Week 4 Paragraph Plan

Paragraphs contain three main sections:

• Main point: the topic sentence, which describes the focus of the paragraph

• Support: explanations, evidence, and examples that reinforce the main point

• Transitions: connections between this paragraph and the thesis statement/nearby paragraphs.

Academic paragraphs are usually at least three sentences long, and can be longer still. However, don't make those sentences too long. As a rough guide, a sentence longer than three lines is too long.

Main point;

All paragraphs should be focused: they should discuss only one major point. That point should connect with the overall focus of the essay.

The major point of a paragraph is often called the controlling idea. Every paragraph should have a different controlling idea, each one discussing one aspect or part of the overall essay.

Body paragraphs will often begin with a summary of the controlling idea: the topic sentence. The topic sentence summarises the paragraph in the same way that the thesis statement summarises the whole essay.

Support;

Explanations use logic to fully explain the point raised in the topic sentence. It is not enough to just explain an idea, however: you need to show that outside evidence supports it as well.

Support an include; facts, published opinions, research from books, journal articles, websites, published case studies, research data.

Transitions;

Body paragraphs do not exist in isolation. They should fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Transitions show the connections between paragraphs themselves, and the connections between the paragraphs and the overall focus of the essay.