How To Analyze A Paragraph In 5 Quick Steps

Are you wondering how to analyze a paragraph? Learn more about paragraph structure, and identify the main argument in a few simple steps!

If you want the truck for a cohesive argument for an analytical essay, you need to organize your paragraphs accordingly. You will start your main argument with the thesis statement at the top, but every body paragraph has to have a topic sentence as well. Literary analysis is important for each analytical paragraph, and you need to prioritize cohesion.

So, if you want to write an effective paragraph, take a look at this step-by-step guide below, and learn more about critical thinking.

Contents

If you want to learn how to analyze a paragraph, there are several materials you need to gather. These include:

You don’t need much to analyze the paragraph. Once you have the tools above, it is time to get started.

The first thing you need to do is to analyze the paragraph and identify the topic sentence. You probably learned about giving each paragraph a topic sentence in high school. The topic sentence needs to introduce the main idea. Ideally, the topic sentence should directly relate to the thesis statement, which is important for coherence.

If you only have a single paragraph, you might not find the thesis statement. On the other hand, if you are looking at an entire analytical essay, the thesis statement should be at the top of the introduction. It may be the first sentence in the introduction, or it may be the last sentence. 

Then, try to link the topic sentence to the thesis statement. For example, if the writer has written an essay on the greatest generals of World War 2, each topic sentence might be about an individual general. Before going any further, take the time to identify the topic sentence. You may want to highlight this in a specific color. 

After this, you need to identify each supporting fact beneath the topic sentence. Ideally, the topic sentence should be followed by several statements that support that specific sentence. You should use a different color to highlight these supporting sentences beneath the initial sentence. 

For example, if we follow the result from above, you might be analyzing a paragraph about why General Patton is one of the greatest generals in World War II. After reading the topic sentence, the author should have several sentences that explain why General Patton is one of the greatest generals in World War 2.

There are different ways to layout the evidence in an analytical paragraph. First, try to highlight the sentences that support the topic sentence. They might not be next to one another, but you should try to highlight individual points that list out the evidence.

If you are having difficulty breaking up the evidence in the paragraph, you may want to write them down in your notebook. This will make it easier for you to organize your thoughts. 

The goal of an analytical paragraph is to structure a cohesive argument. Therefore, the individual statements should link together. After you identify the topic sentence and the pieces of supporting evidence, you should highlight transitions.

It might be a challenge to identify transitions in the paragraph, but several words will tell you that a transition is taking place. Some of the most commonly used transition words include:

If you see these words, you know what transition is taking place. These words are important because they keep the argument organized.

After you break up the individual pieces of evidence in the paragraph, you should identify the concluding sentence. Of course, the concluding sentence should come at the end of the paragraph; however, this is not necessarily the case. Some concluding sentences might not come at the end of the paragraph. Furthermore, some concluding sentences might be multiple sentences. You should note this in your notebook and try to highlight them accordingly.

Next, you need to identify any sources that have been cited in the paragraph. Regardless of whether the author uses APA, MLA, AP, or Chicago Style, all sources should be cited unless they are common knowledge. Importantly, not every analytical paragraph is going to have sources. Sometimes, the author tries to argue based on their own opinions. Therefore, there might not necessarily be any sources cited.

To figure out how strong the paragraph is, you will need to explore the sources. There are several factors you need to consider. These include:

If you answer these questions, you can figure out more about the strength of that specific source. 

In the end, there is more than one way to analyze a paragraph; however, this is a fundamental process you can follow. Remember that analyzing a paragraph aims to see how well it supports the original argument to the thesis statement. Ideally, the paragraph should have a clear topic sentence, plenty of supporting evidence, and a concluding sentence directly related to the original topic sentence and the thesis statement.

If the paragraph is particularly strong, it should have a list of credible sources that back up the evidence that has been used. Finally, you might want to evaluate the paragraph in the context of the entire essay. That way, you can figure out how all the sections have been structured and how well the paragraph supports the original argument of the paper. 

You might also be interested in our guide on how to analyze a sentence.

The point of analyzing an individual paragraph is to see how well it has been structured. If the paragraph has been structured well, it should support the essay’s thesis statement. 

Yes, you can certainly analyze paragraphs in your own essay. Furthermore, this is a good idea. You want to make sure your paragraphs are structured accordingly. If you break down the paragraphs in your essay, you can improve the quality of your work. 

There are three main components to an analysis paragraph. The first is a topic sentence. The second is the body of evidence. The third component is the concluding sentence. Finally, you might want to state your sources in the paragraph itself, which could be considered another important structural component.

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