PARTS
OF A
BODY PARAGRAPH
What is the “M” in MEAL?
• Main Idea (topic sentence)
What does a MAIN IDEA
do in a paragraph?
• Tells what the paragraph is going to be
about
• Answers the prompt
What is the “E” in MEAL?
• Evidence (example)
What does EVIDENCE
do in a paragraph?
• A specific example or a hard fact that
supports the main idea
• If writing about literature or poetry, the
evidence is typically a quote (an exact phrase
or sentence) from the text
What is the “A1” in MEAL?
• Analysis #1
What does the ANALYSIS #1
do in a paragraph?
• Explains the meaning or significance of
the evidence
• Infers (reads between the lines) the
deeper meaning of the evidence
What is the “A2” in MEAL?
• Analysis #2
What does the ANALYSIS #2
do in a paragraph?
• Infers more about the meaning or
significance of the evidence
• Explains how the evidence proves or
connects to the main idea
What is the “L” in MEAL?
• Link (closing sentence)
What does the LINK
do in a paragraph?
• Wraps up the paragraph by re-stating what
the paragraph is about
• Re-states the main idea in DIFFERENT
words
• Links the ideas in the paragraph to the
upcoming ideas in the next paragraph
How many parts (sentences)
must your paragraphs have?
M
E
A1
A2
E
A1
A2
L
Main Idea
Evidence
Analysis #1
Analysis #2
Evidence
Analysis #1
Analysis #2
Link
Mmmmmm, one YUMMY
paragraph!