The short version: Analysis = explaining how a writer's choices make you think or feel. Not what the text says — how it works.
You already do this every day. You send a friend a long, excited message — and they reply with one letter:
💬 “k”
No capital, no full stop, no emoji. Straight away you feel brushed off.
You just spotted a choice (the one-word reply) and its effect (they seem cold). That's analysis. Here you just do it on purpose, with texts.
Analysis in three steps — using the ‘k’ text
1 · Choice
Name what the writer chose: the one-word reply ‘k’.
2 · Effect
Say what it does to you: it feels cold and dismissive. (This step holds most of the marks.)
3 · Meaning
Say why it matters: your friend seems annoyed, or doesn't want to talk.
Choice → Effect → Meaning
The #1 trap: Naming a technique is not analysis. “The writer uses a metaphor” scores almost nothing — you must say what it does to the reader.
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Why it matters in the exam: This one move — choice → effect → meaning — is what every English A paper rewards (it's Criterion B). Master it and the whole course opens up.
Analyse how this advert tries to persuade you to buy the snack bar: “Feeling hungry? Grab a Nuto bar. You've earned it.”
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Watch out: Don't stop at spotting the choices. The marks are in the effect and the meaning — the so what?