Getting Beyond the BasicsWriting Well-Developed Body Paragraphs

A few questions before we begin…

1. What are you trying to accomplish in your body paragraphs?

2. What are the 3 components of well-developed body paragraphs?

A few questions before we begin…

1. What are you trying to accomplish in your body paragraphs?

A body paragraph should:a. provide evidence in support of your

thesisb. explain HOW the evidence you

have gathered supports your thesis

A few questions before we begin…

2. What are the 3 components of well-developed body paragraphs?

All body paragraphs should contain:A. Topic sentenceB. Supporting details (context,

quotation)C. Explanation of how details support

topic sentence

Topic Sentence

1. Identifies the point being made in your paragraph.

2. Indicates to your readers not only what the point is, but the kind of evidence they can expect to see in support.

Which is best and why? Put them in order from worst to best

A. One work of literature that supports the thesis is The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald.

B. The Great Gatsby is about a man named Gatsby who wants to get back a woman named Daisy.

C. Although Jay Gatsby’s enormous wealth makes him seem happy, his money could never solve his biggest problem: getting Daisy back.

D. The Great Gatsby shows how money can hide problems but not solve them.

Supporting Details

1. Carefully chosen specifically to respond to the thesis.

2. Must work together to support the complex point made in the thesis.

3. Should be SPECIFIC and PRECISE.4. Can be plot details, technique usage

or diction choices made by the author

5. Good details are varied—do not rely solely on plot details.

Choosing details that work together

1. Analyze topic sentence to determine what kinds of details are necessary to prove the idea it expresses.

Example:Although Gatsby’s wealth makes him seem happy, his money can’t get Daisy back for him.

What two types of details do I need to prove this point?

Choosing details that work together

Although Gatsby’s wealth makes him seem happy, his money can’t get Daisy back for him.

Necessary Types of Details:1. Gatsby’s money makes him seem happy.2. Gatsby’s money can’t get Daisy back.

Think of 3 very specific details that would support each of the two

categories above.

Choosing Specific and Precise Details

1. Gatsby’s wealth makes him look happy.a. Gatsby throws grandiose parties.b. Hundreds of people show up uninvited--like

moths.c. Rich and famous people show up.d. Parties have a full orchestra, elaborate

banquet meals, and enormous amounts of champagne.

e. Lucille says she always has the time of her life.f. People talk nonstop about Gatsby at the party

—spy, killed a man, son of Kaiser

Choosing specific and precise details

2. Gatsby’s money can’t get Daisy back.a. Daisy doesn’t like party.b. Gatsby waits and Daisy never comes on her own.c. Only likes one person at party: the actress with

director.d. Gatsby is depressed after party; says Daisy didn’t

like it because she seemed distracted during dance.

e. Nick says, “you can’t repeat past”.f. Gatsby ends up losing Daisy when Tom reveals he

is a bootlegger.g. Daisy does not show up to Gatsby’s funeral.

Explaining details

1. Illustrate the connection between details and point made in topic sentence.

2. Answer the question, “HOW do these details support my thesis?”

3. Explanations can come in one of 3 positions:

a. After each individual detail (used in close reading)

b. After groups of details that work together (most likely)

c. After ALL details at the end of the paragraph (unlikely)

Putting it all together

1. Begin with a topic sentence.2. Provide supporting details

a. Decide whether to quote or notb. Determine if it is a plot detail or a technique c. Be sure to include context for each detail

3. Transition between details.4. Explain how details support point.5. Conclude paragraph with a sentence

that sums everything up.

Although Gatsby’s wealth makes him seem happy, his money can’t get Daisy back for him. Gatsby throws enormous parties where people show up uninvited like moths. The simile Fitzgerald uses here makes it seem like Gatsby is so popular that people can’t keep themselves from going to his parties. They have full orchestras, elaborate banquet meals and the party is attended by all sorts of rich and famous people. One woman in particular named Lucille says that she always has “the time of her life” at these parties. Gatsby is so popular, in fact, that people can’t stop talking about him. They think he is a spy, or he killed a man, or is the son of the Kaiser. On the surface, the grandiose parties that Gatsby’s money is able to purchase for him make him seem like the happiest and most popular man in the world. Even though he looks happy, though, Gatsby’s money just hides his larger problem. He does not have Daisy. Gatsby never takes part in his own parties. He just sits off to the side and waits for her to show up even though she never does on her own. At the one party she does attend she does not have a good time. She is disgusted by the people and Gatsby says she seemed distracted while they were dancing. This made him visibly depressed after the party. Nick warns Gatsby after this, telling him “You can’t repeat the past”. Nick is trying to tell Gatsby that Daisy has changed and that no matter how much money he has, he will not be able to recreate what he had with Daisy five years ago. Later on, Gatsby loses Daisy permanently when Tom finally reveals to her that Gatsby is a criminal bootlegger. Daisy doesn’t even come to Gatsby’s funeral because she no longer cared about him at that moment. Gatsby’s money was not able to solve his biggest problem, which was how to get Daisy back. He may have looked happy because of all his money was able to buy him, but none of it helped him rekindle his relationship with Daisy.

Your task

For the remainder of the period:1. Reread your body paragraphs and

evaluate how well you have done the things we have discussed in class today.

2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your paragraphs.

3. Revise your body paragraph according to our discussion today.

4. Write your 2nd body paragraph.