What to include in your paragraphs

Much of the content of this article has already been covered in the article on Structure but it is worth revisiting if you are struggling to construct your essays or your teacher has criticised your writing style.

Each paragraph should present one idea or part of your argument which should be signposted in your topic sentence (the first sentence in your paragraph). Within the paragraph you should:

• introduce the idea or part of the argument in your topic sentence
• present evidence which supports this idea (preferably more than one piece of evidence)
• comment on how this evidence proves the point you are making, making reference to context or critical views if this is required.

Examiners at A Level do not expect to see a formulaic approach to paragraphs, such as SQUAD or PEA. However, if you find it difficult to structure your essays at first, keeping PEARL in mind can help:

Point – your topic sentence, linking to your thesis

Evidence – evidence from the source text

Analysis – detailed consideration of how the evidence shapes meaning; its effect and significance

Response – your ideas about how the evidence relates to your argument/ proves your point

Link – relevant links to context including critical ideas

Topic Sentences and Signposting

Topic sentences reveal the main point of a paragraph. They show the relationship of each paragraph to the essay’s thesis so are really important in enabling your reader to keep track of your argument.

Signposts, as their name suggests, prepare the reader for a change in the argument’s direction e.g. considering a related topic such as a counterargument, acknowledging a complication to your argument, or inserting some relevant context or a critical view.

At GCSE, you might have used the same formula for all of your essay paragraphs; topic sentences like “The first way the writer presents xxx is…” and “A further way the writer presents xxx is…” were fine for exam responses. Now though, you should try to vary the form your topic sentences take to avoid your essay sounding formulaic or dull.

Consider using the following sentence types:

• A complex sentence which recaps information from previous paragraphs in the subordinate clause and introduces new information in the independent clause e.g. Despite the issue previously considered, xxx is shown quite forcibly by…
• A bridge sentences which indicates both what came before and what comes next e.g. “However, there is a problem to this interpretation.“
• A pivot sentence which indicates that the paragraph will change direction, either at the beginning of a paragraph or in the middle of it. This is particularly useful for dealing with counterargument where a paragraph starts out stating a fact and then reverses direction and establishes a claim. The pivot always needs a signal, a word like “but,” “yet,” or “however,” or a longer phrase or sentence that indicates a change of direction e.g. “In sharp contrast to this idea is the fact that…” or “An argument against this interpretation is proposed by…”

Remember that, in a well-structured essay, if you take the topic sentence of each of your main paragraphs, it should give a concise overview of your entire argument.

You could use some of the following topic sentences or signposting sentences:

• A contrary explanation to xxx is that …
• As a consequence of xxx …
• As a result of xxx…
• An equally significant aspect of…
• Another significant factor in…
• Despite these criticisms, …
• Certainly, there is no shortage of disagreement within…
• [Critic], … in particular, has focused on the…
• Despite this, …
• Despite these criticisms, … the popularity of X remains largely undiminished.
• Given…it is quite surprising that …
• Given the advantages of … outlined in the previous paragraph, …it is quite predictable that …
• Having considered xxx, it is also reasonable to look at …
• In addition to xxx …
• In contrast, …
• Indeed, …
• It can be seen from the above analysis that …
• It could also be said that …
• It is, however, important to note the limitations of…
• It is important to note however, that …
• It is important however not to overemphasise the strengths of …
• Notwithstanding such criticism…
• Notwithstanding these limitations…
• Noting the compelling nature of this new evidence has suggested that…
• On the other hand, critics of xxx …
• This interpretation of xxx has not been without its critics however…
• This approach is similar to the…
• This point is also sustained by the work of, …
• This counter argument is supported by evidence from, …
• There is also, however, a further point to be considered.
• Whilst the discussion in the preceding paragraph