation, statistic, or fact.

After selecting and analyzing the specific advertisement, utilize your essay's introduction to offer background details on the service or product presented in the ad.

Next, give a short analysis of the ad's history, mention why the advert seems better than others, and discuss the target audience.

Step Three: Add Your Thesis Statement

Utilize your thesis to mention what the essay will highlight and what the selected advert is doing about achieving its goal. The thesis statement should include the ad's message, whether it is implicit or explicit.

Make sure that the thesis statement is the last sentence in your introduction. A good thesis statement lets the reader know your standpoint before reading the entire essay.

Step Four: Discuss One Point Per Paragraph

Each body paragraph featured in the body of your essay should discuss one central point. For example, you can discuss the ad's creativity in one paragraph and then discuss the methods used to capture attention in another paragraph. This should be elaborate right from your topic sentence to the concluding sentence.

Generally, the body paragraphs should examine the ad and utilize statistics, facts, research, and examples to demonstrate how the advert leads to a specific outcome.

You can, for instance, quote any sensitive language used. Moreover, the body of your essay should explain how the advertising strategies used work and why they were chosen for that particular audience.

You can also compare and contrast the models used in the advert compared to adverts used by competitors to bring in the critical aspect that encouraged a good scholarly discussion.

You should also identify the loopholes in the market that need to be addressed or if there are needs of the target audience that the advert failed to meet.

Every suggestion you make on the advert should be objective and generalized so that the readers can themselves make a subjective opinion.

Do not forget to include examples as well. Besides, you should cite any information you borrow from scholarly sources to avoid plagiarism.

Step Five: Conclude Your Essay

In the essay's conclusion paragraph , summarize your essay, mentioning some of the main points you discussed earlier. You will also need to restate your thesis statement. Remember that the conclusion is one of the most critical parts of your essay. You, therefore, should make sure that it is memorable.

Take advantage of conclusion paragraph starters to write a perfect conclusion that resonates with your readers.

• How to write an outstanding compare and contrast essay . 
• How to write an analytical essay.
• Case study writing process (guide) for college/university students.

Structure of an Ad Analysis Essay

Introduction

The introduction should mention what the advertisement is for. You should summarize the ad's context, name the product or company, and give your thesis statement. The introduction can be written in any of these techniques; an interrogative introduction, narrative introduction, inverted triangle introduction, minding the gap introduction, or a paradoxical introduction.

Your thesis statement should also clarify what the ad is about and who the intended target audience is. Note that the thesis statement should be placed at the end of the introduction. A good thesis statement includes the following:

• Explicit messages ; the obvious and clear messages
• Implicit messages ; the hidden messages. They include the promises made by the ad to the consumer.

Your essay's body paragraphs should utilize evidence from the advertisement to prove the thesis statement. Make sure to include the following in your body paragraphs:

• A short description of the advertisement. You should present an impartial description of the ad's features. You can explain the ad's appearance, what or who is featured, and the different colors used. Remember that this segment should only describe what the reader or reviewer would see, not how the advert works.
• Discuss the target audience and the publication where the ad appeared. Explain what particular group of people the advert is targeting. You should include the race, education, age, sex, class, and marital status of the intended audience.
• Logical appeals/logos. Clearly explain how the advertisement applies logos to appeal to its target audience. Include a few paragraphs to communicate the advert's use of logos.
• Emotional appeal/ pathos. Elaborate on how the advertisement applies emotional appeals to charm its target audience. Include a few paragraphs to communicate the advert's use of pathos.
• Ethical appeals/ ethos. Clearly explain how the advertisement applies ethos to appeal to its target audience. Include a few paragraphs to communicate the advert's use of ethos.

You should provide a brief summary of your essay, mentioning some of the points you discussed earlier. You will need to restate your thesis statement and remember that the conclusion is one of the most critical parts of your essay.

The conclusion should also explain the ad's cultural significance. Mention the attitudes, beliefs, and values the advertisement seeks to meet.

Ad Analysis Essay Outline

It is vital to develop an essay outline before you start writing your paper, and the outline will serve as a plan for how you intend to approach it. Below is an advertisement analysis essay outline template you can use for your assignment.

• The name and purpose of the ad. Include the brand and authors.
• Summary of ad's context.
• Relevant background information about the company or organization featured in the ad.
• The thesis statement.
• The ad's impact on the target audience.

Body paragraphs

• Proof of the ad's effectiveness on the intended audience.
• Mention a few examples (only where applicable).
• Discuss the components of the ad.
• Discuss the approach used by the advertisers.
• Discuss the impact of the advertisement on its audience.
• Logos, pathos, and ethos of the advert.
• Visual and textual strategies used in the ad.
• In case it is a comparison, discuss the similarities and differences.
• Restate the thesis statement.
• Mention what makes the ad stand out.
• Discuss the intention of the ad.
• Give a general reflection on the advertisement and wrap things up with your opinion.

Follow our guidelines, and you can rest assured of having a perfect ad analysis essay!

Sample Advertisement Analysis Essay

Garnier Fructis Shampoo Advertisement Analysis Essay Introduction Fructis Shampoo is one of the major products manufactured by Garnier, an American company. During one of its promotions to market the product, Garnier posted an advertisement for the shampoo in an issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. The ad focuses on a woman's beauty and how important her hair is to her general appearance in society. Like all other ads, the aim of this ad is to convince consumers to buy the product. Per se, the Fructis Shampoo by Garnier ad seeks to appeal to the target market via implicit messages, audience targeting, cultural significance, language, and graphics. Advertisement Analysis (The Body) Women between the ages of 18 to 40 comprise the bulk of Cosmopolitan magazine's target audience. Most of the magazine's readers are enthusiastic about beauty, fashion, and love. The magazine also features different articles on romance, weight loss, and famous personalities. Grownup females mainly read the magazine to be enlightened about current events and to discover solutions to their relationship and physical appearance problems. Through addressing beauty issues, particularly those that involve a woman's hair, this advertisement strongly appeals to women in this target group via implicit messaging. Most American women place great significance on the appearance of their hair and are constantly searching for services or products that will allow them to align their hair to the latest trends in fashion (Zahra et al., 2022). This ad attempts to capitalize on women's worries about their hair by promising them a "great" solution that will enhance their beauty and boost their self-esteem. Therefore, the implicit messages of this ad promise a woman beauty, strength, and confidence. The language employed in the ad expresses ideas about confidence and strength and boosts the promotion of beauty principles. The advert reads "sleek and shine" written in bold. Ladies often link these phrases with good things since American society highly values sleek and shiny hair. The ad is, however, vague regarding how much shine someone's hair will get following the use of the shampoo. In addition, the ad doesn't also define the term "sleek." And even though these two adjectives are appealing, they are useless as the ad does not mention the "shine" and "sleek" levels that the customer should anticipate. So, even though the ad's phrasing has logical appeal or logos (Elfhariyanti et al., 2021), it seems to convey unsupported information about the shampoo. Unfortunately, most readers don't take a moment to consider the significance of these two terms. The graphics utilized in the advert use pathos by emotionally appealing to the intended group. The gorgeous long-haired model featured on the page is the ad's main subject. The model seems to display qualities that most ladies wish to possess. She has long, shining hair, an oval, blemish-free face, and a slim, tiny body. She also appears to be giving the reader an enigmatic, seductive gaze. The model is a woman the magazine readers imagine is sought-after by men and venerated by women, given that she resembles several other women in TV commercials, movies, and shows (Johnson, 2012). As a result, this ad tends to leave the reader with specific ideas about how a woman should physically look to be deemed desirable and beautiful as per the American Culture. With regard to cultural significance, the ad tends to emphasize the importance of physical beauty in American culture, just like other TV programs and adverts do. The ad seems to imply that a lady may only be considered beautiful if she bears similar physical features as the woman featured in the advert. This ad implies that women can only feel secure about their bodies if they have a specific external appearance. Whereas some individuals think a woman ought to be strong, this Garnier ad insinuates that a woman's strength lies in her beauty as per societal standards. And just like other beauty ads, this particular one uses women's insecurities about themselves to get them to purchase cheap products. Ultimately, such advertising highlights a woman's outward beauty while completely overlooking her internal traits like compassion and intelligence. Conclusion The discussed Garnier Fructis shampoo advertisement uses particular appeal elements to draw the target audience's interest hopefully. These elements include implicit messaging, audience targeting, cultural significance, and language and graphics. Even though the use of these particular elements creates considerable appeal to potential buyers, some of these elements depict an exaggerated value of external beauty at the expense of internal beauty. The ad also seems to convey unsubstantiated facts about the product being sold. Therefore, even though the advertisement does a great job of appealing to the target audience, it can be improved to consider women's inner beauty and provide more factual information. References Elfhariyanti*, A. A., Ariyanti, L., & Harti, L. M. (2021). A multimodal analysis: Construing beauty standard in shampoo advertisement.� Pioneer Journal of Language and Literature ,� 13 (1), 134-147. Johnson, F. L. (2012).� Imaging in advertising: Verbal and visual codes of commerce . Routledge. Zahra, G. E., Rehan, M., Hayat, R., & Batool, A. (2022). Construction of beauty concept by beauty product advertisements: A critical discourse analysis.� Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, � 19 (3), 789-804.

How to Start an Advertisement Analysis Essay

Begin by introducing your thesis by explaining the product you picked as your essay's sample. Thoroughly analyze the product and ask your reader or reviewer if they are familiar with the development of the advertised work.

Note that you do not have to agree with the advertisement's implicit message. Discuss your claims in the essay, as there are no wrong or correct answers about the ad's implicit message. However, you will have to support your claims with reasonable arguments.

Next, inform your reader why the advertising company opted to adopt that approach of advertisement for the product you just discussed, given that there are several other modes of advertising. You should aim to detail why and how the company uses that advertisement mode.

Proceed to compare the organization's present ad model with the previous one(s) and its influence on the product's market, loss, or growth. An ad analysis will bring to light the loopholes and gaps in the market. It is vital always to generalize your remarks in the essay so that the reader can form their judgments personally, without your personal views affecting their decision.

Keep in mind that there are different target markets based on the product. Therefore, you must utilize the appropriate methods to communicate your message.

How to Conclude an Ad Analysis Essay

The essay conclusion should include the product's summary, the advertising mode, and how it has affected market changes. To properly conclude your ad analysis essay, summarize the most critical points of your essay. And most important is to restate your thesis statement without using the exact words in the introduction.

You should also rephrase the thesis statement as part of your concluding paragraph to complete the information loop and offer your readers closure.

In addition, mention whether or not the ad achieved its goal of informing, entertaining, or persuading its target audience. And without adding any new information, including one last sentence to leave the reader with something to ponder.

Tips to Write the Best Essay on an Advertisement

• Introduce the subject that you will be advertising. The readers of your analysis might be unfamiliar with the product or service you are discussing. Therefore, introducing it early enough in your essay will make it much simpler to understand. Regardless of the popularity or content of the advertisement, it would help if you gave a brief description of the ad so that everyone has a clear idea of what will be discussed in the essay.
• Establish what audience you'll be addressing. It is vital to know who you are writing to as this will allow you to focus your essay's content appropriately and permit you to draw special attention to those aspects your readers will be most interested in.
• Understand the purpose of the advert and your main reason for writing an analysis essay about that specific advert. Correctly understanding the ad's intent goes a long way in producing a well-structured paper.
• Take time to create an essay outline before you start writing your essay. Note that the contents of your essay need to be presented in a specific order, so you should plan this sequence before you begin writing the essay itself.
• Keep things simple when writing your essay. Avoid the use of complicated jargon. This will make reading more enjoyable and also meaningful.

Summing Up!

Writing an advertisement analysis essay does not have to be as troublesome as you suppose. Rather, it is an interactive process that enables you to get into the creators' minds, explore how well they did their craft, and suggest areas for improvement if needed.

When analyzing an advert, you need to identify the advertisement's rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos, and pathos). You must also analyze the target audience to determine its values, preferences, attitudes, intentions, and beliefs.

Think about the effects or potential purpose of the advertisement using diction, tone, language, and presentation.

You should be critical enough to determine the rhetoric behind the symbols and non-verbal cues and relate them to the specific brand and the target audience.

Now that you have the facts and access to tips, steps, and a written sample advert analysis essay, you are on the right track. However, sometimes many things come our way, limiting our chances to complete writing essays.

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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay–Examples & Template

What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

A rhetorical analysis essay is, as the name suggests, an analysis of someone else’s writing (or speech, or advert, or even cartoon) and how they use not only words but also rhetorical techniques to influence their audience in a certain way. A rhetorical analysis is less interested in what the author is saying and more in how they present it, what effect this has on their readers, whether they achieve their goals, and what approach they use to get there. 

Its structure is similar to that of most essays: An Introduction presents your thesis, a Body analyzes the text you have chosen, breaks it down into sections and explains how arguments have been constructed and how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section sums up your evaluation. 

Note that your personal opinion on the matter is not relevant for your analysis and that you don’t state anywhere in your essay whether you agree or disagree with the stance the author takes.

In the following, we will define the key rhetorical concepts you need to write a good rhetorical analysis and give you some practical tips on where to start.

Key Rhetorical Concepts

Your goal when writing a rhetorical analysis is to think about and then carefully describe how the author has designed their text so that it has the intended effect on their audience. To do that, you need to consider a number of key rhetorical strategies: Rhetorical appeals (“Ethos”, “Logos”, and “Pathos”), context, as well as claims, supports, and warrants.

Ethos, Logos, and Pathos were introduced by Aristotle, way back in the 4th century BC, as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience. They still represent the basis of any rhetorical analysis and are often referred to as the “rhetorical triangle”. 

These and other rhetorical techniques can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify the concepts they are based on.

Rhetorical Appeals

Rhetorical appeal #1: ethos.

Ethos refers to the reputation or authority of the writer regarding the topic of their essay or speech and to how they use this to appeal to their audience. Just like we are more likely to buy a product from a brand or vendor we have confidence in than one we don’t know or have reason to distrust, Ethos-driven texts or speeches rely on the reputation of the author to persuade the reader or listener. When you analyze an essay, you should therefore look at how the writer establishes Ethos through rhetorical devices.

Does the author present themselves as an authority on their subject? If so, how? 

Do they highlight how impeccable their own behavior is to make a moral argument? 

Do they present themselves as an expert by listing their qualifications or experience to convince the reader of their opinion on something?

Rhetorical appeal #2: Pathos

The purpose of Pathos-driven rhetoric is to appeal to the reader’s emotions. A common example of pathos as a rhetorical means is adverts by charities that try to make you donate money to a “good cause”. To evoke the intended emotions in the reader, an author may use passionate language, tell personal stories, and employ vivid imagery so that the reader can imagine themselves in a certain situation and feel empathy with or anger towards others.

Rhetorical appeal #3: Logos

Logos, the “logical” appeal, uses reason to persuade. Reason and logic, supported by data, evidence, clearly defined methodology, and well-constructed arguments, are what most academic writing is based on. Emotions, those of the researcher/writer as well as those of the reader, should stay out of such academic texts, as should anyone’s reputation, beliefs, or personal opinions. 

