21.1: Readings by H. Morrison
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Body paragraphs constitute most of the essay. They are also where you’ll do the most work. Within an essay, body paragraphs allow a writer to expand on ideas and provide audiences with support for a chosen topic or argument—essentially, to prove their argument. In each body paragraph, you must include a topic sentence, evidence, explanation of the evidence and/or a discussion of the significance of the evidence, and a transition/conclusion.
Outline of Body Paragraph
I. Body Paragraph
a. Topic sentence
b. Additional information on the topic
c. Introduction and presentation of evidence 1:
i. Explanation and interpretation of evidence 1 and/or a discussion of the significance of the evidence 1
d. Transition
e. Introduction and presentation of evidence 2:
i. Explanation and interpretation of evidence 2 and/or a discussion of the significance of the evidence 2
Continue with transitions and evidence presentation and explanations until complete.
f. Transition/conclusion
Body Paragraph Components
Topic sentences
Topic sentences should encapsulate the idea of your body paragraph, while being general and clearly relating to your thesis statement. In many cases, the topic sentences for a given paragraph will mirror a part of the thesis. This means for our purposes, topic sentences will be argumentative, as your thesis statements for all your essays in the class will be argumentative.
Think of topic sentences as the thesis statements of their respective paragraphs. If its helpful to think of such things in terms of familiar employment hierarchies, thesis statements are the big bosses of essays—what they say goes, and nothing should occur that they don’t prescribe. Topic sentences are then the middle managers—they do the bidding of the thesis statement. They don’t invent new topics, and the rest of the paragraph—think of them as the common worker—carry out the real work dictated by the thesis statement and their topic sentence.
Topic sentences should be the first sentence in the paragraph because it introduces to your audience what the paragraph will be about.
Evidence and Supporting Details
After the topic sentence, you should provide sentences that introduce your supporting evidence. Evidence should most often be from a reliable source—usually the sources your instructor has provided or have been approved by your instructor. This can be a quote, a paraphrase, or even a short summary of the source, but it must always be cited. Be sure to properly integrate your sources into your essay. Evidence may include an example drawn from first-hand observation or personal experience but be very careful with this: be sure your personal example is appropriate, logical, and actually strengthens your argument.
Explanation of Evidence and Explanation of significance
In the sentences after your quote/paraphrase/example, clarify the information you provided in a concise manner. You should also provide the necessary details to develop your example as evidence. Sometimes, this means reiterating the quote in different, more accessible language so that it’s easier to understand. However, you should only do this if you believe your audience needs the evidence explained differently. If your quote’s or paraphase’s meaning is clear, you do not need reiterate it.
Consider the following example:
Arnold Jones states, “75% of college students report not getting enough sleep; this in turn leads to brain fog and low energy that impacts their academic performance and quality of life.” This shows that students say they don’t get enough sleep and their grades and lives suffer because of it.
While the second sentence is an accurate summary of the quote, it’s unnecessary because the quote itself was clear. The second sentence has the same meaning as the quote itself, so it contributes nothing.
It would, however, be beneficial to write a sentence after the quote that shows the significance of the quote and interprets—rather than restates—the evidence. In demonstrating the significance of the quote, you will have to showcase your logical skills and your understanding of the topic. For example,
Arnold Jones states, “75% of college students report not getting enough sleep; this in turn leads to brain fog and low energy that impacts their academic performance and quality of life.” This means the vast majority of college students are seriously struggling with poor sleep and the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation, which has become an epidemic in colleges and universities.
This second sentence explanation offers interpretation of the quote and adds some information while furthering the discussion.
Transition and/or conclusion
To draw the discussion and interpretation of evidence to a close, use the evidence and explanations to reach a conclusion: a new understanding of the thesis that mirrors your topic sentence. If possible, craft the conclusion so that it sets the reader up to transition to the next paragraph.