Ask any English teacher what goes wrong most often in student essays, and the answer is usually the same. Students retell the story instead of arguing about it. With Sense and Sensibility, the temptation is strong, since the plot has many turns and the characters are easy to describe. The essay ends up rich in events and poor in ideas.

The difference is simple to state and harder to teach. Summary tells what happens, and analysis explains what it means and how the text creates that meaning. A sentence about Willoughby leaving Barton is summary, while a sentence about how Austen makes his departure feel abrupt through his clipped speech is analysis.

One quick test is to ask whether a sentence could be understood by someone who had not read the book. If it only reports events, it is likely summary. If it makes a claim that requires interpretation, it is analysis.

Another test is to look at the verbs. Summary uses verbs like goes, says, meets, and leaves. Analysis uses verbs like suggests, reveals, complicates, and implies.

Signs of Summary in a Student Draft

Once you know the patterns, you can spot summary in seconds. It usually appears in the first paragraph of a body section, where the student sets up context and does not stop. Highlighting those stretches gives you a clear picture of how much of the essay is doing analytical work.

• Paragraphs that begin with "In chapter ..." and continue as a list of events.
• Topic sentences that name a scene but make no claim about it.
• Quotations followed directly by another plot point instead of commentary.
• Conclusions that restate the plot rather than the argument.
• Little use of words that signal interpretation, such as suggests or reveals.

Coaching Students Past Summary

Give students a phrase to ask themselves after every sentence: "So what?" If the sentence does not lead to an answer, it needs to change. This simple habit can transform a draft.

Model the move with a sample paragraph. Show a summary version and an analytical version of the same passage. The contrast makes the goal concrete.

Detecting Summary at Scale

In a large stack, summary-heavy essays can slow you down, since you have to read carefully to find the argument. AI grading tools can estimate how much of an essay is retelling and flag it against your rubric. That lets you prioritize comments where they are most needed.

Remember that some summary is necessary for context. The issue is proportion, not presence. Use your judgment about how much is too much.

Building Analysis Skills Over Time

Practice analysis in small doses before the full essay. Short paragraph exercises on a single quotation are ideal. They give students repetitions with less pressure.

Celebrate improvement explicitly. When a student's second draft shows more analysis than the first, tell them. That recognition motivates continued effort.