Generally, a typical academic or research paper is usually divided into the introduction, the body paragraphs, and finally, the conclusion. There is no doubt that the entire process of writing top-notch papers is not easy since a person has to start everything from scratch and organize all the relevant findings in ways that make sense to the reader. In the introduction, the writer familiarizes the readers with what the paper will talk about. It should be written in a way that will capture the audience`s attention and maintain it throughout the entire paper. The introduction should also have a thesis statement, which summarizes the main ideas of the paper. The second important part of any paper is the body paragraphs, which is where all the main ideas are presented in a lengthy way. The ideas in the body paragraphs should offer support to the thesis statement presented in the introduction. It is essential to note that different paragraphs should be connected by transition words. Finally, there is the conclusion where all the main ideas are summarized. This paper will discuss how to write a strong essay body paragraph.
Before you start…
It is essential to note that paragraphing is one of the essential keys when it comes to writing excellent academic papers. The organizational decisions of the writer may determine the level of engagement their content has with the reader. Coming up with a well-written paragraph entails determining or deciding what information or idea goes into a particular paragraph as well as how those paragraphs connect to each other. Generally, everyone knows that the first paragraph of any paper is the introduction while the last paragraph is the conclusion. Both paragraphs play an essential role when it comes to writing a top-notch essay. However, what does it mean by body paragraphs? This is the paragraph that comes in between the introduction and the conclusion. It contains all the arguments of the writer as well as the bulk of the essay.
As a writer, regardless of your level of expertise, you should never forget that a well-written body paragraph should present the main idea of the discussion, should discuss the evidence of your position in relation to a specific point, and should make a connection between the argument and the thesis statement that was presented in the introduction. There should never reach a time when there are two paragraphs that are alike. Whenever a person is writing an academic paper, there is a specific formula the writer should follow so as to ensure that their argument is well-developed and it fits well with other ideas. Each of the sentences contained in a paragraph has a specific purpose. Generally, a specific paragraph in an academic paper should have between five to eight sentences and they should be arranged in a specific format.
There should be a topic sentence in every paragraph
As a writer, you must strive to come up with a strong and declarative topic sentence. This is because it will assist you in organizing your thoughts as well as in guiding your readers through the main argument. It is essential to note that the topic sentence should be specific, arguable, and relevant. You should also avoid including so much information in the introduction paragraph.
Lead up to the evidence
The sentence immediately following the topic sentence should be able to shed more light on a specific focus. This step should be done for the purpose of clarifying meaning and not cramming unnecessary information. This sentence can also be used to provide context regarding the evidence that is to be presented in the paragraph. If there are not too many elaborations to be made, the following essential step is to present the evidence.
Presenting the evidence
The evidence might come from different sources. For instance, it could come from a primary source or from any other trustworthy source such as a newspaper or a journal article. As a reader, you should avoid blinding your reader by starting a sentence with a direct quote. All the cited information should be introduced with a signal phrase that allows the reader to know that information is being integrated from an outside source.
Explain evidence
After the evidence is provided, the next thing to be done is to provide an explanation of the precise meaning that should be obtained from the evidence. You should discuss the specific meaning obtained from a particular quote or statistic. Apparently, even in situations where the meaning to a particular quote may seem so obvious to you, it is essential to describe it so that the readers do not misinterpret the evidence from the way you intended it.
Tie it up
The last sentence or two of the body paragraph should be able to tie up the main idea and link it up to the thesis statement. The last sentence should describe how the point included in the paragraph fits into the main argument of the paper.
Paragraph`s Purposes
Most students and other writers have the wrong perception that academic writing is all about meeting the minimum number of words that have been assigned by a particular lecturer. It is essential for students never to forget that top-notch essays are not constructed by a specific number of words, but by solid ideas that are expressed in concise as well as well-structured forms. A paragraph serves many purposes.
First and foremost, a paragraph draws a definitive boundary around different ideas. Therefore, each idea has a unique location in the landscape of the entire academic paper. Secondly, it is important to note that paragraphs display the thoughts of the author in singular frames where each of the ideas can be easily found. Learning how to write a top-notch paper and a well-transitioning paragraph permits the writer to sound more energetic and purposeful.
