Steps for Developing Body Paragraphs

Step #1 -- Decide on the main idea for the paragraph.

The main idea for a paragraph is expressed in the "topic sentence," and this sentence is normally at the beginning of the paragraph -- however, in certain cases, it might also be placed in the middle or even at the end of the paragraph. The main idea should provide the focus for the entire paragraph -- everything in the paragraph should clearly relate to and support the main idea. Anything which is tangential to the main idea or completely different than the main idea should probably be moved to another paragraph.

Step #2 -- Gather "evidence" to support and develop the main idea.

The "evidence" you will gather most often depends on the type of paper you are writing. Common kinds of evidence include:

• Examples -- brief and extended

• Details -- appealing to the senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell

• Facts -- sources include almanacs, encyclopedias, research studies, direct observations, and personal experience

• Statistics

• Authorities and Expert Testimony -- should be authoritative and reputable -- should be presented using reference, summary, paraphrase, and/or quotation, and should be "cited"

• Anecdotes -- brief stories -- from personal experience or first-hand observations

• Scenarios -- hypothetical -- they tell about something that might happen

• Cases -- they summarize observations made over a period of time

• Textual Evidence -- also presented using reference, summary, paraphrase, and/or quotation, and should also be "cited"

Step #3 -- Decide on a "pattern" of organization.

Most writing handbooks discuss building effective paragraphs and give additional "strategies" for developing and organizing paragraphs. These "patterns" include:

• Examples and Illustrations

• Narration

• Description

• Process

• Comparison and / or Contrast

• Analogy

• Cause and / or Effect

• Classification and / or Division (Analysis)

• Definition

Other "patterns" not covered in some writing handbooks include:

• Organizing from general to specific -- Deduction

• Organizing from specific to general -- Induction

• Organizing by spatial location -- e.g., left to right, or top to bottom, etc.

• Organizing by logical progression -- i.e., least important to most important, or sequential, etc.

• Organizing by problem and solution

And, finally, many paragraphs make use of more than one pattern.

Step #4 -- "Dig deeper" into your main idea by asking the question, "So what?"

It is not enough in a college-level paper to develop a paragraph by stating the main idea and then giving "evidence" to support the main idea. You need to "tie" the two together for your readers by commenting on the "evidence" you include in your paragraph. You need to explain the significance of the evidence. You need to connect the evidence to the main idea (topic sentence). And, in some cases, you need to connect the evidence and main idea to the thesis of the paper. In other words, you need to explain to your reader how and why the evidence is important, to you, and to the reader. The best way I know how to do this is by asking "so what?" throughout each paragraph.

Step #5 -- Combine these steps together as you compose your paragraphs.

Even though the topic sentence usually comes first in the paragraph, you don't necessarily need to always give the evidence next and end with the comments about the significance of the main idea. A better paragraph, a more sophisticated paragraph, will blend the evidence and the comments about the significance of the main idea throughout the paragraph. Variety is important here; a reader will begin to notice if your paragraphs are all constructed the same way and follow the same form.

Additional Resources:

This website from the University of Wisconsin at Waukesha also gives steps and examples for "Developing Your Essay."