Avoiding Mistakes:

A-Level Analysis – Tips, Key Reasons and Avoiding mistakes

At A-Level for the best possible analysis you are looking to go from an overview of meaning into a close reading and then back out again. There are certain things that you can do that will really help sharpen your analysis and ensure you are meeting the criteria for AO1 and AO2. There is also some crossover with the tips that help for comparing AO4 and embedding context and critics AO3 and AO5. I have created a bullet point tip to help with sharp, meaningful analysis and then explained why it is key and ways to avoid making mistakes with this. I hope that this is useful.

·         Be tentative in your style of writing – always use modal verbs which offer choice e.g. could, may, might, perhaps

Why is this key? 

It shows that you understand that there is an element of possibility in your answer. What you are saying could be valid, but equally it shows that you understand there are other interpretations.

How to avoid mistakes: Don’t use this is/the writer means in your analysis

·         Do reference the specific language or structural technique or the form used in the text, but avoid saying the phrase ‘in the language technique’ or ‘in the structural technique’, as the examiner already knows this is what it is. Being specific about what type or word class it is or using imagery/connotations to help you explore in a more developed way the meaning in the quote you have analysed.

Why is this key? 

From a timing point of view it doesn’t give any further detail and is very vague, therefore not developing your specific understanding of language techniques or showing any particular understanding of why the writer has used this ‘language technique’ or ‘structural technique’. However, if you are specific and use the terminology “metaphor” and explain what effect it has then you have shown a precise understanding of how the writer has used this and what effect it could have.

How to avoid mistakes: practice going through your essay and removing phrases that don’t add to the analysis specifically. Go through essays and check that you have specified the techniques used and what effect they have had and why. If not, use a different colour of pen and add it in.

·         Always refer to we when writing about the text; try to avoid I or me

Why is this key? 

It sounds much more academic in the style and helps to meet the AO1 criteria. Academic means that it adds authority, so offering an impersonal tone like this can help to present your analysis as having authority and authenticity.

How to avoid mistakes: Look through your essay and amend any I/me references and see if it sounds more academic

·         Reference the writer using the writer’s surname

Why is this key? 

The author is not your friend, you don’t know them, so it is polite in academic referencing in an essay to refer to them by surname. Referring to them by first name implies a personal relationship and is too casual for this type of writing.

How to avoid mistakes: Think surname as you are writing and get into the habit of always referring to them as their surname in your essays.

·         Be concise in the way you write: avoiding waffle or empty phrases in your answer

Why is this key? 

Timing again is the enemy at A Level and you have to be very quick and concise in your analysis to cover everything. Therefore, waffle/empty phrases stop you from gaining marks.

How to avoid mistakes: You can avoid this by thinking what am I saying and why am I saying this as you analyse. Also, you can look at old answers and highlight phrases that are generic or non-specific

·         Step out and be specific about what the text overall means or tells you, so you can give an overview of meaning, then zoom in on quotes. We sometimes refer to this as going from the general to the specific

Why is this key? 

Often students are brilliant at really close analysis of language and structure, but in doing this lose sight of what the overall picture is in the text or what the overall meaning is in the text. By going from the general to the specific you cover both. This is the link to the question part of analysis and means that you can think of it as a sandwich: general overview of meaning, close analysis and link back out to the writer’s intentions or the wider general meaning of the text. By doing this you avoid only focusing too closely on specific detail without paying attention to the wider meaning.

How to avoid mistakes: Always think have I linked to the question and giving a wider reference to meaning, before zooming in closely on a quote or even more closely on a specific word?

·         Finish analysis: when you make a point about a quote, such as, this builds tone or tension, then you must say how or why it does this, otherwise it is a half-finished statement of analysis

Why is this key? 

It is fine to state the tone or levels of tension but the reasoning is getting to the heart of why this is important and without this the analysis falls down.

How to avoid mistakes: Have an internal why? embedded in your thinking as you go along – by this I mean every analysis point you make, go back and check you have said why you think this.

·         Never refer to quote or word in analysis – state the word class of the technique or embed the quote without the introductory phrase ‘in the quote’

Why is this key? 

The examiner knows that it is a quote or a word, so this is superfluous to the analysis. However, if you are aware of the specific word class or the language technique and how this affects the meaning, then this is useful specific analysis.

How to avoid mistakes: train yourself to identify word classes and to use these habitually, rather than ‘word’.

·         Choose smaller and more specific quotes to analyse, perhaps breaking a longer quote into two shorter quotes as you will find your analysis is richer and more specific with this structure for quote selection (you can also split a longer quote using ellipsis in the middle of the quote to show you have left information out)

Why is this key? 

Often if students choose really long quotes, they will only analyse a short section anyway, or end up being vague. Therefore, using shorter quotes offers opportunities to be more specific and clearer in meaning. Long quotations do have a place, but in exam conditions they can detract from meaning.

How to avoid mistakes: Learn the quotes that you will need for closed book exams

·         Ensure you offer alternative opinions embedded throughout the essay

Why is this key? 

This links to AO5 and helps to show you are aware of alternative opinions and that you can dig under the surface of possible interpretations. You don’t have to do this for every quote.

How to avoid mistakes: Don’t offer vague alternative meanings, but do offer some ideas that are plausible throughout

·         Do give a brief introduction and conclusion as well as your main sections of the essay (split into paragraphs)

Why is this key?

It shows that you can structure an essay successfully and allows the examiner to see what the thrust of your argument/essay will be in order to judge and assess overall whether you have successfully created a cohesive argument.

How to avoid mistakes: Practice creating coherent and clear introductions that introduce what you might say for a range of essay titles (often getting started is the hardest, so this practice will be very useful as a revision tool as well)

·         Ensure you have fully explored meaning (without repetition of your key points)

Why is this key? 

The meaning of the quote both implicit and explicit is important and helps to show you understand not only the language/structure used, but also what it means and why? Without this the examiner may not be sure what you are saying or whether you understand why you have chosen the quote.

How to avoid mistakes: Check you have answered the what and the why in your analysis.

·         When giving a reader response ensure you elaborate on why the reader might feel sympathy/empathy or any other emotion

Why is this key? 

Without the elaboration eliciting sympathy is an empty phrase as it doesn’t support why it does this.

How to avoid mistakes: check you have explained the why and not just tagged on a reader response sentence that could fit with any quote or text – if it does, then it is too vague.

·         Analyse the quotes and the meaning without just telling the story of the poem – don’t be too narrative in your response

Why is this key? 

This links back to the overview. Be specific about the whole text meaning, but don’t tell the whole story as the examiner knows the story, but will want to know what you have interpreted the meaning as in specific ideas as well as overall.

How to avoid mistakes: Check you have been analytical and use phrases such as – this may suggest/imply/demonstrate/infer etc.

·         Check your sentence structures make sense.

Why is this key? 

As you are rushing for time you may lose control of your sentences, so check that you have punctuated and not overcomplicated these.

How to avoid mistakes: do timed essays and work out your common issues and then work on these.

·         Check your basic SPAG

Why is this key? 

AO1 marks will be deducted if you have made silly avoidable mistakes, so if you are aware that you make certain mistakes (like no e on Shakespeare, then practice avoiding this)

How to avoid mistakes: make sure you are aware of your own personal ‘hot spots’ and work on them. SPAG check at the end for a couple of minutes.

·         Compare all texts needed in a comparison essay

Why is this key? 

You will lose a lot of marks if you only cover half of what you need to analyse.

How to avoid mistakes: plan, practice and time yourself.