2.2: TEA Paragraphs

Parts of a TEA Body Paragraph

Body paragraphs support and develop your thesis statement. Each body paragraph should focus on one point, which is usually communicated at the beginning of the paragraph in the form of a topic sentence. A strong body paragraph should also contain supporting evidence that illustrates or demonstrates the main topic. Finally, analysis will explain how your evidence connects to your topic sentence and thesis statement.

In this class, we will practice the TEA paragraph structure to ensure our body paragraphs are well supported and developed for our readers.

Noticing the structure of a body paragraph

Let's look at a sample body paragraph and evaluate how effective it is.

Notice this!

Read the following body paragraph. As you read, think about how the body paragraph does or doesn’t fit with our definition above. The thesis statement for this essay is, “The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete, and make one story become the only story.”

Adichie argues that a single story usually provides only one part of a story: just one negative or positive side of a person, yet this becomes their label or their definition. Adichie cites the example of Modupe Akinola, a female African-American professor. When she began teaching at Columbia Business School, students often asked her when the professor would arrive because she did not fit the stereotype of what a professor should look like in the U.S. Stereotypes are "incomplete" and can lead to prejudice as Adichie points out in her TED talk. Due to a lack of exposure, Akinola’s students were probably expecting to see an old white male or possibly a white female professor instead of a young African-American female professor. Also, because of the angry black female stereotype (Eberhardt), during lectures, this may lead students to read Akinola's facial expressions in an incorrect way which may cause confusion.

If you found the paragraph a little confusing, you aren’t alone (see figure 2.5.1)! For example, this paragraph lacks a clear topic sentence; this makes it more difficult for both readers and the writer of the essay to get a clear grasp of the paragraph’s purpose. The supporting evidence also isn’t sufficiently introduced, and there’s no clear concluding sentence.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): "Confused" by CollegeDegrees360 is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.

Let’s explore each element of a strong TEA body paragraph in further detail. Then, we’ll come back to this paragraph about stereotypes.

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TEA Paragraphs: Topic Sentences

Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that is directly related to and supportive of your thesis statement. The topic sentence should be an opinion statement and should introduce the main idea of the body paragraph. All of the sentences in the rest of the paragraph should relate to, support, and expand on the topic sentence.

Topic Sentence Guidelines

• Usually the first sentence of a body paragraph
• Should be arguable (meaning people can disagree) and specific
• Has coherence with the thesis statement by restating the essay topic and one of the main points in different words
• Can also help the reader transition from one idea in the previous paragraph to the next by referring to a previous idea (bridging)

Another way to think about it is this: A topic sentence expresses both the topic and controlling idea of a body paragraph. This means that the topic sentence of a body paragraph goes beyond just stating the topic, but also shows the writer’s perspective on the subject.

Read the following topic sentence examples.

1. In the STEM field, stereotypes attribute girls' achievements to diligence instead of talent
   • Topic: stereotypes in the STEM field
   • Controlling Idea: attribute girls' achievements to diligence instead of talent
2. Stereotypes are harmful because they give an insufficient view of a person within a group.
   • Topic: stereotypes
   • Controlling Idea: are harmful and give an insufficient view of a person within a group
3. Recognizing your stereotypes and the potential damage they do is the first step in creating change.
   • Topic: recognizing your stereotypes and the potential damage they do
   • Controlling Idea: is the first step in creating change

Although the topic—stereotypes—is the same in all three topic sentences, the controlling idea differs depending on the writer’s viewpoint.

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TEA Paragraphs: Supporting Evidence

Develop the main idea in your topic sentence by following it up with supporting evidence. Supporting sentences help describe, explain, prove, or enhance the topic sentence. Supporting evidence can take many forms:

Examples

Examples provide specific instances, cases, or illustrations that demonstrate your main point. Examples can come from various sources including current events, history, pop culture (films, TV shows, music, social media), public figures, well-known scenarios, or specific situations from real-life explained in detail. Examples make abstract ideas concrete and help readers see your argument in action.

