T, Topic sentence answering the question directly.
E, Evidence: a short embedded quotation + named technique.
E. Explain: how the language creates meaning/effect for the reader.
L, Link: back to the question AND out to author purpose / reader positioning / the wider world.
Sentence starters by purpose
Purpose
Sentence starter
Make a point
“[Author] uses [technique] to reveal that…”
Embed evidence
“…, shown when the text states “…”,”
Analyse effect
“This positions the reader to feel/realise…”
Connect techniques
“This is reinforced by [second technique], which…”
Author’s purpose
“Ultimately [author] does this to challenge/expose/celebrate…”
Wider world (Excellence)
“Beyond the text, this speaks to the way society…”
TEEL, three grades The same evidence, written to Achieved, then Merit, then Excellence Statement: "Characters who behave badly make us think deeply." One piece of evidence, one paragraph, at each grade. ACHIEVED — "respond critically": Winston in 1984 behaves badly by betraying Julia. The author uses this event to show what fear can do to a person. MERIT — "…and convincingly": Winston's betrayal of Julia in Room 101 is built through Orwell's use of dramatic irony — the reader has watched their relationship form, so his final words land as a collapse the reader has been braced for, not a surprise. EXCELLENCE — "…and perceptively": By making Winston's betrayal feel INEVITABLE rather than sudden, Orwell positions the reader to question whether integrity under totalitarian pressure is a fixed trait or a resource that can simply be exhausted — a question that reaches past the novel into any system built to isolate people from each other. ✓ Same fact, three depths: state it, explain its effect, then use it to reach an idea beyond the text. That progression — not extra plot — is what moves a paragraph up the ladder. ℹ
Essay shape
Intro (name text/author, state your argument in response to the question) → 3–4 technique-driven body paragraphs → conclusion linking to purpose and the wider world. Prioritise depth: analyse a few well-chosen quotations closely. ✓
Learn quotations in advance
Memorise 8–12 short, versatile quotations covering your text’s key characters, themes and turning points, each tied to a technique, so you can adapt to whatever the question asks.