Text and Context

To analyze a piece of writing, a speech, an advertisement, or even a satirical drawing, you need to look beyond the piece of communication and take the context in which it was created and/or published into account. 

Who is the person who wrote the text/drew the cartoon/designed the ad..? What audience are they trying to reach? Where was the piece published and what was happening there around that time? 

A political speech, for example, can be powerful even when read decades later, but the historical context surrounding it is an important aspect of the effect it was intended to have. 

Claims, Supports, and Warrants

To make any kind of argument, a writer needs to put forward specific claims, support them with data or evidence or even a moral or emotional appeal, and connect the dots logically so that the reader can follow along and agree with the points made.

The connections between statements, so-called “warrants”, follow logical reasoning but are not always clearly stated—the author simply assumes the reader understands the underlying logic, whether they present it “explicitly” or “implicitly”. Implicit warrants are commonly used in advertisements where seemingly happy people use certain products, wear certain clothes, accessories, or perfumes, or live certain lifestyles – with the connotation that, first, the product/perfume/lifestyle is what makes that person happy and, second, the reader wants to be as happy as the person in the ad. Some warrants are never clearly stated, and your job when writing a rhetorical analysis essay is therefore to identify them and bring them to light, to evaluate their validity, their effect on the reader, and the use of such means by the writer/creator. 

What are the Five Rhetorical Situations?

A “rhetorical situation” refers to the circumstance behind a text or other piece of communication that arises from a given context. It explains why a rhetorical piece was created, what its purpose is, and how it was constructed to achieve its aims.

Rhetorical situations can be classified into the following five categories:

Asking such questions when you analyze a text will help you identify all the aspects that play a role in the effect it has on its audience, and will allow you to evaluate whether it achieved its aims or where it may have failed to do so.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

Analyzing someone else’s work can seem like a big task, but as with every assignment or writing endeavor, you can break it down into smaller, well-defined steps that give you a practical structure to follow. 

To give you an example of how the different parts of your text may look when it’s finished, we will provide you with some excerpts from this rhetorical analysis essay example (which even includes helpful comments) published on the Online Writing Lab website of Excelsior University in Albany, NY. The text that this essay analyzes is this article on why one should or shouldn’t buy an Ipad. If you want more examples so that you can build your own rhetorical analysis template, have a look at this essay on Nabokov’s Lolita and the one provided here about the “Shitty First Drafts” chapter of Anne Lamott’s writing instruction book “Bird by Bird”.

Analyzing the Text

When writing a rhetorical analysis, you don’t choose the concepts or key points you think are relevant or want to address. Rather, you carefully read the text several times asking yourself questions like those listed in the last section on rhetorical situations to identify how the text “works” and how it was written to achieve that effect.

Start with focusing on the author : What do you think was their purpose for writing the text? Do they make one principal claim and then elaborate on that? Or do they discuss different topics? 

Then look at what audience they are talking to: Do they want to make a group of people take some action? Vote for someone? Donate money to a good cause? Who are these people? Is the text reaching this specific audience? Why or why not?

What tone is the author using to address their audience? Are they trying to evoke sympathy? Stir up anger? Are they writing from a personal perspective? Are they painting themselves as an authority on the topic? Are they using academic or informal language?

How does the author support their claims ? What kind of evidence are they presenting? Are they providing explicit or implicit warrants? Are these warrants valid or problematic? Is the provided evidence convincing?  

Asking yourself such questions will help you identify what rhetorical devices a text uses and how well they are put together to achieve a certain aim. Remember, your own opinion and whether you agree with the author are not the point of a rhetorical analysis essay – your task is simply to take the text apart and evaluate it.

If you are still confused about how to write a rhetorical analysis essay, just follow the steps outlined below to write the different parts of your rhetorical analysis: As every other essay, it consists of an Introduction , a Body (the actual analysis), and a Conclusion .

Rhetorical Analysis Introduction

The Introduction section briefly presents the topic of the essay you are analyzing, the author, their main claims, a short summary of the work by you, and your thesis statement . 

Tell the reader what the text you are going to analyze represents (e.g., historically) or why it is relevant (e.g., because it has become some kind of reference for how something is done). Describe what the author claims, asserts, or implies and what techniques they use to make their argument and persuade their audience. Finish off with your thesis statement that prepares the reader for what you are going to present in the next section – do you think that the author’s assumptions/claims/arguments were presented in a logical/appealing/powerful way and reached their audience as intended?

Have a look at an excerpt from the sample essay linked above to see what a rhetorical analysis introduction can look like. See how it introduces the author and article , the context in which it originally appeared , the main claims the author makes , and how this first paragraph ends in a clear thesis statement that the essay will then elaborate on in the following Body section:

Cory Doctorow ’s article on BoingBoing is an older review of the iPad , one of Apple’s most famous products. At the time of this article, however, the iPad was simply the latest Apple product to hit the market and was not yet so popular. Doctorow’s entire career has been entrenched in and around technology. He got his start as a CD-ROM programmer and is now a successful blogger and author. He is currently the co-editor of the BoingBoing blog on which this article was posted. One of his main points in this article comes from Doctorow’s passionate advocacy of free digital media sharing. He argues that the iPad is just another way for established technology companies to control our technological freedom and creativity . In “ Why I Won’t Buy an iPad (and Think You Shouldn’t, Either) ” published on Boing Boing in April of 2010, Cory Doctorow successfully uses his experience with technology, facts about the company Apple, and appeals to consumer needs to convince potential iPad buyers that Apple and its products, specifically the iPad, limit the digital rights of those who use them by controlling and mainstreaming the content that can be used and created on the device . 

Doing the Rhetorical Analysis

The main part of your analysis is the Body , where you dissect the text in detail. Explain what methods the author uses to inform, entertain, and/or persuade the audience. Use Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle and the other key concepts we introduced above. Use quotations from the essay to demonstrate what you mean. Work out why the writer used a certain approach and evaluate (and again, demonstrate using the text itself) how successful they were. Evaluate the effect of each rhetorical technique you identify on the audience and judge whether the effect is in line with the author’s intentions.

To make it easy for the reader to follow your thought process, divide this part of your essay into paragraphs that each focus on one strategy or one concept , and make sure they are all necessary and contribute to the development of your argument(s).

One paragraph of this section of your essay could, for example, look like this:

One example of Doctorow’s position is his comparison of Apple’s iStore to Wal-Mart. This is an appeal to the consumer’s logic—or an appeal to logos. Doctorow wants the reader to take his comparison and consider how an all-powerful corporation like the iStore will affect them. An iPad will only allow for apps and programs purchased through the iStore to be run on it; therefore, a customer must not only purchase an iPad but also any programs he or she wishes to use. Customers cannot create their own programs or modify the hardware in any way. 

As you can see, the author of this sample essay identifies and then explains to the reader how Doctorow uses the concept of Logos to appeal to his readers – not just by pointing out that he does it but by dissecting how it is done.

Rhetorical Analysis Conclusion

The conclusion section of your analysis should restate your main arguments and emphasize once more whether you think the author achieved their goal. Note that this is not the place to introduce new information—only rely on the points you have discussed in the body of your essay. End with a statement that sums up the impact the text has on its audience and maybe society as a whole:

Overall, Doctorow makes a good argument about why there are potentially many better things to drop a great deal of money on instead of the iPad. He gives some valuable information and facts that consumers should take into consideration before going out to purchase the new device. He clearly uses rhetorical tools to help make his case, and, overall, he is effective as a writer, even if, ultimately, he was ineffective in convincing the world not to buy an iPad . 

Frequently Asked Questions about Rhetorical Analysis Essays 

What is a rhetorical analysis essay.

A rhetorical analysis dissects a text or another piece of communication to work out and explain how it impacts its audience, how successfully it achieves its aims, and what rhetorical devices it uses to do that. 

While argumentative essays usually take a stance on a certain topic and argue for it, a rhetorical analysis identifies how someone else constructs their arguments and supports their claims.

What is the correct rhetorical analysis essay format?

Like most other essays, a rhetorical analysis contains an Introduction that presents the thesis statement, a Body that analyzes the piece of communication, explains how arguments have been constructed, and illustrates how each part persuades, informs, or entertains the reader, and a Conclusion section that summarizes the results of the analysis. 

What is the “rhetorical triangle”?

The rhetorical triangle was introduced by Aristotle as the main ways in which language can be used to persuade an audience: Logos appeals to the audience’s reason, Ethos to the writer’s status or authority, and Pathos to the reader’s emotions. Logos, Ethos, and Pathos can all be combined to create the intended effect, and your job as the one analyzing a text is to break the writer’s arguments down and identify what specific concepts each is based on.

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General Education

Do you need to write an analytical essay for school? What sets this kind of essay apart from other types, and what must you include when you write your own analytical essay? In this guide, we break down the process of writing an analytical essay by explaining the key factors your essay needs to have, providing you with an outline to help you structure your essay, and analyzing a complete analytical essay example so you can see what a finished essay looks like.

What Is an Analytical Essay?

Before you begin writing an analytical essay, you must know what this type of essay is and what it includes. Analytical essays analyze something, often (but not always) a piece of writing or a film.

An analytical essay is more than just a synopsis of the issue though; in this type of essay you need to go beyond surface-level analysis and look at what the key arguments/points of this issue are and why. If you’re writing an analytical essay about a piece of writing, you’ll look into how the text was written and why the author chose to write it that way. Instead of summarizing, an analytical essay typically takes a narrower focus and looks at areas such as major themes in the work, how the author constructed and supported their argument, how the essay used literary devices to enhance its messages, etc.

While you certainly want people to agree with what you’ve written, unlike with persuasive and argumentative essays, your main purpose when writing an analytical essay isn’t to try to convert readers to your side of the issue. Therefore, you won’t be using strong persuasive language like you would in those essay types. Rather, your goal is to have enough analysis and examples that the strength of your argument is clear to readers.

Besides typical essay components like an introduction and conclusion, a good analytical essay will include:

• A thesis that states your main argument
• Analysis that relates back to your thesis and supports it
• Examples to support your analysis and allow a more in-depth look at the issue

In the rest of this article, we’ll explain how to include each of these in your analytical essay.

How to Structure Your Analytical Essay

Analytical essays are structured similarly to many other essays you’ve written, with an introduction (including a thesis), several body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Below is an outline you can follow when structuring your essay, and in the next section we go into more detail on how to write an analytical essay.

Introduction

Your introduction will begin with some sort of attention-grabbing sentence to get your audience interested, then you’ll give a few sentences setting up the topic so that readers have some context, and you’ll end with your thesis statement. Your introduction will include:

• Brief background information explaining the issue/text
• Your thesis

Body Paragraphs

Your analytical essay will typically have three or four body paragraphs, each covering a different point of analysis. Begin each body paragraph with a sentence that sets up the main point you’ll be discussing. Then you’ll give some analysis on that point, backing it up with evidence to support your claim. Continue analyzing and giving evidence for your analysis until you’re out of strong points for the topic. At the end of each body paragraph, you may choose to have a transition sentence that sets up what the next paragraph will be about, but this isn’t required. Body paragraphs will include:

• Introductory sentence explaining what you’ll cover in the paragraph (sort of like a mini-thesis)
• Analysis point
• Evidence (either passages from the text or data/facts) that supports the analysis
• (Repeat analysis and evidence until you run out of examples)

You won’t be making any new points in your conclusion; at this point you’re just reiterating key points you’ve already made and wrapping things up. Begin by rephrasing your thesis and summarizing the main points you made in the essay. Someone who reads just your conclusion should be able to come away with a basic idea of what your essay was about and how it was structured. After this, you may choose to make some final concluding thoughts, potentially by connecting your essay topic to larger issues to show why it’s important. A conclusion will include:

• Paraphrase of thesis
• Summary of key points of analysis
• Final concluding thought(s)

5 Steps for Writing an Analytical Essay

Follow these five tips to break down writing an analytical essay into manageable steps. By the end, you’ll have a fully-crafted analytical essay with both in-depth analysis and enough evidence to support your argument. All of these steps use the completed analytical essay in the next section as an example.

#1: Pick a Topic

You may have already had a topic assigned to you, and if that’s the case, you can skip this step. However, if you haven’t, or if the topic you’ve been assigned is broad enough that you still need to narrow it down, then you’ll need to decide on a topic for yourself. Choosing the right topic can mean the difference between an analytical essay that’s easy to research (and gets you a good grade) and one that takes hours just to find a few decent points to analyze

Before you decide on an analytical essay topic, do a bit of research to make sure you have enough examples to support your analysis. If you choose a topic that’s too narrow, you’ll struggle to find enough to write about.

For example, say your teacher assigns you to write an analytical essay about the theme in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath of exposing injustices against migrants. For it to be an analytical essay, you can’t just recount the injustices characters in the book faced; that’s only a summary and doesn’t include analysis. You need to choose a topic that allows you to analyze the theme. One of the best ways to explore a theme is to analyze how the author made his/her argument. One example here is that Steinbeck used literary devices in the intercalary chapters (short chapters that didn’t relate to the plot or contain the main characters of the book) to show what life was like for migrants as a whole during the Dust Bowl.

You could write about how Steinbeck used literary devices throughout the whole book, but, in the essay below, I chose to just focus on the intercalary chapters since they gave me enough examples. Having a narrower focus will nearly always result in a tighter and more convincing essay (and can make compiling examples less overwhelming).

#2: Write a Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is the most important sentence of your essay; a reader should be able to read just your thesis and understand what the entire essay is about and what you’ll be analyzing. When you begin writing, remember that each sentence in your analytical essay should relate back to your thesis

In the analytical essay example below, the thesis is the final sentence of the first paragraph (the traditional spot for it). The thesis is: “In The Grapes of Wrath’s intercalary chapters, John Steinbeck employs a variety of literary devices and stylistic choices to better expose the injustices committed against migrants in the 1930s.” So what will this essay analyze? How Steinbeck used literary devices in the intercalary chapters to show how rough migrants could have it. Crystal clear.

#3: Do Research to Find Your Main Points

This is where you determine the bulk of your analysis--the information that makes your essay an analytical essay. My preferred method is to list every idea that I can think of, then research each of those and use the three or four strongest ones for your essay. Weaker points may be those that don’t relate back to the thesis, that you don’t have much analysis to discuss, or that you can’t find good examples for. A good rule of thumb is to have one body paragraph per main point

This essay has four main points, each of which analyzes a different literary device Steinbeck uses to better illustrate how difficult life was for migrants during the Dust Bowl. The four literary devices and their impact on the book are:

• Lack of individual names in intercalary chapters to illustrate the scope of the problem
• Parallels to the Bible to induce sympathy for the migrants
• Non-showy, often grammatically-incorrect language so the migrants are more realistic and relatable to readers
• Nature-related metaphors to affect the mood of the writing and reflect the plight of the migrants

#4: Find Excerpts or Evidence to Support Your Analysis

Now that you have your main points, you need to back them up. If you’re writing a paper about a text or film, use passages/clips from it as your main source of evidence. If you’re writing about something else, your evidence can come from a variety of sources, such as surveys, experiments, quotes from knowledgeable sources etc. Any evidence that would work for a regular research paper works here.

