Which of the following best describes the function of the first sentence of the second paragraph?

The second paragraph of an essay is also known as the first body paragraph. The second paragraph is an important one. It is where you start making the case for your argument. The second paragraph helps you transition from the introduction to the body of the essay. It contains your most important information or idea and sets the stage for what is to come.

Meaning of the Second Paragraph

The second paragraph is the first body paragraph of an essay. It follows the introductory paragraph and contains the most obvious beginning point for the rest of the essay.

The second paragraph should provide an entry point to the rest of the essay. As the entry point, it should include the strongest argument or the most important information of all the body paragraphs.

Importance of a Second Paragraph

The second paragraph is important because it bridges the introductory paragraph and the rest of the essay. As the bridge, it contains the strongest argument, example, or information of the essay.

Features of the second paragraph

The second paragraph is your first chance to make a claim, so it has several important features:

• A topic sentence that states the main point of the paragraph and connects to the thesis statement
• An explanation of your reasoning to support the topic sentence
• Evidence to back up your reasoning
• A smooth transition into the third paragraph

Second paragraph example with key features

Below is an example of a second paragraph. Note how it contains all of the key features listed above. It starts with a topic sentence that connects to the thesis statement (college should be free). It includes sentences that explain the reasoning behind the topic sentence. It uses evidence from sources to back up that reasoning. The final sentence prepares the reader for the upcoming third paragraph.

The primary reason college should be free is that it would boost the economy. Most college graduates leave with a lot of student debt. High levels of student debt can cause them to stop buying houses, investing in businesses, or spending money on travel. According to Gallup, student debt has become the largest form of personal debt in the U.S. Recent studies have found young people are not spending on homes or travel like previous generations. Many of them are postponing large purchases due to student debt. If the government paid for college, more people would be able to make large purchases and boost the economy. Free college can also boost the economy in many other ways.

Note how the above example ends with a hint at what is coming next. This last sentence prepares the reader for the main idea of the next paragraph. The reader can guess that the third paragraph will discuss another way free college can boost the economy.

How to write the Second Paragraph

To write the second paragraph, transition from the first paragraph with a topic sentence, explain your reasoning, and use evidence to support that reasoning. With these steps, you can write a second paragraph in no time!

Steps to writing the Second Paragraph:

1. Transition from the first paragraph with a topic sentence.

2. Use relationship words as sentence starters to smooth out the transition.

2. Explain your reasoning with support sentences.

3. Provide evidence to back up your statements.

Let's break down these steps to understand them more clearly.

1. Transition from the first paragraph

Start the second paragraph with a transition from the first paragraph (the introductory paragraph). You need to show how the second paragraph relates to the first paragraph.

A transition is a word or phrase that connects one idea to another. Transitions between paragraphs connect the main ideas of each paragraph.

Think of transitions as bridges. They connect the main ideas of your paragraphs using relationship words.

Relationship words are words that show the relationship between two or more ideas. They are used in transition sentences to demonstrate the relationships between paragraphs.

Use the topic sentence to transition

To transition from the first paragraph to the second paragraph, write a topic sentence that includes relationship words. Relationship words show how the main ideas of each paragraph connect to each other.

A topic sentence is a sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph. It should be the first sentence of the paragraph.

Think about your most important claim. Write it down. That should be the topic sentence of your second paragraph.

Wait! You're not done just yet. The topic sentence still needs to connect to your thesis statement.

The thesis statement is a sentence that states the main idea or argument of an essay. It appears toward the end of the introductory paragraph.

Read what you have written down. Is it clear how your topic sentence relates to the thesis statement? If not, then it is not an effective transition. Consider adding relationship words to the beginning of the sentence to help make it a solid transition.

2. Use relationship words as sentence starters

Relationship words provide great sentence starters.

Sentence starters are words and phrases that appear at the beginning of a sentence. They start the sentence.

• From the beginning
• First,
• First of all
• In the first place
• Initially
• One way/argument/reason/method/etc.
• Originally
• Primarily
• To begin with
• The most important
• Importantly
• One of the most important

Quick Tip! Play around! Don't limit yourself. Try a few different relationship words. See how each one fits. Read your topic sentence out loud with each transition to see how it sounds. Choose the one that makes the most sense.

3. Explain your reasoning

Read what you have written down. Is it clear how your topic sentence relates to the thesis statement? If not, then it is not an effective transition. Consider adding relationship words to the beginning of the sentence to help make it a solid transition.

2. Use relationship words as sentence starters

Relationship words provide great sentence starters.

Sentence starters are words and phrases that appear at the beginning of a sentence. They start the sentence.

• From the beginning
• First,
• First of all
• In the first place
• Initially
• One way/argument/reason/method/etc.
• Originally
• Primarily
• To begin with
• The most important
• Importantly
• One of the most important

Quick Tip! Play around! Don't limit yourself. Try a few different relationship words. See how each one fits. Read your topic sentence out loud with each transition to see how it sounds. Choose the one that makes the most sense.

3. Explain your reasoning

Now that you have a topic sentence, it's time to explain your ideas. You need support sentences to demonstrate your reasoning.

A support sentence is a sentence that supports the main argument of a paragraph. Support sentences explain the logic of the argument for the reader to follow along.

Imagine you are having a conversation with the reader. You state your argument with a topic sentence. You made a good point! You know you are right.

The reader is interested but wants to know more. The reader asks you "how so?" They want to know how you know this.

Answer this "how so" question with two to three reasons. How do you know your argument is right? How do you know your explanation is true? Give your reasons!

Topic Sentence: The primary reason college should be free is that it would boost the economy.

Supporting ideas (how so?):

1. Graduates have more student debt than ever before
2. Less student debt would mean more spending
3. More spending would boost the economy

Take those reasons and turn them into sentences that connect to the topic sentence. Now you have support sentences!

4. Provide Evidence

You've made your point, but you still have to prove it. You need to provide evidence that you are right.

There are different types of evidence you can use. Take a look at the list below.

Types of Evidence

• Examples
• Facts or Statistics
• Quotes
• Expert opinions

Look to your source material to see which types of evidence you have. You probably have a few different sources to choose from. Which sources have information that best supports your ideas?

Source material is the collection of objects a writer uses to gather information and ideas. Sources can be written, spoken, audio, or visual materials.

Every point you make needs a related piece of evidence to back it up. You don't want to make claims you can't prove.

For each support sentence, select a piece of evidence from your source material to back it up.

Support Sentence 1: Most college graduates leave with a lot of student debt.

Write a sentence explaining each piece of evidence you have chosen. In each sentence, focus on how this evidence supports your argument.

There are three different ways to use evidence in a sentence. Let's take a look at what they are:

A summary is a general overview of a source's main idea. Think of it as your translation of the source. Summaries are always in your own words.

To paraphrase is to describe one key idea, concept, or fact from a source. Think of paraphrasing as your translation of just one idea from a source. Paraphrasing does not summarize the whole source. When paraphrasing, you can use 1-2 words from the source, but you should mostly use your own words.

A direct quote is a phrase, sentence, or set of sentences pulled directly from a source. Direct quotes use the author's exact words. When direct quoting, it helps to incorporate the author's quote into your own sentence. This helps you illustrate how their words connect to your ideas.

When providing evidence, blend all three of these techniques. Good writing uses a balanced blend of summaries, paraphrasing, and direct quotes.

To transition from the second paragraph to the third paragraph, use transition sentences at the end of the second paragraph AND the beginning of the third paragraph. These transition sentences should closely relate to each other. The connections between them should be clear.

Transition words and sentence starters for the second body paragraph

The second and third paragraphs are both body paragraphs. So, the transitions between them are going to look different than the transition between the first and second paragraphs. You will need to use different relationship words than before.

End the second paragraph by hinting at what's to come. Then, use the topic sentence of the third paragraph to show the relationship between your points more clearly.

1. Concluding transition sentence

Start transitioning between ideas at the end of the second paragraph. You should end the second paragraph with a concluding transition sentence.

A concluding transition sentence is a sentence at the end of a paragraph that includes a hint of what is coming next.

The last sentence of a paragraph is a great place to start transitioning to the next paragraph.

Ask yourself: What comes next? How can I hint at the next idea to come?

Free college can also boost the economy in many other ways.

Note how the above example hints at what is to come in the next paragraphs. The reader can guess the third paragraph will discuss another way that free college could boost the economy.

2. Transition topic sentence

Remember how you created a topic sentence for the second paragraph? You can follow the same process to write a topic sentence for the third paragraph.

However, there are 2 key differences:

• The topic sentence should connect to the main idea of the second paragraph
• You'll need different sentence starters

The third paragraph does not set the stage for the rest of the body paragraphs. That's a job for the second paragraph. Instead, the third paragraph should reflect a logical flow from one idea to the next.

Additionally, free college would boost the economy by improving graduation rates.

Note how the example above has a logical connection to the concluding transition sentence of the second paragraph. The relationship between each paragraph's main idea is clear.

