Body Paragraphs

Read pages 35-39 in For Our Students

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General Reminders
Your body paragraphs will make up the bulk of your essay. All body paragraphs must have the following parts:

  • a topic sentence that states the main point of the paragraph and supports the thesis
  • details to provide evidence for the topic sentence and thesis statement
  • a transition sentence (or at least phrase) to help the reader move from one paragraph's idea to the next

Remember that body paragraphs should be the longest paragraphs of the essay and should also be of roughly equal length.

 

Your Checklist for Good Body Paragraphs

Checklist_for_paragraph_writing.png


 Unity simply means that every sentence is in the essay backs up the thesis statement. The topic sentences support the thesis, and the body paragraph details support their topic sentences.

unity.png

 
Next, make sure that your each body paragraph develops its ideas fully and with relevant information. Here are some useful questions to ask of each body paragraph:

  • Does the paragraph have two to three specific details?
  • Is the paragraph longer than the introduction/conclusion paragraphs?
  • Is the paragraph over 100 words and five sentences?
  • Is the paragraph roughly the same length as the other body paragraphs?
  • Do all the details relate to the topic sentence and the thesis sentence?
  • Are the details convincing and interesting?
  • Are you explaining why the details are important to the thesis?

 

Consider what types of details will be most useful to your particular essay. Some examples might include: 
  • Examples – specific events/descriptions from real life
  • Explanations/Reasons – accounts of how elements are related
  • Facts – provable information
  • Statistics – numerical data
  • Expert Opinions – statements from authorities
  • Personal Experience – events or knowledge from your experience
  • Description - imagery, use of the senses 

 

Last, you need coherence, which is what most people mean when they use the word "flow." A paragraph is coherent if the sentences are organized and the ideas are clearly connected. If a reader looks at your paragraph and asks, "How did you jump from Idea A to Idea B?", then your paragraph lacks coherence.

You can create coherence in your paragraphs by doing the following:

  • Repeating key words – emphasizes important ideas/terms
  • Using pronouns – connects the sentence to the previous ones
  • Using transitions – shows the kind of relationship. See page 37 for an extensive list of transition words/phrases. Think about what kind relationship you're creating between the sentences. Here are some examples:       
    • Chronological sequence (first, then, finally)
    • Cause and effect (because, as a result, then, therefore)
    • Comparison/Contrast (similarly, also, however, in contrast)
    • Examples (for example, specifically, for instance)