Parts of an Essay: The Body

The Body

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the Body

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph Structure

• Topic Sentence - introduces the stand or claim from the thesis statement.

• Evidence - facts or data that supports the stand or claim.

• Interpretation - interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Example

One of the main causes of global warming is the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect occurs when certain gases in the atmosphere trap heat and prevent it from escaping into space. According to NASA, the most important greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. These gases are emitted by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture, and industrial processes. The greenhouse effect is essential for life on Earth, but too much of it can lead to dangerous consequences such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and loss of biodiversity.