Essay writing at GCSE can sometimes feel overwhelming.
How do you communicate your ideas clearly, show evidence, and stay focused on the question? The good news is that a simple structure helps: the PEEL technique.
By learning to build paragraphs this way, you can develop essays that examiners reward for being clear, well-argued, and relevant.
In this post, we’ll cover:
- What the PEEL technique is and why it works
- How to use the PEEL technique in essay writing for different GCSE subjects
- A step-by-step guide with examples
- Sample GCSE practice questions for the PEEL technique (with marks)
- Tips for mastering the PEEL technique in exams and coursework
What is the PEEL technique?
The PEEL technique is a step-by-step way to build focused and persuasive paragraphs.
It stands for:
- Point: Make your main argument or idea.
- Evidence: Back it up with a quotation, statistic, or example.
- Explain: Analyse how the evidence supports your point.
- Link: Connect it back to the question or your overall argument.
Think of the PEEL technique like the scaffolding of a strong paragraph. Without it, writing can become descriptive or muddled. With it, your writing has structure and purpose.
Why the PEEL technique works for GCSE essays
Examiners are looking for writing that is focused, well-supported, and connected to the question. The PEEL technique helps you achieve that.
- In English Literature, it helps you go beyond just quoting the text. You’ll explain what a quotation shows and link it back to a theme, character, or the question.
- In History, answers are prevented from becoming a list of facts. Instead, you can explain why the evidence is significant and how it answers the question.
- In Geography, case study material is often full of details. The PEEL technique helps you choose and link the most relevant examples to the bigger picture.
- In Religious Studies, it supports balanced arguments by showing both points of view, always linked to the question.
Using the PEEL technique, you avoid vague or descriptive answers and produce structured, persuasive essays, which examiners reward with higher marks.
How to write a PEEL technique paragraph
Here’s a step-by-step example using English Literature as an example:
1. Point - State your argument clearly.
Example: Shakespeare presents Macbeth as dangerously ambitious.
2. Evidence - Provide a quotation, fact, or example.
Example: This is shown when Macbeth says, “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.”
3. Explain - Analyse how this supports your point.
Example: The metaphor “black and deep desires” highlights his secret, destructive ambition. Shakespeare suggests that ambition can drive people to act against their morals.
4. Link - Connect back to the essay question.
Example: This demonstrates how Shakespeare explores the dangerous consequences of unchecked ambition.
Tip: Imagine a reader asking, So what? after each stage. Your job is to make sure every point, piece of evidence, and explanation is fully linked to the question and provides a clear explanation of the fact you’re trying to make. That’s the power of the PEEL technique.
