CONSTRUCTING A PARAGRAPH
CONSTRUCTING A
PARAGRAPH
When you are starting out in essay writing, TEEL is a very useful acronym to use. It gives you a
nice, easy way to order your paragraphs and ensure you have a well-developed argument that is
backed up by evidence. For those of you who need a refresher, TEEL stands for:
Topic sentence
Explain
Evidence
Link
‘T.E.E.L. paragraphs’ are the real guts of an essay. This is where you explore your ideas and provide
your arguments and evidence. An essay will have between 3 and 5 body paragraphs. Each paragraph
will need to be AT LEAST four sentences long, and will normally need to be longer. A typed paragraph
should not be more than half a page in length (with single line spacing).
Each body paragraph will need to follow the T.E.E.L. formula. It will need: (1) a TOPIC SENTENCE; (2)
an EXPLANATION; (3) EVIDENCE; and (4) a LINK. This is where the name ‘TEEL paragraph’ comes from.
This is explained in detail on the following pages.
You must make sure that each body paragraph has its own argument, which then links back/answers
the overarching Essay Topic. You need to be exploring an argument – if you are just retelling the story,
they you are not showing a capacity to think or analyse, which is the purpose of the task.
Below you can find two examples of body paragraphs:
