Body ParagraphsBody Paragraphs

Body ParagraphsBody ParagraphsPurpose

The body paragraphs in your essay supportthe main idea in your thesis statement bybreaking it down into smaller ideas or subtopics. Ideas in your paragraphs should relate back tothe thesis statement.

Essay

Introduction &

Thesis Statement

Body Paragraph 1

_____________

Body Paragraph 2

_____________

Body Paragraph 3

_____________

Body Paragraph 4

_____________

Body Paragraph 5

_____________

What is a

Is this a paragraph?Is this a paragraph?

I need a water bottle in case I get thirsty.

A sweater is useful if it gets cold.

A compass will help me go in the right direction.

Sandwiches will be an easy-to-carry snack.

I can use a camera to take pictures of unusual or attractive places.

This is but a list of unrelated sentences.

ParagraphParagraph

Most paragraphs contain between five to ten sentences. The first line of a paragraph is usually indented (begin a few spaces to the right of the margin) to show that there is a new paragraph.

Form

________________________ . ____________________. _____________________. _________________________. ____________________________. ____________________. ______________________. ______________________________.

indent

Is this a paragraph?Is this a paragraph?

I need a water bottle in case I get thirsty. A sweater is useful if it gets cold. A compass will help me go in the right direction. Sandwiches will be an easy-to-carry snack. I can use a camera to take pictures of unusual or attractive places.

This is also a list of unrelated sentences. It is mere Nonsense.

A paragraph is a series of

sentences developing one topic.

Can we make it a Can we make it a paragraph?paragraph?

I need a water bottle in case I get thirsty. A sweater is useful if it gets cold. A compass will help me go in the right direction. Sandwiches will be an easy-to-carry snack. I can use a camera to take pictures of unusual or attractive places.

Yes, we can make it a paragraph by stating the central idea of the paragraph in one sentence like “I am preparing for a trip to Mount Tai”, which works miracles for the paragraph.

 

Key FeaturesKey Features A paragraph should contain some of the

following features…

A Topic Sentence

Supporting Sentences

A Concluding Sentence

Unity

Through the centuries rats have managed to survive all our efforts to destroy them. We have poisoned them and trapped them. We have fumigated, flooded, and burned them. We have tried germ warfare. Some rats even survived atomic bomb tests conducted on Entwetok atoll in the Pacific after World War II. In spite of all our efforts, these enemies of ours continue to prove that they are the most indestructible of pests.

main idea

concludingsentence

Topic SentencesTopic Sentences

Every paragraph should have a topicsentence. This is the most important sentencebecause it expresses the main idea of theparagraph.

Definition

Body Paragraph

An important factor in learning a foreign language has to do with the

concept of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation. When we do something

for the “fun of it” or because we enjoy it, that is called intrinsic

motivation. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is when we do

something for the purpose of receiving some kind of external reward

such as money, time off from work, etc. Many education experts believe

that intrinsic motivation is more powerful when it comes to helping

students retain what they’ve learned. The question and challenge for

teachers today is, “How can we help our students become intrinsically

motivated in what we are teaching?”

ExampleExampleTopic Sentence

Topic Sentence: states the main idea of the paragraph.

Topic Sentence EssentialsTopic Sentence EssentialsComplete Sentence

There are several things you need toremember when writing topic sentences. Thefirst is that topic sentences are alwayscomplete sentences.

ExampleExample

Strategies of learning English.

There are many strategies that you can use to help you learn a new language.

Not a complete sentence

ExampleExample

The Day of the Dead.

The Day of the Dead is a special holiday in Mexico when people can get together to remember deceased loved ones.

Not a complete sentence

Topic Sentence EssentialsTopic Sentence EssentialsTwo Parts

A topic sentence contains the topic of theparagraph and a controlling idea. Thecontrolling idea limits the topic to somethingvery specific.

Example #2Example #2Topic and Controlling Idea

Topic Sentence

One of the most serious problems in today’s inner-city public

schools is overcrowded classrooms.

Topic: names the main idea or general subject of the paragraph

Controlling Idea: makes a specific comment about the subject. Tells the reader what the paragraph will say about the main topic.

Example #2Example #2Topic and Controlling Idea

Topic Sentence

One of the most serious problems in today’s inner-city public

schools is the low percentage of trained teachers.

Topic: names the main idea or general subject of the paragraph

Controlling Idea: makes a specific comment about the subject. Tells the reader what the paragraph will say about the main topic.

Be Careful!Be Careful!

Make sure that your topic sentence does not contain too many controlling ideas.

Topic Sentence The advent of the Internet has benefited society through improved communication.

ExampleExampleThere are too many controlling ideas to be covered in one paragraph. A good topic sentence should be limited to one controlling idea.

Most topic sentences contain only one controlling idea.

Topic Sentence The advent of the Internet has benefited society through improved communication, access to information, and streamlined commerce.

Practice ExercisePractice Exercise

Write one or two topic sentences about the following topics:

1. Television’s effects on children

*It is bad for children to watch TV.

Watching too much TV does harm to children ‘s health..

