{"id":109,"date":"2020-02-25T23:15:27","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T04:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/the-paragraph-body-supporting-your-ideas\/"},"modified":"2021-08-06T15:55:04","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T19:55:04","slug":"supporting-your-ideas","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/supporting-your-ideas\/","title":{"raw":"Writing the Essay Body: Supporting Your Ideas","rendered":"Writing the Essay Body: Supporting Your Ideas"},"content":{"raw":"Whether the drafting of a paragraph begins with a main idea or whether that idea surfaces in the revision process, once you have that main idea, you\u2019ll want to make sure that the idea has enough support. The job of the paragraph body is to develop and support the topic. Here\u2019s one way that you might think about it:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Topic sentence<\/strong>: what is the main claim of your paragraph; what is the most important idea that you want your readers to take away from this paragraph?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Support in the form of evidence<\/strong>: how can you prove that your claim or idea is true (or important, or noteworthy, or relevant)?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Support in the form of analysis or evaluation<\/strong>: what discussion can you provide that helps your readers see the connection between the evidence and your claim?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Transition<\/strong>: how can you help your readers move from the idea you\u2019re currently discussing to the next idea presented? For more specific discussion about transitions, see the following section on \u201c<a class=\"internal\" href=\"\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/developing-relationships-between-ideas\/\">Transitions<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nFor more on methods of development\u00a0that can help you to develop and organize your ideas within paragraphs, see \"<a class=\"internal\" href=\"\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/patterns-of-organization-and-methods-of-development\/\">Patterns of Organization and Methods of Development<\/a>\u201d later in this text.\r\n\r\nTypes of support might include\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Reasons<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Facts<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Statistics<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Quotations<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Examples<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nNow that we have a good idea what it means to develop support for the main ideas of your paragraphs, let\u2019s talk about how to make sure that those\u00a0supporting details are solid and convincing.\r\n<h1>Strong vs. Weak Support<\/h1>\r\nWhat questions will your readers have? What will they need to know? What makes for good supporting details? Why might readers consider some evidence to be weak?\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re already developing paragraphs, it\u2019s likely that you already have a plan for your essay, at least at the most basic level. You know what your topic is, you might have a working thesis, and you probably have at least a couple of supporting ideas in mind that will further develop and support your thesis.\r\n\r\nSo imagine you\u2019re developing a paragraph on one of these supporting ideas and you need to make sure that the support that you develop for this idea is solid. Considering some of the points about understanding and appealing to your audience (from the <a class=\"internal\" href=\"\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/audience\/\">Audience<\/a> and <a class=\"internal\" href=\"\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/purpose\/\">Purpose <\/a>and the Prewriting sections of this text) can also be helpful in determining what your readers will consider good support and what they'll consider to be weak. Here are some tips on what to strive for and what to avoid when it comes to supporting details.\r\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\" border=\"0\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th style=\"width: 50%;\" scope=\"col\">Strong Support<\/th>\r\n<th style=\"width: 50%;\" scope=\"col\">Weak Support<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Is relevant and focused (sticks to the point).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Is well developed.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Provides sufficient detail.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Is vivid and descriptive.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Is well organized.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Is coherent and consistent.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Highlights key terms and ideas.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Lacks a clear connection to the point that it\u2019s meant to support.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Lacks development.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Lacks detail or gives too much detail.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Is vague and imprecise.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Lacks organization.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Seems disjointed (ideas don\u2019t clearly relate to each other).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Lacks emphasis of key terms and ideas.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<h1>Breaking, Combining, or Beginning New Paragraphs<\/h1>\r\nLike sentence length, paragraph length varies. There is no single ideal length for \u201cthe perfect paragraph.