1. Jane Schaeffer Paragraph Overview
Ms. Mitchell

2. Format of a “Proper Paragraph”
TS – Topic Sentence
CD – Concrete Detail: Lead-In, “blah, blah, blah” (Author 22).
CM – Commentary
CM - (This commentary may also transition from one CD to the next) CD CM
CS – Concluding Sentence

3. Format of a “Proper Paragraph”
Topic Sentence (TS):
Your topic sentences are the first sentences in each body paragraph and are sub-thesis statements. This is your main idea for the entire paragraph.
Concrete Detail (CD):
Concrete details are facts or quotes that support your topic sentence
Commentary (CM):
Commentary sentences (2 per detail) explain each detail
Concluding Sentence (CS):
End each paragraph with commentary which clarifies what you just proved with your CDs and CMs, but write it in a new way.

4. Concrete Details – Proving your topic sentence
Concrete Detail Starters (CD):
For example, …
An illustration of this would be…
For instance, …
This is shown when the author writes, …
In addition, (for the 2nd CD)
Moreover (for the 2nd CD)

5. Commentary – Explaining the details
Commentary Starters (CM):
This shows that...
This also shows that…
One can see by this that...
The reader again notices how...
This is because…
This is important because…
In addition…
Furthermore…
Therefore…

6. Example of a “Proper Paragraph”
TS: George and Lennie share close ties, both dependent on the other.
CD: Lennie tells George, “Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after
you” (Steinbeck 14).
CM: For Lennie, George is both confidante and protector.
CM: George is compelled to look after Lennie because of George’s promise to Aunt Clara.
CD: Lennie and George also both share a dream - a farm of their own where they “gonna get
a little place” (Steinbeck 105).
CM: The prospect of their own place signifies simplicity, no more confusing temporary work.
CM: George sees it as a second chance to end all the running and hiding.
CS: George and Lennie's underlying strength bonds the pair together.

7. Example of a “Proper Paragraph”
George and Lennie share close ties, both dependent on the other. Lennie tells George,“Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you” (Steinbeck 14). For Lennie, George is both confidante and protector. George is compelled to look after Lennie because of George’s promise to Aunt Clara. Lennie and George also both share a dream – a farm of their own where they “gonna get a little place” (Steinbeck 105). The prospect of their own place signifies simplicity, no more confusing temporary work. George sees it as a second chance to end all the running and hiding. George and Lennie's underlying strength bonds the pair together.

8. Introducing Quotes Introducing Quotes: • X states______ (page #).
Example: Smith has conducted studies that show similar correlations (20).
• According to X, _______ (page #).
According to Smith, studies show similar correlations (20).
• X himself writes________ (page #).
• In X’s view, ____________ (page #)

9. Explaining Quotes • Basically, X is saying________
• In other words, X believes_______
• In making this comment, X argues that_______
• X is insisting that_____
• X’s point is that________

10. Summary
Something that I learned about proper paragraphs/Something I was reminded about proper paragraphs was…