Writing Effective Body Paragraphs: Stating Reasons and Supporting with Evidence

This lesson teaches how to write effective body paragraphs by stating a reason and supporting it with evidence. It covers writing a persuasive letter to convince a teacher to take the class on a field trip to the zoo. The lesson emphasizes avoiding common mistakes like listing information without connection and provides a structured approach to writing body paragraphs, including creating a topic sentence, supporting it with examples, and concluding by restating the topic sentence. An example body paragraph is provided to illustrate the process.

What is the main purpose of writing a body paragraph in a persuasive letter?

• To introduce new topics

• To summarize the entire letter

• To state a reason and support it with evidence

• To list all possible reasons

Which of the following is a common mistake when writing body paragraphs?

• Writing supporting information as a list of sentences

• Using complex vocabulary

• Including personal opinions

• Using too many examples

What should a topic sentence in a body paragraph include?

• A list of examples

• A conclusion

• A question and an answer

• A thesis and a reason

How can you support your ideas in a body paragraph?

• By using examples and true stories

• By writing a summary

• By listing unrelated facts

• By repeating the thesis statement

What is the final step in writing a body paragraph?

• Repeating the topic sentence in different words

• Listing all supporting reasons

• Introducing a new topic

• Writing a new thesis statement

Why is it important to choose a location close to the school for a field trip?

• To avoid getting lost

• To have more time at the location

• To ensure timely return for dismissal

• To save money on transportation

What is the benefit of using true stories in a body paragraph?

• They make the paragraph longer

• They provide evidence to support the reason

• They introduce new ideas

• They make the writing more formal