Strong essays integrate brief, precise quotations and develop layered analysis: what a word means, what it suggests, how it connects to other parts of the text and why it matters.
For example: Austen's narrator calls the belief “a truth universally acknowledged”. The grand, formal phrase mocks a belief that is really held by families seeking rich husbands; Austen thus exposes how money shapes relationships.
End each paragraph by connecting the analysis back to your thesis.
Worked example
Order these layers of analysis: (1) why it matters for the text's message, (2) what the word suggests, (3) the quotation.
- Start with the evidence.
- Then explore meaning, then significance.
Answer:3, 2, 1
Key words
- layered analysis
- analysis that builds from meaning to significance
- significance
- why something matters
- thesis
- the main argument
Practise this
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: W.11-12.9