PEEL paragraphs: Point, Evidence, Explain, Link

Question: How does Dickens present Scrooge at the start of A Christmas Carol?

Point: At the start of the novella, Dickens presents Scrooge as cold and isolated.

Evidence: He is described as "solitary as an oyster".

Explain: The simile suggests Scrooge has shut himself away from other people, just as an oyster is sealed in a hard shell. Yet an oyster can hold a pearl, which hints that something valuable may be hidden inside him, foreshadowing his later change.

Link: This makes Scrooge's isolation central to his character, preparing the reader for the transformation that drives the story.

• Point: "One way the writer shows… is…", "A key reason… is…"
• Evidence: "This is shown when…", "For example,…", "According to…"
• Explain: "This suggests…", "The word '…' implies…", "This shows that… because…"
• Link: "Therefore…", "This links to the question because…", "As a result,…"

Use them to get started, then vary them so the writing doesn't sound repetitive.

Most marks come from the explanation. Go deeper by:

• zooming in on a single word and its connotations;
• explaining the effect on the reader;
• giving a second interpretation ("alternatively…");
• linking to context, such as the time the text was written.

A one-line explanation after a long quotation is the most common weakness in PEEL paragraphs.

• History: evidence might be a source, date or statistic; explain its significance.
• Geography: evidence might be data from a case study.
• Science extended answers: point, then the fact, then explain the reasoning step by step.

The structure works anywhere you need to argue with evidence.

• Starting with the evidence and no point.
• Quotations that are too long: pick the key few words.
• Retelling the story instead of analysing it.
• Forgetting the link, so the paragraph drifts from the question.

PEEL is a scaffold. As your writing develops, you might embed short quotations in your own sentences, explore two pieces of evidence in one paragraph, or build an argument across several paragraphs. Use PEEL until it's automatic, then let your paragraphs become more flexible. See essay structure for how paragraphs fit together.

Question: Should students wear school uniform?

Plan one paragraph before writing it:

• Point: Uniforms reduce pressure to keep up with fashion.
• Evidence: An example, survey or statistic you can cite (for instance, a survey of parents at your school about clothing costs).
• Explain: Why removing visible differences in clothing could reduce bullying and save families money, and what that means for students' focus on learning.
• Link: Therefore, uniforms can make school a fairer place, which supports the argument for keeping them.

Now write it in full, then check: is the explanation the longest part? Ask our writing tutor for feedback on your draft.

In a timed exam answer, plan your points before you start: jot down three or four points and the evidence for each. A few well-developed PEEL paragraphs usually score better than many thin ones, because the marks come from the depth of the explanation. If you run short of time, keep the point and the explanation, and shorten the evidence to a few key words.