How to Write Strong Essay Body Paragraphs – with REAL Example | Scribbr 🎓

Summary

This video provides a comprehensive guide to writing the body of an essay, focusing on crafting strong paragraphs. It emphasizes the importance of having a thesis statement and outline before starting. Each paragraph should be unified around a single idea, coherent, and relevant to the essay's thesis. The video details how to use topic sentences to introduce and link ideas, and how to support them with evidence, such as statistics, quotes, or examples. It concludes with advice on wrapping up paragraphs effectively and hints at future videos on crafting clear topic sentences.

Takeaways

• ✍️ The body of the essay is where you present your arguments, explain ideas, and provide evidence.
• 📌 Before writing the body, you need a thesis statement and an outline to structure your essay.
• 📝 Each paragraph should be unified, coherent, and relevant to the essay's thesis.
• 🧠 Start each paragraph with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea.
• 📚 Evidence can include statistics, quotes, examples, or personal observations to support your points.
• 🔗 Topic sentences help create smooth transitions and link paragraphs together.
• 🧐 Follow up the evidence with analysis or explanation that ties back to your argument.
• 📊 Relate your evidence to the main point of the paragraph to ensure clarity and relevance.
• 💬 Conclude the paragraph by summarizing the consequences or impact of the evidence.
• 📖 Continue building the body by starting each paragraph with a new topic sentence.

Q & A

What are the key elements of a strong paragraph in an essay?

A strong paragraph should be unified (all sentences relate to one central idea), coherent (the sentences are logically organized and connected), and relevant (the paragraph clearly relates to the essay’s thesis).

What is the purpose of a topic sentence in a paragraph?

A topic sentence introduces the paragraph’s focus, providing a clear indication of what the paragraph will discuss. It may also help in transitioning between paragraphs and linking ideas together.

How can you provide evidence in a paragraph?

You can provide evidence by citing relevant statistics, quoting or paraphrasing sources (e.g., books or articles), describing real-life examples or case studies, or providing your own data from interviews or observations.

What should you do after presenting evidence in a paragraph?

After presenting evidence, you should offer your own interpretation or explanation. Explain how the evidence supports your argument and adds to your main point.

What is the role of a thesis statement in an essay?

The thesis statement presents the main argument or point of the essay. It helps guide the structure of the essay and ensures that all paragraphs and ideas are connected to the central argument.

How does an outline help in writing the body of an essay?

An outline helps organize your thoughts and plan the order of information in the essay, ensuring that the ideas flow logically and that the essay has a clear structure.

Why is it important to wrap up each paragraph with a conclusion?

Wrapping up a paragraph with a conclusion reinforces the main point of the paragraph and summarizes the consequences of the evidence discussed. It also provides a transition to the next paragraph.

What should the first body paragraph in an essay typically do?

The first body paragraph usually introduces the context or background of the topic, setting the stage for the subsequent arguments or points discussed in the essay.

How can paragraphs in an essay be connected logically?

Paragraphs can be connected logically through topic sentences that provide transitions and links between ideas. Additionally, using clear signposts and references to previous ideas helps maintain coherence throughout the essay.

What are some common ways to introduce evidence in an essay?

Common ways to introduce evidence include paraphrasing from sources, quoting directly, using statistics, or giving real-life examples and case studies that support your argument.