\u201d\u00a0 There are some general guidelines, however.\r\n\r\nSome writing handbooks or resources suggest that a paragraph should be at least three or four sentences; others suggest that 100 to 200 words is a good target to shoot for.\r\n\r\nIn academic writing, paragraphs tend to be longer, while in less formal or less complex writing, such as in a newspaper, paragraphs tend to be much shorter. Two-thirds to three-fourths of a page\u2014or seven to twelve sentences\u2014is usually a good target length for paragraphs at your current level of academic writing.\r\n\r\nThe amount of space needed to develop one idea will likely be different than the amount of space needed to develop another. So when is a paragraph complete? The answer is: when it\u2019s fully developed. The guidelines above for providing good support should help.\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Signs to end a paragraph and start a new one:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>You\u2019re ready to begin developing a new idea.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You want to emphasize a point by setting it apart.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You\u2019re getting ready to continue discussing the same idea but in a different way (e.g., shifting from comparison to contrast).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You notice that your current paragraph is getting too long (more than three-fourths of a page or so), and you think your writers will need a visual break.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Signs to combine paragraphs include:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>You notice that some of your paragraphs appear to be short and choppy.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You have multiple paragraphs on the same topic.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You have undeveloped material that needs to be united under a clear topic.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nFinally, paragraph number is a lot like paragraph length. You may have been asked in the past to write a five-paragraph essay. There\u2019s nothing inherently wrong with a five-paragraph essay, but just like sentence length and paragraph length, the number of paragraphs in an essay depends upon what\u2019s needed to get the job done. There\u2019s really no way to know that until you start writing. So try not to worry too much about the proper length and number of things unless those are specified in your assignment. Just start writing and see where the essay and the paragraphs take you. There will be plenty of time to sort out the organization in the revision process. You\u2019re not trying to fit pegs into holes here. You\u2019re letting your ideas unfold. Give yourself\u2014and them\u2014the space to let that happen.\r\n<h3>Text Attributions<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>This chapter was adapted from \"<a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/openoregon.pressbooks.pub\/wrd\/chapter\/the-paragraph-body-supporting-your-ideas\/\">The Paragraph Body: Supporting Your Ideas<\/a>\" in <em>The Word on College Reading and Writing <\/em>by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence<\/a>. Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","rendered":"<p>Whether the drafting of a paragraph begins with a main idea or whether that idea surfaces in the revision process, once you have that main idea, you\u2019ll want to make sure that the idea has enough support. The job of the paragraph body is to develop and support the topic. Here\u2019s one way that you might think about it:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Topic sentence<\/strong>: what is the main claim of your paragraph; what is the most important idea that you want your readers to take away from this paragraph?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Support in the form of evidence<\/strong>: how can you prove that your claim or idea is true (or important, or noteworthy, or relevant)?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Support in the form of analysis or evaluation<\/strong>: what discussion can you provide that helps your readers see the connection between the evidence and your claim?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transition<\/strong>: how can you help your readers move from the idea you\u2019re currently discussing to the next idea presented? For more specific discussion about transitions, see the following section on \u201c<a class=\"internal\" href=\"\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/developing-relationships-between-ideas\/\">Transitions<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For more on methods of development\u00a0that can help you to develop and organize your ideas within paragraphs, see &#8220;<a class=\"internal\" href=\"\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/patterns-of-organization-and-methods-of-development\/\">Patterns of Organization and Methods of Development<\/a>\u201d later in this text.<\/p>\n<p>Types of support might include<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reasons<\/li>\n<li>Facts<\/li>\n<li>Statistics<\/li>\n<li>Quotations<\/li>\n<li>Examples<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now that we have a good idea what it means to develop support for the main ideas of your paragraphs, let\u2019s talk about how to make sure that those\u00a0supporting details are solid and convincing.<\/p>\n<h1>Strong vs. Weak Support<\/h1>\n<p>What questions will your readers have? What will they need to know? What makes for good supporting details? Why might readers consider some evidence to be weak?