Understanding
Body Paragraphs
In most freshmen composition courses, the major projects for
the course are ARGUMENT essays. Every
academic writing must be written in three sections (called the
3-part-layout). The three parts are the Introduction
paragraph, the Body paragraph(s), and the Conclusion.
This handout will discuss some of the specifics about Body
Paragraphs.
What are body paragraphs?
Body paragraphs are any paragraphs that come between
the introduction and conclusion paragraphs. They contain mostly
your writing, but source materials can be used if the sourced content defends, reiterates,
and supports what you have already established in the paragraph. (You will not use sources to make
your argument for you.)
Strong body paragraphs
·
Stay on a single topic—the main point of your
paragraph—that is established in the topic sentence of that
paragraph. (No source
usage in a topic sentence.)
·
Are written in 3rd person voice
·
Contain no questions
·
Contain no contractions
·
Provide concrete examples to
demonstrate the main idea in the paragraph
·
Explain how the examples relate
to your main point
·
Use outside sources to defend
the argument being made in the body paragraph
·
Assess and analyze the
source content to show how it proves the topic sentence main idea
·
End with a finalizing statement that
reflects back to the topic sentence of the body paragraph—not on some detail from the example. (No
source usage in a closing sentence.)
Body paragraphs serve as spots for argument assertion,
clarification, and refutation.
Argument Assertion (body paragraphs)
In an argument essay, you need to declare a clear thesis
statement in the introduction paragraph, and assert your argument in the argument
body paragraphs. These body paragraphs are
where you are presenting your arguments and using reliable source content to
defend your argument.
Clarification and Refutation (body paragraphs)
After you have asserted your arguments to develop the thesis
statement through the body paragraphs, you will have one or more body
paragraphs that clarify and refute counterarguments. Counterargument body paragraphs expose other
sides of the issue and argue that these alternative views are not logical due
to X, Y, or Z.
NOTE: While you can insert
counterarguments in your argument body paragraphs, counterarguments work
best as body paragraphs of their own so that the counterargument is fully developed.
If you have a counterargument that is very brief and not able to be fully
developed, you can embed it into the actual argument body paragraph and then
move on to the next argument paragraph.
Limiting Content in Body Paragraphs
Body paragraphs must be at least 5 sentences in length for
minimal development. Keep in mind that
when a body paragraph is approaching 20 sentences, you need to assess whether
the viewpoint/focus has wandered a bit. Typically, a body paragraph
(whether an argument or counter-argument body paragraph) should be less than 20
sentences long.
For the minimal view…without commentary, see the body paragraph structure/order list here:
Some students find it beneficial to understand exactly what goes in each of these 5 types of sentences. To learn what the ‘you’ and ‘source’ terms mean above, see the detailed content below.
Don’t forget, you can increase the number of argument development sentences, and you can add more source defending sentences—if you follow them with more analysis sentences. A typically developed paragraph would look something like this:
What
to include in Body Paragraphs (order)
Body paragraphs may seem willy-nilly to someone who has never
broken them down and followed the logic in their pattern. However, if you do this, you will find that
items go in specific places in an argument essay’s body paragraph in the hope
of logically walking the audience through your assertion in a way that they
have to agree with your viewpoint.
Body paragraphs must be at least 5 sentences in length. This is because to meet the minimum level of
development, you have to include a topic sentence, argument, evidence,
analysis, and a summative sentence.
For the minimal view…without commentary, see the body paragraph structure/order list here:
1. Topic Sentence: you
2. Argument Development: you
3. Evidence: source
4. Analysis: you
5. Summative Sentence: you
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Some students find it beneficial to understand exactly what goes in each of these 5 types of sentences. To learn what the ‘you’ and ‘source’ terms mean above, see the detailed content below.
Topic
Sentence: This sentence will be in your
own words—without sources—and it will clearly assert part of the argument in
the thesis statement.
Directly supports one part of the thesis argument
Each body paragraph topic sentence will clearly identify the
topic of each individual body paragraph by breaking down the argument from
the essay
map.
Argument Development: This sentence will be in your own words—without
sources—and it will begin to establish the topic being argued in the
paragraph. (You can have multiple argument development sentences.)
Focus is on clearly detailing the argument point(s) and then (in
later sentences) following the writer’s argument with the evidence and
then analysis sentences.
Evidence: This sentence will begin the section of your body paragraph
where you use outside sources to defend what you have been arguing in the
earlier sentences—in the argument development. When a sentence is used with evidence—outside
sources—you then need to follow it with one of your own to explain how the
evidence defends what you were arguing.
Example(s), fact(s), etc. from correctly cited quotes,
paraphrases, and/or summaries that support your main point of the topic
sentence relating it to the thesis and providing additional information about
the problem.
Analysis: This sentence will be in your own words—without sources—and it
will assess and analyze the sourced content from the ‘evidence’ sentence.
(You can have multiple analysis development sentences.)
This will be an explanation of how the evidence supports the
topic sentence/thesis statement. Include the benefits of your argument and clarify how it is logical. (Avoid using first and second-person
pronouns in all academic writing.)
Summative Sentence: This sentence will be in your own words—without sources—and it must
wrap-up the topic by reflecting back to the topic sentence of this body
paragraph. This sentence is relatively short, to the point, and must circle back to what the topic sentence said it was arguing in the paragraph.
Reiterates the topic sentence in a new way and transitions your
ideas from one paragraph to the next. (Use appropriate transitional words and
sentences throughout your essay to help your essay flow well for your reader.)
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Don’t forget, you can increase the number of argument development sentences, and you can add more source defending sentences—if you follow them with more analysis sentences. A typically developed paragraph would look something like this:
1. Topic Sentence: you
2. Argument Development: you
3. Argument Development: you
4. Argument Development: you
5. Evidence: source
6. Analysis: you
7. Analysis: you
8. Evidence: source
9. Analysis: you
10.
Analysis: you
11. Summative Sentence: you
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Basically, the point for the pre-set structure is so that you
are adequately introducing the argument and providing at least one support to
defend what you are arguing. However,
the paragraph becomes even more rich when you analyze, evaluate, argue, assess,
and examine the argument and its support deeply. That is why the 11-step body paragraph sample
above is very common.
You do not have to have an 11-sentence body
paragraph.
Please remember that. Your minimum for a body paragraph is 5
sentences. How you develop it from there is up to you. Just keep in
mind that for every evidence sentence, you must have at least one
analysis sentence to explain the source.
Good luck, and have fun!
For additional help with
basics of academic writing, feel free to visit these links.
General Content
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© 2019, Jeanette Dick
For Educational Purposes Only
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