Second body paragraph, and the links that hold an essay together
This week in one line: a second paragraph is easy; making it belong to the same argument is where the Structure marks live.
One paragraph, two Structure moves
You already built one strong body paragraph in Week 4. This week you build its sibling, on the same question, and learn the two little sentences that carry most of the 16 Structure marks: the topic sentence at the top and the link at the bottom.
Warm in
Reread your Week 4 paragraph out loud (it saved itself in the paragraph station). Then say the argument of that paragraph in one sentence, no notes. That sentence is what your new paragraph has to build on, not repeat.
The work
First, the two moves. Look at how the essay page maps one argument across a whole essay: each paragraph opens by pushing the thesis somewhere new, and closes by tying back to it.
The first sentence states this paragraph's argument AND moves the whole case forward. A linking word does the steering.
"However, Othello's own insecurity is the crack that lets the lie work." The however tells the marker the argument just turned.
The last sentence returns to the thesis and the question, in fresh words. It answers: so what did this paragraph just prove?
"In this way the play argues that jealousy's real danger is internal." One line, back to the spine.
- Now build. Open the paragraph station and keep the SAME question you used in Week 4.
- Write a second paragraph that adds a new argument, not the same one again. Pick a fresh quote for it from the quote bank. If your Week 4 paragraph used the green-eyed monster line, this one could run on “Trifles light as air are to the jealous confirmations strong as proofs of holy writ.”
- Before anything else, write the topic sentence and the link back. Fill the middle after. Top and tail first.
Rough day? Just write the topping and tailing sentences, the paragraph middle can fill in later.
Close it
Say it back: what are the two Structure moves, and where do they sit in the paragraph? Then read just your two topic sentences (W4 and today's) one after the other. Do they sound like one argument moving, or two separate points? Fix the second one if it does not push forward. Set the phone task below.
On your phone this week
One read, 5 to 10 minutes. Open your saved paragraphs in the paragraph station and read your Week 4 and Week 7 paragraphs together, top to bottom, like two paragraphs of one essay. Check one thing: the two topic sentences must not say the same thing. If they overlap, rewrite the second one so it clearly adds something new. We will read them together on the phone and do exactly this check.