In this example, I quoted multiple passages from The Grapes of Wrath  in each paragraph to support my argument. You should be able to back up every claim you make with evidence in order to have a strong essay.

#5: Put It All Together

Now it's time to begin writing your essay, if you haven’t already. Create an introductory paragraph that ends with the thesis, make a body paragraph for each of your main points, including both analysis and evidence to back up your claims, and wrap it all up with a conclusion that recaps your thesis and main points and potentially explains the big picture importance of the topic.

Analytical Essay Example + Analysis

So that you can see for yourself what a completed analytical essay looks like, here’s an essay I wrote back in my high school days. It’s followed by analysis of how I structured my essay, what its strengths are, and how it could be improved.

One way Steinbeck illustrates the connections all migrant people possessed and the struggles they faced is by refraining from using specific titles and names in his intercalary chapters. While The Grapes of Wrath focuses on the Joad family, the intercalary chapters show that all migrants share the same struggles and triumphs as the Joads. No individual names are used in these chapters; instead the people are referred to as part of a group. Steinbeck writes, “Frantic men pounded on the doors of the doctors; and the doctors were busy.  And sad men left word at country stores for the coroner to send a car,” (555). By using generic terms, Steinbeck shows how the migrants are all linked because they have gone through the same experiences. The grievances committed against one family were committed against thousands of other families; the abuse extends far beyond what the Joads experienced. The Grapes of Wrath frequently refers to the importance of coming together; how, when people connect with others their power and influence multiplies immensely. Throughout the novel, the goal of the migrants, the key to their triumph, has been to unite. While their plans are repeatedly frustrated by the government and police, Steinbeck’s intercalary chapters provide a way for the migrants to relate to one another because they have encountered the same experiences. Hundreds of thousands of migrants fled to the promised land of California, but Steinbeck was aware that numbers alone were impersonal and lacked the passion he desired to spread. Steinbeck created the intercalary chapters to show the massive numbers of people suffering, and he created the Joad family to evoke compassion from readers.  Because readers come to sympathize with the Joads, they become more sensitive to the struggles of migrants in general. However, John Steinbeck frequently made clear that the Joads were not an isolated incident; they were not unique. Their struggles and triumphs were part of something greater. Refraining from specific names in his intercalary chapters allows Steinbeck to show the vastness of the atrocities committed against migrants.

Steinbeck also creates significant parallels to the Bible in his intercalary chapters in order to enhance his writing and characters. By using simple sentences and stylized writing, Steinbeck evokes Biblical passages. The migrants despair, “No work till spring. No work,” (556).  Short, direct sentences help to better convey the desperateness of the migrants’ situation. Throughout his novel, John Steinbeck makes connections to the Bible through his characters and storyline. Jim Casy’s allusions to Christ and the cycle of drought and flooding are clear biblical references.  By choosing to relate The Grapes of Wrath to the Bible, Steinbeck’s characters become greater than themselves. Starving migrants become more than destitute vagrants; they are now the chosen people escaping to the promised land. When a forgotten man dies alone and unnoticed, it becomes a tragedy. Steinbeck writes, “If [the migrants] were shot at, they did not run, but splashed sullenly away; and if they were hit, they sank tiredly in the mud,” (556). Injustices committed against the migrants become greater because they are seen as children of God through Steinbeck’s choice of language. Referencing the Bible strengthens Steinbeck’s novel and purpose: to create understanding for the dispossessed.  It is easy for people to feel disdain for shabby vagabonds, but connecting them to such a fundamental aspect of Christianity induces sympathy from readers who might have otherwise disregarded the migrants as so many other people did.

The simple, uneducated dialogue Steinbeck employs also helps to create a more honest and meaningful representation of the migrants, and it makes the migrants more relatable to readers. Steinbeck chooses to accurately represent the language of the migrants in order to more clearly illustrate their lives and make them seem more like real paper than just characters in a book. The migrants lament, “They ain’t gonna be no kinda work for three months,” (555). There are multiple grammatical errors in that single sentence, but it vividly conveys the despair the migrants felt better than a technically perfect sentence would. The Grapes of Wrath is intended to show the severe difficulties facing the migrants so Steinbeck employs a clear, pragmatic style of writing.  Steinbeck shows the harsh, truthful realities of the migrants’ lives and he would be hypocritical if he chose to give the migrants a more refined voice and not portray them with all their shortcomings. The depiction of the migrants as imperfect through their language also makes them easier to relate to. Steinbeck’s primary audience was the middle class, the less affluent of society. Repeatedly in The Grapes of Wrath , the wealthy make it obvious that they scorn the plight of the migrants. The wealthy, not bad luck or natural disasters, were the prominent cause of the suffering of migrant families such as the Joads. Thus, Steinbeck turns to the less prosperous for support in his novel. When referring to the superior living conditions barnyard animals have, the migrants remark, “Them’s horses-we’re men,” (556).  The perfect simplicity of this quote expresses the absurdness of the migrants’ situation better than any flowery expression could.

In The Grapes of Wrath , John Steinbeck uses metaphors, particularly about nature, in order to illustrate the mood and the overall plight of migrants. Throughout most of the book, the land is described as dusty, barren, and dead. Towards the end, however; floods come and the landscape begins to change. At the end of chapter twenty-nine, Steinbeck describes a hill after the floods saying, “Tiny points of grass came through the earth, and in a few days the hills were pale green with the beginning year,” (556). This description offers a stark contrast from the earlier passages which were filled with despair and destruction. Steinbeck’s tone from the beginning of the chapter changes drastically. Early in the chapter, Steinbeck had used heavy imagery in order to convey the destruction caused by the rain, “The streams and the little rivers edged up to the bank sides and worked at willows and tree roots, bent the willows deep in the current, cut out the roots of cottonwoods and brought down the trees,” (553). However, at the end of the chapter the rain has caused new life to grow in California. The new grass becomes a metaphor representing hope. When the migrants are at a loss over how they will survive the winter, the grass offers reassurance. The story of the migrants in the intercalary chapters parallels that of the Joads. At the end of the novel, the family is breaking apart and has been forced to flee their home. However, both the book and final intercalary chapter end on a hopeful note after so much suffering has occurred. The grass metaphor strengthens Steinbeck’s message because it offers a tangible example of hope. Through his language Steinbeck’s themes become apparent at the end of the novel. Steinbeck affirms that persistence, even when problems appear insurmountable, leads to success. These metaphors help to strengthen Steinbeck’s themes in The Grapes of Wrath because they provide a more memorable way to recall important messages.

John Steinbeck’s language choices help to intensify his writing in his intercalary chapters and allow him to more clearly show how difficult life for migrants could be. Refraining from using specific names and terms allows Steinbeck to show that many thousands of migrants suffered through the same wrongs. Imitating the style of the Bible strengthens Steinbeck’s characters and connects them to the Bible, perhaps the most famous book in history. When Steinbeck writes in the imperfect dialogue of the migrants, he creates a more accurate portrayal and makes the migrants easier to relate to for a less affluent audience. Metaphors, particularly relating to nature, strengthen the themes in The Grapes of Wrath by enhancing the mood Steinbeck wants readers to feel at different points in the book. Overall, the intercalary chapters that Steinbeck includes improve his novel by making it more memorable and reinforcing the themes Steinbeck embraces throughout the novel. Exemplary stylistic devices further persuade readers of John Steinbeck’s personal beliefs. Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath to bring to light cruelties against migrants, and by using literary devices effectively, he continuously reminds readers of his purpose. Steinbeck’s impressive language choices in his intercalary chapters advance the entire novel and help to create a classic work of literature that people still are able to relate to today. 

This essay sticks pretty closely to the standard analytical essay outline. It starts with an introduction, where I chose to use a quote to start off the essay. (This became my favorite way to start essays in high school because, if I wasn’t sure what to say, I could outsource the work and find a quote that related to what I’d be writing about.) The quote in this essay doesn’t relate to the themes I’m discussing quite as much as it could, but it’s still a slightly different way to start an essay and can intrigue readers. I then give a bit of background on The Grapes of Wrath and its themes before ending the intro paragraph with my thesis: that Steinbeck used literary devices in intercalary chapters to show how rough migrants had it.

Each of my four body paragraphs is formatted in roughly the same way: an intro sentence that explains what I’ll be discussing, analysis of that main point, and at least two quotes from the book as evidence.

My conclusion restates my thesis, summarizes each of four points I discussed in my body paragraphs, and ends the essay by briefly discussing how Steinbeck’s writing helped introduce a world of readers to the injustices migrants experienced during the dust bowl.

What does this analytical essay example do well? For starters, it contains everything that a strong analytical essay should, and it makes that easy to find. The thesis clearly lays out what the essay will be about, the first sentence of each of the body paragraph introduces the topic it’ll cover, and the conclusion neatly recaps all the main points. Within each of the body paragraphs, there’s analysis along with multiple excerpts from the book in order to add legitimacy to my points.

Additionally, the essay does a good job of taking an in-depth look at the issue introduced in the thesis. Four ways Steinbeck used literary devices are discussed, and for each of the examples are given and analysis is provided so readers can understand why Steinbeck included those devices and how they helped shaped how readers viewed migrants and their plight.

Where could this essay be improved? I believe the weakest body paragraph is the third one, the one that discusses how Steinbeck used plain, grammatically incorrect language to both accurately depict the migrants and make them more relatable to readers. The paragraph tries to touch on both of those reasons and ends up being somewhat unfocused as a result. It would have been better for it to focus on just one of those reasons (likely how it made the migrants more relatable) in order to be clearer and more effective. It’s a good example of how adding more ideas to an essay often doesn’t make it better if they don’t work with the rest of what you’re writing. This essay also could explain the excerpts that are included more and how they relate to the points being made. Sometimes they’re just dropped in the essay with the expectation that the readers will make the connection between the example and the analysis. This is perhaps especially true in the second body paragraph, the one that discusses similarities to Biblical passages. Additional analysis of the quotes would have strengthened it.

Summary: How to Write an Analytical Essay

What is an analytical essay? A critical analytical essay analyzes a topic, often a text or film. The analysis paper uses evidence to support the argument, such as excerpts from the piece of writing. All analytical papers include a thesis, analysis of the topic, and evidence to support that analysis.

When developing an analytical essay outline and writing your essay, follow these five steps:

Reading analytical essay examples can also give you a better sense of how to structure your essay and what to include in it.

What's Next?

Learning about different writing styles in school? There are four main writing styles, and it's important to understand each of them. Learn about them in our guide to writing styles , complete with examples.

Writing a research paper for school but not sure what to write about? Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you.

Literary devices can both be used to enhance your writing and communication. Check out this list of 31 literary devices to learn more !

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Advertisement Analysis Essay: Writing Tips

Let's first define the analysis essay to understand what it is. Analysis essays imply examination and evaluation of a particular work like books, newspapers, journals, articles or advertisements. No matter what you analyze, your purpose is going to be the same:

• break your subject into components;
• examine each part separately;
• find the connection between those parts.

For instance, if you are assigned to analyze a poem, you will have to find a relation between the content of the poem and its form. If you have to interpret a play, you might need to find a link between the plots and subplots, and follow the character development by discussing their acting during the performance. There might be different goals when it comes to analysis. It's always important to understand clearly what your professor wants you to highlight.

Ad analysis essay is aimed to study a particular advertisement, provide its main points and give your opinion on its impact on the audience. Advertising has played and continues to play a tremendous role in our lives. We face it everywhere: television, the Internet, roads, shops etc. It doesn't matter whether the advertisement is aimed to sell the product or raise the awareness of the audience about something - it's still has a powerful influence. Therefore, it's imperative to analyze advertisements and understand how they work. If you are wondering how to write an ad analysis essay which can impress the readers, then you came to the right place! Check out the guideline below and write an eye-catching ad analysis essay or get custom online essays from professional writers.

Ad analysis essay guidelines for students

Just as every kind of academic writing, an ad analysis essay has a standard structure which should be strictly followed. Before we start discussing this basic structure and its component, we want to give a list of questions related to the advertisement, which you should work on before writing the essay.

• First of all, make an introduction to the subject which is advertised. Your readers might not be familiar with the service or the product advertised in your case. The earlier you introduce the advertisement, the easier it is to comprehend. No matter what your ad discusses or how popular it is - give a small description for everyone to have a clear understanding of what they are going to read in your essay.
• You should also try to understand what "the audience" is. You should realize who you are going to work with because this will help you focus on the right things and highlight those aspects which are interesting for your readers.
• It's also critical to understand the purpose of the advertisement and why you write the essay on this ad. Why are you telling your readers about the mechanism of this particular advertisement? A clear understanding of the purpose will let you write a well-structured paper.
• Another thing you should pay attention to is the thesis. It's an overall point which you discuss in the rest of the essay.
• Take some time to organize your task. There should be a certain order of the things you want to present in your analysis, and you should come up with this sequence before writing.

Your analysis essay should be simple and challenging at same time. Of course, it tries to show what the creator of the advertisement wanted to convey to everyone but you should also help the reader realize all the positive and negative influences of this advertisement. In most cases, the executives try to sell their products to as many people as possible. They might spend fortunes on commercials. The psychological techniques used to convince people are very intricate because they influence our way of thinking subliminally. They alter our preferences and make us buy things we would have never bought. Your readers should get a broader picture of the advertisement and be aware of all the pitfalls it poses. In short, you should describe how effective the ad is or was.

Every essay writing dilemma can be solved right now!

Useful structure tips, and topic examples

We offer a basic structure you can apply while writing an analysis essay. If you want to write a high-quality advertising analysis essay - just follow these simple steps:

• Come up with the title and thesis statement.
• Write the introduction. The introduction aims to capture your readers' attention. As it has been stated before, you should give some background information relevant to your advertisement and indicate your opinion on it to show the position you are taking. In this part of the essay, you should include your thesis statement and description of the topic.
• The body part of the essay. In this section, you lay out the main paragraphs (at least 3 paragraphs for a 500-700-words essay) which support your thesis. Provide the evidence, facts and examples. This will assure the reader that your viewpoint is backed by solid proof. You can use textual evidence which includes a summary, paraphrasing, specific details and quotations. Try to take as much information from the advertisement as you can. Don't miss any details and discuss every single aspect of the ad.
• Conclusion for an advertisement analysis essay. It is the culmination of your whole work. You should summarize all main points and give your final comment about the ad.

Create an advertisement analysis essay outline. Many people skip this part despite the fact that it helps the author organize all their ideas and thoughts. When it comes to outline writing, you should mention what your topic is, why it caught your attention and what your opinion is. What is more, you should include short names for all paragraphs of the essay and a brief description of what you are going to write in each of them.

