WRITING: INFORMATIVE/EXPOSITORY ESSAY BODY PARAGRAPHS

Unit Key Vocabulary:

body paragraph

reason (topic sentence)

textual evidence

direct quote

paraphrase

I.C.E.

wrap-up

subject

predicate

Unit Overview In this unit, you will learn how to develop the body paragraphs for an

informative/expository essay on the AIR Assessment. At the end of the unit, you

will review subjects and predicates. Above you will find a list of key vocabulary

for this unit.

*Download the attached pdf to take notes during the lesson.

In this unit, you will develop the body paragraphs for your

informative/expository essay.

Over the next few units we will be constructing an informative/expository essay

together based on the following prompt.

Write a multi-paragraph response in which you describe the issues

surrounding concussions in teenagers. Your response must be based on

ideas and information that can be found in the passages.

Before we begin you will need to reread the following two passages:

PASSAGE 1

PASSAGE 2

Remember the outline the previous unit…

We will be working towards building that outline little by little throughout the

following units.

Body Paragraphs The body is the part of an essay, report, or speech that explains and develops the

thesis or main idea. Body paragraphs come after the introduction and before the

conclusion. The body is usually the longest part of an essay, and each body

paragraph may begin with a topic sentence. The body paragraphs in you informative/expository essay will contain the

following:

1. Topic Sentence

2. Textual Evidence (with citation)

a. Explanation of how the textual evidence supports the topic sentence

3. Textual Evidence (with citation)

a. Explanation of how the textual evidence supports the topic sentence

4. Wrap-Up Sentence

Topic Sentence A topic sentence is a sentence, generally at the beginning of a paragraph, that

states or suggests the main idea (or topic) of a paragraph.

In order to create topics, you must first organize your textual evidence (the notes

you took in Unit 17).

MODEL

As you can see in the MODEL, I grouped my textual evidence into three major

categories. “No money” and “No jobs” and “No homes” will become my three

topics (topic sentences) for my body paragraphs.

Textual Evidence The textual evidence is evidence/support used to support an argument/position,

and is taken from another text. It is provided in the form of quotation or

paraphrase.

• quotation: A quotation supports your thesis using the exact words from the

original text.

• paraphrase: Paraphrasing is putting someone else’s words into your own

words. It is useful when you need more detail than a summary but less than a

direct quote. A paraphrase focuses concisely on a single main idea.

The majority of your textual evidence should come from the notes you already

took.

Review I.C.E. (Introduce, Cite, Explain)

INTRODUCE: Introduce all your quotes using introductory phrases. Here are

some examples: (the introduction is bolded)

• At the end of the story, Peter Pan, Peter returns to visit his friend Wendy

and when he sees that she is a grown-up “He gave a cry of pain” (Passage 1).

• According to the Tribune News Service, “Driverless cars rely on

preprogrammed information about routes. If something on the road changes,

they are lost” (3).

CITE: Provide appropriate parenthetical citations for all quotes and

paraphrases. Here are some guidelines for MLA style citation: (the citation is

bolded)

1. If the author’s name appears in the introduction to the quote or in the

paraphrase, it doesn’t have to appear in the parenthetical reference.

EXAMPLE: According to the Tribune News Service, “Driverless cars rely on

preprogrammed information about routes. If something on the road changes, they

are lost” (3).

2. If the author’s name does not appear in the introduction to the quote, the

name must appear in the parenthetical reference. See the following example of a

cited paraphrase:

EXAMPLE: At the end of the story, Peter Pan, Peter returns to visit his friend

Wendy and when he sees that she is a grown-up “He gave a cry of pain” (Barrie

2).

3. If there is no known author, include the source in the parenthetical

reference. See the following example of a cited paraphrase:

EXAMPLE: According to the article “PRO/CON: Self-driving cars are just

around the corner. Is it a good thing?”, “Self-driving vehicles deliver even greater

utility by freeing driving time for other things” (NewsELA.com).

