 Welcome to hack your academic essay, body paragraph. First, remember the golden rule. Every sentence has a function which means don't ramble shit, the marker can always tell. Second, writing an essay can be as simple as filling out a form. But which form? This form. This is what needs to be included in a main body paragraph for an academic essay. First, you need a main topic sentence that links back to the main argument that you stated in the introduction. That is, each main topic sentence needs to be a fragment of that main argument. Then you have an unpacking sentence. Then you quote or paraphrase something from the peer reviewed academic resources, usually taken from your unit readings or the library catalog. And then you use an example to illustrate what the quote is trying to say. And then the next bit is important. It's the explication or linking sentence. This is the sentence or sentences, if you need two or three, where the magic happens. This is where in your own words you explain how the example and the academic literature that you've just stated link together to support the argument you're making. This section of the paragraph is usually the most difficult and it's also what differentiates the high school essay from the tertiary essay. And then you have a concluding sentence that links back to the main argument and wraps up the body paragraph. So let's go through it step by step. What is a main topic sentence? A main topic sentence is usually argumentative in that it is an aspect of the broader or overarching thesis statement. The main topic sentence then supports one aspect of that overarching thesis statement. It is not just slightly related but actively links back to the main idea being argued. And then what does it mean to unpack or contextualize a main topic sentence? Submain topic sentences are self-explanatory and they don't require further unpacking. That is, explaining to the reader or marker. However, many times there will be a key word or perhaps something from your unit readings that you want to demonstrate your knowledge of or which needs to be clarified in order to continue with the argument. And this is the moment in which that happens. Then you quote or paraphrase something from a resource. Now, this is not your example. Rather, this is where you state the academic literature which supports the argument you're trying to make. If you use a quote, it's also good to then add an extra statement explaining what that quote means in your own words. Try using the unit readings to show your engagement with the materials. But also try doing independent research in peer review journals, articles, scholarly books. Now, you need an example to illustrate. So if you're using a case study, that is an overarching example that threads throughout the entire essay, you refer back to it here. Or you can just choose another example. You might be using one-by-one independent examples. But don't use the examples given in the readings. Show your tutor that you can come up with your own. And then you have a linking sentence. This is usually the most difficult part of the body paragraph for first years especially because it is where the writer, that is you, must draw together the example from real life and the academic literature. That is a quote or something paraphrased from the academic peer reviewed material. You've got to explain to the reader how they relate to each other. And more importantly, how using them together works to support your overarching thesis statement. And then you have a concluding sentence. Now, this wraps up the idea of the single paragraph by linking it back to the main thesis statement. That is reminding the reader of the overall narrative of the essay. Good luck.