Analysis, Evaluation, and the Conclusion

The highest marks in the Extended Essay go to genuine analysis and evaluation, and to a conclusion that convincingly answers the question. This lesson focuses on the thinking skills that lift an essay from competent description to real critical engagement, and on how to write a conclusion that completes the argument.

The difference between analysis and description

Description tells the reader what something is or what happened; analysis explains why, how, or what it means. To analyze is to break a problem into parts, examine relationships, and interpret evidence in light of the question. An essay full of accurate description but empty of analysis will not reach the higher bands, because the criteria reward reasoning, not reporting. The test is whether you are explaining the significance of