BODY PARAGRAPHS

BODY PARAGRAPHS :*** IN YOUR ESSAYS, A BODY PARAGRAPH IS A PARAGRAPH THAT MAKES A SINGLE POINT ABOUT ONE ASPECT OF YOUR THESIS BODY PARAGRAPHS ARE USED TO DEVELOP/ BACK UP THE IDEA PRESENTED IN THE THESIS A STRONG BODY PARAGRAPH EXPLAINS, PROVES, AND/OR SUPPORTS YOUR PAPER’S ARGUMENTATIVE CLAIM OR THESIS STATEMENT

STEP 1 :*** IDENTIFY THE THREE (OR MORE) MAIN POINTS THAT YOUR ESSAY MUST MAKE TO SUPPORT YOUR THESIS. EACH OF THESE SENTENCES MAY BE USED AS WHAT IS KNOWN AS A TOPIC SENTENCE FOR ONE PARAGRAPHS

EXAMPLE: PROMPT: DISCUSS HOW POE USES SYMBOLS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND SUSPENSE TO DEVELOP THE THEME THESIS: "IN “MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH”, BY EDGAR ALLAN POE, EMPLOYS THE TECHNIQUES OF SYMBOLISM, SUSPENSE, AND CHARACTERIZATION IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THEM THEME THAT NOT EVEN THE WEALTHY CAN ESCAPE DEATH. TOPIC SENTENCES: KEY WORDS: 1. SYMBOLISM, THEME 2. SUSPENSE, THEME 3. CHARACTERIZATION, THEME

TOPIC SENTENCES :*** RELATES TO THESIS WHAT YOU ARE ASSERTING IN THE PARAGRAPH WHAT ALL OTHER SENTENCES IN THE PARAGRAPH ARE ABOUT. USUALLY AT THE BEGINNING GIVE YOUR READER DIRECTION USES KEY WORDS FROM THESIS/PROMPT

STEP 2:*** USE YOUR KEY WORDS TO DEVELOP YOUR TOPIC SENTENCES 1. POE USED MANY LEVELS OF SUSPENSE TO DEVELOP THE THEME OF THE STORY 2. BY THE SAME TOKEN, POE USED SYMBOLS TO PROVE MONEY WILL NOT PROTECT AN INDIVIDUAL FROM DEATH. 3. IN ADDITION TO SUSPENSE AND SYMBOLS, POE ALSO USES CHARACTERIZATION TO SHOW WEALTH DOES NOT MAKE A PERSON SPECIAL WHEN DEATH IS AFTER YOU.

NEXT,*** ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR TOPIC SENTENCES, IT IS TIME TO WRITE YOUR PARAGRAPHS. YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE DIFFERENT SENTENCES: EXPLAIN, CLARIFY, OR ELABORATE ON EACH TOPIC SENTENCE WITH SUPPORTING SENTENCES. USE EXAMPLES TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE DISCUSS THE TOPIC IN GREATER DETAIL EACH SENTENCE SHOULD HELP TO DEMONSTRATE WHY THE READER SHOULD ACCEPT YOUR THESIS.

TYPES OF SENTENCES ** A SUPPORT SENTENCE GIVES MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOPIC IN GENERAL. FOR EXAMPLE: THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY DOGS MAKE GOOD PETS. ONE REASON THAT CANINES ARE GOOD COMPANIONS IS THAT THEY ARE VERY ENTERTAINING. WHILE THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF VARIETIES OF TREES TO CHOOSE FROM, THERE ARE THREE PARTICULAR TREES THAT MAKE GREAT ADDITIONS TO MOST RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPES. ONE OF THE BEST TREES TO PLANT IN A YARD IS THE SUGAR MAPLE, A DECIDUOUS TREE THAT OFTEN GROWS TO BE OVER FIFTY FEET TALL.