Take your time to choose the most suitable topic for your advertisement analysis essay. Select what is interesting for both you and the audience. Here are some examples of ad analysis essay topics:

• What is the message behind the Burger King's advertisement "BK Super Seven Incher"?
• Does the new Coca-Cola commercial convince people that they are going to "Open Happiness"?
• Does Bud Light's "drinkability" have "viability"?
• How the military commercials influence our mind

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How To Write an Analytical Essay

If you enjoy exploring topics deeply and thinking creatively, analytical essays could be perfect for you. They involve thorough analysis and clever writing techniques to gain fresh perspectives and deepen your understanding of the subject. In this article, our expert research paper writer will explain what an analytical essay is, how to structure it effectively and provide practical examples. This guide covers all the essentials for your writing success!

What Is an Analytical Essay

An analytical essay involves analyzing something, such as a book, movie, or idea. It relies on evidence from the text to logically support arguments, avoiding emotional appeals or personal stories. Unlike persuasive essays, which argue for a specific viewpoint, a good analytical essay explores all aspects of the topic, considering different perspectives, dissecting arguments, and evaluating evidence carefully. Ultimately, you'll need to present your own stance based on your analysis, synthesize findings, and decide whether you agree with the conclusions or have your own interpretation.

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How to Structure an Analytical Essay

Crafting an excellent paper starts with clear organization and structuring of arguments. An analytical essay structure follows a simple outline: introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction: Begin by grabbing the reader's attention and stating the topic clearly. Provide background information, state the purpose of the paper, and hint at the arguments you'll make. The opening sentence should be engaging, such as a surprising fact or a thought-provoking question. Then, present your thesis, summarizing your stance in the essay.

Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph starts with a clear topic sentence guiding the reader and presents evidence supporting the thesis. Focus on one issue per paragraph and briefly restate the main point at the end to transition smoothly to the next one. This ensures clarity and coherence in your argument.

Conclusion: Restate the thesis, summarize key points from the body paragraphs, and offer insights on the significance of the analysis. Provide your thoughts on the topic's importance and how your analysis contributes to it, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

Meanwhile, you might also be interested in how to write a reflection paper , so check out the article for more information!

How to Write an Analytical Essay in 6 Simple Steps

Once you've got a handle on the structure, you can make writing easier by following some steps. Preparing ahead of time can make the process smoother and improve your essay's flow. Here are some helpful tips from our experts. And if you need it, you can always request our experts to write my essay for me , and we'll handle it promptly.

Step 1: Decide on Your Stance

Before diving into writing, it's crucial to establish your stance on the topic. Let's say you're going to write an analytical essay example about the benefits and drawbacks of remote work. Before you start writing, you need to decide what your opinion or viewpoint is on this topic.

• Do you think remote work offers flexibility and improved work-life balance for employees?
• Or maybe you believe it can lead to feelings of isolation and decreased productivity?

Once you've determined your stance on remote work, it's essential to consider the evidence and arguments supporting your position. Are there statistics or studies that back up your viewpoint? For example, if you believe remote work improves productivity, you might cite research showing increased output among remote workers. On the other hand, if you think it leads to isolation, you could reference surveys or testimonials highlighting the challenges of remote collaboration. Your opinion will shape how you write your essay, so take some time to think about what you believe about remote work before you start writing.

Step 2: Write Your Thesis Statement

Once you've figured out what you think about the topic, it's time to write your thesis statement. This statement is like the main idea or argument of your essay.

If you believe that remote work offers significant benefits, your thesis statement might be: 'Remote work presents an opportunity for increased flexibility and work-life balance, benefiting employees and employers alike in today's interconnected world.'

Alternatively, if you believe that remote work has notable drawbacks, your thesis statement might be: 'While remote work offers flexibility, it can also lead to feelings of isolation and challenges in collaboration, necessitating a balanced approach to its implementation.'

Your thesis statement guides the rest of your analytical essay, so make sure it clearly expresses your viewpoint on the benefits and drawbacks of remote work.

Step 3: Write Topic Sentences

After you have your thesis statement about the benefits and drawbacks of remote work, you need to come up with topic sentences for each paragraph while writing an analytical essay. These sentences introduce the main point of each paragraph and help to structure your essay.

Let's say your first paragraph is about the benefits of remote work. Your topic sentence might be: 'Remote work offers employees increased flexibility and autonomy, enabling them to better manage their work-life balance.'

For the next paragraph discussing the drawbacks of remote work, your topic sentence could be: 'However, remote work can also lead to feelings of isolation and difficulties in communication and collaboration with colleagues.'

And for the paragraph about potential solutions to the challenges of remote work, your topic sentence might be: 'To mitigate the drawbacks of remote work, companies can implement strategies such as regular check-ins, virtual team-building activities, and flexible work arrangements.'

Each topic sentence should relate back to your thesis statement about the benefits and drawbacks of remote work and provide a clear focus for the paragraph that follows.

Step 4: Create an Outline

Now that you have your thesis statement and topic sentences, it's time to create an analytical essay outline to ensure your essay flows logically. Here's an outline prepared by our analytical essay writer based on the example of discussing the benefits and drawbacks of remote work:

Step 5: Write Your First Draft

Now that you have your outline, it's time to start writing your first draft. Begin by expanding upon each point in your outline, making sure to connect your ideas smoothly and logically. Don't worry too much about perfection at this stage; the goal is to get your ideas down on paper. You can always revise and polish your draft later.

As you write, keep referring back to your thesis statement to ensure that your arguments align with your main argument. Additionally, make sure each paragraph flows naturally into the next, maintaining coherence throughout your essay.

Once you've completed your first draft, take a break and then come back to review and revise it. Look for areas where you can strengthen your arguments, clarify your points, and improve the overall structure and flow of your essay.

Remember, writing is a process, and it's okay to go through multiple drafts before you're satisfied with the final result. Take your time and be patient with yourself as you work towards creating a well-crafted essay on the benefits and drawbacks of remote work.

Step 6: Revise and Proofread

Once you've completed your first draft, it's essential to revise and proofread your essay to ensure clarity, coherence, and correctness. Here's how to approach this step:

• Check if your ideas make sense and if they support your main point.
• Make sure your writing style stays the same and your format follows the rules.
• Double-check your facts and make sure you've covered everything important.
• Cut out any extra words and make your sentences clear and short.
• Look for mistakes in spelling and grammar.
• Ask someone to read your essay and give you feedback.

What is the Purpose of an Analytical Essay?

Analytical essays aim to analyze texts or topics, presenting a clear argument. They deepen understanding by evaluating evidence and uncovering underlying meanings. These essays promote critical thinking, challenging readers to consider different viewpoints.

They're also great for improving critical thinking skills. By breaking down complex ideas and presenting them clearly, they encourage readers to think for themselves and reach their own conclusions.

This type of essay also adds to academic discussions by offering fresh insights. By analyzing existing research and literature, they bring new perspectives or shine a light on overlooked parts of a topic. This keeps academic conversations lively and encourages more exploration in the field.

Analytical Essay Examples

Check out our essay samples to see theory in action. Crafted by our dissertation services , they show how analytical thinking applies to real situations, helping you understand concepts better.

With our tips on how to write an analytical essay, you're ready to boost your writing skills and craft essays that captivate your audience. With practice, you'll become a pro at analytical writing, ready to tackle any topic with confidence. And, if you need help to buy essay online , just drop us a line saying ' do my homework for me ' and we'll jump right in!

Do Analytical Essays Tend to Intimidate You?

Give us your assignment to uncover a deeper understanding of your chosen analytical essay topic!

How to Write an Analytical Essay?

What is an analytical essay.

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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How to Write an Analytical Essay

Last Updated: February 2, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,989,754 times.

Writing an analytical essay can seem daunting, especially if you've never done it before. Don't worry! Take a deep breath, buy yourself a caffeinated beverage, and follow these steps to create a well-crafted analytical essay.

Prewriting for Your Essay

• For example, "Stanley Kubrick's The Shining uses a repeating motif of Native American culture and art to comment on America's history of colonizing Native Americans' lands" is an analytical thesis. It is analyzing a particular text and setting forth an argument about it in the form of a thesis statement.

• If you're writing an analytical essay about a work of fiction, you could focus your argument on what motivates a specific character or group of characters. Or, you could argue why a certain line or paragraph is central to the work as a whole. For example: Explore the concept of vengeance in the epic poem Beowulf .
• If you're writing about a historical event, try focusing on the forces that contributed to what happened.
• If you're writing about scientific research or findings, follow the scientific method to analyze your results.

• Look for repeated imagery, metaphors, phrases, or ideas. Things that repeat are often important. See if you can decipher why these things are so crucial. Do they repeat in the same way each time, or differently?
• How does the text work? If you're writing a rhetorical analysis, for example, you might analyze how the author uses logical appeals to support her argument and decide whether you think the argument is effective. If you're analyzing a creative work, consider things like imagery, visuals in a film, etc. If you're analyzing research, you may want to consider the methods and results and analyze whether the experiment is a good design.
• A mind map can be helpful to some people. Start with your central topic, and arrange smaller ideas around it in bubbles. Connect the bubbles to identify patterns and how things are related.
• Good brainstorming can be all over the place. In fact, that can be a good way to start off! Don't discount any ideas just yet. Write down any element or fact that you think of as you examine your topic.

• This is an analytical thesis because it examines a text and makes a particular claim.
• The claim is "arguable," meaning it's not a statement of pure fact that nobody could contest. An analytical essay takes a side and makes an argument.
• Make sure your thesis is narrow enough to fit the scope of your assignment. "Revenge in Beowulf could be a PhD dissertation, it's so broad. It's probably much too big for a student essay. However, arguing that one character's revenge is more honorable than another's is manageable within a shorter student essay. [3] X Research source
• Unless instructed to write one, avoid the "three-prong" thesis that presents three points to be discussed later. These thesis statements usually limit your analysis too much and give your argument a formulaic feel. It's okay to state generally what your argument will be.

• Example of supporting evidence : To support a claim that the dragon’s vengeance was more righteous than Grendel's mother's, look at the passages in the poem that discuss the events leading up to each monster’s attack, the attacks themselves, as well as the reactions to those attacks. Don't: ignore or twist evidence to fit your thesis. Do: adjust your thesis to a more nuanced position as you learn more about the topic.

• If you're not quite sure how all your evidence fits together, don't worry! Making an outline can help you figure out how your argument should progress.
• You can also make a more informal outline that groups your ideas together in large groups. From there, you can decide what to talk about where.
• Your essay will be as long as it needs to be to adequately discuss your topic. A common mistake students make is to choose a large topic and then allow only 3 body paragraphs to discuss it. This makes essays feel shallow or rushed. Don't be afraid to spend enough time discussing each detail!

Writing Your Essay

• Example introduction : Revenge was a legally recognized right in ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The many revenges in the epic poem Beowulf show that retribution was an essential part of the Anglo-Saxon age. However, not all revenges are created alike. The poet's portrayal of these revenges suggests that the dragon was more honorable in his act of revenge than Grendel's mother.
• This introduction gives your readers information they should know to understand your argument, and then presents an argument about the complexity of a general topic (revenge) in the poem. This type of argument can be interesting because it suggests that the reader needs to think about the text very carefully and not take it at face value. Don't: include filler and fluff sentences beginning with "In modern society" or "Throughout time." Do: briefly mention the title, author, and publication date of the text you're analyzing.

• Example topic sentence : The key to differentiating between the two attacks is the notion of excessive retribution.
• Example analysis : Grendel's mother does not simply want vengeance, as per the Medieval concept of ‘an eye for an eye.’ Instead, she wants to take a life for a life while also throwing Hrothgar’s kingdom into chaos.
• Example evidence : Instead of simply killing Aeschere, and thus enacting just revenge, she “quickly [snatches] up” that nobleman and, with him “tight in her clutches,” she leaves for the fen (1294). She does this to lure Beowulf away from Heorot so she can kill him as well.
• The formula "CEE" may help you remember: Claim-Evidence-Explanation. Whenever you present a claim, make sure you present evidence to support that claim and explain how the evidence relates to your claim.

• Example of a quote : Instead of simply killing Aeschere, and thus enacting just revenge, she “quickly [snatches] up” that nobleman and, with him “tight in her clutches,” she leaves for the fen (1294).
• Example of a paraphrased sentence : The female Grendel enters Heorot, snatches up one of the men sleeping inside it, and runs away to the fen (1294).

• Example conclusion : The concept of an ‘eye for an eye’ was very present in the early Medieval world. However, by comparing the attacks of both Grendel's mother and the dragon, the medieval world’s perception of righteous vengeance versus unjust revenge is made clear. While the dragon acts out in the only way he knows how, Grendel's mother attacks with evil intent.
• Example conclusion with a ‘bigger world connection’: The concept of an ‘eye for an eye’ was very present in the early Medieval world. However, by comparing the attacks of both Grendel's mother and the dragon, the medieval world’s perception of righteous vengeance versus unjust revenge is made clear. While the dragon acts out in the only way he knows how, Grendel's mother attacks with evil intent. As we saw from the study of other characters, these portrayals may tie into an early Medieval perception that women had greater potential for evil.

Finalizing Your Essay

• Make sure to also format your essay correctly. For example, using a 12-pt standard font (like Arial or Times New Roman) and 1" margins is standard.

• If you are analyzing a film, look up the list of characters online. Check two or three sources to make sure that you have the correct spelling.

Analytical Essay Writing Help

Community Q&A

• Ask yourself "What am I trying to prove?" The answer should be in your thesis. If not, go back and fix it. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you are writing a formal analysis or critique, then avoid using colloquial writing . Though informal language may bring some color to a paper, you do not want to risk weakening your argument by influencing it with verbal slang. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Avoid being too vague. Vagueness leaves room for misinterpretation and in a coherent, analytical essay, leaving room for misinterpretation decreases the effectiveness of your argument. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.stetson.edu/other/writing-center/media/Handout%20-%20Analytical%20Essay.pdf
• ↑ https://www.bucks.edu/media/bcccmedialibrary/pdf/HOWTOWRITEALITERARYANALYSISESSAY_10.15.07_001.pdf
• ↑ http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/rsrchppr.html
• ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-can-i-create-stronger-analysis-.html
• ↑ https://academics.umw.edu/writing-fredericksburg/files/2011/09/Basic-Outlines.pdf
• ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-write-an-intro--conclusion----body-paragraph.html
• ↑ https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland/undergraduates/writing-guides/how-do-i-incorporate-quotes-.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/proofreading_suggestions.html
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/proofreading

About This Article

To write an analytical essay, first write an introduction that gives your reader background information and introduces your thesis. Then, write body paragraphs in support of your thesis that include a topic sentence, an analysis of some part of the text, and evidence from the text that supports your analysis. You can use direct quotes from the text that support your point of view or paraphrase if you’re trying to summarize information. Finally, complete your essay with a conclusion that reiterates your thesis and your primary support for it. To learn from our English reviewer how to come up with your thesis statement and find evidence that supports it, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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 How to Write a Perfect Analytical Paragraph

8-minute read

• 30th January 2023

If you are looking up how to write an analytical paragraph, you are most likely writing an argumentative or analytical essay. Analytical essays are similar to other essays, such as descriptive essays, in that you have a central idea, organize supporting ideas into body paragraphs, and make conclusions.

