How to Write an Analytical Essay – A Complete Guide

The word “analytical” might sound scary if you are writing an analytical essay for the first time. 

Students of high schools sometimes get to write this type of essay, but when they enter college, the frequency of analytical writing increases many times. Essentially, it becomes their bread and butter during their college years.

Whether you are just learning to write an analytical essay, or need to step up your analytical skills, this guide will be equally useful for you. 

What is an analytical essay?

An analytical essay is a standalone type of academic essay that requires the knowledge and effective application of various analytical techniques. These include comparison, textual analysis, rhetorical analysis, symbolism analysis, character analysis, and even data analysis and interpretation. 

Yet, this is still an essay with its known limits in size and complexity. Usually, a college-level analytical essay doesn’t exceed 3–5 pages in length, which corresponds to approximately 750–1500 words. 

Also, the writers are not required to conduct an in-depth analysis such as found in a graduate research work, e.g., a thesis or dissertation. Quotations can be indirect, while supplementary elements, such as an annotation, an executive summary, or a bibliographic list are not necessary at all. 

A classic analytical essay definition says that this type of paper focuses on interpreting a single or several objects, ideas, personalities, concepts, etc. Based on such interpretation, the writer is expected to present their unique perspective of the analyzed topic and to prove it with logic, arguments, or data.

Difference between an analytical essay vs. descriptive essay

The main difference between a descriptive and analytical essay is the point of view revealed by the author. In analytical writing, the author presents arguments supported by evidence. A descriptive essay, on the other hand, is based on information from written sources, literature works, and pamphlets. This kind of paper does not provide analytics. The descriptive essay definition implies that this writing describes key points and organizes topics but does not include analysis.

When you look for descriptive essay ideas, consider choosing topics where you have to summarize facts and describe points. Unlike analytical writing, the descriptive one does not provide judgments. Instead, it shows in what order things happened and provides details of situations and cases.

Although these two types of academic writing vary significantly in content, their elements are often combined (for example, when applying for a job or in essays for university admission).

Analytical essay structure

Structure is essential for analytical essay format, as this is a highly academic type of work, and it has to be well-organized. A typical structure includes three distinct parts: the introduction, the main part, and the conclusion. Within these parts, there are numerous sub-parts and critical composition elements that deserve zooming in and a thoughtful examination.

Below, we have prepared for you a complete analytical essay template comprising the title, introduction, body paragraph, and conclusion, plus their distinct features. This analytical paragraph structure will help you present your arguments logically.

1. Analytical essay title
   • Must be concise;
   • Must not contain difficult terms and long and complex definitions (leave them for the main text);
   • Should resonate with the author’s area of expertise, knowledge, and skills;
   • Each word and letter must be capitalized.
2. Analytical essay introduction
   • Begin with a hook for analytical essay – a catchy thought, provoking and intriguing idea, etc. The goal is to immediately “hook” your reader. The very first sentence is worth reviewing and editing until it is made perfect;
   • Provide a bit of background information. In 2–3 sentences, you can say how under-researched your chosen topic is, and how other writers before you failed to identify the key things in it;
   • Finnish off your introduction with an analytical essay thesis statement – the key claim or the main point of your essay, i.e., what it’s all about?
3. Analytical essay body paragraph
   • The very first sentence in a body paragraph is called the topic sentence – it describes what the given paragraph is about;
   • On average, there are about 3-5 body paragraphs in the analytical essay;
   • Devote each body paragraph to the discussion of separate evidence, fact, or logical argumentation in favor of your key claim (thesis statement);
   • Avoid making your body paragraphs too long – the rule of thumb is to have 5–8 sentences in each paragraph;
   • Connect adjacent paragraphs with transitional words and phrases, e.g., “Other researchers, however, found another type of evidence”;
   • Address any contradicting arguments openly and diligently. In fact, your work can receive more points for addressing difficult arguments (counterarguments).
4. Analytical essay conclusion
   • Restate your central claim in the first conclusive sentences;
   • Proceed with underlining how you succeeded in supporting your claim using analysis and evidence;
   • A summary of other research findings is also appropriate in addition to the main evidence;
   • Avoid bringing in any new information or research questions. Suffice it to say that the topic reviewed has ample other research opportunities. 

