How to Write Strong Context Project Analysis Paragraphs

AGWR Resources:

You are probably very familiar with paragraph templates such as PIE or TEA. After all we have been doing this since middle school right? Well, analytical paragraphs in college ask you to build on that prior knowledge you bring into the class to expand and deepen your analysis. In particular, we want to see you using the words, ideas, frameworks of others to develop your own analysis, which is why we emphasize and require that you find and annotate sources.

Let's Review the PIE paragraph structure

While I do not believe in prescribing formulas, you should know that a well-developed analytical paragraph is usually at least seven to eight sentences long or roughly 3/4 of a page. Below is a template for how you might organize an analytical paragraph in the CP Essay.

1. TOPIC SENTENCE: begin with a strong topic sentence that states your purpose, the main point you want to make in the paragraph. Since the CP essay prompt is asking you to define an issue/problem and then explain the root causes, the topic sentences in your body paragraph need to reflect this

2. PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION/LINK: Provide an explanation for your topic sentence or link between your topic sentence and the textual evidence. Give the reader any context she/he may need to understand how the evidence you will provide next develops you claim in the paragraph or main point--this is a good place to bring in a source.

3. EVIDENCE: because your task in this essay is to define and analyze an issue or problem, you need to use sources to do this. your evidence/illustration is quotes from the text. Remember to always include the page number where the quote is from in parenthesis like this : (78).

There are 3 primary ways to integrate sources: direct quotation, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Which way you use depends on your purpose in the paragraph. As a general rule, use direct quotations sparingly only when the exact sentence or phrase is necessary to
develop your point/purpose in the paragraph. Usually, paraphrasing, or putting the information or idea in your own words
is best.

Whether you quote, paraphrase, or summarize, always include a parenthetical citation with the author’s last name and the page number if available (most online sources don’t have a pg #)

Here is an example: (Brown, 54). Notice the period goes After the parenthesis

* If there is no author, then you include the acronym for the organization that published the report or work, like this: (NES).

4. ANALYSIS OF TEXTUAL EVIDENCE: Each time you introduce evidence from the text you need to follow that with at least 3-4 sentences of analysis of that evidence; explain the significance of that evidence to your main point in the paragraph. See AGWR page 150 section "Crafting Analysis"

5. REPEAT: 3 and 4 above more than once if you don't have 8 sentences

You can follow these 6 steps to developing strong analytical paragraphs:

1. Establish the main point

2. Provide an explanation

3. Provide Support/Evidence

4. Interpret the support/evidence

5. Repeat if necessary

6. Connect or loop back to the thesis statement