Top 94 Analytical Words & Phrases to Use in Your Research Paper

When you work on your analytical paper, you need proper academic language, right?

You are at the right place.

The following ready to use analytical phrases will help you a lot. You’re welcome to use this academic phrase bank by filling in the gaps or for inspiration.

Let’s not lose any minute!

We are starting right now 🏁

❗ Analytical Words about the Importance of the Topic

Any paper requires justification of why your topic is relevant. Here are analytical words and phrases for this purpose.

  • X has been studied in the recent several decades because
  • One of the most significant current discussions is
  • In the past years, X has attracted much attention as
  • Much attention has been drawn to
  • Recently there has been an increasing interest in
  • In the recent decades, X has been one of the major interesting research questions due to
  • Discussions about X have dominated the research community in recent years/ decades/ months
  • X has significantly influenced academic discussion on Y

🔤 Words to Use in Analytical Paragraph

An analytical paragraph is a paragraph that gives an in-depth analysis of a certain topic. It helps readers make sense of a complex issue and can be written on any subject, including films, music, historical events, philosophy, etc. The peculiarity of an analytical paragraph is that it not only presents information but also analyzes it, that is, explains its components, evaluates its significance, and draws conclusions using specific words and phrases.

Generally, an analytical paragraph contains four sections: a topic sentence, evidence, analysis, and a closing sentence. Below, we’ve listed phrases you can use in each part.

Topic sentenceThis sentence comes at the beginning of an analytical paragraph. It contains one main idea of the whole paragraph and ties it to the thesis statement. In this part, you may use the following phrases:
  • X plays a significant role in Y because…
  • One reason for [your analyzed issue] is that…
  • One difference between X and Y is that…
  • A closer look at [object/event] reveals…
  • Recent scientific advancements have shed light on…
EvidenceAfter a topic sentence, you should provide evidence to support your point of view. Here are some phrases you can use to introduce evidence:
  • According to the findings of…
  • Supporting this claim, [author] suggests that…
  • A recent study by [authors] found that…
  • To illustrate this point, one can consider an example of…
  • A compelling illustration of this principle is the case of…
AnalysisAfter introducing your evidence, you should analyze it. In other words, you should evaluate its significance, identify patterns in the data, and connect it to your main argument. Here are some phrases you can use in this part:
  • The provided data indicates that…
  • The statistics reveal…
  • Based on the evidence presented, it is reasonable to infer that…
  • Taking into account this evidence, one could argue that…
  • These findings raise important questions about…
  • One possible explanation for this observation is…
Concluding sentenceIn the last part of your analytical paragraph, you must briefly highlight the key idea the reader should take away after reading it. In addition, add a transition if the analysis extends into the following paragraph. Here is a list of phrases that can be helpful:
  • Consequently…
  • Therefore…
  • Thus…
  • To reiterate, this analysis highlights the importance of…
  • To sum up, it is evident that…

📚 Literature References with Analytical Words

What are the most successful words to use in analytical paragraph about literature? Let’s see 👇

  • There is a consensus between scholars that
  • The relationship between X and Y has been widely investigated by
  • A number of studies have concluded that
  • Previous research has confirmed that
  • Several studies agree that
  • Previous studies indicate/ demonstrate/ suggest that
  • Prior research has documented/ has shown/ has proffered
  • The latest studies have found evidence that
  • In recent years studies contend about

🗣️ How to Refer to the Author in Analytical Phrases

While writing a literature review, you probably will have several authors you want to pay special attention to. These are the ways to do it succinctly:

  • X highlights the need to
  • X has pointed out the challenges and strategies for
  • X raised several concerns about
  • X indicated that
  • X has demonstrated that
  • X argues/ claims/ suggests/ maintains/ concludes/ offers/ proposes
  • In their review/ major study/ analysis/ introduction to/ classic critique, X identify
  • X draws on an extensive range of sources to assess
  • X highlights the need to break the link between A and B
  • X questions whether X is the best Y for

🔍 Analytical Phrases for Contradicting Evidence

Sometimes, you can face a piece of conflicting information. There are multiple ways to place such elements into text.

