BODY PARAGRAPHS

Purpose : The body paragraphs in your essay support the main idea in your thesis statement by breaking it down into smaller ideas or subtopics. Ideas in your paragraphs should relate back to thesis statement.

Form : Most paragraphs contain between five to ten sentences. The first line of a paragraph is usually indented (begin a few spaces to the right of the margin) to show that there is a new paragraph.

Key features : Body paragraphs should contain some of the following features...

• A topic sentence
• Supporting sentence
• A concluding sentence
• Unity