1. A Guide to Essay Analysis
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

2. Purpose: Why has the author written the essay?
The more concrete the writing the more specific the purpose
The more abstract the writing, the more tentative the purpose
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

3. Purpose: Descriptive Terms:
inform
explain
describe
argue a case
evaluate
appraise
interpret
recommend
persuade
entertain
reflect
communicate a personal experience
motivate
inspire
confess
warn
mock or parody
ridicule or satirize
criticize
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

4. Audience: For whom is the essay written?
The audience can range from a very general one to a very specialized group
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

5. Audience: Descriptive Terms:
peers
like-minded individuals
educated
academic
professional
specialized group
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

6. Tone: What is the writer’s attitude toward the subject the reader
herself/himself
The attitude may range from one of no expressed emotion to one that is very emotional
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

7. Tone: Descriptive Terms:
serious
objective
scholarly
businesslike
detached
persuasive
assertive
dogmatic
ironic
mocking
friendly
witty
angry
questioning
reflective
tentative
impassioned
belligerent
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

8. Voice: Is the writer’s own personality evident?
This may range from a writer’s personality that is not perceived at all to a personality that is strongly felt
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

9. Voice: Descriptive Terms:
neutral
silent
minimal
expressive
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

10. Response:
What intellectual and/or emotional audience response is expected?
The intended response may range from strictly intellectual to highly emotional
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

11. Response: Descriptive Terms:
intellectual curiosity
serious
informed
entertained
moved
mental and emotional kinship
sense of intimacy or shared experience
anger
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

12. Language: What is the level of the language?
The level may range from formal to colloquial
What are the characteristics of the language?
Characteristics may ranged from denotative to connotative
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

13. Language: Descriptive Terms:
concrete
abstract
colloquial
poetic
sensory
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

14. Language:
What rhetorical devices are used to intensify the impact of the ideas?
The writing may be straightforward or range right through to densely rhetorical
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

15. Language: Descriptive Terms:
specific or precise
technical
emotional undertones
positive shading (undertones or overtones)
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

16. Language: Are there strong images?
These images could appear as objective descriptions or range through to striking and unusual
What kind of sentence structure is used?
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

17. Response: Descriptive Terms:
simile
metaphor
personification
repetition
allusion
hyperbole
juxtaposition
alliteration
analogy
understatement
oxymoron
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

18. Thesis: Where is the thesis statement?
What is the purpose of the information leading up to the thesis statement?
Be sure to check that the thesis statement is the “umbrella” under which the writer assembles the main ideas of the selection
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

19. Units of Organization:
What larger units can the essay be broken down into?
Look for clear introduction, body, and conclusion
What contribution does each of these units make in developing the writer’s argument?
What general pattern of organization is the writer using in the whole work, or in any particular paragraph?
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

20. Units of Organization: Descriptive Terms:
from least complex to most complex
analysis (breaking down a complex idea into its parts)
description of a process
Definition (classification or division)
chronological
comparison
contrast
spatial
cause/effect
order of ascending importance
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

21. Details:
What kinds of proof does the writer offer to support his/her ideas?
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

22. Response: Descriptive Terms:
historical references
examples
facts
statement of opinion and personal belief
literary references
appeals to authority
statistics
anecdotes
allusions
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

23. Connectors:
What transitional signals indicate the direction of thought?
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

24. Connectors: Descriptive Terms:
add or extend thought
add an example or explanation
indicate similarity or difference
arrange ideas in order
time
sum up several ideas
emphasize an idea
show cause or effect
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

25. Fin: You will be required to identify and explain the significance of each of these topics covered:
Purpose
Audience
Tone
Voice
Response
Language
Thesis
Units of Organization
Details
Connectors
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0

26. Fin:
Once you can identify all of the different techniques writers use in their essays, in theory, you will be able to incorporate similar ideas in your own essays and become a stronger writer.
Mr. Mehrotra
ENG 4U0