BODY PARAGRAPH REVISION SEVENFOLD PATH

OF HARMONY AND LOVE

1. Lead With the Hardest Punch. Is each paragraph's topic sentence the strongest
idea in the paragraph?
This absolutely must be the case. Read the entire paragraph if there's a stronger
idea embedded in the paragraph itself, then reposition the sentence that states that
idea so that it becomes the paragraph's topic sentence. You might need to do a little
re-writing to make it work, but this is a necessary step.
2. Be Sure the Punch Matters. Does your topic sentence pass the so-what test?
If the topic sentence is a strong assertion, then this next step shouldn't be an issue.
Still, it's a good idea to read every topic sentence and imagine a skeptical reader
saying So what? Your answer ideally should be automatic: so what? I'll tell you
so what! What follows should be an equally strong defense of the topic sentence's
point, adducing evidence and analysis as necessary. If, however, the imaginary
skeptic says So what? and the answer is hesitant, muddled, or weak, then the
topic sentence needs to be re-thought.
3. There Can Be Only One. Each paragraph may have one and only one
primary idea.
Now that the paragraph's strongest idea has been moved to the topic-sentence
position, analyzing the paragraph for this step should be fairly straightforward. Each
of the sentences in the body paragraph should support the topic sentence in some
way, by providing evidence or explanation. You're allowed to elaborate on a point's
nuances, but you shouldn't wander too much and you should not definitely not
get into another point, unless you're transition out of the paragraph. If a new point
competes with the topic sentence, you must break the paragraph up into separate
paragraphs, each with its own point. If that means the resulting paragraphs are too
short, then there may be a number of issues: the topic sentence's point isn't strong
enough; more evidence or better evidence could be brought to bear; the evidence
provided is insufficiently analyzed. No matter the issue, a paragraph's carrying
capacity is one idea. Try to stuff another idea in there and the paragraph bulges,
splits, and breaks, ideas spilling everywhere, prose soaking into the carpet. It's a
mess. Don't do it.
4. Walk a Narrow Path. Is the paragraph proceeding according to a well-reasoned
path of connected points?
Why is this paragraph coming up where it does in the essay? Could the paragraph
come earlier or later and still be fine? If so, then there might be an issue with the
essay's overall structure this is probably the case but there may be a problem
with the topic sentence or the evidence being presented, too. The paragraph might

be unnecessarily repeating (or basically readdressing) a previous point. Or the topic

sentence might seem strong because of the way it's worded, but it might be a sheep
in wolf's clothing, not really making as worthwhile an assertion as is needed.
Whether the problem is with structure or content, it needs to be corrected. So ask
yourself if the paragraph under consideration is A) building on previous points, and
B) pointing toward necessary later steps in the argument. If not, rethink the
argument.
5. Use Your Weight. The way to do this is to offer up convincing evidence for the
topic sentence's assertion.
How persuasive is the paragraph's evidence? Remember that logical evidence is
fine. An assertion can absolutely be analyzed and established on the basis of reason
alone. When evidence based on scholarly evidence is brought to the game, however,
the reasoning becomes even more persuasive. The writer is adding the scholar's
ethos, along with the argumentative power of the scholar's supporting ideas and
research, to the essay's related argument. Whether the evidence offered is based on
logic, logic with supporting evidence, or draws heavily from supporting research
alone, that evidence must be relevant, on topic, and convincing. Sometimes a writer
will need to do some work to connect evidence to controlling assertion (topic
sentence). That's fine, too, but by the time the paragraph's over, the reader should be
convinced that the evidence is worthwhile and supportive.
6. Not Just What But How and Why. Is the paragraph discussing rhetoric?
Does the thesis statement include assertions about how a particular reading is made
possible or necessary because of the way certain techniques or textual
considerations (diction, characterization, plotting, symbolism, metaphor, irony,
foreshadowing, theme, tone, etc.) are working for or on the reader? It's not enough
simply to associate one thing with another. You must also establish why and how
that association is happening, and that means (in this course) discussing audience
reception, genre, and context. Every paragraph should include those elements in its
reasoning. Genre provides expectations expectations can be either fulfilled or
subverted fulfillment releases tension, while subversion creates tension tension
(or its release) engages the reader and makes meaning possible. There are different
kinds of tension and different ways of making tension coil or release, and so there
are many different ways to make meaning feel real and relevant for the audience.
But this is what you're concerned with. There is no meaning in a text if you can't
establish why and how the text must mean what you're asserting it means at least
as far as your essay is concerned.
7. Don't Hold On. Does the paragraph transition well?
Make sure that the paragraph provides a transitional moment at its conclusion,
properly contextualizing the next point, so that the reader is led from one point to
the next. This last part of the seven-fold path might be shorter than the others, but it
too is important, as proper transitions significantly increase readability and
strengthen the perception that the argument is necessary and well-conceived.