Also take note of the sentence starter in this example. It's different from the sentence starter of the second paragraph's topic sentence. That's because it shows a different kind of relationship. You will need relationship words that show how you are continuing the argument from the second paragraph.

Sentence Starters that show continuation:

• Additionally
• Also
• However
• Secondly
• Then
• For example
• Accordingly
• Specifically

Second Paragraph - Key Takeaways

• The second paragraph is the first body paragraph of an essay. It follows the introductory paragraph and contains the most obvious beginning point for the rest of the essay.
• The second paragraph is important because it bridges the introductory paragraph and the rest of the essay.
• The key features of the second paragraph are: a topic sentence that states the main point of the paragraph and connects to the thesis statement; an explanation of your reasoning to support the topic sentence; evidence to back up your reasoning; a smooth transition into the third paragraph.
• To write the second paragraph, transition from the first paragraph with a topic sentence, explain your reasoning, and use evidence to support that reasoning.
• A transition is a word or phrase that connects one idea to another. Transitions between paragraphs connect the main ideas of each paragraph. You can think of them as bridges between one idea and the next.
• To transition from the second paragraph to the third paragraph, use transition sentences at the end of the second paragraph AND the beginning of the third paragraph.

Second Paragraph means the first body paragraph of an essay. It follows the introductory paragraph and contains the most obvious beginning point for the rest of the essay.

An example of a second paragraph is as follows:

The primary reason college should be free is that it would boost the economy.  Most college graduates leave with a lot of student debt. High levels of student debt can cause them to stop buying houses, investing in businesses, or spending money on travel. According to Gallup, student debt has become the largest form of personal debt in the U.S. Recent studies have found young people are not spending on homes or travel like previous generations. Many of them are postponing large purchases due to student debt. If the government paid for college, more people would be able to make large purchases and boost the economy. Free college can also boost the economy in many other ways.

To write a second paragraph, transition from the first paragraph with a topic sentence, explain your reasoning, and use evidence to support that reasoning.

The features of a second paragraph are 1) a topic sentence, 2) an explanation of reasoning, 3) evidence to support that reasoning, and 4) a transition to the third paragraph. 

To transition from the second paragraph to the third paragraph, use transition sentences at the end of the second paragraph AND the beginning of the third paragraph.

Question

What is the second paragraph of an essay?

Answer

The second paragraph is the first body paragraph of an essay. It follows the introductory paragraph and contains the most obvious beginning point for the rest of the essay.

Question

Since the second paragraph provides an entry point to the rest of the essay, it should include your strongest ______ or most important _____.

Answer

Since the second paragraph provides an entry point to the rest of the essay, it should include your strongest argument or most important information.

Question

What are the key features of the second paragraph?

Answer

Question

What is the first step for writing the second paragraph?

Answer

Transition from the first paragraph with a topic sentence.

Question

Answer

A transition is a word or phrase that connects one idea to another. Transitions between paragraphs connect the main ideas of each paragraph.

Question

What is a topic sentence?

Answer

A topic sentence is a sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph. It should be the first sentence of the paragraph.

Question

The topic sentence of the second paragraph should connect to the _____.

Answer

thesis statement in the first paragraph

Question

What type of words should be used as sentence starters to transition between ideas?

Answer

Question

What are some examples of relationship words that are appropriate to use as sentence starters for the topic sentence of the second paragraph?

Answer

Question

What type of sentences are used to demonstrate reasoning?

Answer

Question

What is a support sentence?

Answer

A support sentence is a sentence that supports the main argument of a paragraph. Support sentences explain the logic of the argument for the reader to follow along. 

Question

Finish this sentence: 

Every point needs _____.

Answer

Question

What are the different types of evidence?

Answer

Question

Where can one look for evidence to support their reasoning?

Answer

Question

Answer

Source material is the collection of objects a writer uses to gather information and ideas. Sources can be written, spoken, audio, or visual materials. 

Question

What are the three different ways to use evidence in a sentence?

Answer

Question

What is a concluding transition sentence? 

Answer

A concluding transition sentence is a sentence at the end of a paragraph that includes a hint of what is coming next.

Question

What are some sentence starters that show continuation between the second and third paragraphs?

Answer

Page 2

Every essay is an opportunity to share an original idea on a subject about which you have some knowledge. Sometimes you only just gained that knowledge—as in a free response question paired with a reading segment during an exam—and other times you’ll be writing about a subject that you have studied for years and know like the back of your hand. In either case, writing a five-paragraph essay can serve as a useful tool for communicating your thoughts to an academic audience.

