Body Paragraphs
Your body paragraphs need to have a topic sentence, unity, coherence, adequate development, and a concluding sentence.
Topic sentence: The topic sentence of your paragraph should tie back to your thesis statement. Generally, the best place for your topic sentence is at the beginning of your paragraph. Placing your topic sentence there tells the reader right away what your paragraph is going to be about.
Unity: Your paragraph should have a single focus. Your topic sentence is your focus. All sentences in the paragraph need to relate back to your topic sentence.
Coherence: Your paragraph should follow a logical order, be easy to read and be easy to understand. Make sure you use transitional words to flow from one idea to the next. Restate key points.
Adequate development: Your paragraph must be well developed and addresses the topic sentence completely. There are many ways to develop your paragraph:
Use examples and illustrations
Cite data (facts, statistics, evidence, details, and others)
Examine testimony (what other people say such as quotes and paraphrases)
Use an ancedote or story
Define terms in the paragraph
Compare and contrast
Evaluate causes and reasons
Examine effects and consequences
Analyze the topic
Describe the topic
Offer a chronology of an event (time segments)
Concluding sentences: Sums up your main idea. It can transition into your next idea.
Topic sentence: The topic sentence of your paragraph should tie back to your thesis statement. Generally, the best place for your topic sentence is at the beginning of your paragraph. Placing your topic sentence there tells the reader right away what your paragraph is going to be about.
Unity: Your paragraph should have a single focus. Your topic sentence is your focus. All sentences in the paragraph need to relate back to your topic sentence.
Coherence: Your paragraph should follow a logical order, be easy to read and be easy to understand. Make sure you use transitional words to flow from one idea to the next. Restate key points.
Adequate development: Your paragraph must be well developed and addresses the topic sentence completely. There are many ways to develop your paragraph:
Use examples and illustrations
Cite data (facts, statistics, evidence, details, and others)
Examine testimony (what other people say such as quotes and paraphrases)
Use an ancedote or story
Define terms in the paragraph
Compare and contrast
Evaluate causes and reasons
Examine effects and consequences
Analyze the topic
Describe the topic
Offer a chronology of an event (time segments)
Concluding sentences: Sums up your main idea. It can transition into your next idea.