Essay Outline
Explain how Europe benefited from cultural diffusion during the period c. A.D. 1000 - 1500.
Develops the main ideas stated in the introduction.
Persuasive/Explanatory Composition: body contains facts, reasons, and examples that support the main idea.
Paragraphs should follow in a logical order, based on weakest to strongest.
Includes 3 supporting paragraphs.
First Body Paragraph
Each paragraph needs at least FOUR sentences!
Based on the first piece of evidence outlined in the introduction, state a topic sentence for the First Body Paragraph to support the thesis sentence.
Topic Sentence:
List important pieces of factual information that support the topic sentence of the First Body Paragraph. These are used to develop your supporting sentences.
Factual Information: (This will not be copied into your final draft.)
Fact 1:
Fact 2:
Fact 3:
Fact 4:
Using the factual information, write at least THREE sentences supporting the topic of the First Body Paragraph.
First Supporting Sentence:
Second Supporting Sentence:
Third Supporting Sentence: (if needed)
End your first paragraph with a concluding/transitional sentence that leads to paragraph number two.
Transitions create a thread between paragraphs, so your reader isn't lost or jarred when moving from one idea/paragraph to the next. A transition is simply a sentence, or part of a sentence, that connects the material in one paragraph to that in the next. This creates a smooth read and makes your material seem to make more sense.
The transition may be part of the concluding sentence of one paragraph, or it may be part of the introductory sentence of the next paragraph. You could even have a transition that is partly in one paragraph's conclusion and partly in the next paragraph's introduction.
Here is an example of a concluding/transition sentence:
By practicing better methods of personal hygiene, Europeans were not so reliant
on primitive medical treatments.
Notice how the first part of the sentence sums up the topic (better hygiene), while the second part of the sentence ties the paragraph's topic into the topic of the next paragraph (better medical care).
Concluding/Transition Sentence:
Follow the previous steps to complete the second and third body paragraphs.
Second Body Paragraph
Topic Sentence:
Factual Information: (This will not be copied into your final draft.)
Fact 1:
Fact 2:
Fact 3:
Fact 4:
First Supporting Sentence:
Second Supporting Sentence:
Third Supporting Sentence: (if needed)
Concluding/Transition Sentence:
Third Body Paragraph
Topic Sentence:
Factual Information: (This will not be copied into your final draft.)