Non-Fiction Analysis

A Model Analysis – Step by Step

See how one non-fiction text can be analysed from introduction to conclusion.

What this page offers

On this page, you can see how one non-fiction text can be analysed step by step.

The goal is not to copy the model, but to understand how a strong non-fiction analysis is built: from a short introduction to a focused conclusion.

After each paragraph, you will also find a short explanation showing why that part works well.

The Text

The following article is a short model text designed for analysis practice. It deals with the growing role of smartphones in schools.

Should Smartphones Have a Place in the Classroom?
by Emma Lawson, published on the educational platform Learning Today in 2025

In many schools, the smartphone has become the one object that is always present, even when it is not supposed to be seen. Teachers compete with glowing screens for attention, students move between school life and digital life without any clear boundary, and many parents feel trapped between two fears: that their children are online too much, and that they might somehow fall behind if they are online too little.

It is tempting to treat the issue as simple. Ban phones, and the problem disappears. Allow them, and students become “future-ready”. Yet schools are not laboratories for slogans. They are places where young people learn how to think, how to interact and how to focus. If smartphones are introduced into that environment without a clear educational purpose, they do not automatically create modern learning. Quite often, they simply create modern distraction.

Recent studies point in the same direction. According to a 2024 European survey on classroom concentration, 68 percent of teachers reported that mobile phones regularly interrupt lessons, while 61 percent of students admitted that they find it difficult not to check messages once the device is within reach. These figures do not prove that all technology is harmful. They do, however, remind us that convenience is not the same as educational value.

This is why schools need rules, but not lazy rules. A complete ban may sound decisive, yet it ignores that smartphones can occasionally support research, translation, accessibility and organisation. On the other hand, open use throughout the school day sends an equally damaging message: that every moment of silence must be filled, every pause escaped and every challenge softened by instant access to a screen.

The real task is more demanding. Schools must teach deliberate use instead of permanent availability. They must teach restraint instead of reflex. They must ask not “How digital can we be?” but “What kind of attention do we want to protect?” Until that question is taken seriously, the debate about smartphones in schools will remain loud, modern and strangely shallow.

First orientation

  • Text type: argumentative article / opinion piece
  • Author: Emma Lawson
  • Source: Learning Today
  • Date: 2025
  • Main topic: smartphone use in schools
  • General intention: to argue for a balanced but critical approach

Step 1 – The Introduction

The introduction places the text clearly and prepares the analysis without becoming too detailed.

Model Introduction

Model Introduction

In her 2025 article “Should Smartphones Have a Place in the Classroom?”, published on the educational platform Learning Today, Emma Lawson discusses the role of smartphones in schools. She argues against both unreflective enthusiasm and simplistic bans, aiming instead to promote a more deliberate and educationally meaningful use of digital devices in the classroom.

Why this works

  • It includes the essential text information.
  • It identifies the issue clearly.
  • It summarises the author’s overall position without going into too much detail.
  • It already hints at the balanced but critical direction of the text.

Step 2 – WHAT?

The first body paragraph explains what the author says and how the argument develops.

Model Body Paragraph I

Model Body Paragraph I (“What?”)

The article develops its argument in a balanced but clearly critical way. Lawson begins by describing the smartphone as an ever-present object in school life and presents the issue as emotionally and practically complex for teachers, students and parents alike. She then rejects two oversimplified positions, namely a total ban and uncritical acceptance, arguing that neither approach reflects the actual needs of education. In the middle of the text, she supports her point with survey data about classroom distraction before moving towards her central claim: schools should not focus on maximum digital availability, but on deliberate and purposeful use. In this way, the text moves from observation to criticism and finally to a more nuanced educational proposal.

Why this works

  • The paragraph explains the line of argument clearly.
  • It stays selective instead of summarising every paragraph separately.
  • It highlights the movement from description to evaluation to proposal.
  • It shows that the text is structured, not random.

Step 3 – HOW?

The second body paragraph analyses how language and rhetorical choices shape meaning and persuade the reader.

Model Body Paragraph II

Model Body Paragraph II (“How?”)

Lawson strengthens her argument through a mixture of contrast, repetition and rhetorical questioning. A particularly important strategy is the repeated contrast between simplistic extremes and more thoughtful alternatives, for example when she opposes a total ban to unrestricted use. This sharpens her central message that the real problem is not technology itself, but careless and unreflective use. In addition, the repetition of structures such as “They must teach …” in the final paragraph gives the text emphasis and rhythm, making the closing appeal more memorable. The rhetorical question “What kind of attention do we want to protect?” is especially effective because it shifts the debate away from technology as such and towards educational values. Together, these devices create a tone that is critical, thoughtful and persuasive rather than purely emotional or one-sided.

Why this works

  • It focuses on rhetorical function, not just device-spotting.
  • It selects a few important features instead of listing too many.
  • It explains how these features support the central argument.
  • It connects language, structure and tone.

Step 4 – WHY?

The third body paragraph explains the author’s intention, target audience and likely effect on the reader.

Model Body Paragraph III

Model Body Paragraph III (“Why?”)

The author’s main intention is to encourage a more reflective debate about digital devices in schools. Rather than promoting a purely anti-technology position, Lawson addresses an audience of teachers, parents and education-minded readers who are likely familiar with the issue but unsure about the best response. By combining factual evidence with a critical but measured tone, she presents herself as both reasonable and concerned, which increases her credibility. At the same time, the repeated emphasis on attention, restraint and educational purpose encourages readers to rethink the values that should shape school life. As a result, the text does not simply argue about smartphones; it invites the audience to reflect more broadly on what schools should protect and prioritise.

Why this works

  • It moves beyond surface description.
  • It identifies a plausible target audience.
  • It explains how tone and evidence support intention.
  • It shows that the text has a broader educational purpose.

Step 5 – The Conclusion

The conclusion gathers the most important insight and evaluates the overall effectiveness of the text.

Model Conclusion

Model Conclusion

Overall, Lawson’s article is effective because it combines a clearly structured argument with persuasive rhetorical choices and a balanced but critical tone. Instead of presenting the issue in simplistic terms, the text encourages readers to think more carefully about the educational consequences of constant digital availability. In this way, the article succeeds not only in criticising current habits, but also in promoting a more thoughtful understanding of attention, learning and responsibility in schools.

Why this works

  • It does not simply repeat earlier points.
  • It evaluates the text as a whole.
  • It connects argument, rhetoric and effect.
  • It ends in a concise and controlled way.

What You Can Learn from This Model

A strong model is useful not because it should be copied, but because it shows what effective analysis looks like in practice.

Notice the structure

  • The introduction is short and clear.
  • Each body paragraph has a different focus.
  • The conclusion steps back and evaluates.

Notice the language

  • The writing is analytical, not casual.
  • Examples are always connected to interpretation.
  • The wording stays precise and controlled.

In one sentence

A strong non-fiction analysis moves step by step from clear observation to rhetorical interpretation and overall evaluation.

Overview Non-Fiction Analysis