BODY OF ESSAY

EKA APRIANI, M.Pd.

 What IS the Five Paragraph
Essay?
 An introduction
 The first body paragraph
 The second body
paragraph
 The third body paragraph
 A conclusion
A five-paragraph essay should have the following
basic format:
I. Introduction
A. Background info
B. Thesis sentence (including 3 specific points)
II. Topic sentence for 1st body paragraph
A. Point one
B. Point two (at least 2 points, but more points are fine)
III. Topic sentence for 2nd body paragraph
A. Point one
B. Point two
IV. Topic sentence for 3rd body paragraph
A. Point one
B. Point two
V. Conclusion
Write the Body Paragraphs:

In the body of the essay, all the preparation up

to this point comes to fruition. The topic you
have chosen must now be explained, described,
or argued. Each main idea that you wrote down
in your diagram or outline will become one of
the body paragraphs. If you had three or four
main ideas, you will have three or four body
paragraphs.
Each body paragraph will have the
same basic structure.
 Start by writing down one of your main ideas, in sentence form.
If your main idea is "reduces freeway congestion," you might say this:
Public transportation reduces freeway congestion.
 Next, write down each of your supporting points for that main idea, but leave four or
five lines in between each point.
 In the space under each point, write down some elaboration for that point.
Elaboration can be further description or explanation or discussion.
Supporting Point Commuters appreciate the cost savings of taking public transportation
rather than driving. Elaboration Less driving time means less maintenance expense, such
as oil changes. Of course, less driving time means savings on gasoline as well. In many
cases, these savings amount to more than the cost of riding public transportation.
 If you wish, include a summary sentence for each paragraph.
This is not generally needed, however, and such sentences have a tendency to sound
stilted, so be cautious about using them.
 Once you have fleshed out each of your body paragraphs, one for each main point, you
are ready to continue.
Paragraphs contain three main
sections:
 Point: the topic sentence, which describes
the focus (main point) of the paragraph
 Illustration: explanations, evidence, and
examples that reinforce the main point
 Explanation: evaluation of the illustration
or discussion of its significance and
connections between this paragraph and
◦ the thesis statement
◦ nearby paragraphs
Point
 All paragraphs should be focused: they should discuss only
one major point. That point should connect with the overall
focus of the essay (as described in the thesis statement).
 The major point of a paragraph is often called the controlling
idea. Every paragraph should have a different controlling idea,
each one discussing one aspect or part of the overall essay.
 Body paragraphs will often begin with a summary of the
controlling idea: the point (also known as the topic
sentence). The point (or topic) sentence summaries the
paragraph in the same way that the thesis statement
summaries the whole essay.
 The rest of the paragraph supports that main point (the
topic sentence), by explaining it in detail, giving an example,
or citing evidence that reinforces it.
Illustration
 The largest part of any body paragraph is the illustration, which consists of
explanations, supportive evidence and examples. Illustrations use logic to
fully explain the main point raised in the topic sentence. It is not enough to
just explain an idea, however: you need to show that outside evidence
supports it as well. The illustration can include
 Facts
 Published opinions
 Research from books, journal articles, websites, etc.
 Published case studies
 Research data
 Illustration must be relevant to the topic and it must be used and credited
properly.
 Outside sources can be quoted, summarized, or paraphrased. For
information on the right and wrong ways to do this, see quoting and
paraphrasing. Crediting outside sources is known as referencing, and is
described in detail in the section titled introduction to referencing.
Explanation

 The explanation should clarify how the reader should

interpret your illustrative evidence and also how the
paragraph's controlling idea works to support the thesis
statement. It may also discuss the significance of your
explanation.
 Remember that body paragraphs do not exist in isolation.
They should fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Transitions show
the connections between paragraphs themselves, and the
connections between the paragraphs and the overall focus of
the essay.They often appear at the end of a paragraph.
 Transitions are essential for maintaining momentum in your
essay and showing the reader how all the ideas fit together.
They are described in detail in the next section, essay flow.