5 Paragraph Essay: What Is It?

A five-paragraph essay is a prose composition that follows the basic structure of five paragraphs. It includes an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Often critiqued for being too formulaic, the five-paragraph essay is an essential tool in every writer's toolkit and is especially handy on timed writing assignments and exams.

Why is this format best for writing timed essays? During an exam, you might be asked to write an essay, and you may have only just learned some of the details about the subject. You likely won’t have time to draft a uniquely formatted, in-depth analysis in the time you are given. That’s where the five-paragraph structure comes into play; you can use it as a vehicle to get your main idea across to the reader and not spend precious time on how to structure your essay.

This essay format can also be thought of as a building block for almost every type of essay you could write. It is built on a thesis statement and uses the main pieces of support, which are formatted into segments (or paragraphs), to uphold your thesis. This approach can be expanded based on however much support or analysis is appropriate for your essay.

The key principle of this familiar structure is to organize your perspective or claim in a way that is logical and easy for your reader to understand.

You can use the five-paragraph format for writing any of the five styles of essay: argumentative, descriptive, narrative, informative, and persuasive. Think of this approach as not merely an essay structure, but also a means to adapt your writing and strengthen your composition skills for any future assignment.

5 Paragraph Essay Structure

Sometimes the five-paragraph essay is referred to as the hamburger of essays. That’s not because it’s cheesy, but rather because of how it is built—like a hamburger with a beginning (bun), middle segmented into separate parts (hamburger patty, lettuce, condiments, etc.), and end (bun).

Below is the basic structure of a five-paragraph essay:

1. Introduction

   1. Hook

   2. Background information

   3. Thesis

2. Body paragraph 1

   1. Topic sentence

      1. Supporting details

      2. Examples

3. Body paragraph 2

   1. Topic sentence

      1. Supporting details

      2. Examples

4. Body paragraph 3

   1. Topic sentence

      1. Supporting details

      2. Examples

5. Conclusion

   1. Rephrased Thesis

   2. Call to action

The paragraphs below break down each section to show how it functions within the whole essay.

Introduction

The introduction serves several purposes, all of which are important and should not be forgotten or glossed-over. Remember, this is the "bun" to the hamburger and without it, the whole thing falls apart. The introduction starts with a statement to get your readers’ attention—this is called a hook.

The Hook

A hook can take the form of a question, quote, statistic, or anecdote; it grabs your reader and pulls their interest into the topic.

Hook as a Question: Have you ever stood at the edge of the crashing waves in the ocean and wondered how far out it goes?

Hook as a Quote: Clarence Joshua Tuttle once said, “Why do we call this planet Earth, when it would more aptly be called Ocean?"

Hook as a Statistic: About 71% of the face of the earth is covered by water, and the oceans hold about 96.5% of earth’s water.

Hook as an Anecdote: As a child, I used to gaze at the line where the horizon met the sea and wonder how it could stretch on for infinity.

In addition to the hook catching your reader’s attention, your introduction should also contain background information on the topic to give your reader context.

Without some kind of explanation about the topic’s background, you risk your reader not having the full picture, or worse, not understanding what you’re talking about at all.

You don’t have to include too much background explanation for your five-paragraph essay. Usually a couple of sentences will suffice to give the necessary context.

Lastly, your introduction needs your thesis statement, which is arguably the most important part of the essay.

Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a single sentence that explains your main argument for the entire essay. You don’t have to pack every point you’re going to make into the thesis, but your thesis should be a clarified version of the main point.

The vast majority of our planet is covered in water, so there needs to be more awareness about the impact of global warming on Earth's oceans and the wildlife therein.

The thesis should be stated near the end of the first paragraph. It should be supported by details and evidence in the following paragraphs.

3 Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs are the meat of your five-paragraph essay (literally, remember the hamburger—the body paragraphs are the juicy middle). You can use more than three paragraphs if you have more points that need to be discussed, but typically no less than three.

You can consider each of your body paragraphs to be one piece of support for your thesis. The first sentence of each paragraph should be the topic sentence for that paragraph, and can act like a mini-thesis. It will state the main idea of that particular paragraph, and the rest of the paragraph will dive into further explanation by including examples and supporting details.

Your body paragraphs should look something like this:

• Paragraph 1: First piece of support

  • Topic sentence

    • Supporting details

    • Examples

• Paragraph 2: Second piece of support

  • Topic sentence

    • Supporting details

    • Examples

• Paragraph 3: Third piece of support

  • Topic sentence

    • Supporting details

    • Examples

Conclusion

Your five-paragraph essay should not end abruptly; it should include a short summary that will wrap up your argument and/or observation on the topic, just like the bottom bun of the hamburger. Provide a brief summary, and then remind your audience of your thesis statement.

