What does PETAL mean?

Hey Ozella.

PETAL in English is a commonly used acronym that creates an easy-to-follow paragraph format. The acronym stands for: Point, Evidence, Technique, Analysis and Link. When you create a sentence for each of the words, you will have successfully written a paragraph.

Hi - PETAL is what some teachers use to teach paragraph structure. It stands for Point, Evidence, Technique, Analysis and Link. Be careful with using it though as you need to ensure that your POINT answers the question (and in an extended essay it also needs to make an obvious/fluent link to your previous point). Your evidence should be a short quotation (if you can imbed it into the sentence then that's great!). The technique is the device the writer uses but you should join Technique and Analysis together so it does not look like you are just 'device spotting'. For example, avoid saying sentences like: This is a metaphor. Instead, try 'here the writer uses the metaphor to convey images of...etc' Link is a link to another quote/area of analysis to prove the POINT (it DOES NOT introduce a new idea or link to the next paragraph. I hope that helps!

PETAL is a commonly used structure for answering questions.

Point: make your point clear and relevant to the question and your argument.

Evidence: How can you support your point with the relevant evidence found in the text?

Technique: What technique is used in the evidence you have identified (e.g: metaphor, simile, repetition)?

Analysis: Analyse the evidence and techniques to the point you are making, what is being said? Why has the writer used this technique? What does it show?

Link: Make sure to link your analysis to the question and your argument!

A writing structure students use to improve their essay writing. It stands for Point, Evidence, Technique, Analysis and Link

PETAL is a writing structure students usually use to form their essay. It stands for Point, Evidence, Technique, Analysis and Link

Point - State what your paragraph will be about

Evidence - Use a quote to support your point

Technique - State the technique in the quote

Analysis - Explore the meaning of the quote

Link - Explain how it may make the reader feel or use contextual information to further explore the quote

I find that you can quite easily group Point, Evidence and Technique together in the opening sentence of your paragraph

Point

Example

Technique

Analysis

Link

Point Example Technique Explain Link

PETAL stands for Point, Evidence, Technique, Analysis, Link.

This is how you should structure you paragraphs when answering an essay question in order to make your argument clear and concise.

PETAL is an acronym of these words;

Point, Evidence, Technique, Analysis and Link. Please have it in your mind that petal( with lowercase letters) means " the Corolla of a flower"

They are typically coloured .

Point, Evidence, Technique, Analysis, Link

PETAL means Point, Evidence, Technique, Analysis, Link. It's one of many ways of learning how to structure an analytical paragraph, although it can be quite mechanistic. The Point could also be thought as 'What', establishing the beginning of what you want to discuss in that paragraph. The Evidence is usually a quotation (this is the 'How'), which should be brief, allowing you focus on one or two particular words within the quotation. Technique is a reminder to use the language of analysis, to be able to say whether a phrase is a metaphor, for example, or a word is an adjective, for example. Please note: you don't get any reward for just labelling a word or phrase. The important thing is Why the writer is using it: what is the intended effect on the reader, or what are the connotations of that word or phrase. That is the Analysis bit, and should be the longest part of your paragraph. 'Link' is a reminder to make sure you keep on track with what the question is asking by referring back to it and then using a discursive marker such as 'However' or 'Consequently' the develop your answer into the next paragraph.

P = Point

E = Evidence

T = Technique

A = Analysis

L = Link

Point

Evidence

Technique

Analysis

Link

PETAL stands for how you structure you answer in English Literature exams.

Structure the answer in the following order;

1 Point; this means your understanding of the text, as related to the question.

2 Evidence; what does the text say to back up your point?

3 Technique; what method of language construction has the author decided to use?

4 Analysis; now go on to consider the dissection of a quote, or an idea or a method.

5 Link; the link concludes your argument and should relate back to the original question.