EXAMPLE: POE USED MANY LEVELS OF SUSPENSE TO DEVELOP THE THEME OF THE STORY. ONE DEVICE USED TO BUILD SUSPENSE IS THE CLOCK. Notice the transition word

ELABORATION SENTENCE* ** AN GIVES MORE SPECIFIC DETAIL ABOUT A PARTICULAR SUPPORT SENTENCE’S TOPIC. FOR EXAMPLE: THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY DOGS MAKE GOOD PETS. ONE REASON THAT CANINES ARE GOOD COMPANIONS IS THAT THEY ARE VERY ENTERTAINING. POOCHES BRING JOY AND IMPROVED HEALTH TO PEOPLE’S LIVES BY PERFORMING LOTS OF TRICKS OR MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH BECAUSE OF THE BIZARRE THINGS THEY DO.

EXAMPLE POE USED MANY LEVELS OF SUSPENSE TO DEVELOP THE THEME OF THE STORY. ONE DEVICE USED TO BUILD SUSPENSE IS THE CLOCK. BY USING THE TICKING OF THE CLOCK, THE AUDIENCE IS AWARE OF TIME PASSING AND THE UNCERTAINTY FELT BY THE CHARACTERS BECOMES MORE SIGNIFICANT.

EVIDENCE SENTENCE*** THIS SENTENCE IS WHERE YOU PROVIDE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE OR REAL WORLD EXAMPLES AVOID USING “I” MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TRANSITION WORDS: DO NOT JUST THROW AN EVIDENCE SENTENCE INTO THE PARAGRAPH

EXAMPLE POE USED MANY LEVELS OF SUSPENSE TO DEVELOP THE THEME OF THE STORY. ONE DEVICE USED TO BUILD SUSPENSE IS THE CLOCK. BY USING THE TICKING OF THE CLOCK, THE AUDIENCE IS AWARE OF TIME PASSING AND THE UNCERTAINTY FELT BY THE CHARACTERS BECOMES MORE SIGNIFICANT. IN POE’S STORY, WHEN THE CLOCK SOUNDED, EVERYONE WOULD GET STILL AND “. “…AT EACH LAPSE OF AN HOUR, THE MUSICIANS OF THE ORCHESTRA WERE CONSTRAINED TO PAUSE… PERFORMANCE CEASED THEIR EVOLUTIONS; AND THERE WAS A BRIEF DISCONCERT OF THE WHOLE GAY COMPANY… THE GIDDIEST TURNED PALE, AND THE AGED AND SEDATE PASSED THEIR HANDS OVER THEIR BROWS AS IF IN CONFUSED REVERIE OR MEDITATION.”

EXPLANATION SENTENCE*** EXPLAIN WHAT THE QUOTE MEANS AND WHY ITS IMPORTANT TO YOUR ARGUMENT. NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR EVIDENCE IS, IT WON’T HELP YOUR ARGUMENT MUCH IF YOUR READER DOESN'T KNOW WHY IT’S IMPORTANT ASK YOURSELF: HOW DOES THIS EVIDENCE PROVE THE POINT YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE IN THIS PARAGRAPH AND/OR YOUR PAPER AS A WHOLE? CAN BE OPINION BASED AND IS OFTEN AT LEAST 1-3 SENTENCES

