Pages 35-39 in For Our Students Body Paragraphs Pages 35-39 in For Our Students

Parts of a Body Paragraph: Do you have PEAT? POINT: Topic Sentence stating the main idea of the particular paragraph EVIDENCE and ANALYSIS: Specific details that back up your point TRANSITION – A sentence or phrase that leads into the next paragraph *The transition may occur at the beginning of the next paragraph.

Checklist for Paragraph Writing Unity – everything backs up the topic sentence and the thesis Development – sufficient and relevant evidence/details/analysis Coherence – the ideas have a clear relationship to each other

Unity Thesis Topic Sentence Detail The topic sentence should back up the thesis. It should also be general enough to cover every detail in the paragraph. The details should all back up both the topic sentence and the thesis. Thesis Topic Sentence Detail Example paragraph here

Coherence (“Flow”) Don’t jump around! Show the connections. Connect the ideas in a paragraph by: Repeating key words – emphasizes important ideas/terms Using pronouns – connects the sentence to the previous ones Using transitions – shows the kind of relationship. P. 37 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)

Development: Evidence and Analysis Paragraphs must have sufficient and relevant evidence/details to be well-developed. Sufficient: Do you have at least 2-3 details? Is the length over 100 words? Are the paragraphs of similar length? Relevant: Do your details back up the thesis? Are the details convincing? Do you explain why the details are important to the thesis? For “convincing,” bring up the example on page 45 for “representative.” A single person’s sick grandma does not prove the flu shot doesn’t work.

Types of Support Use the type of support relevant to the type of essay you’re writing. Types 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 Detail is good for process. Facts, Statistics, Opinions good for argument. Examples, Reasons, Personal Experience good for cause and effect