How to write an analytical essay in 4-7 easy steps

To patch everything mentioned above together, we offer you to follow 4 mandatory and 3 optional steps for writing your analytical essay:

The 4 mandatory steps:

1. 1. 1. Understand your assignment. Don’t rush into writing once you receive your essay topic or prompt. Take a moment to read it carefully and see it through. Identify the scope of your work, the goal, the analytical tools to be used, what you want to achieve, and how you want to contribute to the existing body of scientific knowledge.
      2. Develop your thesis statement. This step can take 50% of your preparatory time. Your thesis must be crisp and unique, and doable for you in terms of your research skills and writing talent.
      3. Conduct research. In any analytical essay, this is a pivotal step. Once you have all the data ready, your research findings and conclusions are finalized – only then you can proceed to allocating and distributing this information across the structure of your essay.
      4. Write your analytical essay. Maintain the correct structure described in the previous chapter. First, focus on setting your priorities right: ranging arguments and research findings by their importance and impact on support of the thesis statement. Revise and edit your draft until it’s flawless. 

The 3 optional steps:

1. 1. 1. Outlining. It is a very powerful step, nonetheless, you are not required to take it, that’s why it is listed as optional. Yes, it initially takes time, but it also saves much more time (and nerves!) in the long run.
      2. Addressing difficult arguments that go against your main point. To earn more credits, you can even make a separate paragraph discussing these counterarguments. 
      3. Submit your draft for peer review. If you have set aside some time, you can bounce back and force a few ideas with your peers, discussing your unfinished draft. Later in the heading, you should indicate who reviewed your work.     

Analytical essay outline example

Below, you can find a brief analytical essay example or an outline.

Title: Is the Singularity Really Near as Predicted by Ray Kurzweil?

Introduction:

1. 1. • Who is Ray Kurzweil and what his “Singularity is Near” book is about.
      • Describe Ray Kurzweil’s idea about the technological Singularity event he predicts to happen in 2045.
      • Thesis statement: his predictions are overly-simplistic, they don’t take the social and biological factors into account.

The main body:

1. 1. • Paragraph 1: Ray’s reliance on purely technological predictions and math calculations has made him famous, but they fail to account for a known obstacle to technological progress: the increased social instability and outburst of violence (wars) in the world.
      • Paragraph 2: Ray’s model of the human brain and consciousness has apparent flaws, as it sees it as a mechanical device, rather than a complex psychological and biological object.
      • Paragraph 3: Other researchers feel less optimistic about the ability of humans to merge peacefully with machines, and see the latter as the biggest existential threat to humans.

Conclusion:

1. 1. • Come back to the initial thesis statement and remind the reader that it has flaws.
      • Social turbulence, an overly simplistic view of the human brain, and the risks of mankind using novel technologies against themselves – are what make Ray’s predictions about Singularity fall apart. 

The Bottom Line

Writing a good analytical essay requires a deep understanding of the given topic, and sound analytical and writing skills. A good plan of action, or an outline, would be a massive help too, as it gives a roadmap for writing and saves time in the long run. Students of any major, whether humanitarian or technical, must learn how to write analytical essays early on in their academic lives, as the skills and experience they develop will be crucially important in their graduate and post-graduate studies.  

Analytical essay FAQs

Q: What is the purpose of an analytical essay?

A: The purpose of an analytical essay is to critically analyze a particular subject, and to find a new perspective, an overlooked dimension, or a novel idea into the topic and to prove it with arguments and reasoning.

Q: How to structure an analytical essay?

A: Consider breaking your essay into three major parts: the introduction, the main body, and the conclusion. The first and the last parts should constitute up to 30% of the entire text volume, while the mid-part can consist of up to 5–7 paragraphs.

Q: How to start an analytical essay?

A: First, develop a good thesis statement based on the topic. Then write down a brief plan or outline of your paper. Begin writing with a catchy first sentence introducing the topic and preparing the ground for your thesis statement.