EXAMPLE POE USED MANY LEVELS OF SUSPENSE TO DEVELOP THE THEME OF THE STORY. ONE DEVICE USED TO BUILD SUSPENSE IS THE CLOCK. BY USING THE TICKING OF THE CLOCK, THE AUDIENCE IS AWARE OF TIME PASSING AND THE UNCERTAINTY FELT BY THE CHARACTERS BECOMES MORE SIGNIFICANT. IN POE’S STORY, WHEN THE CLOCK SOUNDED, EVERYONE WOULD GET STILL AND “. “…AT EACH LAPSE OF AN HOUR, THE MUSICIANS OF THE ORCHESTRA WERE CONSTRAINED TO PAUSE… PERFORMANCE CEASED THEIR EVOLUTIONS… THE GIDDIEST TURNED PALE, AND THE AGED AND SEDATE PASSED THEIR HANDS OVER THEIR BROWS AS IF IN CONFUSED REVERIE OR MEDITATION.” THIS QUOTE ILLUSTRATES THE CONFUSION FELT BY THE CHARACTERS AS THEY WAITED FOR DEATH TO COME. THE PHRASE, “… THE GIDDIEST TURNED PALE,” EMPHASIZES THAT EVEN THOUGH THESE PEOPLE WERE RICK, THEY WERE DOOMED TO MEET DEATH.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE INTRO: IN AMY TAN ‟ S SHORT STORY “TWO KINDS,” THE AUTHOR LEADS US ON A JOURNEY OF A MOTHER ‟ S EXPECTATIONS FOR HER DAUGHTER TO BECOME A PRODIGY ARE TOO HIGH AND WILLINGLY NOT OBTAINABLE. UPON A CLOSER ANALYSIS OF THE WRITING, ONE CAN ARGUE THAT THE MOTHER IS NOT ALLOWING HER DAUGHTER TO BECOME HER OWN PERSON. SHE IS INSTILLING ALL HOPES OF HER LOST CHILDREN ON HER SOLE CHILD. IN DUE COURSE THIS SHORT STORY LOOKS AT WHETHER OR NOT THE PRESSURE FROM THE MOTHER, HINDERS THE DAUGHTER. BODY PARAGRAPHS UPON A FURTHER EXAMINATION, THE MOTHER ‟ S CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THE DAUGHTER WAS BEGINNING TO WEAR ON HER. JING-MEI ‟ S MOTHER WOULD CONSISTENTLY GIVE HER DAUGHTER TESTS AND THE EXPECTATIONS TO SUCCEED WERE HIGH. AS THE DAUGHTER STATES RIGHT AFTER SHE FAILED TO PERFORM WELL AT THE CLIMATIC PIANO RECITAL. “AFTER SEEING MY MOTHER ‟ S DISAPPOINTED FACE ONCE AGAIN, SOMETHING INSIDE ME BEGAN TO DIE. I HATED THE TESTS, THE RAISED HOPES AND FAILED EXPECTATIONS” (TAN 1152). AFTER SEEING THE DISSATISFACTION FROM HER MOTHER ‟ S FACE, THE TESTS AND HOPES FOR SUCCESS, BEGAN TO EAT AWAY AT HER. IT BEGAN TO TEAR AT THE DAUGHTER ‟ S EMOTIONAL STATE. THE CONSISTENT DISAPPOINTMENT PUSHED THE DAUGHTER TO THE POINT WHERE SHE WOULD NOT BECOME SOMEONE SHE IS NOT.

A CONCLUDING SENTENCE IS THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE PARAGRAPH. *** SOMETIMES IT RESTATES THE MAIN IDEA OF THE PARAGRAPH IT CAN ALSO BE A SENTENCE THAT LEAVES THE READER WITH A THOUGHT OR FEELING ABOUT THE TOPIC

EXAMPLE POE USED MANY LEVELS OF SUSPENSE TO DEVELOP THE THEME OF THE STORY. ONE DEVICE USED TO BUILD SUSPENSE IS THE CLOCK. BY USING THE TICKING OF THE CLOCK, THE AUDIENCE IS AWARE OF TIME PASSING AND THE UNCERTAINTY FELT BY THE CHARACTERS BECOMES MORE SIGNIFICANT. IN POE’S STORY, WHEN THE CLOCK SOUNDED, EVERYONE WOULD GET STILL AND “. “…AT EACH LAPSE OF AN HOUR, THE MUSICIANS OF THE ORCHESTRA WERE CONSTRAINED TO PAUSE… PERFORMANCE CEASED THEIR EVOLUTIONS… THE GIDDIEST TURNED PALE, AND THE AGED AND SEDATE PASSED THEIR HANDS OVER THEIR BROWS AS IF IN CONFUSED REVERIE OR MEDITATION.” THIS QUOTE ILLUSTRATES THE CONFUSION FELT BY THE CHARACTERS AS THEY WAITED FOR DEATH TO COME. THE PHRASE, “… THE GIDDIEST TURNED PALE,” EMPHASIZES THAT EVEN THOUGH THESE PEOPLE WERE RICK, THEY WERE DOOMED TO MEET DEATH. IN CONCLUSION, THE CLOCK’S CONSTANT TICKING, WHICH BUILDS THE SUSPENSE FOR THE READER AS EACH STROKE OF THE CLOCK LED TO THE FINAL MOMENTS, DEMONSTRATES THE THEME THAT EVEN THE WEALTHY CAN DIE.