<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re already developing paragraphs, it\u2019s likely that you already have a plan for your essay, at least at the most basic level. You know what your topic is, you might have a working thesis, and you probably have at least a couple of supporting ideas in mind that will further develop and support your thesis.<\/p>\n<p>So imagine you\u2019re developing a paragraph on one of these supporting ideas and you need to make sure that the support that you develop for this idea is solid. Considering some of the points about understanding and appealing to your audience (from the <a class=\"internal\" href=\"\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/audience\/\">Audience<\/a> and <a class=\"internal\" href=\"\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/purpose\/\">Purpose <\/a>and the Prewriting sections of this text) can also be helpful in determining what your readers will consider good support and what they&#8217;ll consider to be weak. Here are some tips on what to strive for and what to avoid when it comes to supporting details.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 50%;\" scope=\"col\">Strong Support<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 50%;\" scope=\"col\">Weak Support<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Is relevant and focused (sticks to the point).<\/li>\n<li>Is well developed.<\/li>\n<li>Provides sufficient detail.<\/li>\n<li>Is vivid and descriptive.<\/li>\n<li>Is well organized.<\/li>\n<li>Is coherent and consistent.<\/li>\n<li>Highlights key terms and ideas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Lacks a clear connection to the point that it\u2019s meant to support.<\/li>\n<li>Lacks development.<\/li>\n<li>Lacks detail or gives too much detail.<\/li>\n<li>Is vague and imprecise.<\/li>\n<li>Lacks organization.<\/li>\n<li>Seems disjointed (ideas don\u2019t clearly relate to each other).<\/li>\n<li>Lacks emphasis of key terms and ideas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h1>Breaking, Combining, or Beginning New Paragraphs<\/h1>\n<p>Like sentence length, paragraph length varies. There is no single ideal length for \u201cthe perfect paragraph.\u201d\u00a0 There are some general guidelines, however.<\/p>\n<p>Some writing handbooks or resources suggest that a paragraph should be at least three or four sentences; others suggest that 100 to 200 words is a good target to shoot for.<\/p>\n<p>In academic writing, paragraphs tend to be longer, while in less formal or less complex writing, such as in a newspaper, paragraphs tend to be much shorter. Two-thirds to three-fourths of a page\u2014or seven to twelve sentences\u2014is usually a good target length for paragraphs at your current level of academic writing.<\/p>\n<p>The amount of space needed to develop one idea will likely be different than the amount of space needed to develop another. So when is a paragraph complete? The answer is: when it\u2019s fully developed. The guidelines above for providing good support should help.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Signs to end a paragraph and start a new one:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You\u2019re ready to begin developing a new idea.<\/li>\n<li>You want to emphasize a point by setting it apart.<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019re getting ready to continue discussing the same idea but in a different way (e.g., shifting from comparison to contrast).<\/li>\n<li>You notice that your current paragraph is getting too long (more than three-fourths of a page or so), and you think your writers will need a visual break.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong>Signs to combine paragraphs include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You notice that some of your paragraphs appear to be short and choppy.<\/li>\n<li>You have multiple paragraphs on the same topic.<\/li>\n<li>You have undeveloped material that needs to be united under a clear topic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Finally, paragraph number is a lot like paragraph length. You may have been asked in the past to write a five-paragraph essay. There\u2019s nothing inherently wrong with a five-paragraph essay, but just like sentence length and paragraph length, the number of paragraphs in an essay depends upon what\u2019s needed to get the job done. There\u2019s really no way to know that until you start writing. So try not to worry too much about the proper length and number of things unless those are specified in your assignment. Just start writing and see where the essay and the paragraphs take you. There will be plenty of time to sort out the organization in the revision process. You\u2019re not trying to fit pegs into holes here. You\u2019re letting your ideas unfold. Give yourself\u2014and them\u2014the space to let that happen.<\/p>\n<h3>Text Attributions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>This chapter was adapted from &#8220;<a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/openoregon.pressbooks.pub\/wrd\/chapter\/the-paragraph-body-supporting-your-ideas\/\">The Paragraph Body: Supporting Your Ideas<\/a>&#8221; in <em>The Word on College Reading and Writing <\/em>by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence<\/a>. Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"author":701,"menu_order":7,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-109","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":95,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/701"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":894,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/109\/revisions\/894"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/95"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/109\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=109"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=109"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}