2. General Objectives
This lesson aims to:
• Enhance students’ abilities to write well organized
essays for expository purposes
• Help students understand how to write an introduction
for an English essay
3. Specific Objectives
At the end of this lesson you should be able to:
• Write a body paragraph for an introduction given
• Use the preview statement to help you write topic
sentences
• Write supporting details to back up the main idea in the
topic sentence
• Write a concluding sentence that mirrors the topic sentence
• Use transition words for fluency
4. What is a body paragraph?
• This are the paragraphs that come after the introduction and
before the conclusion.
• They give all the details and examples to back up the thesis
statement in the introduction.
5. Structure of the body paragraph
• Topic sentence
• Supporting sentences
• Concluding sentence
6. Structure of the body paragraph
• Topic sentence – This sentence is directly linked to the preview
statement (the last sentence in the introduction).
• You are to choose one point from the preview statement to
make the topic sentence. Turn that into a whole body
paragraph.
7. Structure of the body paragraph
• Each body paragraph focuses on only ONE idea from the
preview statement in the introduction.
Observe
8. Example of an introduction (Definition
Essay)
"Working part-time as a cashier at the Piggly Wiggly has given me a great
opportunity to observe human behavior. Sometimes I think of the shoppers
as white rats in a lab experiment, and the aisles as a maze designed by a
psychologist. Most of the rats—customers, I mean—follow a routine pattern,
strolling up and down the aisles, checking through my chute, and then
escaping through the exit hatch. But not everyone is so dependable. My
research has revealed three distinct types of abnormal customers: the
amnesiac, the super shopper, and the dawdler."
("Shopping at the Pig")
Topic: “Abnormal Customers”
Claim: “Research has revealed
three distinct types”
9. Example of a thesis statement
and preview statement
• “My research has revealed three
distinct types of abnormal customers:
the amnesiac, the super shopper, and
the dawdler."
This sentence – the last sentence in the
introduction – is the thesis statement
and preview statement combined. The
words “amnesiac”, “super shopper” and
“dawdler” are the three main points
he/she will develop later in the body.
1
2
3
10. Example of a body paragraph
• The amnesiac is the shopper who comes in at all hours of the night
to shop. These persons have problems sleeping. Often times, when
they are having trouble at night, they use shopping to relieve their
troubles. Some show up even in their pajamas and start roaming
around trying to find something on the shelves. There are other
amnesiacs who come into the store, who choose the daytime to
shop. They have bloodshot eyes, dishevelled hair and walk around
sluggishly like they are still asleep. The amnesiac is one shopper I
often feel more sympathetic towards.
Topic
sentence
11. Parts of the topic sentence
The amnesiac is the shopper who comes in at all hours of the
night to shop.
1. The topic (of the paragraph): “The amnesiac”
2. The main idea about the topic: “comes in all hours of the night
to shop”
12. Example of a thesis statement
and preview statement
• “Dogs have proven to be very useful to
mankind. They are excellent guides,
protectors and very good company.
For this example, the thesis statement is
written as a different sentence from the
preview statement. The preview statement
highlights the three main points which will
support the thesis statement: Dogs are
“excellent guides, protectors and very good
company”
1
2 3
13. Example of a body paragraph
• They are excellent
guides, protectors and
very good company.
First of all, dogs are useful because they
are excellent guides. Dogs, such as
Golden Retrievers, Labradors, and
German Shepherds, have been used as
guides for the blind. They have proven to
be very reliable when leading their
masters. This is because they well trained
and ignore distractions when they are
working so their master can get to where
they need to go. They are very intelligent
and have made good decisions for their
master. For these reasons they area
dependable resource.
1
2
3
Topic: “Dogs are useful…”
Main idea: “… because
they are excellent guides”
Topic
sentence
15. Exercise 1 Complete the
following as a
group. This is an
oral activity.
Work together to
write a body
paragraph for the
preview statement
16. Example of a body paragraph
• They are excellent
guides, protectors and
very good company.
Secondly, dogs are a practical addition to
mankind’s household because they help
to protect from danger. For example, while
thieves try to enter one’s house, dogs will
bark and alert their owners. Also, they will
attack, to prevent the thief from stealing.
They even bark or attack if anyone they
don’t know comes too close to their
owner. This is because they have an
instinct to protect. They are very territorial.
Dogs are very helpful because of they
nature to safeguard.
1
2
3
Topic: “Dogs are a
practical addition…”
Main idea: “because they
help to protect from
danger”
Topic
sentence
17. Example of a body paragraph
• They are excellent
guides, protectors and
very good company.
Thirdly, dogs are essential to humans
because they give company. For instance,
at nights, they act as their companions as
they sleep. Some, such Americans, sleep
with their dogs. Dogs have been known to
sleep under their master’s window at
night. Also, they make perfect playmates.
They like to play catch with frisbees etc.
Studies have shown that person who have
a dog are least likely to be depressed.
This is why some have experimented by
bringing dogs to homes for the aged.
Dogs are important to use for the love
they give us.
1
2
3
Topic: “Dogs are
essential…”
Main idea: “because they
give company”
Topic
sentence
19. IMPORTANT
REMINDER
To give to show time or steps/process:
• Firstly, secondly, thirdly…
• Next
• Then
• After/afterwards…
• Before…
• Last
• Eventually
• Meanwhile
• Soon
• In the meantime
When writing body paragraphs, use
the following connectives/transition
words to create fluency. They help
you make connection between
ideas.
20. IMPORTANT
REMINDER
To add more information:
• Also
• Furthermore
• Additionally
• In addition
• Moreover
• Not only…but also
• Along with…
• As well as…
