Writing Process: Body and Conclusion White & Billings Kirszner & Mandell

Body Develops your thesis by –Presenting the support that convinces your audience your thesis is reasonable –Using the detailed support – facts, examples, illustrations – as well as the emotional, logical, and ethical appeals the collectively demonstrate that the CLAIM IS VALID Body Paragraphs should –Unified, coherent, and well developed –Follow a particular pattern of development and should clearly support your thesis

Each Paragraph should be Unified Unified means that each sentence relates to the main point set forth in the topic sentence of the paragraph The topic sentences should be the first sentence for novice writers but can be moved or implied for more experienced writers. Regardless, each sentence of a paragraph should strive to relate to the POINT of the paragraph

Each body paragraph should be coherent Each body paragraph is coherent if the sentences are smoothly and logically connected to one another by… 1.Repeat Key Words 2.Use pronouns to refer to key concepts in previous sentences but not paragraphs 3.Use transitions to show sequencing (pg 43 in Kirszner & Mandell)

Each body paragraph should be well developed Each body paragraph is well-developed if it contains support – examples, reasons, etc If you feel that your paragraphs are not well developed … –Go back to your notes and brainstorming sheets –Talk with classmates or instructor –Read more about the topic at hand

Types of Support Examples Reasons Facts Statistics Details Expert Opinions Personal Experiences Visuals

Effective Support should be… Relevant –If it doesn’t support your claim, delete it Specific –Don’t use generalities, be specific as possible Adequate –Adequate support depends on audience, purpose and scope of the writing Representative –Cannot only use exceptions, use the typical and atypical Documented –MLA or which ever style is mandated for use

Each Body Paragraph should follow a particular pattern of development The essay should have an overall organizational plan but also so should each paragraph Review the different modes of discourse or patterns of development for more information

Each body paragraph should clearly support the thesis statement No matter how may paragraphs are in a paper, each paragraph should introduce and develop an idea that supports the THESIS Follow the Assertion-Evidence-Commentary Model of paragraph development –Assertion is the topic sentence –Evidence is the support –Commentary is how the two are linked together