The body paragraphs play an essential role in providing the thesis that is presented in the introduction. The body paragraph acts as a path from the introduction, which presents the structure of the paper, to the conclusion, which provides a summary of the main arguments that have been discussed. It is essential to note that each body paragraph should connect logically to the one next to them. Each paragraph should connect logically to the one next to them and it should concentrate on a specific idea. Each paragraph should discuss a single idea. If the topic you are discussing is complex or it has different parts, you should consider whether each of the points will be better if they were contained in different paragraphs.
It is important always to put into consideration that different people will absorb information differently. In most cases, people will tend to absorb information in short increments. Thereafter, they will take mental breaks towards the end of a paragraph. During these breaks, they will take some time to write notes or consider what they have learned. That is why it is always advisable for a person to avoid writing lengthy paragraphs.
How to Start a Body Paragraph
One of the most challenging things to write when it comes to any academic paper is the first sentence of your body paragraph, which should act as your topic sentence. Your first sentence, also known as the paragraph leader, should introduce the main idea that will be discussed in the entire essay. Apparently, after reading your opening sentence, your audience should be able to tell what the rest of the paragraph will talk about. This is one of the reasons why your topic sentence should always be concise, clear, and straight to the point. You should avoid tangents and distractions since there will always be time for providing in-depth information on the discussion topic. All in all, you should provide more information that will aid in revealing enough information that will aid in setting the stage for other sentences.
More often than not, it is essential to ensure that the first sentence of your academic paper has a transition that will aid in bridging the gap in other preceding paragraphs. Although including a transition at the beginning of the paragraph is usually good for the sake of readability, in other instances, you might consider putting the transition at the end of the sentence.
You should not let the use of transitions intimidate you. The good thing about them is that they can be quite easy and simple to apply. All you need to do is to use a single word or a short phrase. All in all, you need to be careful not to overuse the same transition a couple of times in the same paragraph or paper. You might consider going through a wide range of published books or journal articles if you want to increase your vocabulary for transition words.
How to End a Body Paragraph
Similar to the first line of a paragraph, it is essential to note that the concluding sentence of a body paragraph also holds too much weight. Since there is a high likelihood that your reader will take a momentary pause at the end of each paragraph, your last sentence will act as an echo, in the sense that they will continue thinking about what they have read even as they proceed to the next paragraph. You can take advantage of the last sentence to make a long and lasting impact in the mind of the reader. It is essential to note that your concluding sentence should be able to summarize the thesis of your paper while including various supporting evidence that will aid in wrapping things up. It is also important to end your paragraph in a way that will encourage your reader to make a reflection on what they have learned or read.
6 Steps for Writing an Effective Body Paragraph
There are six ways of writing an outstanding body paragraph. If you follow all six steps, there is no reason why you should not attain your desired grades.
Step 1: Write a Topic Sentence
Your topic sentence should create the main point of the paragraph. In addition, it should be able to support the relationship to the overarching thesis statement of the essay. Generally, every time the reader goes through the first sentence of the paragraph, they should be able to understand the main idea that supports the thesis statement.
Step 2: Unpack the Topic Sentence
As a writer, this is your time to develop the main ideas of your essay`s topic by explaining as well as expanding the individual ideas. The good thing is that you may use as many sentences as possible to achieve your desired objective. However, if your objective has a lot of details, you might consider presenting them in different paragraphs. The main concept is to have every idea in one paragraph.
Step 3: Give Evidence
In the third step, you should prove the main claim of your sentence by providing all the relevant quotations, data, facts, and other reputable sources. The primary objective is to offer original ideas while at the same time referencing credible sources such as personal experiences, studies, journal articles, and books.
Step 4: Analyze the Evidence
In the fourth step, you should strive your best never to leave the evidence of your body paragraph hanging. As a writer, it is your responsibility to link your sources of evidence with the main ideas you have presented in your paper. You could make the connection by expanding, explaining, interpreting, and commentating the all the gathered findings.
Step 5: Prove Your Objective
In this step, you should restate your topic sentence and use a different language so that you do not sound repetitive.
Step 6: Provide a Transition
The final step is all about providing the transition, which must be smooth and connected to all the available ideas.
In conclusion, a typical academic paper should consist of the introduction, the body paragraph, and finally the conclusion. Unfortunately, most people pay so much attention to the introduction and conclusion and they forget about the body paragraph, which also holds a lot of weight. Hopefully, this paper will assist you with tips on how to come up with quality body paragraphs.