However, analytical essays differ from other essays because the writer must go further. They require the writer to interpret and analyze a given text or information using evidence to support their central idea or thesis statement. This analysis takes place in analytical paragraphs, or body paragraphs, if you are writing an analytical essay .

In this article, you’ll learn the components of a perfect analytical paragraph: the topic sentence, evidence, analysis, and conclusion. Keep reading to learn more.

What Is an Analytical Paragraph?

An analytical paragraph is a paragraph that breaks down a piece of literature, an idea, or a concept into smaller parts and analyzes each part to understand the whole. Being able to write an effective and successful analytical paragraph reflects a writer’s critical thinking and organizational writing skills. All in all, like any other type of writing, writing an analytical paragraph requires skill and practice.

Write the Topic Sentence

A topic sentence is usually the first, or sometimes second, sentence at the beginning of anybody paragraph. Your topic sentence should contain one main idea related to the thesis statement . If it is not related to your thesis statement, then you are likely off topic.

Pro Tip: If your topic sentence is the second sentence of your paragraph, then your first sentence should be a transitional sentence .

Let’s look at a thesis statement and some topic sentences to get a better idea.

Topic: Examine and analyze the marriages in George Eliot’s Middlemarch .

Thesis Statement: Eliot uses three different marriages to give depth to everyday people and show the reader the struggles of marriage within the nineteenth century’s societal standards of submissive roles, class range, and financial status.

Topic Sentence 1: Lydgate and Rosamond had a terrible marriage in Middlemarch , like all other marriages during this time.

This topic sentence is not effective because it is not specific enough and does not directly relate to the thesis statement. It does not mention how their “terrible” marriage is related to submissive roles, class range, or financial status. Additionally, the overly generalized language of “all” marriages being terrible marriages during this time is a weak argument.

Topic Sentence 2: Financial matters play a huge role in the Lydgate and Rosamond marriage, as Lydgate has no money and Rosamond is a big spender.

This topic sentence is effective because it directly supports the thesis statement. It is focused on the financial status of this marriage.

Provide Evidence

The type of evidence you use to support your topic sentence will largely depend on the topic of your analytical essay. For example, if you are writing an essay related to a work of literature, you will need to provide direct quotes, paraphrasing, specific details, or a summary from the work to support your main idea. If your topic is related to analyzing data, then you may use figures, statistics, or charts and graph evidence to support your topic sentence.

Regardless of what type of evidence you provide, it must be appropriate and directly relate to and support your topic sentence.

For example, if we take the above thesis and topic sentence, we might select direct quotes, paraphrases, or summaries from the novel Middlemarch that depict the marriage’s financial stress.

Pro Tip: When using direct quotes, make sure you always provide an in-text citation and use correct punctuation to ensure your essay is neat and clean.

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Once you have provided evidence, you should analyze it to illustrate its significance and how it relates to the topic sentence. In your analysis, you can discuss how an author uses certain literary devices to emphasize character traits, themes, patterns, and connections in a literary work.

Be sure that your analysis always connects to the topic sentence/main idea of the paragraph. Avoid introducing new ideas in this section. Save those for later paragraphs or consider creating a new one to explore and analyze the new point.

Conclude Your Paragraph

When closing an analytical paragraph, you can consider doing two things:

●  Briefly emphasize the main point your reader should take away after having read the paragraph.

●  Begin a transition if the analysis continues into the next paragraph. (This strategy may be more suitable for longer, more in-depth analytical essays).

Using the above example topic sentence, we might conclude the paragraph as follows:

Notice how this concluding statement not only emphasizes the main points from the paragraph but also ties back into the thesis statement.

Writing Tips For Analytical Paragraphs

Leave out first person language.

Avoid using language such as “in my opinion,” “from my perspective,” or “I think.” While the analysis is your interpretation of a text or information, you should rely on and focus on using evidence to support your ideas. Overall, you should aim to maintain an objective tone .

Instead of saying “I think Rosamond is manipulative,” you should use evidence from the text to show that she was manipulative. For example, “Rosamond shows a pattern of manipulation throughout Middlemarch , specifically toward her husband. For instance, she says, ‘…’”

Do Writing Exercises

When writing, especially in the early drafts of an essay, it is typical to find the main idea of a paragraph at the end. This is a natural course for our thinking process. However, the main idea should be presented as your topic sentence at the beginning of this paragraph. Additionally, most students leave this main idea at the end because they do not identify it as the main idea.

To overcome this dilemma, try a looping prewriting exercise . In this exercise, you write continuously for a designated time (maybe 10 minutes, your choice). At the end of that time, read over what you’ve written and circle the main idea of the text (this is usually at the end). In the next cycle, you start with this main idea at the beginning and further examine and analyze it.

This is a wonderful exercise to help you pick out main ideas and delve deeper into your analysis.

Get Feedback

If you are a student, there are several options to get feedback for free. Ask a friend to read your essay. Go to your writing center to get feedback and help with your writing. Go to your professor’s office hours with your writing or questions to get detailed advice. More often than not, they are happy to see you take advantage of their expertise.

As a working professional, writer, or author, you can look to fellow authors or bookish friends to read your work. You can find free beta readers online from sites such as Goodreads to get feedback from your target audience. You can also find writing groups on social media platforms.

Proofread Your Work

It can be easy to finish writing an essay and think “Finally, I’m done!” Unfortunately, that is only half the process. Be sure to always read and reread your writing before hitting submit. Check for stray commas, spelling errors, or awkward sentences to make your main ideas and hard work shine. Learn about 6 Quick and Easy Tips for Proofreading you can do at home.

Writing an analytical paragraph doesn’t have to be stressful. Be sure to include a topic sentence at the beginning of your paragraph that connects to the thesis statement. Provide a variety of evidence to support your main idea, analyze the text by highlighting literary devices used, themes, and patterns, and end with a brief concluding statement.

If you need more help with writing analysis, descriptive essays, or any other type of essay, then Proofed is here to help. Try our free trial today!

What Is a Topic Sentence?

A topic sentence goes at the beginning of a body paragraph and clearly states the main idea of the paragraph.

How Do I Organize an Analytical Paragraph?

An analytical paragraph has four components: topic sentence, evidence, analysis, and conclusion. The topic sentence is the most important part of any body paragraph because it establishes the main idea of the paragraph and relates to the thesis statement.

What Makes a Good Analytical Paragraph?

A good analytical paragraph has a clear topic sentence, strong evidence, and a thorough analysis that reflects the writer’s critical thinking and writing skills. It should conclude by emphasizing the main idea of the paragraph and how it supports the essay overall.

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How to Write an Essay Introduction (with Examples)   

The introduction of an essay plays a critical role in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. It sets the stage for the rest of the essay, establishes the tone and style, and motivates the reader to continue reading. 

Table of Contents

What is an essay introduction , what to include in an essay introduction, how to create an essay structure , step-by-step process for writing an essay introduction , how to write an introduction paragraph , how to write a hook for your essay , how to include background information , how to write a thesis statement .

• Argumentative Essay Introduction Example: 
• Expository Essay Introduction Example 

Literary Analysis Essay Introduction Example

Check and revise – checklist for essay introduction , key takeaways , frequently asked questions .

An introduction is the opening section of an essay, paper, or other written work. It introduces the topic and provides background information, context, and an overview of what the reader can expect from the rest of the work. 1 The key is to be concise and to the point, providing enough information to engage the reader without delving into excessive detail. 

The essay introduction is crucial as it sets the tone for the entire piece and provides the reader with a roadmap of what to expect. Here are key elements to include in your essay introduction: 

• Hook : Start with an attention-grabbing statement or question to engage the reader. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or a compelling anecdote. 
• Background information : Provide context and background information to help the reader understand the topic. This can include historical information, definitions of key terms, or an overview of the current state of affairs related to your topic. 
• Thesis statement : Clearly state your main argument or position on the topic. Your thesis should be concise and specific, providing a clear direction for your essay. 

Before we get into how to write an essay introduction, we need to know how it is structured. The structure of an essay is crucial for organizing your thoughts and presenting them clearly and logically. It is divided as follows: 2  

• Introduction:  The introduction should grab the reader’s attention with a hook, provide context, and include a thesis statement that presents the main argument or purpose of the essay.  
• Body:  The body should consist of focused paragraphs that support your thesis statement using evidence and analysis. Each paragraph should concentrate on a single central idea or argument and provide evidence, examples, or analysis to back it up.  
• Conclusion:  The conclusion should summarize the main points and restate the thesis differently. End with a final statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Avoid new information or arguments. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write an essay introduction: 

• Start with a Hook : Begin your introduction paragraph with an attention-grabbing statement, question, quote, or anecdote related to your topic. The hook should pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to continue reading. 
• Provide Background Information : This helps the reader understand the relevance and importance of the topic. 
• State Your Thesis Statement : The last sentence is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be clear, concise, and directly address the topic of your essay. 
• Preview the Main Points : This gives the reader an idea of what to expect and how you will support your thesis. 
• Keep it Concise and Clear : Avoid going into too much detail or including information not directly relevant to your topic. 
• Revise : Revise your introduction after you’ve written the rest of your essay to ensure it aligns with your final argument. 

Here’s an example of an essay introduction paragraph about the importance of education: 

Education is often viewed as a fundamental human right and a key social and economic development driver. As Nelson Mandela once famously said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” It is the key to unlocking a wide range of opportunities and benefits for individuals, societies, and nations. In today’s constantly evolving world, education has become even more critical. It has expanded beyond traditional classroom learning to include digital and remote learning, making education more accessible and convenient. This essay will delve into the importance of education in empowering individuals to achieve their dreams, improving societies by promoting social justice and equality, and driving economic growth by developing a skilled workforce and promoting innovation. 

This introduction paragraph example includes a hook (the quote by Nelson Mandela), provides some background information on education, and states the thesis statement (the importance of education). 

This is one of the key steps in how to write an essay introduction. Crafting a compelling hook is vital because it sets the tone for your entire essay and determines whether your readers will stay interested. A good hook draws the reader in and sets the stage for the rest of your essay.  

• Avoid Dry Fact : Instead of simply stating a bland fact, try to make it engaging and relevant to your topic. For example, if you’re writing about the benefits of exercise, you could start with a startling statistic like, “Did you know that regular exercise can increase your lifespan by up to seven years?” 
• Avoid Using a Dictionary Definition : While definitions can be informative, they’re not always the most captivating way to start an essay. Instead, try to use a quote, anecdote, or provocative question to pique the reader’s interest. For instance, if you’re writing about freedom, you could begin with a quote from a famous freedom fighter or philosopher. 
• Do Not Just State a Fact That the Reader Already Knows : This ties back to the first point—your hook should surprise or intrigue the reader. For Here’s an introduction paragraph example, if you’re writing about climate change, you could start with a thought-provoking statement like, “Despite overwhelming evidence, many people still refuse to believe in the reality of climate change.” 

Including background information in the introduction section of your essay is important to provide context and establish the relevance of your topic. When writing the background information, you can follow these steps: 

• Start with a General Statement:  Begin with a general statement about the topic and gradually narrow it down to your specific focus. For example, when discussing the impact of social media, you can begin by making a broad statement about social media and its widespread use in today’s society, as follows: “Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of users worldwide.” 
• Define Key Terms : Define any key terms or concepts that may be unfamiliar to your readers but are essential for understanding your argument. 
• Provide Relevant Statistics:  Use statistics or facts to highlight the significance of the issue you’re discussing. For instance, “According to a report by Statista, the number of social media users is expected to reach 4.41 billion by 2025.” 
• Discuss the Evolution:  Mention previous research or studies that have been conducted on the topic, especially those that are relevant to your argument. Mention key milestones or developments that have shaped its current impact. You can also outline some of the major effects of social media. For example, you can briefly describe how social media has evolved, including positives such as increased connectivity and issues like cyberbullying and privacy concerns. 
• Transition to Your Thesis:  Use the background information to lead into your thesis statement, which should clearly state the main argument or purpose of your essay. For example, “Given its pervasive influence, it is crucial to examine the impact of social media on mental health.” 

A thesis statement is a concise summary of the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, or other type of academic writing. It appears near the end of the introduction. Here’s how to write a thesis statement: 

• Identify the topic:  Start by identifying the topic of your essay. For example, if your essay is about the importance of exercise for overall health, your topic is “exercise.” 
• State your position:  Next, state your position or claim about the topic. This is the main argument or point you want to make. For example, if you believe that regular exercise is crucial for maintaining good health, your position could be: “Regular exercise is essential for maintaining good health.” 
• Support your position:  Provide a brief overview of the reasons or evidence that support your position. These will be the main points of your essay. For example, if you’re writing an essay about the importance of exercise, you could mention the physical health benefits, mental health benefits, and the role of exercise in disease prevention. 
• Make it specific:  Ensure your thesis statement clearly states what you will discuss in your essay. For example, instead of saying, “Exercise is good for you,” you could say, “Regular exercise, including cardiovascular and strength training, can improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.” 

Examples of essay introduction 

Here are examples of essay introductions for different types of essays: 

Argumentative Essay Introduction Example:  

Topic: Should the voting age be lowered to 16? 

“The question of whether the voting age should be lowered to 16 has sparked nationwide debate. While some argue that 16-year-olds lack the requisite maturity and knowledge to make informed decisions, others argue that doing so would imbue young people with agency and give them a voice in shaping their future.” 

Expository Essay Introduction Example  

Topic: The benefits of regular exercise 

“In today’s fast-paced world, the importance of regular exercise cannot be overstated. From improving physical health to boosting mental well-being, the benefits of exercise are numerous and far-reaching. This essay will examine the various advantages of regular exercise and provide tips on incorporating it into your daily routine.” 

Text: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee 

“Harper Lee’s novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ is a timeless classic that explores themes of racism, injustice, and morality in the American South. Through the eyes of young Scout Finch, the reader is taken on a journey that challenges societal norms and forces characters to confront their prejudices. This essay will analyze the novel’s use of symbolism, character development, and narrative structure to uncover its deeper meaning and relevance to contemporary society.” 

• Engaging and Relevant First Sentence : The opening sentence captures the reader’s attention and relates directly to the topic. 
• Background Information : Enough background information is introduced to provide context for the thesis statement. 
• Definition of Important Terms : Key terms or concepts that might be unfamiliar to the audience or are central to the argument are defined. 
• Clear Thesis Statement : The thesis statement presents the main point or argument of the essay. 
• Relevance to Main Body : Everything in the introduction directly relates to and sets up the discussion in the main body of the essay. 

