Most students struggling with essays on any topic may have the same questions about the structure, formatting, and methods to use when writing their work. All learners know that a typical essay includes an introduction, the middle part, and a conclusion. But most of them also need to remember that the middle section is the biggest part of any writing piece. This makes us pay a lot of attention to understanding the meaning of the body of an essay and the basic rules about how to create it. That's why some students choose to pay someone to write essay, so they can get expert help in grasping the significance of the essay body and learning the essential rules. Let’s clarify these questions.
What is the body of an essay?
It is any paragraph of an academic paper that comes after the introduction and before the conclusion. The main purpose of the essay body is to explain the essential author’s idea and disclose the topic from a new angle by providing convincing arguments. This paragraph is the longest part of the text and should be based on logical deduction, analyzing empirical data, using evidence, or persuasion.
How long is a body paragraph?
The volume is not limited and depends on the essay structure and the number of pages in the paper. In academic works, the essential part of your writing shouldn’t be shorter than three sentences. Still, it may seldom be longer than one page. On average, an essay should have at least 6 sentences or about 200 words to support the essential idea presented in the introduction. You may use a transition at the beginning of the body paragraph to connect ideas between sentences and keep your readers engaged.
Key elements of the body paragraph
When speaking about the body paragraph structure, we should consider each paragraph as a separate element of an essay structure. Every paragraph has a miniature introduction, body, and conclusion, and they’re organized in sentences. A body paragraph should include the following four elements:
- Transition
The combination of words at the beginning and end of a body paragraph links it to other text parts and provides a coherent flow throughout your paper. A transition sentence shouldn’t be complicated. Words like “moreover”, “otherwise”, or a simple phrase “on the other hand” will be sufficient to remove all distractions when moving from one thought to another.
- Topic Sentence
This element is usually the first sentence that introduces the topic and tells what the paragraph will be about. Let’s see an example: “Online education has many advantages”. When we read this, we understand that the author will provide arguments to explain and expand this idea further.
- Supporting Arguments
These are the basis of your body paragraph and the most important part of your essay. In an academic paper, one to three sentences support the assertion exposed in the topic sentence with logical statements, evidence, or expert opinion.
- Summary
It is a concluding sentence that summarizes the author’s viewpoint and is based on the supporting evidence. It’s a good idea to end your essay with an emotional appeal to encourage the audience to ponder what was discussed.
How to write the body of an essay?
Before describing the main tips for completing a perfect essay, it’s necessary to understand and follow the algorithm we provide below. There are three essential stages of body writing:
- Produce an outline of what you’re going to tell in your essay;
- Create the first draft of your work by jotting down the essential ideas you’ll elaborate on;
- Write the second draft where you specify your arguments and arrange them logically.
Let’s see how to approach every stage and make your writing process easier and faster.
Creating an outline
Think about your paper structure and sketch the essential points you want to present to your audience. This step is important as it helps you understand how every paragraph of your essay relates to other elements. If necessary, you can always change the order of arguments you present. The way you organize your paper may also be changed during the writing process. Don’t hesitate to make improvements and add fresh ideas to your outline, even if you’ve got started with your first draft.
Writing the first draft
During this stage, you should transform your general ideas into well-thought-out supporting arguments and supplement them with essential details and useful examples. It’s crucial to keep in mind how you want your final paper to look. And knowledge about how to format an essay correctly is important. At this stage, take a look at our valuable recommendations on how to complete an outstanding essay.
How to start your first body paragraph?
Compelling body paragraphs are an essay’s basis. And one of the hardest things to write is the first phrase of your body paragraph. It is crucial to understand how to start the body of an essay, as it usually includes the strongest argument of the whole paper. The first paragraph is also called the “paragraph leader” and should act as a topic phrase and introduce the essential idea of the entire part of an essay. We recommend writing the first sentence to open the discussion and contain a key question that will be solved in the next part of your paper.
Creating the second draft
You must evaluate what you’ve done and rewrite some phrases if necessary. You may also cut some parts of your work and add improvements. Then, before submitting your paper, revise it to exclude grammar and stylistic errors and repetitions. You may read your writing piece aloud to make sure it conveys your intended meaning. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Does my body paragraph clarify the idea exposed in the introduction and support my thesis?
- Have I clearly expressed my point of view on the topic?
- Have I provided enough convincing arguments?
- Does my essay make sense?
- Have I used the proper tone of voice?
Writing tips to create a perfect draft
- Start completing your essay from any part you want.
Most authors begin their work by writing an introduction. But you may start with whatever element you want. You’re free to choose the easiest section first or vice versa ─ write the most challenging part of your essay at the beginning.
- Expand one idea in one paragraph.
Every paragraph in the body of an essay should be focused on one thought, delivering evidence, supporting arguments, and explanation. At the beginning of every paragraph, present a topic sentence expressing the essential point. Then, give the details and expand your idea in the rest of the paragraph. Only when you’ve disclosed all the arguments, move to another paragraph.
- Be flexible when working on your arguments.
Don’t be afraid to eliminate sections if you feel they don’t make sense. You may come up with new thoughts which you can insert into your essay if you see a suitable place for them.
- Don’t delete your essay in a fit of rage.
When you don’t like the result, you may save some sections or even the whole text in a separate document. Even if you don’t plan to use it, you may find new ideas to implement in your essay later.
- Create a list of sources.
Remember to write down the sources when completing drafts. It’ll save you a lot of time and prevent plagiarism issues. Indicate the author’s name, title, year, and page number each time you paraphrase from a source or use quotations.
- Don’t be a perfectionist.
Avoid delving into minor details while creating the first draft. Note your thoughts instantly and polish them later. If you’re unsatisfied with a sentence or word, indicate it in the draft to improve it later. You may struggle with one phrase and not see how to formulate it. In this case, switch to another section and think about it later. No need to spend time changing fragments you might delete or revise in the future.
- Make sure your ideas have clear connections.
Check whether your ideas fit together between paragraphs and within a separate paragraph. They should be organized logically and easy to understand for your readers. Use transition words to relate every next sentence to the previous one.
Conclusion
Writing the body of an essay may be challenging, especially if you only take your first steps in academic research and learn the fundamentals of completing an essay. Keep in mind that other students are struggling with the same complicated things too. That's where an essay helper comes in, offering valuable guidance and support to make the process easier for you. Our specialists are always ready to give you a helping hand. We can provide the best body paragraph example and give useful recommendations on creating a well-structured essay with the proper formatting and style. With Edubirdie, your writing will always be engaging, clear, and polished, no matter the topic you investigate.