  • Despite prior evidence
  • In contrast, the study conducted by X concluded that
  • However, this is contrary to a study conducted by X
  • However, X has later shown that
  • To date, there has been no agreement on
  • In the literature on X, the role of Y is debated.
  • X has already drawn attention to the paradox in
  • Debate continues about
  • Several studies have recently challenged this concept, demonstrating
  • X found out differences suggesting that

🕳️ A gap in Knowledge Analytical Phrases

Wondering how to introduce a gap in knowledge about your topic? Here are linking words for such situations.

  • There has been little discussion about
  • Few studies have been carried out on
  • Little attention has been paid to
  • It is still not known whether
  • […] much less is known about X
  • Research to date has not yet identified/ determined/ found out
  • The impact of X on Y is not clear yet
  • Causal factors leading to X remain debatable/ unreliable/ speculative
  • This claims about a need to understand the various existing angles of X
  • The problem of X has not been investigated/ considered in any of the reviewed resources
  • Prior studies have failed to evaluate/ identify/ reveal/ state

📊 Analytical Words for Data from Tables/Charts

Now let’s see how to use analytical words and phrases to describe data from tables and charts.

  • As shown in Table 1
  • Figure 1 clearly shows/ extrapolate/ presents
  • Figure A illustrates/ compares/ evidences
  • Figure A exhibits an overview of
  • Table A provides the experimental data on X
  • In this table, you can see the summary statistics for
  • This diagram demonstrated the results obtained from the preliminary analysis of X
  • The results of correlational/ comparative/ descriptive analysis are presented in Table A

For a more in-depth analysis of the data from your visualization, try using these academic phrases.

  • The graph shows that there has been a gradual increase in
  • The number of Xs is likely to grow after steadily
  • X peaked (reached a low) in 1993
  • The amount of X is expected to remain steady
  • The graph shows that there has been a slight/ sharp/ gradual/ steady decline/ drop/ rise/ increase in
  • What stands out/ is striking/ can be clearly seen in this table is
  • The rate of X will probably/ is likely to decline steadily

📜 Analytical Words and Phrases for Classifications and Listings

You may use classifications and listings in your text for different purposes. These are some options to include listings in the paper.

  • X may be divided into three main categories
  • This system of classification needs a revision
  • There are three main approaches currently being used in investigating X
  • The critical aspects of X can be listed as follows: A, B, and C
  • There are three reasons why the X has become so important. These are:
  • The section has been included for several reasons: it is …; it illustrates …; and it describes…
  • To better understand X’s mechanisms, the author classified it into three distinct types, based on
  • X is generally classified into two main types

↔️ Cause & Effect Analysis Words for Essays

If you are writing a cause-effect essay, this part is for you. However, not only cause-effect papers discuss causal relations.

👉 Xmay cause
can lead to
can give rise tocan result in
affects/ shapes
predicts/ determines
increases/ influences
Y
X is 👈stemming from
caused by
a result of
resulting from
a problem caused by
associated with
linked to
Y

Don’t miss our amazing Cause-Effect Essay Topics Compilation!

↪️ Concluding Words to Use in Analytical Essays

And finally, it’s time to write a good conclusion. Look at these phrases to use in your work.

  • This study set out to/ has argued that/ discussed the reasons for
  • In this paper, the aim/ goal was to assess/ to examine/ to determine
  • This study identified/ showed that
  • Another major finding was
  • These experiments confirmed that
  • A, B, and C emerged as reliable factors of
  • The findings reported in this work shed new light on
  • The study contributes to our understanding of X in multiple ways
  • This project can be seen as the first comprehensive investigation of X
  • The empirical findings in this study provide a new understanding of

Use this collection as a starting point or inspiration for your work.

Needless to say, the English language is richer and more flexible than this list. Try to find new word combinations and uncommon usages. However, don’t overplay – it’s still academic writing that requires certain formalities.

That’s all!

Check more useful resources for academic phrases below in the list of references.

Good luck 😊

🔗 References

  1. Academic Phrasebank, The University of Manchester
  2. Verbs in Academic Writing; The Writing Centre – University of Toronto
  3. Vocabulary for Essays; The Learning Centre – The University of Sydney
  4. Glossary of Research Terms; University of Southern California
  5. Using Appropriate Words in an Academic Essay
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