Writing handout
As you learned before, a good thesis statement consists of a topic and a controlling idea. The topic sentences of
the body paragraphs in your essay support this controlling idea. For example, notice how these topic sentences
support the thesis statement:
Thesis statement:
Topic sentence 1:
Topic sentence 2:
Topic sentence 3:
Pollution, waste, and climate change are threatening
freshwater supplies.
Fresh water is being polluted by dirty water from several
sources.
Because people are wasting fresh water, the supply is
becoming threatened.
Changes in global weather patterns have affected supplies
of fresh water.
In this essay:
 The first body paragraph would explain how some businesses and factories are polluting lakes and
rivers.
 The second body paragraph would explain some different ways people waste water.
 The third body paragraph would describe how global warming is causing some water supplies to
disappear.
All of these support the thesis statement that pollution, waste, and climate change are threatening fresh water
supplies. Now, it is your turn to write your topic sentences and body paragraphs.
Step 1: write your topic sentences
What is your thesis statement? _____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What are your subtopics?
1) ______________________ = topic for body paragraph 1
2) ______________________ = topic for body paragraph 2
3) ______________________ = topic for body paragraph 3
Write your topic sentences.
Body paragraph 1:
Body paragraph 2:
Body paragraph 3:
Adapted from Boardman & Frydenberg. Writing to Communicate 2: paragraphs and essays.
Step 2: choose your quotes
Look at the list of quotes for your subtopics. Choose appropriate quotes in their paragraphs. Choose one quote
for each paragraph. Write the quotes below.
Body paragraph 1:
Body paragraph 2:
Body paragraph 3:
Step 3: integrate your quotes into paragraphs
Now, write your paragraph. For help, refer to the “citations” handout from 2/12/09.
Body paragraph 1:
Topic Sentence:
Quotation:
Explanation:
Conclusion:
Body paragraph 2:
Topic Sentence:
Quotation:
Explanation:
Conclusion:
Body paragraph 3:
Topic Sentence:
Quotation:
Explanation:
Conclusion:
Adapted from Boardman & Frydenberg. Writing to Communicate 2: paragraphs and essays.