THE BODY PARAGRAPHS: THE MAIN PART OF THE ESSAY
SOURCES: Fundamentals of Academic Writing. Butler, Linda / Writing Academic
English. Oshima, Alice / Introduction to Academic Writing. Oshima, Alice
Structure of a four/five-paragraph essay (Intro…)
1. Introduction: General statements, thesis statement
● The introduction should stimulate or grab the reader’s interest.
2. Body: 3 paragraphs
● Each paragraph develops a subdivision of the topic.
● Each body paragraph should be dedicated to one of the supporting points of
your thesis.
3. Conclusion: Restatement or summary of the main points; final comment
● The conclusion is a paragraph similar to the concluding sentence in a
paragraph. It is the summary or review of the main points discussed in the
body.
Structure of a paragraph: introduction, body, conclusion
A paragraph is a group of sentences about one topic. The second sentence follows the
first sentence on the same line, not on a new line.
Topic sentence and more
A topic sentence comes at the beginning of a paragraph. It gives the writer’s main idea.
A good topic sentence helps readers understand the paragraph.
The rest of the paragraph is made up of sentences that do the following:
1. They support the idea or topic of the topic sentence
2. They exemplify the idea or topic of the topic sentence
3. They may also personalize the idea or topic of the topic sentence
4. The final sentence of the paragraph should be a closing or transition sentence
that finishes off or sets the stage for a transition to the next paragraph.
Example: Good fathers help in the raising of their children. Our culture expects a father
to take part in bringing up his sons or daughters. This is considered to be good
parenting. When a father, for instance, spends time with his kids in the park, this is met
approvingly by those who see it. Moreover, I recall that my father spent a lot of time with
me helping me understand Algebra. This was crucial for me to get a good grade in that
class. His attitude and behavior was a classic example of good parenting.
Example: People sometimes confuse sea lions and seals. These animals are different
in several ways. Despite looking superficially similar, they are quite different. Seals have
flippers that lie flat on their bodies while sea lions have flippers that jut out from their
bodies. Another physical point of distinction is that sea lions carry their heads high, and
seals carry their heads just about the ground. Of course, these two animals are related
and quite similar, but these differences do mark them out from each other.
The sentences that follow the topic sentence are the supporting sentences. Supporting
sentences give evidence as to why the topic sentence is true.
All the supporting sentences in a paragraph must be relevant—they must relate to the
main idea. This is important for paragraph unity.
Exercise 1
Write support sentences for these topic sentences to create a cohesive and
coherent paragraph.
Large cars create a lot of difficulty on our streets.
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Living in a remote area can make a person’s life rather challenging.
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For an essay, you will have to write various paragraphs. Besides the introductory
paragraph, you will have to write two or three body paragraphs.
Each paragraph is dedicated to a particular topic within your essay answer.
In one case, you may have to offer pro and contra arguments for something.
For instance, an essay question may say:
“Video games have become present in our culture. However, they still generate some
controversy as some say that they harm childrens’, and people’s, development. What
arguments are made for both sides of this issue? Where do you stand?
The two following body paragraphs may be found answering such an essay:
There are many researchers who say that video game use stimulates brain
development. Such experts point to studies that show that children who play a lot of
these games have greater hand eye coordination. Furthermore, some studies even
indicate quicker reaction time and faster drawing of conclusions from visual input. I have
even seen my nephew’s amazingly quick manual dexterity, and it seems that this is due
to his frequent playing of video games.
On the other hand, there is a mountain of research that seems to point to the opposite:
video game use is harming young people’s development. There are studies that state
that these young people become withdrawn and lack social skills. Moreover, certain
physical problems may also arise. These may include vision impairment, headaches,
squinting, migraines, and joint problems—especially wrists and elbows.
Exercise 2
Write two paragraphs that present pro and contra arguments in response to this
question:
There is a growing trend to see obesity as a public health problem that requires
state intervention while some people feel that this is a personal issue that should
be resolved accordingly. How do you see this?
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