9StraightNines
Grade 9 Essay Structure

Grade 9 Essay Structure

A 10-step scaffold for building analytical paragraphs that examiners reward. Learn it, adapt it, make it your own.

PETAETACWW
AO1 — Argument & EvidenceAO2 — Writer's MethodsAO3 — Context

Essay Skeleton

Every literature essay (45 min for Shakespeare/novel, 40 min for modern text) should follow this shape. Timing is approximate.

Plan

~5 min
  • •Read the question twice — underline the key word (e.g. 'how', 'present', 'explore').
  • •Jot 3 arguments that directly answer the question — each becomes an analytical paragraph.
  • •For each argument, note two short quotations you'll use.
  • •Decide your overall thesis (your 'big idea' about the question).

Introduction

~3 min
  • •State your thesis in 2–3 sentences — no waffle.
  • •Signal the direction of your argument.
  • •Mention the writer's purpose or intention.
  • •Do NOT retell the plot or define the theme.

Body Paragraphs (×3)

~30 min
  • •Each paragraph builds an argument: point → evidence → analysis → context → writer's purpose.
  • •Two evidence + analysis cycles per paragraph gives you depth and range.
  • •Use connectives between paragraphs ('Furthermore…', 'In contrast…', 'Most significantly…').
  • •Always connect back to the writer's purpose — why did they make this choice?

Conclusion

~2 min
  • •Restate your thesis in different words.
  • •Reference the writer's overall intention one final time.
  • •End with a punchy final sentence — leave the examiner thinking.
  • •Never introduce new evidence in the conclusion.

The 10 Steps

Every body paragraph hits these ten beats. Click a step to see the full guidance, sentence starters, and do/don't examples.

Key Acronyms

RAD

Use in Analysis 2 to push deeper

  • R
    Represent — The technique represents a wider idea or concept
  • A
    Amplify — The technique amplifies a theme already established
  • D
    Develop — The technique develops the audience's understanding

Useful Vocabulary: Text Types

What kind of text has the writer created? Use these terms when they fit naturally.

  • C
    Cautionary tale — A story that warns the audience about consequences
  • A
    Allegory — A story with a deeper moral or political meaning
  • M
    Microcosm — A small-scale representation of a wider society or issue
  • P
    Political critique — A challenge to political or social injustice

Useful Vocabulary: Writer's Intent

What does the writer want the audience to think, feel, or do?

  • I
    Inform — Make the audience aware of an issue
  • C
    Challenge — Challenge attitudes, beliefs, or behaviour
  • E
    Educate — Encourage the audience to think or act differently

Example pattern: “Ultimately, [writer] uses [character/moment] to [challenge/inform/educate] the audience about…”

This is a useful starting pattern, not a rigid formula. Adapt it to fit your argument naturally.

Model Paragraph — See It in Action

Choose a text, then hover or tap each coloured section to see which step it belongs to.

Question — An Inspector Calls

How does Priestley present ideas about social class in An Inspector Calls?

Priestley presents Gerald as a product of the upper class whose treatment of Eva exposes how the wealthy maintain control over the working class through financial power. This is clear when Gerald remarks, "She lived very economically on what I allowed her." The word "allowed" is telling — it's the language of permission, not partnership, implying that Eva's survival depended entirely on Gerald's goodwill rather than her own independence. This creates a sense of economic possession, which shows the audience how capitalism turns relationships into transactions; Eva isn't Gerald's equal — she's financially dependent on him, and he doesn't even seem to realise how demeaning that is. Moreover, the phrase "I allowed her" is significant because the possessive "I" centres Gerald as the one with power — Eva is reduced to the object of his generosity, not a person with her own agency. By Priestley using this language of control, he reveals how Gerald views Eva not as an equal but as someone he has the right to provide for or withdraw from — a kind of casual ownership he doesn't question. This builds a picture of patronising superiority that isn't unique to Gerald — it represents how the upper class as a whole treat working people as dependants rather than equals, maintaining their social dominance through financial control. This reflects the rigid Edwardian class system, where the wealthy held enormous economic power over the working class. Writing in 1945, Priestley contrasts this with the post-war push for a fairer society, reinforcing his argument that these exploitative power dynamics need to be dismantled. Furthermore, Priestley uses the Well-Made Play structure to make Gerald's role in Eva's downfall feel like an inevitable chain of cause and effect — his language isn't just revealing character, it's driving the plot towards tragedy, which makes Priestley's social critique hit harder. Ultimately, Priestley uses Gerald's relationship with Eva as a political critique, exposing how capitalist exploitation damages real lives and urging the audience to choose collective responsibility over individual self-interest.
P — PointE — Evidence 1T — Analyse LanguageA — Analysis 1E — Evidence 2T — Deepen AnalysisA — Analysis 2C — ContextW — Structure / FormW — Writer's Purpose

What Separates the Grades?

The same quote can score anywhere from grade 5 to grade 9 — it all depends on how you handle it.

Grade 5

  • •Makes a relevant point and gives a quotation
  • •Explains what the quote means (paraphrase)
  • •May name a technique but doesn't analyse it
  • •Context is bolted on as a separate sentence
  • •No alternative interpretations or writer's intentions
  • •Only one evidence + analysis cycle

Grade 7

  • •Clear argument linked to the question
  • •Short, embedded quotations
  • •Analyses language and explains its effect
  • •Context is linked to the analysis
  • •Some attempt at a structural or form point
  • •Two evidence cycles but analysis could go deeper

Grade 9

  • •Sharp argument with writer's name and critical voice
  • •Two embedded quotes that build on each other
  • •Deep word-level analysis — explains What, How, and Why
  • •Context woven in — illuminates, doesn't decorate
  • •Structural/form analysis that links back to the question
  • •Ends by connecting to the writer's overall purpose

Before You Submit — Quick Checklist

  • PPoint opens with writer's name + argument (not plot retelling).
  • EEvidence 1 is embedded into your sentence, not dumped separately.
  • TLanguage analysis starts with meaning, not just technique names.
  • AAnalysis 1 uses What → How → Why to go deep.
  • EEvidence 2 builds on Evidence 1 with a connective (Moreover…).
  • TSecond analysis deepens the argument — not just a different technique.
  • AAnalysis 2 pushes further — Represent, Amplify, or Develop.
  • CContext is woven in — not bolted on. Explains the writer's choices.
  • WStructure/form point connects to the bigger picture.
  • WEnds by connecting to the writer's overall purpose.
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