AP World History: Support & Analysis in Paragraphs
NAME: ___________________________
Writing Good Paragraphs
The focus of any essay should be proving the thesis statement. The key to this is usually developing each
paragraph thoughtfully. Think about proving your thesis statement one subtopic at a time, and proving
each subtopic, one paragraph at a time. If each paragraph is directly related to the thesis statement, then
proving the main idea of each paragraph should in turn lead to proving the thesis. To achieve this, every
body paragraph should utilize five types of sentences (& therefore have b/t 8 and 11 sentences):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Topic Sentence: General statement that clearly connects the main idea of the paragraph to the thesis.
Statement of Analysis: Discussion of evidence that proves the paragraph’s topic sentence. Probably of
statement of the author’s own analysis.
Factual Example: Statement that gives a specific example illustrating the support statement (probably a
fact from research/note card).
Connector / Transitional phrase: Statement or phrase that connects support statement ideas.
Clincher: A conclusion sentence that ends the idea of the paragraph with a deeper understanding.
Example:
Thesis Statement = Between 1914 and 1945, two world wars had a devastating impact on Europe, helped
end European domination of the world, and solidified the U.S. as a world power.
The devastating impact of the two world wars on Europe can be seen by examining the
extraordinary number of casualties.
The devastation Europe experienced is exemplified by the number of men
who died in battle, an effect so extreme it could be termed a “lost
generation.” For example, Germany numbered five million military-eligible men
prior to World War II but suffered 3.5 million military deaths during the war
The devastating impact of this problem only mounts when one adds the casualties of other
European nations like England.
Nearly every family personally felt the impact of the war and the “lost
generation” casualties. Fewer than twenty-five percent of English schoolchildren grew up with a father after World War II.
As if the number of casualties and their impact on families were not devastating enough, economies
around Europe were ravaged.
So many European men were struck down in their prime that families were
left without their leaders and primary “bread winners.” This was never more
than in Germany, where one in three families lived in poverty following the wars as
mothers struggled to provide income and care for children.
Topic
Sentence
Statement
of Analysis
&
Factual
Example
Connectors
Statement
of Analysis
&
Factual
Example
Connectors
Statement
of Analysis
&
Factual
Example
Because the numbers of casualties suffered during World War I & II were mostly men, the wars
altered basic life in Europe as women became more important leaders of families and business.
Clincher
In the example, notice how every sentence works toward explaining how the number of casualties proves
the world wars’ devastating impact on Europe. It is important to notice that what separates good essays
from bad ones is not having a laundry list of specific details or general analytical claims. Instead, good
essays combine:
 specific examples that show the reader the data that led you to your conclusions
and
 analytical statements that explain how the examples prove the topic sentence (which in
turn proves the thesis)
The ideal paragraph would be organized with a topic sentence at the beginning, three sets of analysis and
examples, a connector between each piece of evidence, and a clincher sentence to conclude the paragraph.
Do not simply hope the reader arrives at the same conclusion as you by allowing the reader to fill in their
own examples or analysis. Give supporting examples and explain how each factual detail strengthens
your argument.
“A” papers are earned by using a strong paragraph structure.