Watching TV sometimes interferes with children’s school work.

2. Living in a cityThere are a lot of advantages of living in a city.

I prefer not to live in a city for three reasons.

Supporting SentencesSupporting SentencesDefinition

Every paragraph has sentences that relateto the ideas in the topic sentence. Thesesentences are called supporting sentences. Look at the supporting sentences on the nextpage to see how the writer provided moreinformation on the subject in the topicsentence.

Supporting SentencesSupporting SentencesTopic Sentence

An important factor in learning a foreign language has to do with the

concept of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation.

When we do something for the “fun of it” or because we enjoy it, that is called intrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is when we do something for the purpose of receiving some kind of external reward such as money, time off from work, etc.

Many education experts believe that intrinsic motivation is more

powerful when it comes to helping students retain what they’ve learned.

Supporting Sentences

Concluding SentenceConcluding Sentence

A concluding sentence is the lastsentence in a paragraph. A conclusion

canremind the reader of the main points of aparagraph and/or leave the reader withsomething to think about in relation to

thetopic. Look at the next page to see howthe writer used a concluding sentence.

Definition and Purpose

Body Paragraph

An important factor in learning a foreign language has to do with the

concept of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation. When we do something

for the “fun of it” or because we enjoy it, that is called intrinsic

motivation. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is when we do

something for the purpose of receiving some kind of external reward

such as money, time off from work, etc. Many education experts believe

that intrinsic motivation is more powerful when it comes to helping

students retain what they’ve learned. The question and challenge for

teachers today is, “How can we help our students become intrinsically

motivated in what we are teaching?”

Concluding SentenceConcluding Sentence

This concluding sentence tries to leave a final thought with the reader by asking a question.

Concluding sentence

Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a glowing beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was manufactured twenty-three centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection outside the spaceship. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.

This concluding sentence remind the reader of the

main points

Concluding Concluding SentenceSentence

Useful Expressions

It is sometimes helpful to have a concluding expressionin your last sentence to signal the end of your paragraph.Some common expressions used in concluding sentencesare listed below.

As we can see,

These examples show that…

As a result,

In summary,

In short,

Consequently,

Practice ExercisePractice Exercise

You can reduce gas consumption in your car by careful driving and good maintenance. Don’t speed. Gas consumption is about 10 percent higher at 60 miles per hour than at 50 miles per hour and even greater at higher speeds. Avoid fast stops and starts because they wear your tires out in addition to using a lot of gas. Check your tire pressure often because under-inflated tires reduce gas mileage considerably. Get your car tuned up regularly because an inefficiently operating engine results in inefficient fuel consumption. To conclude, if you keep your car in good condition and drive it carefully, your use of gasoline is sure to decrease .

Write a concluding sentence for the following paragraph:

UnityUnity

Definition Good paragraphs have unity. Thatmeans that each sentence in the paragraphis related to the topic sentence. Unifiedparagraphs also discuss only one main idea.

Unity in a ParagraphEvery sentence in a paragraph should support the main idea expressed in the topic sentence.

main idea

sentencesentence

sentencesentence

Is this a unified paragraph?

My father is very strict with his children, especially me. He will not let me out of the house unless I have done all my homework Frankly, I do not care whether I go to school or not. School is such a waste of time. There are not any good jobs, anyway. My mother does not agree with my father. They quarrel a lot. Sometimes I wish they would get a divorce, but then whom would I live with?

This is a unified paragraph

My sister Liz was born lucky. She has a beautiful smile. When she does something bad, she smiles and my parents are not angry. She eats a lot and does not get fat. Her favorite meal is a double cheeseburger with French fries, a milkshake, and an ice cream sundae. After school she does her homework in five minutes while she watches television at the same time. In conclusion, I believe some people are born lucky, but some are not.

Body Paragraph

One of the recent status symbols for many American business people is the

palm pilot. Palm pilots are small electronic devices that help people organize

information such as dates for meetings, short notes, and addresses of contacts.

Fax machines are also very popular among office workers. With palm pilots, a

person can input information at any time and any place. Many business people

also have cellular phones so that they can make phone calls from just about

anywhere. When a person returns to the office from a business trip, he/she won’t

have to spend hours organizing notes or addresses, because the palm pilot

already has that information. All that person has to do now is hook up the palm

pilot to a personal computer, and voila! All the information from meetings is

efficiently organized on the hard drive of the personal computer!

Find the sentences that are “off topic” or do not relate to the topic

sentence. Topic Sentence

These sentences do not relate to the topic sentence in the paragraph. This paragraph does not have unity.

Practice ExercisePractice Exercise

Locate the irrelevant sentences in the following short paragraphs.

1. My roommate Tony is very untidy. He has brown hair and blue eyes. He always leaves his laundry on the floor. When he cooks, he never washes the dishes. For a while, he had a bicycle on his bed. It is not surprising that Tony can never find anything.

 

2. George has not been lucky in school this year. He got sick and missed classes, and could not take his finals. He also lost his books. These were not only textbooks but also his notebooks. Everybody likes George because he will go out of his way to help people.