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What’s a Body Paragraph?
A good body paragraph should provide relevant information to support the main idea of the paper. The opening sentence of a paragraph usually states the main point of discussion to be and the following sentences elaborate and support the argument. I think it would work even if the paragraph starts off with an argument or explanation of facts and then states the main point at the end of the paragraph so long as the reader is not at sea as to where the discussion is headed.
As Instructor DeMerell says “A good body paragraph starts out letting the reader know what the paragraph will be about and then supports that with more thought and information. I think it's a difficult question to answer blanket-ly: but a decent paragraph in a lit paper should have about 7-8 sentences and it should stick to a topic and then lead into the next paragraph without straying from its original "theme." In other words, the paragraphs should make their own statements, but somehow all flow together.
Ms. Botelho, one of the instructors, reiterates that “A paragraph follows an established theme that reiterates points to support the thesis. Many writers don't seem to struggle with the content of the paragraph as much as they struggle with the transitioning between paragraphs. A good writer will provide a seamless switch from one paragraph, and point, to the next.
Dr. Pruss adds “Transitions lets writers know if a paragraph even belongs in the essay at all. Also, transitions force students to think about the order of magnitude of each major point they are making. Which points should take more priority and which should take less priority and why? These are important things to think about, and not always easy to decide”.
Instructor Farrell opines that “A good body paragraph has to have three components: Topic Sentence, Primary Support, Secondary Support. The topic sentence is like a mini-thesis. It will relate back to the thesis of the paper and make a specific argument toward defending that thesis. The Primary Support basically explains that topic sentence and argues why the proposition is true, in fairly general terms. The Secondary Support is more specific, usually quoting directly from the source or research material to further prove the point. It’s important, here, that writers remember not to use dangling quotations”.