• From pop culture: In the film Crazy Rich Asians, the protagonist Rachel struggles against stereotypes about Asian Americans being perpetual foreigners, even though she is a successful economics professor born and raised in New York.
• From history: During World War II, Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps based on the single story that they were threats to national security, despite the fact that many were second and third-generation American citizens.

Personal experience and anecdotes

Personal experience can count as evidence when appropriate as well (e.g., to illustrate a point). Personal experience includes examples from your own life. They can also be examples from other people's lives, such as something that happened to a family member or friend. Personal experience is often most effective when paired with other types of evidence.

• Example: When I transferred to a new high school my junior year, I was immediately labeled as "the quiet one" by my classmates. This label stuck with me for months, even though I was actively involved in debate club and sang in the school choir.

Descriptions

Detailed descriptions help readers visualize and understand your subject. This type of evidence uses sensory details (smell, sound, touch, taste, etc.), specific observations, or vivid imagery to "paint a picture" for your readers. This type of evidence is particularly effective in narrative, descriptive, or analytical essays where you need to establish context or bring a scene, person, or object to life for your reader.

• Example: The waiting room at the immigration office was filled with families clutching their carefully organized manila folders. Children sat quietly on old plastic chairs while parents rehearsed answers in whispered tones.

Explanations

Explanations clarify how something works, why something happens, or what something means. Explanations break down complex ideas, processes, or concepts into understandable parts. They are especially useful when you need to demonstrate your understanding of a topic or help your reader grasp challenging material before presenting your argument.

• Example: Confirmation bias occurs when people only look for information that agrees with their beliefs while ignoring evidence that contradicts them. For instance, if someone believes that a certain group is unfriendly, they will remember times when people from that group were not nice. They may forget or ignore times when people from that group were warm and kind.

Textual Evidence

Textual evidence involves integrating outside sources into your writing. We will practice using textual evidence in Essays 3 and 4.

• Publications such as books, journals, websites, newspapers, and magazines
• TED talks and documentary films
• Information from sources such as facts, statistics, and examples

Integrating supporting evidence

There are many ways to integrate evidence as text in body paragraphs of your essay.

• Direct Quote: Adichie states, "...when we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise."
• Paraphrase: Adichie states that when we to listen to more than one person's story about a person or place, we can see how there are several stories.
• Summary: In her TED Talk, Adichie warns that hearing only one person's story can create critical misunderstandings about that person, their country, or their culture.
• Combination (paraphrase and quote example): Adichie states that when we to listen to more than one person's story about a person or place, "we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise."

Sometimes you might include graphs, charts, tables, or images depending on the essay genre and topic.

You must always credit the original source of your information! In this class, we will practice the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation style.

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TEA Paragraphs: Analysis (also known as commentary)

Analysis is where you interpret, explain, or comment on your evidence so your reader knows what to do with the point you are making. Your commentary should connect back to your topic sentence and the core of your thesis statement.

Here are some questions to think about when writing your analysis of the evidence:

• How is this idea related to my thesis statement? How does it support my thesis?
• What conclusions can I draw?
• What are the consequences (positive or negative) of this information?
• What does this information imply or suggest?
• I just said that something happens, so how or why does it happen? How can I explain this?
• How does this information relate to other sources, texts, or ideas?

Example: In her TED Talk, Adichie states, "...when we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise." This idea demonstrates that people experience and practice the same culture in different ways. Therefore, it is important to listen to multiple perspectives to better understand the complexity and beauty of a culture.

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Concluding sentence

The concluding sentence is the last sentence in the paragraph. This sentence should signal to the reader that you are closing this paragraph, idea, or argument. Here are some strategies for writing a concluding sentence:

• Summarize the main point of the paragraph
• Paraphrase the topic sentence with different words
• Reference one of the main points
• Use concluding words like therefore, overall, as a result, lastly, given these points

Example: In her TED Talk, Adichie states, "...when we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise." This idea demonstrates that people experience and practice the same culture in different ways. Instead, it is important to listen to multiple perspectives to better understand the complexity and beauty of a culture. Overall, relying on a single point of view can result in reducing a culture to a harmful stereotype that does not accurately represent everyone in a cultural group.

