How the PEEL Structure Can Get You Top Marks in the Selective Exam

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With the incoming changes to the selective school writing exam, it becomes even more tantamount for students to understand a framework that can be used across multiple different writing exams. Whether it be persuasive writing, informational reports or essays, following a set structure and being able to use it accordingly to the given question is critical for success.

I remember I often found myself writing the first thing on top of my hand without a predetermined structure and often just get by with my imagination and vocabulary. This approach quickly lost its effectiveness as I progressed into a selective high school where everyone else is writing at a much higher level.

 That is why I decided to go follow a structure called PEEL. There are other structures similar to it like PETAL or OREO but I believe PEEL becomes a better foundation for more advanced essay writing compared to the others. Specifically, following the PEEL writing structure, it will allow you to formulate stronger body paragraphs and help the reader consolidate your arguments more easily. Each part of PEEL represents a different sentence and they have their own individual purpose. Let’s get into it.

The first is P for Point. This is the main argument for which you should be writing and should clearly be a reason that answers the question. You can’t be writing something that is unrelated when you follow this and for instance, if the question was – should smoking be banned, it could be, smoking should be banned as it negatively impacts your health. A sentence that is short and to the point is much better than a long sentence that doesn’t give any value.

The next sentence is E for Explain. You have to explain to the reader why the point you mentioned earlier is important and why it should have any significance to the question. If you say it negatively impacts your health as the point – so what? Tell us specifically the ramifications and consequences of not having good health, will your breathing the affected or can you get a disease in the lungs?

The next sentence is E for Example/Evidence. The evidence is a huge differentiator between good paragraphs and great paragraphs. This is because anyone can say a point but if it is not backed up by solid evidence, it is hearsay. Kind of like what Trump is doing with the election results and saying it is a fraud, you can keep saying it is not real but if there is no proof, people won’t really believe it. It only really requires a sentence and often starts with ‘For example’ or ‘For instance’ and then you can go into the concrete situation where something has occurred.

The last letter is L for Link. This is the glue that holds your paragraph in place. Essentially, you want to link your point to the question by stating it again but in different words. Summarise the point you made early on in the paragraph and relate it back to the broader essay topic and question. It helps teachers and markers to remember that although you had a really good reason and you explored in your earlier sentences, you are ultimately answering the question so it is highly relevant. A large portion of the marking criteria is based on relevance so this section of the PEEL formula is key.

That is the essence of PEEL in making sure you dedicate each paragraph to one aspect of your argument. This structure helps ensure that your position is clear and especially in primary school, each letter of point, explain, evidence and link should only be a sentence each. It is a really good thing to know earlier on as the level of writing in English and other subjects in high school get harder and harder.

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