WRITING AN EFFECTIVE

BODY PARAGRAPHS
800/4 – TASK 2 (EXTENDED ESSAY)
A good body paragraph should have 4 parts to
it:

(i) Topic Sentence

(ii) Reasons & Elaborations
(iii) Examples
(iv) Concluding Sentence
 Try using these phrases to begin your sentence/
introduce your main ideas:

 First and foremost,…  In contrast,…

 At the forefront of this issue,…  On the contrary,…
 Moving on to the next point,…  On the other hand,…
 On top of that,…  Conversely,…
 Another point to ponder is…  Thus…
 A final point to ponder is…  Therefore…
 However,…  Hence…
 Nonetheless,…
Body paragraph should be straightforward and to the point. In
order to present arguments for or against an issue, the writer
needs to be very clear and precise in the first sentence because
it introduces the topic that will be discussed in this paragraph.
This is called a Topic Sentence (TS).

The TS is followed by reasons and elaboration coupled with

examples to justify the point made.

Finally, each body paragraph should ideally have a Concluding

Sentence (CS) that ties up the TS with the essay Title (T). Thus, it
is important to look at the similarities between the TS and the CS.
*refer to the handout!
 Laziness is the Main Cause of Obesity

First and foremost, laziness is the main cause of obesity because people gain a lot of weight
when they live a sedentary lifestyle [TS(a)]. This is because when we do not have an active
lifestyle, we will not be spending our energy doing physical activities such as walking,
running or carrying things. Moreover, where we do not use the calories that we consumed
especially in large quantities, then this unused energy will be stored as fat and cause high
obesity rates among people who live a sedentary lifestyle (Reasons & Elaboration). Take for
instance, most young people have poor sleeping habits, wake up late and spend most of
their time on their gadgets like smartphones or laptops rather than go outside and take a jog
or play some physically challenging games and so on (Examples). Thus, it is without a doubt
that laziness in terms of how inactive a person is and the lack of physical movement is the
leading cause of obesity amongst people these days (CS: TS(a) + T).
 Money Alone Cannot Buy Happiness

Another point to ponder is how money can certainly buy a high degree of happiness when
we are finally able to contribute personally to philanthropy. [TS(c)]. This means that when
we have enough money for our own needs, we can increase our happiness levels simply by
giving money away. Furthermore, when we are able to reach out those who need it more
than us, we will get a special sense of satisfaction because we are helping our fellow human
beings. This sense of humanity will give us more happiness and pride in ourselves and
certainly, money can provide us with this wonderful opportunity (Reasons & Elaboration).
To illustrate, maybe one day in the past someone helped us with a food basket with basic
necessities like eggs and rice and fast forward to 20 years later after becoming successful im
life, we are able to pay it forward and help other victims of poverty, natural disasters and
many more (Examples). Hence, the statement that money alone cannot buy happiness
should be opposed because there is a certain level of happiness unlocked when we can
donate unlimitedly towards charities of our own choice (CS: TS(a) + T).
CRITICAL THINKING ELEMENTS can be shown in the Body Paragraph using these
techniques:

(i) Counter Arguments – However, Nonetheless, In contrast, On the contrary, On the

other hand, Conversely…etc.

(ii) Imagines Scenarios – Imagine if…, What if…, If…etc.

(iii) Proverbs & Quotes – add one but remember to comment about why you used it.

(iv) Facts & Stats – add proof but use general terms like: one of the most…, one of the
highest…, the most/ the least popular…, some studies have shown…, there was a
piece of research that stated…, according to the news report recently…, based on
the press release by the Health Ministry… etc.

*refer to the handout!

Write 3 body paragraphs for the topic below:

Parents attended a talk by a school counsellor on the issue of

distractions in school. One of the distractions mentioned was the
use of mobile phones. As such, the talk ended with this statement:

“Bringing mobile phones to school leads to more negative than

positive effects.”
 Disagree Agree

1. Emergency communication 1. Distraction

- Contact parents/ emergency services - use it for non-academic purposes during
- Urgent situations class time
- Accident; illness - Chatting, playing games, watching videos

2. Access to educational resources 2. Other students may feel disadvantaged

- Can research topics – search engine - Can’t afford to have their own smartphone
- Access online textbooks, blogs, articles - Lead to distress as they might get ridiculed/
- Collaborate with classmates on projects discriminated/ bullied

3. Organization and time management 3. Cheating

- Stay organized - Cheat on exams or assignments
- Students can manage their time - Undermine the integrity of the educational
- Set reminders; use apps to schedule study system
sessions - Harm students learning process
Quotes related to smartphones:

1. “Smartphones are the new cigarettes. They are addictive and not good for
you.” – Tom Hanks
2. “Smartphones are a tool, not a way of life.” - Anonymous
3. “While smartphones are making us ignorant, social media is the cause to
more corruption, social anxiety and abuse.” - Anthony Liccione
4. “Know more about yourself rather than your smartphone.” – Dax Bamania
5. “It is okay to own a technology, what is not okay is to be owned by
technology.” - Abhijit Naskar
Quotes related to smartphones:

6. “The future of mobile is the future of everything.” – Matt

Galligan
7. “Today, phone is where the heart is!” – Rachita Cabral
8. “As long as you have a Cell Phone you’re never alone.” –
Stanley Victor Paskavich