The PLEA Paragraph

P = Point (also known as the topic sentence)

  • The point expresses and argument that requires evidence to support it. Consequently, it shows the reader what the paragraph will be about.
  • Example: Mr. Bueller decided not to embarrass Victor in French class because Mr. Bueller figured that Teresa would motivate Victor to learn French.

L = Link (also known as background information)

  • The link provides the who, what, when, where, and why information so that the reader understands the basic situation. In other words, the reader needs to know what text you’re referring to, who Mr. Bueller, Victor, and Teresa are, and what has happened that might cause Victor to be embarrassed in French class.
  • Example: Mr. Bueller, Victor, and Teresa are characters in Gary Soto’s “Seventh Grade” short story. In this narrative, Victor is beginning his seventh-grade year at a new school, and he has a crush on Teresa. Naturally, Victor wants to impress Teresa, so he pretends to know French. However, Mr. Bueller, his French teacher, quickly learns that Victor knows no French, but he does not embarrass Victor in front of his peers and allows Teresa to ask Victor for French tutoring:

E = Evidence with Documentation (also known as concrete/supporting details

  • The evidence with documentation provides an example from the text that supports the point. In other words, it provides an example that helps make your point more believable/reasonable.
  • The evidence must also be documented (in MLA format), meaning that you provide the author’s last name and page number (line numbers for poetry and paragraph numbers whenever page numbers are missing).
  • The documentation makes your argument more believable because the reader can check your examples and ensure that you’re not making things up.
  • Example: “Teresa asked him [Victor] if he would help her with her French. . . After metal shop there was biology, and after biology a long sprint to the public library, where he checked out three French textbooks” (Soto 255).

A = Analysis (also known as commentary or elaboration)

  • The analysis means that it’s time for you to break it down for the reader and explain how your evidence supports your point.
  • Your analysis should be at least three thoughtful and insightful sentences in length.
  • Example: This evidence shows that Mr. Bueller understood that although Victor knew no French (and probably cared little about the language), there was one easy way to motivate him—get Teresa to do it. Victor obviously cared what Teresa thought of him, so in order to impress her, he would have to learn more French. If Mr. Bueller would have embarrassed Victor in front of Teresa, then Victor probably would have been very reluctant to learn anything from the class. In the end, Mr. Bueller clearly empathized with Victor (he had a similar situation in college) and used this understanding to motivate his student to learn French.

PLEA Paragraph Example for a Level-Two Question

Question: Why did Mr. Bueller decide not to embarrass Victor during French class?

Mr. Bueller decided not to embarrass Victor in French class because Mr. Bueller figured that Teresa would motivate Victor to learn French. Mr. Bueller, Victor, and Teresa are characters in Gary Soto’s “Seventh Grade” short story. In this narrative, Victor is beginning his seventh-grade year at a new school, and he has a crush on Teresa. Naturally, Victor wants to impress Teresa, so he pretends to know French. However, Mr. Bueller, his French teacher, quickly learns that Victor knows no French, but he does not embarrass Victor in front of his peers and allows Teresa to ask Victor for French tutoring: “Teresa asked him [Victor] if he would help her with her French. . . After metal shop there was biology, and after biology a long sprint to the public library, where he checked out three French textbooks” (Soto 255). This evidence shows that Mr. Bueller understood that although Victor knew no French (and probably cared little about the language), there was one easy way to motivate him—get Teresa to do it. Victor obviously cared what Teresa thought of him, so in order to impress her,he would have to learn more French. If Mr. Bueller would have embarrassed Victor in front of Teresa, Victor probably would have been very reluctant to learn anything from the class. In the end, Mr. Bueller clearly empathized with Victor (he had a similar situation in college) and used this understanding to motivate his student to learn French.