Here is another example of a body paragraph with developed examples. The thesis statement for this example is:
My friend John is always very helpful.
The three topics are:
II. Helpful at school
III. Helpful at sports
IV. Helpful for social life
This example paragraph will be for paragraph II. Here is the correct outline for paragraph II:
II. Helpful at school
A. Topic: school help in several ways
B. In class - shares notes
C. For homework - works with me
D. For tests - study sessions
E. Restate topic
Here is the sample body paragraph, double spaced and with the developed examples underlined.
First, John helps me very often in my college classes. He always shares his notes from the class
lectures because they are usually better than mine. One time in our Math 103 class, John showed me
his notes on how to solve differential equations. I did not understand these difficult problems until
John's notes explained them. Also, John works with me on written homework. One time, our History
105 class required us to write an essay about what caused the American Civil War. I did not
understand the chapter reading, nor did I know how to write the assignment. John explained that the
war was caused mostly by slavery, and my essay should discuss three reasons why that was true.
Finally, John always helps me prepare for tests. Once we had a difficult exam in Biology 203 about
DNA, and John spent three hours reviewing both class notes and quizzes to help me prepare for the
test; as a result, I earned an A on that exam. I would have a hard time getting through my ELAC
courses without John.
