How to Write an Analytical Paragraph: Steps and Tips

Choose Your Evidence

A paragraph is like a mini-essay. A paragraph should begin with a claim that introduces the central argument of the paragraph and contain evidence from a primary source to support that claim.

Make a claim that identifies your argument in the paragraph. Since you must first analyze the evidence to formulate argument, it is best to write your topic sentence after you have completed the analysis.

Introduce the evidence that you are about to present by giving some context to the quotation.

What does the reader need to know about the immediate context of text to understand the evidence?

Choose a short quotation that can be used to respond to the prompt. Note: The longer the quote, the more explaining you will have to do in the next section.

Provide your interpretation (explanation) of the quotation. What does the quotation mean?

What do you want the reader to notice in the evidence that you have chosen? Clarify any terms that the reader may not know. Draw connections between parts of the quotation.

Explain how and why your interpretation of the evidence answers the prompt. (Note: Your analysis should be specific to the quotation and the document: What is so important about this quotation? Help your reader understand why and how your evidence answers the prompt).

When writing an analytical paragraph, we always begin by choosing evidence and we build the paragraph outward from the center. These are the steps to writing an analytical paragraph:
Step 1: Choose your evidence.
Step 2–3: Contextualize and interpret your evidence.
Step 4: Analyze your interpretation by explaining how your evidence responds to the prompt.
Step 5: Formulate a claim or topic sentence that summarizes your argument in the paragraph.