A Body Paragraph

Topic sentence – every sentence in this paragraph relates back

to this idea. (Rameck and Ted both struggle between doing the best work they can and being accepted by their peers)

Claim: a specific statement

Detail/Quote: information that backs up your claim

Commentary: explains how your detail/quote backs up the claim and explains the detail/quote further.

Topic sentence. Claim. Detail / quote. Commentary. Claim. Detail/quote. Commentary. Transition sentence to next paragraph.

Rameck and Ted both struggle between doing the best work they can and being accepted by their peers. When Rameck is by himself, he knows how to do the right thing, but when his friends from the streets are around, he makes bad decisions. Rameck once stole a shirt from the college bookstore just because a friend pointed out how easy it was to steal from them. If the friend had never shown up, Rameck probably would not have stolen the shirt. Similarly, (claim about Ted).

Support for claim about Ted. Explain how the detail/quote backs up the claim. When Rameck and Ted are not busy worrying about what their peers think, they have to deal with family issue

Remember!

• Have a title for your essay that is specific to your essay alone! (be creative)

• Underline books, quotation marks around short stories

Connotation versus Denotation

• Connotation – implied or suggested meaning of the word or phrase (usually conveys positive, neutral, or negative associations)

• Denotation – the actual “dictionary” definition

• If someone won’t listen to what others have to say, sometimes they are called:Pig-headed Strong-willed

• Related to our literary term euphemism– People change a harsh word for a “nicer”

sounding word– Change connotation of word, but denotation stays

the same

Examples!

• I don’t own a second-hand car, I own a pre-owned car.

• The United States didn’t perform torture; we used enhanced interrogation techniques.

• That boy isn’t scrawny and malnourished, he’s thin!

TV examples!

Dr. House: I'm busy.Thirteen: We need you to . . .Dr. House: Actually, as you can see, I'm not busy. It's just a euphemism for "get the hell out of here.“

("Dying Changes Everything," House, M.D.)

Mr. Prince: We'll see you when you get back from image enhancement camp.MartinPrince: Spare me your euphemisms! It's fat camp, for Daddy's

chubby little secret!

("Kamp Krusty," The Simpsons, 1992)