Your teen *thought* they’d analysed, but didn’t get full marks.
And now they’re not sure what went wrong.
It’s likely that they’re ‘commenting on’ their quotes or evidence,
rather than actually analysing it.
(That phrase ‘comments on meaning’ is even used in mark schemes to accommodate students who ‘under-analyse’ in this way.
That’s how common this problem is.)
If they’re not going further to state the ‘impact’ of that sentence, technique or description, then this is likely what’s happening.
– Here’s an example of this in action on a real life essay,
where our English-Focus Coach Gemma shows how to take the ‘comment on meaning’ a step further
to become a full analysis.
Notice how the student has explained what the character means when they say that quote.
But, they haven’t analysed WHY the author decided to use this to influence the audience’s understanding and feelings about the character/scene.
What does that quote make the reader think or feel about the character or the situation?
HOW does that quote contribute to theme/character being asked about in the original essay question?
In other words:
What is the IMPACT of using it?
This is how your teen up-levels from explaining (commenting on meaning)
to analysing (stating the impact in relation to the focus of the task).
Yours,
Katie
