Writing a Body Paragraph
Topic Sentence
What is this paragraph about?
How does it further the argument of your
paper?
Introducing Your Evidence
When including evidence, make
sure it is integrated smoothly into the text of
the paper.
Readers should be able to
move from your words to your evidence
without feeling a logical or mechanical jolt.
Find a quote from one of your sources that illustrates the point you are
making.
Evidence
The author of the quote you are citing as well as the page number from
which the quote comes is essential. No matter what you cite, this
information MUST be present, even if you don’t directly quote material.
You can do this 3 different ways:
1. Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of
powerful feelings" (263).
2. Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings"
(Wordsworth 263).
3. Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
A quote does nothing for your paper unless
you give it some explanation.
Unpacking your Evidence
Explain what the quote means and why its important to your argument.
The author should agree with how you sum up the quotation—this will help
you establish credibility, by demonstrating that you do know what the author
is saying even if you don’t agree.
Often 1-2 sentences tops (unless you evidence is particularly long or
complicated that is).
No matter how good your evidence is, it won’t help your argument much if your reader
doesn’t know why it’s important.
Ask yourself: how does this evidence prove the point
you are trying to make in this paragraph and/or your paper as a whole?
This is your time to give analysis as to how your evidence and
assertion reaffirm your thesis and argument.
This should be a big chunk of your paragraph.
Commentary /
Analysis
End your paragraph with a concluding sentence or sentences
that reasserts how your paragraph
contributes to the development of your
argument as a whole.
Concluding sentence
Topic Sentence
Introducing Evidence
Evidence
Explaining Evidence
Use this as your
checklist. Do you
have all 6 pieces?
Analysis/ Commentary
Concluding
Sentence
Remember, you will
be repeating steps 25. The second set of
quotes and analysis
will support the first.