Paragraphs

Paragraphs – a group of sentences that together convey a shared purpose structured around the same topic.

Introductory Paragraphs (Introductions)

Hook (Lead / Opening Statement) – can begin with the title Anecdotal (Brief story to set the mood and lead the reader into

the topic) Ex. Often throughout the past 50 years when children have earned it, their parents treat them to dessert. Rewarding them with ice cream when they do well at school, for example, young people develop a strong and lifelong connection to sweets. The better they do at school, the more their smiles widen and, sadly, the more the nation’s waistlines and the health outcomes associated with them expand. As children, they may have no idea why, but the adults in their lives should. Query Based (Question that brings the reader to the topic - avoid second person POV “you”) Ex. Does the consumption of sweets and chocolate really have a negative impact on a person’s health? Thesis Statements (the purpose of a piece of writing – usually one sentence in length, but can be longer depending on the purpose – must be something that is arguable) Assertion (claim - a subject + a “so what” about the subject) Ex. candy provides very little nutritional content and should be

avoided.

Fact (empirically verifiable but often difficult to argue extensively about - better used as evidence to support a claim) Ex. candy is comparatively inexpensive. Opinion (personal position on a topic) Ex. Hershey’s makes absolutely the best chocolate. Belief (social, religious, or political in nature – an opinion held by many to be a fact,

though it is not necessarily factual – often involves a judgement) Ex. Indulging in the temptation of chocolate is sinfully wrong. Generalization (uses absolute or statistical pronouns: all, always, every, never, none, most, half – avoid using this type of thesis statement

unless citing the

source of the data) Ex. Everything sold at candy shops horribly harm a person’s

health.

Document Based (cites a specific source, author, and position on

a topic)

Ex. In The Unexpected Evolution of Dessert, Karen Nachay argues that the dessert industry has excruciatingly deep effects on people’s health outcomes by illustrating the unsanitary nature of many dessert preparation tactics. Theory (a statement that can be tested and potentially proven often answers a research question) Ex. Candy can systematically lead to health problems in young

people. Clarification/Expansion of Thesis (could extend the thesis, preview the evidence supporting the thesis, give the purpose of thesis, establish the importance or significance of examining the intricacies of the thesis – this could be several sentences long) Ex. Nachay expands on her claim by examining the various elements, such as advertising and marketing schemes, that can hook people on candy, particularly at an early age, along with reports about the negative health impacts of consuming highly sweet foods. (preview of evidence) Ex. The author examines the often-disturbing state of chocolate production in order to discourage people from consuming so much sweet food. (purpose of thesis) Ex. This information about the connection between candy and potential health

outcomes might lead to crucial reforms in the food industry. (establishing the importance or significance of thesis)

Body Paragraphs (must have echoes of the thesis in each AND present evidence to support or expand on the thesis)

Topic Sentences (must specifically indicate the topic of the paragraph and focus on one subject and/or area of evidence or support – could start with a “Transition of Logic” that connects to the previous paragraph to give context) Ex. Additionally, multiple sources indicate that the consumption of candy has a dramatic impact on health. (Now every sentence in this paragraph must be related to the connection between fast food and health) Presenting Evidence from Quotations (quotes should NEVER be used as individual sentences – quotes should be embedded within sentences) ORIGINAL QUOTE – “Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits.” (Kubala). Ex. Several researchers agree, “Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits.” (Kubala). Ex. “Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits,” according to several researchers (Kubala). Ex. Unfortunately for patrons, “Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits,” according to several researchers (Kubala). Ex. Unfortunately for patrons, “Rates of obesity are [greatly] rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits.” (Kubala). Ex. Unfortunately for patrons, “Rates of obesity… especially from sugar-sweetened beverages… the main culprits.” (Kubala). Examining the Evidence

Paraphrasing (rewording of a quote into other words of the same length without quotation marks, but still citing the source - useful for examining the quote and transitioning to your analysis of the quote) ORIGINAL QUOTE – “Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits.” (Kubala). Ex. PARAPHRASE – The rates of obesity are increasing due to primarily sugary drinks.(Kubala). Summarizing (condensing larger quotes or sections - useful for closing the examination of the quote/evidence and transitioning to your analysis of the quote) ORIGINAL QUOTE – “Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits.” (Kubala). Ex. SUMMARY – The rates of obesity are rising. Abstract Examples (hypothetical, “what if” examples that do not refer to a source – AVOID USING THEM AS EVIDENCE – but useful for examining the quote) Ex. People might lose weight if they stopped eating so much sugar. Concrete Examples (actual examples that do refer to a source – useful for enhancing your analysis of the quote) Ex. A study in the 11 Reasons Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad For You shows High-sugar diets have been associated with an increased risk of many diseases, including heart disease, the number one cause of death worldwide. Closing Sentences (must end the discussion of the topic within the paragraph with a transitional or culminating word – possibly an adverb – and should echo the thesis of the essay) Ex. Clearly, valid authorities on the subject of sweet food agree about its often startling and consistently negative health effects.

Closing Paragraphs (Conclusions – should not be mere summaries of the previous paragraphs of your essay)

Consequences of Disregarding the Thesis (establishing the potential consequences of disregarding the implications of the thesis – CREATING A COUNTERARGUMENT – could be one or more sentences) Ex. If the mass consumption of candy and chocolate was truly safe for people’s health, there probably would not be such an abundance of obesity plaguing the nation. Statement(s) of Extension (extending the consequences of disregarding the implications of the thesis – could be one or more sentences) Ex. As such, the national epidemic of obesity seems closely connected with the abundance of candy and chocolate available to consumers in every corner of America. Reestablishing the Significance of the Thesis (could be one or more sentences)

Ex. Thus, as the prevalence of academic research indicates, candy consumers carry out more than just the contents of a chocolate wrapper – they carry out the potential for both illness and bad health conditions Final Sentence (closing statement that connects to the hook and finishes the essay (finish your argument) – the “Smoky the Bear”/”Drop the mic”/dot dot dot moment…)

Ex. So given all the health problems associated with candy and chocolate, maybe the snacks children receive as rewards are not so sweet after all…