Barker. t.e.x.a.s.body paragraphs

Understanding body paragraphs

1. 1
Writing
Body
Paragraphs
“Readiness is all."
(William Shakespeare)

2. 2
HOW IS THE BODY
PARAGRAPH DIFFERENT?
•Of the three paragraphs--
introductory, body and concluding--
the body is probably the most
difficult to write.
WHY?

3. 3
As a result,
Writing body
paragraphs takes more
planning and time than
the introductory or
concluding paragraph.

4. 4
Before you write a body
paragraph, you need to
make sure . . .
•That you have adequate and specific
examples. (Article, Graph, Chart, etc…)
or
•A short story (Novel, Play, Etc…) to
back up or illustrate your thinking.
and
•That your ideas are in the right
T.E.X.A.S. order.

5. 5
This is the format for the body paragraph which
should include about 6 to 9 sentences and be of
about 100 words in length.
T – stands for Topic. Here you state what you’ll be talking about in the
paragraph. It only needs to be one line, just enough to specify what
you're talking about.
E - stands for Explain. Here you will elaborate on your Topic, giving the
reader more information about what it is. One line will do here, but two is
more beneficial for your mark.
X - stands for Example. This is where your paragraph comes to the crunch.
You will have to use a real example. If you’re Responding to Literature,
you'll need a real quote. If you're doing a formal writing essay you'll be able
to get away with a looser interpretation of the word 'real'. You will be judged
on the content of your quote and how you use it to back up your argument.
A - stands for Analysis. Here you discuss how your example backs up your
argument. Two lines is a good bet here, the more you show how much you
understand your example the better. Feel free to start it off with, 'This shows
how..." or "Here we see..." You shouldn't get marked down particularly, but
you'll get marked up for a more original link.
S - stands for Summary. This often means repeating your Topic statement
with more affirmative grammar. Rearranging the words never hurt either.

6. 6
This is the format for the body paragraph which
should include about 6 to 9 sentences and be of
about 100 words in length.
T – stands for Topic.
Here you state what you’ll be
talking about in the paragraph.
It only needs to be one line, just
enough to specify what you're
talking about.

7. 7
This is the format for the body paragraph which
should include about 6 to 9 sentences and be of
about 100 words in length.
E - stands for Explain.
Here you will elaborate on your
Topic, giving the reader more
information about what it is. One
line will do here, but two is more
beneficial for your mark.

8. 8
This is the format for the body paragraph which
should include about 6 to 9 sentences and be of
about 100 words in length.
X - stands for Example.
This is where your paragraph comes to the
crunch. You will have to use a real example. If
you’re Responding to Literature, you'll need a
real quote from an actual book. You can easily
start a sentence with “This can be seen when
______ says…” If you're doing a formal writing
essay you'll be able to get away with a looser
interpretation of the word 'real'. You will be
judged on the content of your quote and how
you use it to back up your argument.

9. 9
This is the format for the body paragraph which
should include about 6 to 9 sentences and be of
about 100 words in length.
A - stands for Analysis.
Here you discuss how your example backs up
your argument. Two lines is a good bet here, the
more you show how much you understand your
example the better. Feel free to start it off with,
'This shows how..." or "Here we see..." You
shouldn't get marked down particularly, but
you'll get marked up for a more original link.

10. 10
This is the format for the body paragraph which
should include about 6 to 9 sentences and be of
about 100 words in length.
S - stands for Summary.
This often means repeating your
Topic statement with more
affirmative grammar.
Rearranging the words never
hurt either.

11. 11
Before you begin to write,
you must outline,
brainstorm or pre-write.
•Use the T.E.X.A.S. Graphic
Organizer to arrange and plot out
your ideas. If you ultimately move
your sentence around that is okay,
but use the organizer to rough draft.

12. Created by
José J.
Gonzalez, Jr.
Spring 2002
12
(TOPIC) "New Zealand roads are seriously
overcrowded. (EXPLAIN) Most people own a car
and use that car everyday. This has lead to crowded
streets and more traffic jams. This increased traffic is
having a negative effect on a number of people in our
society. (EXAMPLE) A government report released
in 2006 showed that “the increased ownership of cars
has led to a 20% increase in traffic jams over the last
10 years.” (ANALYSIS) Police must monitor and
direct Traffic Jams; traffic Jams cause problems like
pollution, accidents, and road rage. Also, people get
to work late and lose hours for productivity. This
means later hours and/or rushed final products.
Finally, traffic means parents are late picking up kids
from school, not preparing dinner, and/or missing
quality time with their children. (SUMMARY) New
Zealand roads are far too overcrowded."