What does ‘analyse’ actually mean?
If there’s one word that can instantly lift your GCSE English work, it’s analyse. You’ve probably seen it in your exam questions, your teacher’s feedback, and mark schemes – but what does it actually mean?
To analyse means to examine something in detail to understand how it works or what it means.
In English, that usually means looking closely at:
the language a writer uses
the methods they choose
and the effects these choices have on the reader
Think of analysing as zooming in – not just saying what happens or what you notice, but explaining how and why it’s effective.
Why ‘analyse’ matters
Students often describe instead of analysing. Here’s the difference:
Description: The writer uses a metaphor about light.
Analysis: The writer’s metaphor about light suggests hope breaking through darkness, showing the character’s capacity for change.
See the difference? The first just spots a technique; the second explores meaning. That’s analysis – and it’s exactly what examiners reward in the top bands.
How to use ‘analyse’ in your writing
Use ‘analyse’ and its word family (analysis, analytical, analysed) to show that you’re thinking deeply. Try sentence starters like:
The writer analyses the contrast between…
The text can be analysed as showing…
The image/symbol/word can be analysed as suggesting…
The writer analyses how language is used to create…
Dickens analyses the theme of redemption through…
Example: Shakespeare presents Macbeth as deeply conflicted. The imagery of darkness can be analysed as a symbol of his hidden ambition and moral corruption.
When you use analyse, you signal to the examiner that you understand what the writer is doing – and why.
‘Analyse’ in action: literature example
“They are Man’s. And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want”
A Christmas Carol
Analysis: Here, Dickens uses personification to analyse the root causes of social inequality in Victorian society. By giving Ignorance and Want human form, he transforms abstract problems into visible, urgent realities. This can be analysed as a moral warning: ignorance breeds selfishness, and want breeds crime. The image of the children ‘clinging’ to the Ghost of Christmas Present suggests that these social evils are inescapably bound to human neglect.
‘Analyse’ in action: language example
“Rain hammered against the windows as the streetlights flickered and went out”
AQA Paper 1, Q2
Analysis: The writer uses violent imagery to suggest the power and unpredictability of the storm. The verb ‘hammered’ conveys aggression and relentless force, creating a sense of tension and danger. This can be analysed as reflecting the character’s inner turmoil – the chaotic weather mirroring the chaos of their emotions.
Over to you…
Choose a quotation from Macbeth, A Christmas Carol, or an extract from a past paper and write your own analytical sentence. The more you practise writing analytical sentences, the more naturally high-grade analysis will flow in your essays or exam answers.
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