1. Body Paragraph 1
  2. Topic sentence: the main idea of that paragraph (the corresponding value from your thesis should be mentioned here)
  3. 3-4 supporting sentences that provide details, examples, and support for the topic sentence, which looks like…
  4. Evidence that will prove and support your point
  5. Comment on and analyze your piece of evidence, explaining how it supports your point
  6. Repeat until value is proven!
  7. Concluding sentence/transition statement to the next paragraph

Example #1—

Students who learn how to write well will earn better grades in most classes. This is true because most instructors assign a variety of written assignments, and depending on the class, these written assignments often encompass a large percentage of a student’s final grade. For instance, all college students seeking a degree will be required to take a composition class. In this class alone, students will write five different essays. Furthermore, other classes, such as history, psychology, nursing, etc., also require students to write multiple essays. According to John Doe, a Professor of English at Aims Community College, the average undergraduate student will write twenty-five different essays while seeking a bachelor’s degree. This number increases dramatically for students who go on to seek a graduate degree(s). Because all students, regardless of major, will be required to compose a large number of essays, it is important that they learn how to write well.

Example 2—

While there is little doubt that extracurricular opportunities at the University of Texas are a positive and critical component of students’ overall development, providing students with time management skills is equally important. One only needs to look at past alumni to see the validity of this claim. As famous alum George W. Bush states, “I sometimes overdid it when I was at UT, missing out on valuable academic opportunities. Fortunately, I buckled down in my senior year and managed to make a “C” average and things have worked out fine since” (227). In this example, George W. Bush is arguing that the detrimental effects of extracurricular excesses can be rectified in the senior year of college. While Bush is certainly correct when he implies that it is never too late for a student to try to raise his or her GPA, it is probably better for students to attempt to balance academic and other activities early in their college career. Also, he assumes that all students can achieve what they want with a “C” average, but many students need higher GPAs in order to apply to professional school, graduate school and for graduate-entry jobs. While extracurricular activities are often a positive and critical component of student life at UT, administrators should consider instigating a time management education and awareness course for all incoming freshmen. After all, not every UT graduate will be as lucky as George W. Bush; if our students are going to succeed in business and higher education, we need to first ensure they understand the importance of time management.

Remember, the more evidence that is provided in a body paragraph, the better. The key is to make a claim (topic sentence), support it with specific detail (give examples and provide specific information unpacking and explaining the examples), and then conclude the paragraph by reinforcing the original claim (final sentence).