How to Write a Strong Paragraph

Thesis Statements/Topic Sentence

• The structure of a strong paragraph includes:
  • Topic Sentence/Claim
  • Providing Context
  • Evidence and Elaboration
  • Repeat (if necessary)
  • Link to Thesis

Topic Sentences/Claims

• The first 1-2 sentences of your paragraph.
• A Topic Sentence/Claim = A + B

What is a Topic Sentence/Claim?

1. A sentence that introduces the main argument of a paragraph.

   • Thesis Statements/Topic Sentences should ALWAYS HAVE:

     • What - FOCUS (CLAIM)
     • How - LITERARY DEVICE (PROOF)
     • Why - Why is the author doing this? Why is the author showing this? Why should the readers care to learn about this? (ANALYSIS - BIG PICTURE/UNIVERSAL THEME)

   • Example:

     • In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is best described as a maniac through characterization demonstrated by her speech and internal dialogue, showing readers that women who do not have any power, desire obtaining authority and control.

Providing Context/Background Info

• Before you include evidence, you need to provide some context about the claim that you have made.

Providing Context

• When you are providing CONTEXT for your reader and you begin to DEVELOP your argument, it is important to:
  • ONLY PROVIDE DETAILS THAT ARE NECESSARY
  • NOT provide a summary of the entire text
  • Get focused to the scene in which you are going to be looking at with evidence

Integrating Evidence and Elaboration

Finding Good Evidence:

• Ask yourself:
  • Does this quote clearly connect to my claim?
  • Does it amplify the point that you are trying to make?
  • Does the evidence give you something to elaborate on?
  • Are there key details in the evidence that you can focus on and speak about?

Proper Quote Integration

• Examples of integrating quotes:
  • In the scene when _, Character asserts that “ … ”
  • When Character is _, he/she/they state “ … ”
  • This is most notable when Character claims, “ … ”
  • This is exemplified clearly when Character says, “ … ”
  • When , Character responds by saying that “ … ”
  • Character argues, “ … ”
  • When Character says, “ … ” , what he/she/they are trying to say is that……
  • Character feels that “ …. ”

Elaborating on Evidence

• You can’t just throw in a quote and do nothing with it - you need to explore how it connects to your thesis.

The Elaboration Triangle: A Strategy for Effectively Elaborating on Text Evidence

• Level One: Paraphrase and Contextualize
  • Provide context for the quote (Explain what is happening in the scene of the quote in your own words)
  • Guided Questions:
  • What is happening in the quote?
  • What is being described?
  • What is the character doing/saying/ thinking?
• Level Two: Relate to Thesis Statement
  • Connect the main idea of this quote back to your argument
  • How does it connect?
  • What does it show readers?
  • Guided Questions:
  • Why is this line/phrase/sentence significant in the text?
  • What does it show readers?
  • Why this quote?
  • What does it invite readers to think about?
• Insert INTEGRATED quote here
• Level Three: Pulling Key Phrases
  • Choose at least TWO words/phrases from quote that directly connect to your thesis and argument
  • THIS STEP HAS NO WRITTEN REQUIREMENT - it is prep for Level 4!
• Level Four: Character/Author’s Purpose
  • Explain why the character or author says/writes these words/phrases (i.e. their purpose in text)
  • Guided Questions:
  • Dissect the overall meaning and implications of the smaller words/phrases chosen.
  • How does the word/phrase contribute to the significance of the quote?
  • How does it strengthen the point you are making?
• Level Five: Evaluate
  • Emphasize overall importance of the quote
  • how does it support your argument?
  • Guided Questions:
  • What does this quote do to support your main argument?
  • How does it support the points that you are making?
• Apply all five levels to achieve depth in your analysis of text evidence!

Repeat Steps 2-3 IF NECESSARY

• Sometimes, you need two quotes to support an argument. Other times, you need just one.
• Use your best judgement, but know that the more proof that you have, the better and more convincing your argument will be.

Link Back to Thesis

• You can’t just end the paragraph after your quote - you need to bring it back to your thesis!

Ask yourself these questions to respond to at the end of your paragraph:

1. How do the ideas that you’ve constructed link back to your main argument?
2. Did the evidence add any elaborated ideas? Add those details and restate them here.