A typical academic body paragraph contains five to eight sentences and should be formatted as follows: 1. Subject Phrase: A strong, declarative topic sentence is essential. This will help you arrange your thoughts and direct your reader through your argument more simply. It is best if this sentence expresses or implies the main idea of the paragraph.
Other types of paragraphs include summary paragraphs, supporting paragraphs, concluding paragraphs, and parenthetical paragraphs. Summary and supporting paragraphs provide evidence for the analysis in the essay or article. They can also point out different aspects of the subject being discussed.
Concluding paragraphs bring together the major ideas in an essay or article and summarize their significance for the reader. Parenthetical paragraphs are used to explain or clarify something mentioned but not crucial to the main idea. These paragraphs usually contain information relevant to the subject but that would take up space in the main body of the essay or article.
Sentences within paragraphs should relate to one another by building upon a common theme or idea. This means that each sentence must contribute something new to the discussion or explanation and cannot merely repeat information given in previous sentences.
A sentence should be a complete thought. Therefore, it is important that no word or phrase be omitted from a sentence. Also, a sentence should be grammatically correct with proper spelling and punctuation.
Each body paragraph should begin with a powerful, concise topic phrase (10-15 words). The topic sentence must be followed by two to three sentences of supporting evidence. Most critically, each body paragraph must end with introspection (2-3 phrases).
Here are some examples of effective body paragraphs:
The movie was enjoyable, but I thought the ending was weak. I wondered whether the filmmakers were trying to give us more of a story or just make money. Either way, they failed.
The book was excellent, but I felt it could have used more discussion about how the author's ideas affect society today. However, what it did discuss was relevant and interesting, so I would recommend it to anyone interested in the philosophy behind ethical shopping.
I enjoyed visiting many of the cities on the tour, but I thought Louisville was by far my favorite. It has such beautiful architecture and friendly people that it really put our small towns here in Ohio to shame!
I learned a lot during my visit to Columbus, but I think visitors learn most about our country when traveling across state lines. For example, when visiting Kentucky you get to experience both southern and western culture at its best and worst. You also gain insight into America's history when learning about the civil rights movement in Georgia and Mississippi.
Paragraphs in formal academic English in the United States are divided into three sections. The subject sentence, body sentences, and ending sentence are the three sections. Each section has its own role to play in an essay or article.
In general, the subject sentence gives information about the topic of the essay or article. Body sentences explain how and why this topic is important. Finally, the ending sentence sums up the main idea of the essay or article.
These three sections should be separated by blank lines. Beginning writers may not know what to include in each section, so they may repeat elements from one section in another. This can be avoided by thinking about what information needs to be included in each section and by separating these elements out clearly on the page.
Parts of a formal American paragraph: subject sentence, body sentences, and ending sentence.
The subject sentence is usually a concise statement about the topic of the paragraph or essay. It must be clear and specific. Subject sentences often begin with words such as "There is," "People often think that..." or "It can be shown through research." They generally do not begin with conjunctions such as "and," "but," or "so."
Every paragraph in the body of an essay is divided into three sections: a topic sentence, several supporting sentences, and a conclusion phrase. These components are not always apparent when reading for content, but they are still important to consider when writing.
The first thing to understand about paragraphs is that they consist of three main parts: a topic sentence, several supporting sentences, and a conclusion.
A topic sentence is a concise statement of the main idea or concept of the paragraph or section. It usually consists of one simple sentence that states the central thought of the paragraph or section. For example, if we were discussing how children learn language at the beginning of the essay, then the topic sentence might be "Children learn language." Other possible topic sentences include "Language learning is a difficult task for children," and "There are different ways children learn language." Avoid giving a general overview of a subject; focus on one particular aspect of it instead. For example, if you were writing about children's language development, a general statement like "Children develop language skills" tells us very little about what aspect of language development interests you most and why. Instead, pick one aspect such as "oral language" and discuss how it develops over time.
Several supporting sentences build on the topic sentence by providing further information about it.
Paragraphs in the body A typical argumentative essay is made up of three or more paragraphs that explain why you support your topic. Each body paragraph should address a new concept or piece of evidence and include a subject sentence that explains why the reader should agree with your perspective in a clear and simple manner. The beginning of each paragraph should feature a strong verb and provide a concise explanation of what will follow.
Paragraphs in the body Your essay should be written such that it can be understood independently from the other essays in the collection. Therefore, try not to repeat yourself or describe the same event over and over again. Break up long sentences so that readers can understand them easily. Avoid using complex language or scientific terms unless they are necessary to make your point.
Paragraphs in the body Conclusion The conclusion section is where you summarize all the information presented in your essay. You should start by acknowledging everything we have learned about the topic (even if it's just one thing) then list ways in which it impacts the world today. Finally, you should state an opinion on the topic based on what has been said throughout the essay.
Paragraphs in the body Introduction This section allows you to introduce the topic being discussed. You should start by stating clearly what angle you will take in order to support your argument.
Each body paragraph includes a topic sentence that tells readers what the paragraph is about; supporting sentences that discuss the idea or ideas in the topic sentence, using examples and/or evidence to support that discussion; and a concluding sentence that emphasizes the importance of the supporting sentences...
Each body paragraph should have three main sentences: a topic sentence, which expresses the main idea of the paragraph; one or more supporting sentences, which add detail or clarification about this main idea; and a concluding sentence that summarizes the information in the paragraph.
For example, here is a body paragraph for a newspaper article on how students use social networking sites at college:
Social networking has become an important part of many students' lives both at school and at home. A recent study conducted by Common Sense Media found that 40% of high school students and 55% of middle school students use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The study also found that younger students tend to use social networking sites for entertainment purposes while older students use them for education purposes.
The study's findings are consistent with research from the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, which reported that 50 million Americans between the ages of 13 and 24 were registered users of social networking sites in 2008. This number was up from 10 million in 2003.
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