Writing a strong introduction is crucial for setting the tone and context of your essay. Here are the key takeaways for how to write essay introduction: 3  

• Hook the Reader : Start with an engaging hook to grab the reader’s attention. This could be a compelling question, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or an anecdote. 
• Provide Background : Give a brief overview of the topic, setting the context and stage for the discussion. 
• Thesis Statement : State your thesis, which is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be concise, clear, and specific. 
• Preview the Structure : Outline the main points or arguments to help the reader understand the organization of your essay. 
• Keep it Concise : Avoid including unnecessary details or information not directly related to your thesis. 
• Revise and Edit : Revise your introduction to ensure clarity, coherence, and relevance. Check for grammar and spelling errors. 
• Seek Feedback : Get feedback from peers or instructors to improve your introduction further. 

The purpose of an essay introduction is to give an overview of the topic, context, and main ideas of the essay. It is meant to engage the reader, establish the tone for the rest of the essay, and introduce the thesis statement or central argument.  

An essay introduction typically ranges from 5-10% of the total word count. For example, in a 1,000-word essay, the introduction would be roughly 50-100 words. However, the length can vary depending on the complexity of the topic and the overall length of the essay.

An essay introduction is critical in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. To ensure its effectiveness, consider incorporating these key elements: a compelling hook, background information, a clear thesis statement, an outline of the essay’s scope, a smooth transition to the body, and optional signposting sentences.  

The process of writing an essay introduction is not necessarily straightforward, but there are several strategies that can be employed to achieve this end. When experiencing difficulty initiating the process, consider the following techniques: begin with an anecdote, a quotation, an image, a question, or a startling fact to pique the reader’s interest. It may also be helpful to consider the five W’s of journalism: who, what, when, where, why, and how.   For instance, an anecdotal opening could be structured as follows: “As I ascended the stage, momentarily blinded by the intense lights, I could sense the weight of a hundred eyes upon me, anticipating my next move. The topic of discussion was climate change, a subject I was passionate about, and it was my first public speaking event. Little did I know , that pivotal moment would not only alter my perspective but also chart my life’s course.” 

Crafting a compelling thesis statement for your introduction paragraph is crucial to grab your reader’s attention. To achieve this, avoid using overused phrases such as “In this paper, I will write about” or “I will focus on” as they lack originality. Instead, strive to engage your reader by substantiating your stance or proposition with a “so what” clause. While writing your thesis statement, aim to be precise, succinct, and clear in conveying your main argument.  

To create an effective essay introduction, ensure it is clear, engaging, relevant, and contains a concise thesis statement. It should transition smoothly into the essay and be long enough to cover necessary points but not become overwhelming. Seek feedback from peers or instructors to assess its effectiveness. 

References  

• Cui, L. (2022). Unit 6 Essay Introduction.  Building Academic Writing Skills . 
• West, H., Malcolm, G., Keywood, S., & Hill, J. (2019). Writing a successful essay.  Journal of Geography in Higher Education ,  43 (4), 609-617. 
• Beavers, M. E., Thoune, D. L., & McBeth, M. (2023). Bibliographic Essay: Reading, Researching, Teaching, and Writing with Hooks: A Queer Literacy Sponsorship. College English, 85(3), 230-242. 

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• What is an Argumentative Essay? How to Write It (With Examples)
• How to Paraphrase Research Papers Effectively
• How to Cite Social Media Sources in Academic Writing? 
• How Long Should a Chapter Be?

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How to Write a Visual Analysis Essay: Examples & Template

A visual analysis essay is an academic paper type that history and art students often deal with. It consists of a detailed description of an image or object. It can also include an interpretation or an argument that is supported by visual evidence.

In this article, our custom writing experts will:

• explain what a visual analysis is;
• share useful tips on how to write a good visual analysis essay;
• provide an essay sample.
• 🎨 Visual Analysis Definition
• 🏺 Artwork Analysis Tips
• ✅ Visual Analysis Writing Guide
• 📑 Example & Citation Tips

🎨 What Is a Visual Analysis?

The primary objective of visual analysis is to understand an artwork better by examining the visual elements. There are two types of visual analysis: formal and contextual.

• A formal analysis focuses on artwork elements such as texture, color, size, and line. It aims to organize visual information and translate it into words. A formal analysis doesn’t interpret the piece.
• Unlike formal analysis, contextual analysis’ primary goal is to connect artwork to its purpose or meaning within a culture. A contextual analysis includes formal analysis. Additionally, it discusses an artwork’s social purpose and significance.

Usually, students deal with formal visual analysis. Before starting to work on your essay, make sure to ask your professor whether to include contextual analysis or not.

The Purpose of Analyzing Images

Why is visual analysis important? What does it help to learn? There are several things that visual analysis helps with:

• It allows students to enhance their appreciation of art.
• It enables students to develop the ability to synthesize information.
• It encourages students to seek out answers instead of simply receiving them.
• It prompts higher-order critical thinking and helps to create a well-reasoned analysis.
• By conducting visual analysis, students learn how to support and explain their ideas by studying visual information.

What Is Formal Analysis: Art History

When we look at an artwork, we want to know why it was created, who made it, and what its function was. That’s why art historians and researchers pay special attention to the role of artworks within historical contexts.

Visual analysis is a helpful tool in exploring art. It focuses on the following aspects:

• Interpretation of subject matter ( iconography). An iconographic analysis is an explanation of the work’s meaning. Art historians try to understand what is shown and why it is depicted in a certain way.
• The analysis of function. Many works of art were designed to serve a purpose that goes beyond aesthetics. Understanding that purpose by studying their historical use helps learn more about artworks. It also establishes a connection between function and appearance.

Formal Analysis: Art Glossary

Now, let’s look at some visual elements and principles and learn how to define them.

Visual Elements :

Visual Principles :

🏺 How to Analyze Artworks: Different Types

Writing a formal analysis is a skill that requires practice. Being careful and attentive during the pre-writing stage is essential if you want to create a good and well-structured visual analysis. 

Visual analysis essay mainly consists of two components:

• Description of the selected image or object,
• Interpretation built on the visual evidence.

During the pre-writing stage:

• Collect general information about an artwork. Describe it briefly. Pay special attention to visual elements and principles:
• Develop an interpretation. Think critically. What does the information in your notes imply? How can it be interpreted?
• Support your ideas. To do it, refer to the visual elements directly. Avoid generalizing art and double-check your prompts. 

How to Analyze a Painting Using the Elements of Art

To write an excellent formal visual analysis, you need to consider as many visual principles and elements as you can apply. In the formal analysis part:

• Target your description;
• Address only those elements relevant to your essay;
• Pay attention to visual elements and principles;
• Introduce the subject of the painting and describe it;
• Explain why you have decided to discuss specific elements;
• Discuss the relationship between visual elements of the artwork;
• Use the vocabulary terms.

If you are asked to do a contextual analysis , you may want to:

• Focus on the historical importance of an artwork;
• Explore the style or movement associated with an artwork;
• Learn about the historical context and the public’s reaction to the artwork;
• Learn about the author and how they’ve created the piece of art.

Painting Analysis Essay Example & Tips

Here is a template you can use for your essay.

Now, let’s take a look at an essay example.

How to Analyze a Photograph

Analyzing photos has a lot in common with paintings. There are three methods on which photo visual analysis relies: description, reflection, and formal analysis. Historical analysis can be included as well, though it is optional.

• Description . It implies looking closely at the photo and considering all the details. The description needs to be objective and consists of basic statements that don’t express an opinion.
• Reflection. For the next step, focus on the emotions that the photograph evokes. Here, every viewer will have a different opinion and feelings about the artwork. Knowing some historical context may be helpful to construct a thoughtful response.
• Formal analysis . Think of the visual elements and principles. How are they represented in the photograph?
• Historical analysis. For a contextual analysis, you need to pay attention to the external elements of the photograph. Make sure that you understand the environmental context in which the photo was taken. Under what historical circumstances was the picture made?

Photo Analysis Essay Tips

Now that we’ve talked about analyzing a photograph let’s look at some helpful tips that will help you write an essay.

How to Analyze a Sculpture

Visual analysis of a sculpture is slightly different from the one of a painting or a photograph. However, it still uses similar concepts, relies on visual elements and principles. When you write about sculpture, consider:

Visual Analysis Essay on a Sculpture: Writing Tips

A sculpture analysis consists of the following parts:

• Description . Include specific details, such as what the sculpture may represent. For instance, the human figure may be an athlete, an ancient God, a poet, etc. Consider their pose, body build, and attire.
• Formal analysis . Here, visual elements and principles become the focus. Discuss the color, shape, technique, and medium.
• Contextual analysis . If you decide to include a contextual analysis, you can talk about the sculpture’s function and how it conveys   ideas and sentiments of that period. Mention its historical and cultural importance.

When it comes to sculpture analysis, you may also want to collect technical data such as:

• The size of the sculpture
• Medium (the material)
• The current condition (is it damaged, preserved as a fragment, or as a whole piece)
• Display (Was a sculpture a part of an architectural setting, or was it an independent piece of work?)

For instance, if you were to do a visual analysis of Laocoön and His Sons , you could first look up such details:

• Location: Discovered in a Roman vineyard in 1506
• Current location: Vatican
• Date: Hellenistic Period (323 BCE – 31 CE)
• Size: Height 208 cm; Width 163 cm; Depth 112 cm
• Material: Marble
• Current condition: Missing several parts.

Visual Analysis Essay: Advertisement Analysis

Visuals are used in advertisements to attract attention or convince the public that they need what is being advertised. The purpose of a visual argument is to create interest. Advertisements use images to convey information and communicate with the audience.

When writing a visual analysis of an advertisement, pay attention to the following:

• text elements,
• illustrations,
• composition.

All of this influences how the viewer perceives the information and reacts to it.

When you write about an advertisement, you conduct a rhetorical analysis of its visual elements. Visual rhetoric is mainly directed at analyzing images and extracting information from them. It helps to understand the use of typography, imagery, and the arrangement of elements on the page.

Think of the famous visual rhetoric examples such as the We can do it! poster or a Chanel №5 commercial. Both examples demonstrate how persuasive imagery has been used throughout history.

How to Write a Visual Analysis Paper on an Advertisement

The presentation of visual elements in advertising is essential. It helps to convince the audience. When you analyze visual arguments, always keep the rhetorical situation in mind. Here are some crucial elements to focus on:

✅ How to Write a Visual Analysis Paper: Step by Step

Now, we’ll focus on the paper itself and how to structure it. But first, check out the list of topics and choose what suits you best.

Visual Analysis Essay Topics

There are a lot of artworks and advertisements that can be analyzed and viewed from different perspectives. Here are some essay topics on visual analysis that you may find helpful:

• Analyze Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss (1907-1908.)
• The theme of humanity and The Son of Man (1964) by René Magritte.
• The use of visual elements in Almond Blossom by Vincent van Gogh (1888-1890.)
• Identity and Seated Harlequin (1901) by Picasso .
• Explore the themes of Paul Klee ’s The Tree of Houses , 1918.
• Objectives, activities, and instructions of Pietro Perugino’s fresco The Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter . 
• Reflection on social issues of the time in Two Fridas by Frida Kahlo and Untitled by Ramses Younan.  
• Analyze the importance of Mural (1943) by Jackson Pollock.  
• The political message in John Gast’s painting American Progress (1872).
• Describe the visual techniques used in Toy Pieta by Scott Avett .
• The interpretation of the painting Indian Fire God by Frederic Remington.
• Explore the historical significance and aesthetic meaning of Ognissanti Madonna by Giotto di Bondone .
• Analyze different interpretations of The Three Dancers by Pablo Picasso .

Photography:

• The idea behind Lindsay Key (1985) by Robert Mapplethorpe.
• Explore the mythical appeal of Robert Capa’s photograph The Falling Soldier (Spain,1936) from Death in Making photobook.
• Describe Two Boys with Fish (2018) from Faith series by Mario Macilau.
• Kevin Carter’s Starving Child and Vulture (1993) as the representation of photojournalism.
• The story behind Philippe Halsman’s Dali Atomicus , 1948.
• Describe The Starving Boy in Uganda photograph by Mike Wells
• Analyse the view of a historic disaster in San Francisco photograph by George R. Lawrence.
• The statement behind Eddie Adams’s photo Shooting a Viet Cong Prisoner .
• How is Steve McCurry’s perception of the world reflected in his photo Afghanistan Girl .
• Analyze the reflection of Ansel Adams’s environmental philosophy in his photo Moon and Half Dome (1960).
• Describe Girl on the Garda Lake (2016) by Giuseppe Milo.
• Combination of internal geometry and true-to-life moments in Behind the Gare Saint Lazare by Henri Cartier-Bresson .
• Modern art and Couple on Seat by Lynn Chadwick (1984.)
• Analyze the biblical context of Pieta (1498-1499) by Michelangelo.
• The use of shapes in Louise Bourgeois’ Spider (1996.)
• Analysis of the symbolism behind The Thinker (1880) by Rodin.
• The historical meaning of Fountain (1917) by Duchamp .
• Analyze the Miniature Statue of Liberty by Willard Wigan 
• The combination of Egyptian culture and classical Greek ideology in statue of Osiris-Antinous.  
• Reflection of the civilization values in emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army . 
• The aesthetic and philosophical significance of Michelangelo’s David .
• Explore the controversial meaning of Damien Hirst’s sculpture For the Love of God (2007).
• Analyze the elements of art and design used in The Thinker by August Rodin .
• Symbolic elements in the Ancient Greek statues of Zeus .
• Depiction of the fundamental aspects of Buddhism in The Parinirvana of Siddhartha/Shakyamuni.

Advertisement:

• How Volkswagen : Think Small (1960) ad changed advertising.
• Analyze the use of figures in California Milk Processor Board: Got Milk? (1993) ad campaign .
• Analyze the use of colors in Coca-Cola — The Pause that Refreshes (1931.)
• Explore the historical context of We Can Do It! (1942) campaign.
• The importance of a slogan in 1947: A Diamond Is Forever by De Beers.
• Examine the specifics of visual advert: dogs and their humans.  
• Describe the use of visual techniques in Kentucky Fried Chicken company’s advertisement.
• Analyze the multiple messages behind the print ad of JBL .
• Discuss the methods used in Toyota Highlander advertisement .
• Elucidation of people’s dependency on social networks in the advertising campaign Followers by Miller Lite.
• The use of the visual arguments in Schlitz Brewing Company advertisement .
• The role of colors and fonts in Viva la Juicy perfume advertisement .

Visual Analysis Essay Outline

You can use this art analysis template to structure your essay:

How to Start an Art Essay

Every analysis starts with an introduction. In the first paragraph, make sure that:

• the reader knows that this essay is a visual analysis;
• you have provided all the necessary background information about an artwork.

It’s also important to know how to introduce an artwork. If you’re dealing with a panting or a photograph, it’s better to integrate them into the first page of your analysis. This way, the reader can see the piece and use it as a reference while reading your paper.

Art Thesis Statement Examples & Tips

Formulating a thesis is an essential step in every essay. Depending on the purpose of your paper, you can either focus your visual analysis thesis statement on formal elements or connect it with the contextual meaning. 

