1. FIRST SENTENCE=TOPIC SENTENCE
Your topic sentence should reference the author, the context of the passage, and the central idea.
Needs author, context, and main idea
Example:
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses the young lovers to suggest that intense emotions can inhibit logical thinking.
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2. SECOND SENTENCE= EXAMPLE
Your second sentence should offer a transition word or phrase (for example, for instance, such as, in particular, chiefly, namely, etc.) and a specific example to support your topic sentence. Provide necessary context if needed.
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3. EXPLANATON/ANALYSIS OF THE EXAMPLE
After you provide a specific example, you should explain HOW your example supports the theme stated in the topic sentence.
Questions to consider:
What is the author’s purpose for including this quote or detail?
How does the quote or detail further the author’s argument?
Why is this quote essential to the main idea/theme?

4. EXAMPLE 1:
For example, as they fight, Romeo yells at Tybalt, “Oh I am fortune’s fool!” Romeo’s outburst highlights his feeling that fate has been especially and unnecessarily cruel to him. He has had no control over his own destiny and is simply a “fool” manipulated by the hands of fate.
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5. EXAMPLE 1:
For example, as they fight, Romeo yells at Tybalt, “Oh I am fortune’s fool!” Romeo’s outburst highlights his feeling that fate has been especially and unnecessarily cruel to him. He has had no control over his own destiny and is simply a “fool” manipulated by the hands of fate.
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6. EXAMPLE 2:
Telling Romeo to forget about Rosaline, Benvolio argues that “one fire burns out another’s burning; / One pain is less’ned by another’s anguish” (I.ii ) suggesting that Benvolio knows Romeo is playing a game.  If falling in love is easy, Benvolio seems to be saying, then so is falling out of love.
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7. EXAMPLE 2:
Telling Romeo to forget about Rosaline, Benvolio argues that “one fire burns out another’s burning; / One pain is less’ned by another’s anguish” (I.ii.46-47). This statement suggests that Benvolio knows Romeo is playing a game.  If falling in love is easy, Benvolio seems to be saying, then so is falling out of love.
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8. THEN, REPEAT WITH ADDITONAL EXAMPLES AND ANALYSIS

9. CONCLUDING SENTENCE
Without repeating word-for-word what the topic sentence (theme) states, your final sentence should reflect the main idea of the paragraph and offer some additional insight into the discussed theme.
Answer the questions: so what? Why does this information matter?
EXAMPLE: By emphasizing the intense emotions of the young lovers and their detrimental effects, Shakespeare reminds the reader that one should strive for balance between emotions and reason.