Body Paragraph Writing

 The Break-down of the Thesis Statement and the Formation of

Topic Sentences

Since the body paragraphs of the essay should turn around the thesis statement, it is
important to know why we get to the body from the thesis statement. A way to help
understand this relationship is to consider the following analogies:
The Solar System Analogy
Just like the sun, the center of the solar system and all planets orbit it, the thesis
statement is the center of the essay and all the topic sentences revolve around it.

Topic Sentence
Topic Sentence

Thesis

Topic Sentence Topic Sentence

The Roof and Pillar Analogy

Similar to the roof, it covers the house and the pillars support it, the thesis statement
covers the overall essay and the topic sentences support it.

Thesis Statement
T T T T
O O O O
P P P P
I I I I
C C C C

S S S S
E E E E
N N N N
T T T T
E E E E
N N N N
C C C C
E E 38 E E

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 Moving from the thesis statement to the body is done by breaking down of the thesis
statement into topic sentences.

 The break-down of a thesis statement with a road map

To break down a direct thesis statement with a road map into topic sentences one
needs to consider the road map elements that are embodied in the thesis statement to
form the appropriate topic sentences.
e.g. As a result of human population growth, deforestation and hunting the number of
Koalas has declined.
This thesis statement has the topic (Koalas), the main idea (their number has declined) and
the road map elements (human population growth, deforestation and hunting).
Accordingly, the topic sentences are:
- Because of the human population growth the number of Koalas has declined.
- Deforestation is another reason for the decrease in Koalas number.
- The fact that makes Koalas in an increasing decline is humans’ hunting activities.

 The break-down of a thesis statement without a road map:

To break down thesis statements without road maps , one needs to go through
the phases that follow:
a. Turn the thesis statement into a question.
b. Write some key-answers (maximum three).
c. Turn the key-answers into appropriate topic sentences.
e.g. Watching television is not a waste of time.
This thesis statement has the topic (watching TV), the main idea (is not a waste of time)
and no supporting ideas. Accordingly, the steps above should be followed to break-down
this thesis.
e.g. Watching television is not a waste of time.
a. Question:
Why is watching TV not a waste of time?
b. Key-answers:
- It is a valuable educational tool.
- it helps us to relax.
- it raises the viewers’ awareness and attention on several social problems.

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c. Topic Sentences:
- Spending time in front of television is not a waste of time, since TV is a valuable
educational tool.
- TV is not a waste of time because it helps us to relax.
- The fact that makes watching TV not a waste of time is that it raises the viewers’
awareness and attention on several social problems.

Body Paragraphs Structure and Development

In an essay, there are by and large three body paragraphs. The latter present the
supporting ideas, arguments, or evidence that support the essay’s main point in the thesis
statement. Each body paragraph must:
- discuss one facet of the main point in detail,
- contain a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a concluding sentence.
- open with a topic sentence which should echo the main idea in the thesis statement
and mention the aspect to be discussed in the paragraph.
e.g.
Thesis statement:
Although not everyone experiences culture shock in exactly the same way, many
experts agree that it has roughly five stages.
Topic sentences:
1. In the first stage, you experience excitement towards the new environment.
2. You know that you are in the second stage of culture shock when differences
in behavior and customs become more noticeable to you.
3. In the third stage, you no longer have positive feelings about the new culture.
4. Sooner or later, you have negative feelings about almost everything; this is
the fourth stage of culture shock.
5. Finally, you reach the fifth stage when your language skills improve and you
begin to have some success in meeting people and in negotiating situations.

- have at least three supporting details; they can be:

facts, example (personal experience), details, explanations, examples, statistics ...
to develop the topic sentence and flesh out the body of the essay.

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Practice
Activity 1: Checking Unity between a Thesis Statement and Topic Sentences
Listed with the thesis statements below are possible topic sentences. Tick (√) the topic
sentences that align with the thesis statement.

1. Thesis statement: After two years of job hunting, I have finally found the perfect for
me.
Topic sentences:
a. .......... I am enthusiastic about the challenges that I confront at work every day.
b. .......... Last year, I almost got a good job.
c. .......... I am making more money than I have never made, and have so many
benefits.
d. .......... My boss is very supportive and is helping me to succeed.
e. .......... I did not like the job I had before.

2. Thesis statement: Skiing is a great sport, but it is not good for everyone.
Topic sentences:
a. .......... Not everyone has the ability to ski well.
b. .......... Becoming a good skier means taking certain risks that some people are
afraid to take.
c. .......... Skiing is more difficult than ice skating.
d. .......... A day on the slopes is not always affordable for everyone.
e. .......... Skiing down the highest slope can be dangerous.

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4. Thesis statement: Kansas is a great place to live in.
Topic sentences:
a. ......... The state has great roads and traffic is seldom congested.
b. ......... Kansas City offers many fun attractions, especially east of State Line Road.
c. ......... It has many community colleges that enhance local economies.
d. ......... Kansans people have a rich history of looking out for one another.

5. Thesis statement: Being a happy person can benefit your life in many ways.
Topic sentences:
a. ......... A happy person can make friends more easily.
b. ......... There are many happy people all over the world.
c. ......... Happy people can solve their problems effectively.

6. Thesis statement: It is important to get a college education.

Topic sentences:
a. ......... A college education provides more job opportunities.
b. ......... A person’s life-long earning capacity is increased.
c. ......... Many colleges offer scholarships.

7. Thesis statement: Air pollution has many negative effects.

Topic sentences:
a. ......... An example of air pollution is car exhaust fumes.
b. ......... Asthma rates increase in highly polluted areas.
c. ......... Unclean air destroys the natural environment.

8. Thesis statement: Watching too much television affects everyone.

Topic sentences:
a. ......... Watching TV reduces the amount of time people read.
b. ......... Research has shown that children who watch television a lot become more
aggressive.
c. ......... Many homes have more than one TV.

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Activity 2: Breaking-down of Thesis Statements
Read the thesis statements below. Decide if they are direct or indirect thesis statements.
Choose three direct thesis statements and break-down them into the appropriate topic
sentences. Then, choose three indirect thesis statements and break-down them into three
topic sentences.
1. The village is the best environment for me to live in.
2. The wide range of goods, lower prices and convenience while shopping make super
markets my favourite place to buy food.
3. Travelling abroad is a valuable learning experience.
4. A computer is necessary for college students for three reasons.
5. School uniforms provide many benefits to students, parents and educators.
6. Media violence id harmful to society for certain reasons.
7. Stress in the fast-food workplace has led to serious physical, psychological, and
emotional problems for employees.
8. Teenagers declare their separateness from their parents by the way they dress
and by the way they talk.
9. In choosing a major, a student has to consider various factors.