To create a strong thesis, you should relate it to an artwork’s meaning, significance, or effect. Your interpretation should put out an argument that someone could potentially disagree with. 

• For instance, you can consider how formal elements or principles impact the meaning of an artwork. Here are some options you can consider:
• If your focus is the contextual analysis, you can find the connection between the artwork and the artist’s personal life or a historical event.

How to Write Visual Analysis Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs of formal analysis consist of two parts—the description and the analysis itself. Let’s take Klimt’s The Kiss as an example:

The contextual analysis includes interpretation and evaluation.

Visual Analysis Essay Conclusion

When you work on the conclusion, try to conclude your paper without restating the thesis. At the end of your essay, you can present an interesting fact. You can also try to:

• Compare an artwork to similar ones;
• Contrast your own ideas on the piece with the reaction people had when it was first revealed.
• Talk about an artwork’s significance to the culture and art in general.

📑 Visual Analysis Essay Example & Citation Tips

In this section of the article, we will share some tips on how to reference an artwork in a paper. We will also provide an essay example.

How to Reference a Painting in an Essay

When you work on visual analysis, it is important to know how to write the title of an artwork properly. Citing a painting, a photograph, or any other visual source, will require a little more information than citing a book or an article. Here is what you will need:

• Size dimensions
• Current location
• Name of the piece
• Artist’s name
• Date when artwork was created

If you want to cite a painting or an artwork you saw online, you will also need:

• The name of the website
• Website URL
• Page’s publication date
• Date of your access

How to Properly Credit an Artwork in APA

How to properly credit an artwork in mla, how to properly credit an artwork in chicago format.

Finally, here’s a sample visual analysis of Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker in APA format. Feel free to download it below.

Many people believe that works of art are bound to be immortal. Indeed, some remarkable masterpieces have outlived their artists by many years, gaining more and more popularity with time. Among them is The Thinker, a brilliant sculpture made by Auguste Rodin, depicting a young, athletic man, immersed deep into his thoughts.

You can also look at the following essay samples to get even more ideas.

• The Protestors Cartoon by Clay Bennett: Visual Analysis
• Visual Analysis – Editorial Cartoon
• Visual Analysis: “Dust Storm” Photo by Steve McCurry
• Visual, Aural, Read & Write, Kinesthetic Analysis
• Schlitz Brewing Company Advertisement: Visual Arguments Analysis

Thanks for reading through our article! We hope you found it helpful. Don’t hesitate to share it with your friends.

Further reading:

• How to Write a Lab Report: Format, Tips, & Example
• Literature Review Outline: Examples, Approaches, & Templates
• How to Write a Research Paper Step by Step [2024 Upd.]
• How to Write a Term Paper: The Ultimate Guide and Tips

❓ Visual Analysis FAQs

To write a visual argument essay, you need to use rhetorical analysis. Visual rhetoric is directed at analyzing images and extracting the information they contain. It helps to analyze the visuals and the arrangement of elements on the page.

A well-though contextual analysis will include:

1. formal analysis, 2. some information about the artist, 3. details on when and where the piece was created, 4. the social purpose of the work, 5. its cultural meaning.

It is better to include pictures  in the introduction  part of your paper. Make sure to cite them correctly according to the format you’re using. Don’t forget to add the website name, the URL, and the access date.

To analyze means not only to describe but also to evaluate and synthesize visual information. To do that, you need to learn about visual elements and principles and see how and why they are used within artworks.

🔍 References

• Art History: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Visual Analysis: Duke University
• Writing a Formal Analysis in Art History: Hamilton College
• Contextual Analysis: Pine-Richland School District
• How to Analyze an Artwork: Student Art Guide
• Introduction to Art Historical Analysis: Khan Academy
• Guidelines for Analysis of Art: University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• Elements of Art: Getty.edu
• Formal or Critical Analysis: LibreTexts
• Analyzing a Photograph: University of Oregon
• Picture Composition Analysis and Photo Essay: University of Northern Iowa
• Visual Analysis Guidelines: Skidmore College
• How to Analyze Sculpture: NLA Design and Visual Arts: WordPress
• Visual Rhetoric: Purdue University
• Formal Visual Analysis: The Elements & Principles of Composition
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How to Write Visual Analysis Essay: Guide for Beginners

Table of contents

• 1 What Is a Visual Analysis Essay?
• 2 Selecting and Exploring a Visual Piece: Key Guidelines
• 3.1 Visual Composition
• 3.2 Emphasis on a Central Point
• 3.3 Symbolism
• 3.4 Design Elements
• 3.5 Surface Quality
• 3.6 Dimensions
• 4 Visual Principles of Design in Essays
• 5.1 Step 1. Choose Your Visual Subject.
• 5.2 Step 2. Observe and Describe.
• 5.3 Step 3. Identify the Context.
• 5.4 Step 4. Develop a Thesis Statement.
• 5.5 Step 5. Outline Your Research.
• 5.6 Step 6. Interpretation and Analysis.
• 5.7 Step 7. Address Counterarguments.
• 5.8 Step 8. Cite Your Sources.
• 6 Art Analysis Essay Topics
• 7 Conclusion

If you learn Art or Design, you’ll need to complete a good visual analysis essay, which may be challenging. This guide helps beginners step into the art of writing about pictures in a way that makes them come alive.

From this article, you will:

• Understand what a visual analysis essay is;
• Get insights on selecting an ideal visual piece for your research;
• Explore the elements of this essay;
• Consider the visual principles of design in creating an analysis essay;
• Get step-by-step guidelines on how to write this assignment;
• Receive the list of popular essay topics.

Take a trip into visual analysis, where words and images meet. Go on reading this guide and explore the fascinating world of visual storytelling.

What Is a Visual Analysis Essay?

It’s a form of academic writing that dissects and interprets visual content, including paintings, photographs, advertisements, or any visual artifact. Unlike a traditional essay, a visual analysis requires the writer to scrutinize the elements of the visual piece and delve into their significance. In essence, it’s an exploration of how visual elements contribute to the overall message and meaning of the artwork. The writer examines aspects like color, composition, symbolism, and context to uncover the artist’s intentions and the emotional impact on the viewer. Performing a visual analysis of a work of art goes beyond describing it, providing interpretations that deepen our understanding. This type of essay hones analytical skills and fosters an appreciation for the nuanced language of visuals in conveying ideas and emotions.

Selecting and Exploring a Visual Piece: Key Guidelines

After considering a visual analysis definition, let’s delve into the intricacies of exploring visual content. By closely examining the techniques and background of an artwork, we can appreciate its artistic qualities.

Discover some effective tips to help you do a visual analysis well:

• Observation and Description: Choose the artwork that interests you carefully. When you decide to start your essay , examine every facet, ranging from its overall composition to the minutest details. Look for a connection between the artwork, your personal experiences, and the themes you want to investigate.
• Attention to Details: Focus on the artwork’s specifics: delve into its colors, lines, shapes, and textures, taking note of any distinctive features that capture attention.
• Analysis of Elements: Progress to a thoughtful consideration of how these graphic elements interact harmoniously. Reflect on the emotional impact of colors and shapes, discerning their contribution to the overall aesthetic.
• Interpretation of Meaning: Explore the artwork’s thematic essence, uncovering concealed messages or symbols. Contemplate the temporal context of its creation and potential references to cultural or historical elements.
• Research and Contextualization: Enhance the analysis by researching the artist, the artwork’s period, and the prevailing cultural milieu. This contextual exploration aids in writing an analytical essay and constructing a more profound understanding of the broader artistic landscape.
• Formulation of Results: Synthesize the gathered observations, analyses, and contextual knowledge into a cohesive interpretation. Develop a clear thesis statement encapsulating your understanding of the artwork.

Elements of a Visual Analysis Paper

Research involves examining the visual parts of an artwork. These elements determine the image’s features and characteristics. Here, you’ll discover the typical visual elements integral to a painting analysis essay.

Visual Composition

Delve into the relationships among objects in an image. When looking at a picture, first find the main figure. Then, understand how the other elements are arranged. Lastly, notice if anything important is missing.

Emphasis on a Central Point

The focal point is the image’s area that captures the viewer’s attention. It’s essential for comprehending the overall image’s purpose.

It’s the incorporation of objects with specific symbolic meanings in the image. Ascertain whether the image includes such symbolic objects and discern their meanings.

Design Elements

Artists often blend various elements to compose an image, including size, lines, color, and shape. Exploring these elements is crucial for creating a well-thought-out art analysis essay.

Surface Quality

Texture pertains to the smoothness or roughness of an object, a characteristic applicable to both 2D and 3D art. Authenticity in representing texture is essential.

These encompass the overall dimensions of the image and depicted figures. Explain why the artist chose a certain image size in this part of your body essay paragraph . Also, talk about why the figure sizes change in the artwork.

It involves the portrayal of lines. Articulate how these lines guide the viewer’s focus towards specific elements in the artwork.

Form encompasses an examination of light and shading. This element allows the writer to transform 2D objects into a three-dimensional representation. Analyze the use of shading and light to accentuate specific work’s aspects.

It pertains to how the artist presents various shapes in the visual piece, including circles, ovals, rectangles, and squares. Elaborate on the use of these shapes and their meanings.

When writing visual analysis essays, describe the impact of colors on the image. Focus on understanding how colors influence the overall image’s mood and tone.

Value denotes how the artist uses dark and light elements in different parts of the work. Discuss how these elements are employed to convey specific nuances in an artwork.

Visual Principles of Design in Essays

When you describe a painting in an essay, it’s important to look beyond what you see. We need to understand design principles, which help us explain the details in the visual piece. This way, we better understand how the artwork is put together. The mix of elements and design principles makes the example of visual analysis essays more interesting. We can understand and appreciate the art even more.

• Balance: Balance refers to how different graphic elements are distributed in a picture, including asymmetrical, symmetrical, and radical balance.
• Emphasis: This pertains to the object capturing the audience’s attention, prompting discussion on how the artist strategically enhances specific parts of the image.
• Movement: Involving the repeated use of objects or symbols, the principle of movement requires identification and analysis of recurring graphic elements.
• Pattern: Describing how colors impact the image is vital when crafting an image analysis essay. Focus on the colors and their influence on the overall mood and tone.
• Proportion: This principle delves into the realistic relationships between objects in the artwork, requiring an explanation of the artist’s intended message.
• Variety: Analyze the artist’s use of elements to influence the audience’s perception, elucidating how diverse components create specific moods or meanings within the image.
• Contrast: This principle demands a description of contrasting elements and their impact on the image’s quality.
• Hierarchy: Reflecting the viewer’s ability to process an image, this principle underscores the significance of size, color, and other characteristics.
• Symmetry: Centered on using spaces between repetitive components, this principle involves describing different types of symmetrical designs.
• Layout: Examining the distribution and placement of objects and symbols, the principle of layout needs an explanation of how the artist strategically positions diverse elements within the image.

How to Write a Visual Analysis Essay: Step-by-Step Guidelines

Many students who learn Media and Communication, Art, or Design ponder how to start a visual analysis essay. Completing papers of this type requires us to understand the steps involved in exploring the details of an artwork or image. Let’s take a closer look at each step to discover the depth of this analytical process.

Step 1. Choose Your Visual Subject.

Selecting a visual piece is an essential stage when tasked to write an art analysis essay. When you write my essay for me , you get to decide on an artwork or image that you like that is connected with how you see things. For example, you could choose a famous painting like Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” or an impressive modern photo showing city life. It’s your chance to explore and understand art better. Consider what interests you, whether it’s the mysterious smile in an old painting or the lively scenes in a new photograph.

Step 2. Observe and Describe.

Let’s take a closer look at what you see. If you’re checking out a picture like Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” pay attention to the details. In your visual analysis example, describe the swirling lines that show movement. Also, mention the vibrant colors that create emotion. Don’t forget to discuss the texture of the paint strokes that enhance the overall composition.

Step 3. Identify the Context.

Now, let’s delve into the past and the world around your chosen picture when you’re doing your visual analysis of art. For example, if you’re looking at Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” it’s like going back to 19th-century Norway. Imagine you’re an art detective uncovering clues about the artist’s life and what was happening back then. Explore what life was like, what people felt, and especially, the deep thoughts and worries people had during that time. This step helps you understand why the artwork was created and what it might mean.

Step 4. Develop a Thesis Statement.

Craft a thesis statement that acts as a beacon guiding your analysis. If you analyze Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica” painting, your thesis could focus on the strong anti-war message shown through chaotic imagery. For example, it may be, “ I’m going to talk about how this painting is showing us why war is not good, using all these chaotic images. ” Your thesis is like the captain of your analysis ship, telling everyone where you’re going. It helps you stay focused and lets your readers know what to expect.

Step 5. Outline Your Research.

Organize your thoughts systematically in the visual analysis essay outline. Each section could explore specific elements of the artwork. When writing about Salvador Dali’s painting “The Persistence of Memory,” you can divide it into sections. These sections can cover surrealism, the melting clocks, and Dali’s artistic intentions. It’s like breaking down the big picture into smaller parts so you can explore each one. Your outline is like a helper that keeps you on track and makes your essay clear and organized.

Step 6. Interpretation and Analysis.

It’s time to delve into the layers of interpretation in your visual analysis essay example. When you look at Salvador Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory,” it’s like exploring a world of melted clocks. Let’s figure out why he used these wobbly timepieces. Take your time to look closely and think about what they might mean. Maybe they’re saying time isn’t always steady and can feel a bit bendy. Dali shows us that time is not strict; it can differ for everyone. Your job is to conclude your work by analyzing how he arranged these melted clocks to tell us something special about time.

Step 7. Address Counterarguments.

Anticipate alternative perspectives. When analyzing a contemporary photo, consider different opinions on interpreting modern art. This step strengthens your essay by showing you’ve thought about different ideas.

Step 8. Cite Your Sources.

If you incorporate external sources, cite them meticulously. For instance, to better understand the emotions in Frida Kahlo’s “The Two Fridas,” look at art historians’ analyses.

These comprehensive steps for analyzing visual art provide a nuanced guide for your writing. If you’re just starting with such research papers, consider seeking support from PapersOwl’s essay writing service and getting expert recommendations. Our team of proficient writers is ready to assist you in crafting a persuasive artwork analysis example efficiently. With our help, you can acquire the skills to compose a well-organized and insightful analysis of images, videos, or artworks.

Art Analysis Essay Topics

Explore these examples to gain insights and inspiration. Each topic is diverse yet common, providing a foundation for your essay on a similar topic. These visual analysis essay examples hold global significance and are utilized by students worldwide.

• Detailed Analysis of Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss, 1907-1908.
• How Visual Elements Are Used in Almond Blossom by Vincent van Gogh, 1888-1890.
• Identity and Seated Harlequin by Picasso, 1901.
• The Themes Used in Paul Klee’s The Tree of Houses, 1918.
• The Key Message of Lindsay Key by Robert Mapplethorpe, 1985.
• Description of Two Boys with Fish by Mario Macilau, 2018.
• Explanation of Kevin Carter’s Starving Child and Vulture, 1993.
• Philippe Halsman’s Dali Atomicus (1948): The Story Behind This Photo.
• Modern Art and Couple on Seat by Lynn Chadwick, 1984.
• Explanation of the Biblical Context of Pieta by Michelangelo.