PARAGRAPH EACH PARAGRAPH SHOULD HAVE A TOTAL OF: 1 TOPIC SENTENCE 2 EVIDENCE SENTENCES 3-5: COMBINATION OF ELABORATE AN SUPPORT SENTENCES 1 CONCLUDING SENTENCE TOTAL: 7-9 SENTENCES

USING TRANSITIONS Idea Transition s

TRANSITIONS LOOK AT THE TWO GROUPS OF SENTENCES BELOW. WHICH SENTENCES READ MORE SMOOTHLY? CLICK ON AN ANSWER BELOW. My friend, Marcos, loves to play sports and is very athletic. He has won a scholarship to play football at a university next year. My friend, Marcos, loves to play sports and is very athletic. In fact, he has won a scholarship to play football at a university next year.

TRANSITIONS What are transition words?

TRANSITIONS A TRANSITION WORD DIRECTLY TELLS THE READER THE LOGICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ONE IDEA AND ANOTHER IDEA. Idea Transition

EXAMPLE Marcos loves to go swimming in the ocean. his parents won’t allow him to do that. ;however, The transition, however, tells the reader that the logical relationship between the two ideas is contrast.

TRANSITIONS TRANSITIONS ARE WORDS THAT HELP MAKE YOUR WRITING MORE COHERENT. THEY CREATE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN: - one clause and another clause - one sentence and another sentence - one group of sentences and the next group of sentences

JOINING TWO INDEPENDENT CLAUSES ONE WAY OF JOINING TWO INDEPENDENT CLAUSES IS WITH A SEMICOLON, A TRANSITION, AND A COMMA. Marcos is a great swimmer he’s very good at scuba diving. ; furthermore, Marcos is a great swimmer ;furthermore, he’s very good at scuba diving.

CONNECTING TWO SENTENCES YOU CAN USE A TRANSITION AND COMMA TO TELL THE READER THE LOGICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO SENTENCES. Marcos is very athletic. he plays three sports at school. In fact, Marcos is very athletic. In fact, he plays three sports at school.

TRANSITIONS IN LONGER WRITING WHEN WRITING A PARAGRAPH OR A LARGER PIECE OF WRITING,YOU CAN USE A TRANSITION TO SHOW THE READER THE LOGICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ONE GROUP OF SENTENCES AND ANOTHER GROUP OF SENTENCES. This is useful when you want to let the reader know that you are changing from one idea to another idea.

EXAMPLE- LONGER PIECE OF WRITING ESSAY Introduction Body Paragraph 1 Body Paragraph 2: In addition, Body Paragraph 3: Furthermore, Conclusion: Transition connects ideas in paragraph 3 to ideas in paragraph 2. Transition connects ideas in paragraph 2 to ideas in paragraph 1.

TYPES OF TRANSITIONS RelationshipTransition AdditionMoreover Furthermore In addition besides Marcos loves to ski ;moreover, ;furthermore, ;in addition, ;besides, he likes to fish.

TYPES OF TRANSITIONS RelationshipTransition Reinforcement/EmphasisIndeed In fact Marcos plays basketball ;in fact, ;indeed, he plays every Saturday. The transition and second clause reemphasize the first clause.

TYPES OF TRANSITIONS RelationshipTransition ExemplificationFor example For instance In particular Marcos enjoys outdoor sports ;for example, ;for instance, ;in particular, he likes hiking, skiing, and fishing. The second clause is more specific than the first.

TYPES OF TRANSITIONS RelationshipTransition ContrastHowever On the contrary In contrast On the other hand Marcos enjoys scuba diving ;on the other hand, ;however, ;on the contrary, ;in contrast, I think it is an expensive sport. $$$

TYPES OF TRANSITIONS RelationshipTransition Result or EffectConsequently Accordingly Thus Hence Therefore As a result Marcos broke his leg ;thus, ;consequently, ;therefore, ;hence, ;as a result, ;accordingly, he can’t play basketball.

TYPES OF TRANSITIONS RelationshipTransition TimeMeanwhile (at the same time) Subsequently (after) Thereafter (after) Marcos scored a goal ;subsequently, ;thereafter, his team won the game. after