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Body paragraphs explore the main points of your argument, presenting and explaining key evidence. Placed after the introduction and before the conclusion, body paragraphs make up the middle of your paper and focus on a single idea or point that supports your thesis.
The introduction sets up your thesis, but the body of your paper is where your argument truly unfolds. In the body paragraphs that define, support, and explain the main points of your thesis, readers learn about the evidence that bolsters your central argument. Click on each sentence in the example body paragraph to better understand the elements of a body paragraph. Click each link to learn more about each element of a body paragraph.
One significant impact of the nursing shortage is the increased workload and stress placed on existing healthcare staff, which can lead to burnout and a decline in patient care quality [Sentence 1]. As hospitals and healthcare facilities face staffing shortages, nurses are often required to take on more patients, work longer shifts, and perform additional administrative duties, and this heightened workload can result in physical and emotional exhaustion (Ross, 2022) [Sentence 2]. Burnout not only affects the well-being of nurses but also compromises patient safety [Sentence 3, Part I]: when nurses are overburdened, their ability to provide thorough, attentive care diminishes, increasing the likelihood of errors such as medication mistakes, delayed responses to patient needs, and inadequate monitoring of patient conditions (May, 2018) [Sentence 3, Part II] . The nursing shortage, then, has far-reaching implications for both healthcare professionals and patients, underscoring the urgent need for solutions to address this issue [Sentence 4].
Click each link in the example body paragraph to display the explanation.
Also called a topic sentence, the first sentence of a body paragraph expresses its main idea or claim. Notice that this sentence is not cited, which means that it represents the writer’s original idea, rather than a researcher’s.
The next sentence provides evidence to support the paragraph’s main idea. In scholarly writing, evidence primarily takes the form of paraphrase and, occasionally, quotations from credible sources.
This phrase helps to transition between the two sources used as evidence in this paragraph (Ross, 2022 and May, 2018) by explaining how they are connected.
The writer provides additional evidence in the form of paraphrase.
This sentence analyzes the two pieces of evidence offered in this paragraph by explaining how they support the main idea. This sentence also provides a sense of closure, highlighting the significance of the writer’s argument.
Use the MEAL plan, a tool for organizing body paragraphs, to write focused, well-supported, and complete body paragraphs. Learn More About the MEAL Plan.
As the first sentence of a body paragraph, the topic sentence frames your main idea—the claim you will go on to support with evidence. It may be helpful to think of a topic sentence as a mini-thesis statement, in that it articulates the argument of your body paragraph. When creating a topic sentence, keep the following in mind:
Although it might be tempting to begin a paragraph with a compelling quotation, as a general rule, topic sentences should state the main idea of the paragraph in your own words. In other words, lead with your idea, not another researcher’s.
Example: According to Overton (2025), “In 2022, Maine became the first state to ban the land application of sludge because it contains harmful forever chemicals, or PFAS, that are known to pose a public health risk in even trace amounts” (para. 1).
In addition to being a bit jarring to readers, beginning a paragraph with a direct quote does not effectively set up the main idea or claim that your paragraph will explore.
Better: Forever chemicals pose a serious public health risk, as exposure has been linked to chronic diseases, hormonal disruptions, and long-term developmental effects.
Example: The housing shortage significantly affects low to middle-income families.
This topic sentence only provides readers with a vague sense of what the writer will argue in their body paragraph. In what way does the housing shortage affect low to middle-income?
Better:The housing shortage creates economic instability for low- and middle-income families by driving up property prices.
As you write, think about body paragraphs in terms of their scope, not in terms of their length. Instead of exploring an idea before moving onto another paragraph. In the example below, consider the effectiveness of presenting information in a single, longer paragraph versus many, shorter paragraphs.
Electronic medical records (EMRs) have numerous benefits to patients as well as medical personnel. EMRs promote patient satisfaction in their ease of access. Certain programs allow patients to view their medical records in a password-protected online environment, print out immunization records, and perform other necessary tasks with an immediacy that paper records do not allow (James, 2011).
The convenience of immediacy spans also to healthcare professionals who may need to transfer records to other medical institutions for a patient's procedure. Rather than spending the time and money copying, faxing, or printing records, healthcare professionals can simply transfer information via the EMRs programs (Hunter, 2009).
EMRs also save physical space. With laws regarding the number of years medical institutions are required to maintain records, EMRs can retain past patients’ charts without taking up any physical space (Johnson & Johnson, 2010).
Beyond that, because EMRs organize and save materials, the risk of human error in losing or misplacing charts is lessened.
Each of these paragraphs is too short to make an effective point; the evidence does not provide sufficient support of each benefit. However, in a longer paper on the same topic, you might develop each of these short paragraphs into a longer, more substantial paragraph, complete with ample evidence and analysis.
Electronic medical records (EMRs) have numerous benefits to patients as well as medical personnel. EMRs promote patient satisfaction in their ease of access. Certain programs allow patients to view their medical records in a password-protected online environment, print out immunization records, and perform other necessary tasks with an immediacy that paper records do not allow (James, 2011). The convenience of immediacy spans also to healthcare professionals who may need to transfer records to other medical institutions for a patient's procedure. Rather than spending the time and money copying, faxing, or printing records, healthcare professionals can simply transfer information via the EMRs programs (Hunter, 2009). EMRs also save physical space. With laws regarding the number of years medical institutions are required to maintain records, EMRs can retain past patients’ charts without taking up any physical space (Johnson & Johnson, 2010). Beyond that, because EMRs organize and save materials, the risk of human error in losing or misplacing charts is lessened.
This paragraph would be more appropriate for an academic paper because it fully explores the main idea presented in the first sentence—that electronic medical records offer many benefits. By providing evidence and analysis, the writer thoroughly addresses each benefit, and the result is a complete, convincing paragraph.
You will grow more comfortable gauging appropriate paragraph length the more you read and write as a scholar. In the meantime, here are some additional tips for writing organized, complete, well-balanced body paragraphs:
Make sure that whatever you write in the paragraph directly supports the topic sentence. If you find yourself addressing more than one main idea, either cut out the extra material or use it in a new paragraph.
Often, using more than one source to support a paragraph’s main idea can strengthen your argument. Just be sure to connect evidence from different sources with transitional words and phrases.
Instead of merely summarizing what others have said, include your own analysis of source material. In other words, get in the habit of following up evidence with explanation.
Again, the MEAL Plan can help you write focused and complete body paragraphs that include a balance of evidence and analysis. Learn More About the MEAL Plan.
Body paragraphs make up the body of your paper and fall between the introduction and conclusion paragraphs. They support your central argument by explaining and providing evidence for each of the main points of your thesis. Use the MEAL Plan to ensure body paragraphs stay focused on a single idea and strike a balance between evidence and analysis.
Do you need more practice with academic paragraphs? Try the Organize and Develop Paragraphs Module.
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