Learning how to write a visual analysis essay is like getting a special key to understanding artwork better. With the help of this guide, students can confidently break down graphic pieces, find hidden stories, and explain what they see in a way that makes static images come alive. Writing visual analysis papers helps to connect with the deeper meanings in pictures. By taking on the challenge of understanding artworks, we get a deeper insight into how images and meanings work together. So, when you pick up your pen, let your curiosity and careful observation guide you on this interesting journey.

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How Timberwolves, led by Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, defeated Mavericks in Game 4 to extend West finals

Behind Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns , the Minnesota Timberwolves salvaged their season with a 105-100 Game 4 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

Edwards nearly had a triple-double, leading the Timberwolves with a game-high 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Towns topped the 20-point mark for the first time this series, adding 25 points and five boards before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

Luka Dončić posted his sixth triple-double of this postseason in the loss, with 28 points, 15 rebounds and 10 rebounds. Kyrie Irving fell to 14-1 in closeout games, scoring just 16 points and dishing out four assists on 6-of-18 shooting.

Dallas still holds a 3-1 series lead entering Game 5 on Thursday in Minnesota.

Postgame reading

• Jon Krawczynski: Karl-Anthony Towns ‘came through big time’ to help Timberwolves stave off elimination
• Key takeaways: How Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves forced the series to a Game 5

Find the best deals on tickets to see your favorite teams.

How Anthony Edwards led Timberwolves to Game 4 win over Mavericks to extend series

Dončić, Irving both take ownership for loss

(Photo: Tim Heitman / Getty Images)

DALLAS — There aren’t gimmes in the conference finals.

The Dallas Mavericks, a professional basketball team, knew that. What happened in Tuesday’s 105-100 Game 4 defeat to the Timberwolves was just a reminder with a hefty consequence, given that its chance at a series sweep has now been exchanged for another trip north to Minnesota. The team’s margin for error, always slim at this point of the postseason, had grown slimmer still due to center Dereck Lively II’s absence with a neck sprain. Without the rookie, the team had no real chance to overcome an abnormally poor evening from its superstar duo, Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, who both took blame for the defeat.

“I think that game’s on me,” Dončić said. “I just didn’t give enough energy.”

Dončić still managed 28 points while tallying up a 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, but he was inefficient (7-of-21 shooting) and occasionally looked bothered by Minnesota’s team-defining defensive physicality in a manner he hadn’t in the prior three games. (While Minnesota’s most notable adjustment was tasking Anthony Edwards as Dončić’s primary defender, reserve Kyle Anderson seemed to get under Dončić’s skin most often. Anderson has been the most effective defender on the star for most of the series.) Typical of his night, even when he hit a magical shot — a 30-foot and-one 3-pointer that could’ve cut the lead to two points with 12 seconds remaining — Dončić missed the ensuing free throw.

Irving was affected more by the ramifications of Minnesota’s defensive switch-up, which turned Jaden McDaniels into his primary defender.

“It has a huge impact,” Irving said. “He’s a 6-9 wing defender who I’m seeing now from the first time from the start of the game, but I love it. I relish in these types of battles.”

With McDaniels guarding him more frequently, Irving finished with 16 points on 6-of-18 shooting. He seized some of the blame that Dončić had claimed for himself.

“A lot of this is on me,” said Irving, specifically indicating he needed to start the game better. “I had spurts, we had spurts, but I’ve got to put a full 48 minutes of a game together.”

Continue reading.

Mavericks can’t quite overcome Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving finally having off games

Kyrie Irving's perfect closeout record ends

Tuesday's Minnesota Timberwolves win meant that, for the first time, Kyrie Irving lost a game with the opportunity to advance to the next round of the playoffs.

Irving was an incredible 14-0 in closeout games before the Wolves staved off elimination in Game 4. And he was typically pretty good in those games, too.

• Cavaliers 101, Celtics 93, 2015 first round: 24 points, 11 rebounds
• Cavaliers 94, Bulls 73, 2015 conference semifinals: 6 points
• Cavaliers 118, Hawks 88, 2015 conference finals: 16 points, 5 assists
• Cavaliers 100, Pistons 98, 2016 first round: 31 points, 5 assists
• Cavaliers 100, Hawks 99, 2016 conference semifinals: 21 points, 8 assists
• Cavaliers 113, Raptors 87, 2016 conference finals: 30 points, 9 assists
• Cavaliers 93, Warriors 89, 2016 NBA Finals: 26 points, 6 rebounds
• Cavaliers 106, Pacers 102, 2017 first round: 28 points, 3 blocks
• Cavaliers 109, Raptors 102, 2017 conference semifinals: 27 points, 9 assists
• Cavaliers 135, Celtics 102, 2017 conference finals: 24 points, 7 assists
• Celtics 110, Pacers 106, 2019 first round: 14 points, 7 assists
• Nets 123, Celtics 109, 2021 first round: 25 points
• Mavericks 114, Clippers 101, 2024 first round: 30 points, 6 rebounds
• Mavericks 117, Thunder 116, 2024 conference semifinals: 22 points

Karl-Anthony Towns shakes off difficult stretch to extend series

DALLAS — Here the Minnesota Timberwolves were again, holding a small lead in the fourth quarter of these Western Conference finals, just like they had in each of the first three games against the Dallas Mavericks. The score was 92-90 with a little more than five minutes to play. With the way this series had played out in the first three games, the Timberwolves might as well have been down 10.

The Wolves had the ball in the frontcourt as the shot clock ticked down, and that’s when Kyle Anderson started to orchestrate. The ball was in Anthony Edwards’ hands, and Anderson motioned for Karl-Anthony Towns, the Wolves All-Star whose jumper has been broken this series, to get to the corner.

As Edwards drove to the paint, he rose and could have easily taken a tough, but makeable, pull-up jumper. But Anderson pointed emphatically at Towns in the corner, and Edwards obliged. It did not matter that Towns had struggled so mightily shooting the ball in the first three games, including going 0 of 8 from 3-point range in Game 3. Anderson trusted him and so did Edwards, who zipped a pass to him.

Towns was in foul trouble all game, and much of that was his doing with some ill-advised reach-in fouls. He had just five points in the first half, not helping his cause after going 15 of 54 from the field and 3 of 22 from 3 in the first three games. But he had started to catch a rhythm in the third quarter, and the show of faith from his teammates in the fourth seemed to embolden him. He rose and drilled the 3, his second of the quarter, for a 95-90 lead.

He added another 3 a few minutes later to help the Timberwolves avoid a sweep with a 105-100 victory over the Mavericks. Towns finished with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including four 3s, and five rebounds before fouling out. There were still some head-scratching decisions and ill-advised fouls, but this is the shotmaking form Towns the Wolves have been missing in three very close losses to start this series.

“Everything came together for him,” said Edwards, who had 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. “He was super confident. He wasn’t worried about any of the shots previous to the shots he hit tonight. He played exceptionally well, and he came through big time. He was the reason we won tonight.”

Karl-Anthony Towns ‘came through big time’ to help Timberwolves stave off elimination

When is Game 5?

The next game in the Timberwolves-Mavericks series will tip at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.

The game will be broadcast on TNT.

This early play stood out to me in this game. Some real "We're not ready for Cancun yet" vibes from the Timberwolves.

Jaden McDaniels arm-wrestles Derrick Jones Jr. to deny the wing entry pass. Meanwhile, Mike Conley switches onto Kyrie Irving, Rudy Gobert switches onto Jones on the dribble handoff, Conley denies the pass to Kyrie and then deflects it for a turnover.

Winning relaxes these Timberwolves

These Timberwolves are loose after getting a win.

To end his postgame news conference, Anthony Edwards mentioned how he complimented Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons' wardrobe ... and told him he'd bring him a pair of shoes when he returns for Game 6.

Edwards also welcomed backcourt mate Mike Conley to the interview room while reminding reporters Conley is his "OG" and "old as f---."

All in jest, of course. Edwards exited with a "Thank you, Mike Conley."

"They're keeping me young, honestly," Conley said of his younger teammates. "I wouldn't wanna be anywhere else."

Funny exchange after the game between Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns during their joint news conference:

"What'd I tell you about fouling?" Edwards asked with Towns sitting to his right.

" You had five! " Towns replied.

"I didn't foul out, " Edwards countered.

Good points all around. Edwards had a ton of praise for his teammate too.

"He was the reason we won tonight."

Without Dereck Lively II, Dallas didn't get quite enough from its stars

Glenn James / NBAE via Getty Images

Dereck Lively II, even as a 20-year-old rookie, is the Dallas Mavericks' third-most important player. (I'm comfortable saying that definitively even if there are reasonable arguments others could make for the team's starting wings.) With the youngster wearing street clothes on the team’s bench after a brutal head collision last game , Dallas’ closeout effort in Game 4 was always going to require other players stepping up from unexpected places.

Maxi Kleber, cleared to play for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury in the final game of the first round, was the first one. With a backup center void needing to be filled, Kleber stepped in quietly but capably . Dallas needed a player with more size than Dwight Powell who could be trusted to properly make rotations, which Kleber did.

There were bench guards who stepped up, too. Jaden Hardy, a second-year guard who hadn't been in the team’s rotation until Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, contributed 13 points off the bench . Dante Exum scored five more in a four-minute stint, his first points in the series.

These were the type of contributions Dallas needed to make up for Lively's crucial absence — if, alongside it, Dallas received the type of luxury shotmaking from its superstar duo that it's come to expect throughout this series.

Heading into the fourth quarter down five, it sure felt like that familiar formula was ready to be repeated.

But Luka Dončić (28 points) and Kyrie Irving (16 points) weren't as brilliant as they had been all series, combining to shoot 13-of-40 from the field. Dončić briefly restored that potential feeling of magic, nailing a 30-foot jumper with a foul with 13 seconds remaining. Typical of the duo's night, however, Dončić missed the free throw that would've cut the lead to two.

Dallas now heads back to Minnesota with an atypical chance to close out this series in a gentleman's sweep in a road arena. Dallas can win without Lively, but his return would surely make it easier.

For once, the Wolves were the team thriving down the stretch

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. So naturally, the Wolves found themselves in a one-possession game against the Mavericks with Minnesota's season on the line.

This time, however, the Wolves did something unfathomable in comparison to the other games of this series: They protected a lead in the final minutes and matched Dallas point-for-point in the clutch.

The Wolves held a five-point game with five minutes left. Multiple times, Dallas knocked it down to a one-possession game, but the Wolves attacked intelligently to win Game 4. Anthony Edwards made great decisions on offense, setting up Karl-Anthony Towns for a big 3-pointer. He made his own pivoting whirlwind of moves in the paint to knock down a short shot. He pulled up for a long 2-point jumper to keep the Mavs at bay. The Wolves may have held their lead together with band-aids and thread, but it held it together nonetheless.

This was the Edwards we've been waiting to see in the clutch. Intentional. Calm. Cool. Collected (outside of fouling Luka Dončić on a 3-pointer while up six). While he still works on convincing the refs to give him the star calls, he closed like the star player he is and the one he's projected to become.

Now... can they do it again in Game 5? Or better yet... avoid a clutch game altogether with a big win? Sounds insane, but ...

'We gotta win again'

The Timberwolves "played well right out of the gate" en route to their Game 4 win against the Mavs, Wolves coach Chris Finch said in his postgame news conference.

"We weathered a lot of foul trouble out there, which was frustrating to say the least, but all credit to our guys," Finch said.

Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out late against the Mavs, while Rudy Gobert collected five fouls of his own. They combined for 38 points and 15 rebounds.

Minnesota still trails the series 3-1. When asked out the Game 4 win changed the complexion of the series, Finch was direct.

"It doesn't; we gotta win again."

Chris Finch gambled his team's season on his two bigs, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, in the fourth quarter of Game 4, rather than playing Naz Reid, who’s been Minnesota's best player throughout the series. It worked. Gobert and Towns played most of the last nine minutes Tuesday, while Reid only played the last 13 seconds. If Jason Kidd had the edge for most of the first three games in rotation and substitution decisions, Finch made the right calls in Game 4. And his team lives to play at least one more day.

Timberwolves survive as only they can

Tim Heitman / Getty Images

The Timberwolves are on the board, in the most Timberwolves way possible. Nothing is easy for them, and this one wasn't either. They fought foul trouble all game and seemed to have the game iced with a six-point lead with 15 seconds to play. But they got some luck when Luka Dončić missed the free throw on a potential four-point play, allowing the Wolves to extend the series.

It was a redemption game of sorts for Karl-Anthony Towns. He has had a nightmare series, but hit 9 of 13 shots, including 4 of 5 3s, on his way to 25 points before fouling out.

This is the Towns the Wolves need in this series, minus the fouls. If they got shooting like that from him in the first three games (he was 3 for 22 from 3), this series would look entirely different.

Anthony Edwards was terrific as well, attacking the paint relentlessly and putting up 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

The Wolves now head back home for Game 5. They are still in a deep hole, but they fought like crazy to get this one, and may have revived Towns in the process. They have a chance, and that's all they wanted.

And that'll do it — once this pointless review of a clock malfunction is complete. The Minnesota Timberwolves have defeated the Dallas Mavericks 105-100 to force a Game 5 back in Minnesota on Thursday. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns made the big plays late to give Minnesota its first West finals win in 20 years.

OK, now it really might be over. The Timberwolves nearly broke their fans' hearts by taking forever to get the ball inbounds, but Kyle Anderson eventually found Naz Reid with a risky over-the-top pass that the Sixth Man of the Year put down with a (possibly ill-advised) layup to extend Minnesota's lead to five. Good thing Naz made it!

Belay that! Just when it looked like this thing was over, Luka Dončić just hit a pull-up 3 with 13.2 seconds left ... and got fouled by Anthony Edwards!

But Dončić missed the free throw, and Minnesota called timeout while clinging to a 103-100 lead.

And that might do it. The Wolves surprise Dallas by trapping Kyrie Irving with Rudy Gobert, and it leads to a turnover and a foul. Barring a miracle, the Timberwolves are going to force a Game 5.

With Karl-Anthony Towns out, Anthony Edwards needs to take over. And that's exactly what he did, hitting a pull-up midrange jumper to put Minnesota back up five with 38.8 seconds left after Dallas cut the Wolves' lead to 3.

And ... there's Karl-Anthony Towns' sixth foul trying to go for a Luka Dončić pump fake. The Timberwolves have no challenges left, so they're stuck. No more KAT tonight.

Can you have a redemptive arc when your team is down 3-0 in a series? Karl-Anthony Towns is having the closest thing to one in this game. Another 3, plus an Anthony Edwards layup, has Minnesota up eight with 1:38 left.