CITING ALTERNATIVE: On the AIR Assessment, there are often no page

numbers and it is not a requirement to cite in correct MLA Format. Instead, you

can simply cite the Passage number in parenthesis or in the introduction. The only

requirement is that you must indicate from where you pulled the information.

• At the end of the story, Peter Pan, Peter returns to visit his friend

Wendy and when he sees that she is a grown-up “He gave a cry of

pain” (Passage 1).

• According to Passage 2, “Driverless cars rely on preprogrammed

information about routes. If something on the road changes, they are

lost.”

EXPLAIN: Make sure to explain your quotes. Provide analysis that ties them

back to your main idea / topic sentence. In other words, comment on the evidence

in order to incorporate it into the essay you’re writing. Here are some examples:

(the explanation is bolded)

• Scientific American explains that the current automatic braking system

sensors do not know the difference between a paper bag and a person (2). In

other words, if just a paper bag flies across the road, the car will brake

suddenly and jerk the passenger forward.

• At the end of the story, Peter Pan, Peter returns to visit his friend Wendy and

when he sees that she is a grown-up “He gave a cry of pain” (Barrie 2). This

fact shows that Peter did not want Wendy to grow up.

Use the following chart to introduce your textual evidence and explanations in an

academic way:

Wrap-Up Sentence A wrap-up sentence is a statement that connects the paragraph back to the thesis.

How does this whole paragraph support the thesis and tie back to the prompt? STOP! Complete Section A in the questions section.

MODEL OF BODY PARAGRAPHS

MODEL OUTLINE

TOPIC SENTENCE: To begin with, banks failed at the beginning of the Great

Depression causing people to lose all of their money.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE: Passage 2 states that “With unemployment rising and

investment plunging, thousands of investors lost confidence in their banks and in

the fall of 1930 began withdrawing their deposits.” In other words, rich people

pulled all of their money from the bank leaving the banks with nothing.

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE: Passage 1 points out that “With no money back from

all the loans they had given out, the banks did not have enough money supply to

also pay out everything from everyone’s savings.” Consequently, the average

American lost all of his savings.

WRAP-UP: In short, the bank failures caused people to lose all of their money.

STOP! Complete Section B in the questions section.

IT’S YOUR TURN

Now develop your own outline for body paragraphs 1, 2 & 3!

(make sure to use your notes from unit 17)

Prompt: Write a multi-paragraph response in which you describe the issues

surrounding concussions in teenagers. Your response must be based on ideas and

information that can be found in the passages.

Body Paragraph 1 TOPIC SENTENCE:

_____________________________________________________________

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE:

_____________________________________________________________

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE:

_____________________________________________________________

WRAP-UP:

_____________________________________________________________

Body Paragraph 2

TOPIC SENTENCE:

_____________________________________________________________

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE:

_____________________________________________________________

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE:

_____________________________________________________________

WRAP-UP:

_____________________________________________________________

Body Paragraph 3

TOPIC SENTENCE:

_____________________________________________________________

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE:

_____________________________________________________________

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE:

_____________________________________________________________

WRAP-UP:

_____________________________________________________________

*You can print out this graphic organizer to help you. REMEMBER: You need

THREE!!!

STOP! Complete Section C in the questions section.

Grammar Review 1: SUBJECTS & PREDICATES

• A subject is who or what the sentence is about (the thing or person doing the

action)

• A predicate is what the subject does

• A group of words that is missing either a subject or a predicate CANNOT be a

sentence

EXAMPLE: Suddenly, the rat heard a low growl and a hiss.

SUBJECT= the rat

PREDICATE= heard

Click on the following link for a video further explaining subjects and predicates.

Let’s Practice!

1. Identify the SUBJECT and the PREDICATE in the following sentences.

(answer below)

2. Identify the SUBJECT and the PREDICATE in the following sentences.

(answer bel

STOP! Complete Section D in the questions section.

Below are additional educational resources and activities for this unit.

Subjects and Predicates