Paper 1 Analytical Writing

Paper 1 Analytical Writing

by Megan Mannell

​First, some quick review....

​Let's recall a few key aspects of the Paper 1 task

Multiple Choice

Which of these statements best describes the Paper 1 exam?

• Analysis of speaker, occasion, audience, and purpose of a visual text

• Analysis of the features that create meaning in given non-literary texts

• Analysis of how global issues are presented in a given non-literary text

• Analysis of how a writer constructs his or her argument in a given non-literary text

Multiple Choice

Which of these text types would NOT appear on a Paper 1 exam?

• Webpage

• Opinion piece

• Essay

• Short story

Multiple Select

Which of these features would likely be important to analyze in a speech? (Choose all correct answers.)

• Use of rhetoric

• Use of visuals

• Layout

• Anecdote

Multiple Select

Which of these features would likely be important to analyze for an advertisement? (Choose all correct answers.)

• Visuals

• Layout

• Diction

• Logos

Open Ended

What are some characteristics of a strong body paragraph in a Paper 1 essay?

​Elements of a Strong Analytical Body Paragraph

• Clear focus on analysis of a textual feature (topic sentence)​

• ​Well-selected and quoted textual evidence of feature

• ​Thorough analysis and evaluation of how the feature creates meaning within the text

• ​Accurate and varied language, plus fluent transitions to connect ideas

​Sample Paragraph

​In what ways does the use of language in this article help to interest and entertain the reader?

The tone and voice of the editorial is quite casual and witty, suggesting the effort to grasp the attention of a broader audience. The article first introduces the old clock system, known as "the pips" in Britain, which had great accuracy for "a bleary-eyed hour-late commuter" who didn't set the clock the night before. This image presented is quite comical, perhaps unfit considering the academic reputation of Nature as a publication. However, this shows the editorial's efforts to keep a casual tone, and thus making it seem more entertaining. This is again seen in the end when the author mentions scientific breakthroughs are appreciated in 10 year cycles. For the strontium clock, this discovery has come "bang on time." This pun is very witty and end the editorial on a memorable note, polishing it off with "well, almost." The ending is a casual joke made to have the information presented stick in the reader's minds more vividly. Therefore, the language used helps to entertain readers on a otherwise mundane topic to an audience not necessarily in the scientific field.

Open Ended

What strengths did you notice in this sample body paragraph?

Open Ended

What weaknesses did you notice in this sample body paragraph?

​Sample Paragraph #2

​How are formal features such as layout, fonts and visuals used to create an effect in the advertisement?

​The layout and visuals of the Uniqlo advert is very aesthetically pleasing as it has minimal features which are easy to follow. Firstly, the color scheme is quite simple, using only red, black, and white. This is not only reflective of the Uniqlo logo, but also highlights the simplicity of the task itself. For example, the task says posting a selfie is simple, just "snap, pledge, and post a selfless selfie." This highlights the ease of the process which is further broken down by the icons and the respective labels on the second half of the text: "Snap. / Pledge. / Post. / Celebrate." The cartoon icons and short labels further emphasize how easy the project is...

Open Ended

What strengths did you notice in this sample body paragraph?

Open Ended

What weaknesses did you notice in this sample body paragraph?