Essay Glossary

Body Paragraph

Essays want to be recognized for more than just their bodies. Unfortunately for them, we’re pretty shallow, so we’re going to ogle their physique for a second.

Any paragraph in your essay that isn’t the Introduction or the Conclusion is a Body Paragraph. So in other words, it’s all that stuff in the middle. In an academic essay, there are usually at least three body paragraphs. Each one makes a single point in support of the thesis using evidence, reasoning, quotes, and examples. Unfortunately, your pretty drawings have no place in an essay, no matter how profound. Which is a shame, because you can do, like, the best unicorns.

In order to develop body paragraphs, you could answer the following questions:

• What’s the point you are trying to make?
• How do you know?
• How does the evidence support the point?
• What does it all mean? (For more on this one, click here)

Also see: Paragraph, Topic Sentence, Support