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Finding the parts of a body paragraph

Let's put this all together.

Try this!

Read the following paragraph. It is a revised version of the body paragraph at the beginning of this section. Can you identify the following elements?

• Topic sentence
  • What is the topic?
  • What is the controlling idea?
• Evidence
• Analysis
• Concluding sentence

Stereotypes are problematic because they give an incomplete view of a person within a group. In her TED talk “The Danger of a Single Story,” Adichie argues that a single story usually provides only one part of a story: just one negative or positive side of a person, yet this becomes their label or their definition. An example of this kind of stereotyping is what happened to Modupe Akinola, a female African-American professor. When she began teaching at Columbia Business School, students often asked her when the professor would arrive because she did not fit the stereotype of what a professor should look like in the U.S (Akinola). People tend to make assumptions about the single story they hold of a particular group. Due to a lack of exposure, Akinola’s students were probably expecting to see an old white male or possibly a white female professor instead of a young African-American female professor. Also, because of the angry black female stereotype (Eberhardt), during lectures, this may lead students to read Akinola's facial expressions in an incorrect way which may cause confusion. Thus, stereotypes are "incomplete" and can lead to prejudice as Adichie points out in her TED talk.

Answer

Stereotypes are problematic because they give an incomplete view of a person within a group. In her TED talk “The Danger of a Single Story,” Adichie argues that a single story usually provides only one part of a story: just one negative or positive side of a person, yet this becomes their label or their definition. An example of this kind of stereotyping is what happened to Modupe Akinola, a female African-American professor. When she began teaching at Columbia Business School, students often asked her when the professor would arrive because she did not fit the stereotype of what a professor should look like in the U.S (Akinola). People tend to make assumptions about the single story they hold of a particular group. Due to a lack of exposure, Akinola’s students were probably expecting to see an old white male or possibly a white female professor instead of a young African-American female professor. Also, because of the angry black female stereotype (Eberhardt), during lectures, this may lead students to read Akinola's facial expressions in an incorrect way which may cause confusion. Thus, stereotypes are "incomplete" and can lead to prejudice as Adichie points out in her TED talk.

Topic Sentence: Stereotypes are problematic because they give an incomplete view of a person within a group.

• Topic: Stereotypes
• Controlling idea: They are problematic because they give an incomplete view of a person within a group.

Evidence

• Evidence 1 (summary): In her TED talk “The Danger of a Single Story,” Adichie argues that a single story usually provides only one part of a story: just one negative or positive side of a person, yet this becomes their label or their definition.
• Evidence 2 (example): An example of this kind of stereotyping is what happened to Modupe Akinola, a female African-American professor. When she began teaching at Columbia Business School, students often asked her when the professor would arrive because she did not fit the stereotype of what a professor should look like in the U.S. (Akinola).

Analysis

• Analysis 1: People tend to make assumptions about the single story they hold of a particular group. Due to a lack of exposure, Akinola’s students were probably expecting to see an old white male or possibly a white female professor instead of a young African-American female professor.
• Analysis 2: Also, because of the angry black female stereotype (Eberhardt), during lectures, this may lead students to read Akinola's facial expressions in an incorrect way which may cause confusion.

Concluding Sentence: Thus, stereotypes are "incomplete" and can lead to prejudice as Adichie points out in her TED talk.

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Works Cited

Adichie, Chimimanda. "The Danger of a Single Story." TED. July, 2009.

Eberhardt, Jennifer. "How Racial Bias Works — And How to Disrupt it." Ted. June, 2020.

Licenses and Attributions

Authored by Susie Naughton, Santa Barbara City College, and Clara Zimmerman, Porterville College. License: CC BY NC.