By restating or rephrasing your thesis, you are reminding your audience that in the body of the essay you explained everything you said you would way back in your introduction.

The last thing your conclusion needs is something to bring the topic back into the reader’s world. Make them remember why it’s relevant. This could be a call to action, warning, provocative question, or something to evoke emotion in the reader.

Call to action

Because of [insert main idea], you should take [X] action.

Warning

If you (or we) don’t do [X thing], [X consequence] will happen.

Provocative question

What do you think will happen if [X] continues (or ceases. Whatever is relevant to your main point.)?

Evocative statement

Could be a quote or anything you think will stir the emotions of the reader on the subject.

With the basic structure of a five-paragraph essay in mind, you can begin the process of making an outline.

An outline is simply a plan for your essay, and it’s important to create one so you know how to organize your ideas. Without an outline, you’re likely to ramble or wander all over your topic without fully developing your main point.

Below are the essential steps to drafting an outline for your five paragraph essay.

Step 1

The first thing you need to do is brainstorm the topic; look for associations you may already have and keep the assignment or prompt in the front of your mind.

How to brainstorm a topic: Brainstorming is a strategy for coming up with ideas and content for your essay. Brainstorming can be anything from creating word associations, to freewriting, to making lists, to drawing a venn diagram, or whatever makes sense for you so that you can break down the topic and pick out what you have to say.

Sort through whatever you come up with in the brainstorming process, and pick out something that you find important or something you can elaborate.

Step 2

Next, you need to draft a thesis statement. As previously stated, your thesis is the guide for your essay—especially so in a five-paragraph essay—because your thesis introduces the ideas of your body paragraphs.

Take whatever piece of the puzzle you came up with after brainstorming, and work it into a single statement that makes a claim on the topic.

The thesis statement of your five-paragraph essay should contain a claim of some sort about the subject. It should an original thought, and not be a restating of known facts.

Step 3

Now, apply the basic structure of a five-paragraph essay to your topic. An outline typically uses numbers as a way to organize the essay. Each point can be a key word or phrase; you don’t need to use whole sentences in an outline.

Organize the paragraphs by the main points that support your thesis, then include subpoints, or pieces of evidence, to explain the topic sentence of that paragraph.

5 Paragraph Essay Example: The Outline

Here’s an example of a five-paragraph essay outline:

1. Introduction

   1. Hook: Children are no longer growing up walking to the candy store around the corner or sharing root beer floats at the local diner with kids they’ve known their entire lives. They aren’t even growing up in an innocent world like when Super Mario Brothers was the most popular video game.

   2. Background: The world has changed rapidly in the last fifty years.

   3. Thesis: Because of violence in video games, movies, social media, and increased pressure from peers, being a parent today is much more difficult than it was a generation ago.

2. Body paragraph 1

   1. Topic sentence: The progression of technology has given children more entertainment, but it has also decreased their attention spans, making it much more difficult to keep them on task.

      1. Supporting detail: Music, video games, and social media are all easily accessible on phones or computers.

      2. Supporting detail: Research shows that excessive screen time for children can drastically affect their attention span and even brain development.

3. Body paragraph 2

   1. Topic sentence: Not only do parents have to be aware of the effects of constant screen usage, it means they must also be vigilant about their children being exposed to inappropriate material.

      1. Supporting detail: In film

      2. Supporting detail: On television

      3. Supporting detail: Online

4. Body paragraph 3

   1. Topic sentence: Children are now often exposed to dangerous situations during their daily lives or via the media.

      1. Supporting detail: Access to drugs & alcohol

      2. Supporting detail: Violent crimes (school shootings, etc.)

5. Conclusion

   1. Rephrased Thesis statement: Society and media have a huge impact on children’s lives and have worked together to make parenting extremely difficult, now more than ever.

   2. Call to action: Because of these changes, it is up to parents to remain present so we can be aware of and sensitive to all these challenges facing our children.

With your outline in hand, it’s now time to write your five-paragraph essay! The beauty of this process is that your argument is now fully mapped out, and you know exactly what you need to say.

The first thing to do is nail down your thesis statement. Again, the body of your essay hinges on the main point contained in your essay, so you need to be certain of that before you proceed. Next, you can start to put together your body paragraphs.

5 Paragraph Essay Transitions

Be sure you include transitions between paragraphs, otherwise, your essay will feel very robotic and will not be enjoyable to read. Transitions help to show the relationship between thoughts as you move from one to another.