Writing body paragraphs
- 2. Basic Essay Structure Introduction Body Paragraphs Conclusion !
- 3. Body The body paragraphs in an essay should: Develop your topic Prove your points Have a pattern (e.g. chronological order, comparison/contrast, or a combination of both) !
- 4. Paragraph Structure A Paragraph is: A group of related sentences that discuss one (and usually only one) main idea. A paragraph can be as short as one sentence or as long as ten sentences or more. The length of a paragraph is not important, it should be long enough to develop the main idea clearly. !
- 5. Paragraph Structure Three Parts of a Paragraph Topic sentence Supporting sentences Concluding sentence (if necessary) !
- 6. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence Topic (states the topic) Controlling idea (controls or limits the topic to a specific area) Gold, (topic) a precious metal, is known for two important characteristics. (controlling idea)
- 7. Paragraph Structure Writing Topic Sentences A topic sentence must be a complete sentence, with a subject and a verb. A topic sentence should neither be too general nor too specific. A topic sentence should not have unrelated controlling ideas.
- 8. Paragraph Structure Supporting Sentences Explain or prove the topic sentence Are specific and factual Can be examples, statistics, or quotations
- 9. Paragraph Structure Concluding Sentence Signals the end of the paragraph. Leaves the reader with the most important ideas. It can do this in two ways: • By summarizing the main points of the paragraph. • By repeating the topic sentences in different words. A paragraph doesn’t always need a concluding
- 10. Paragraph Structure End-of-Paragraph Signals Followed by a comma Finally, Lastly, In Brief, Therefore, In conclusion, Thus, Indeed, To sum up, In short,
- 11. Paragraph Structure End-of-Paragraph Signals NOT Followed by a comma The evidence suggests that … There can be no doubt that … These examples show that … We can see that …! !