The 8 Step Method

A Systematic Approach to Writing Well-

Constructed, Well-Supported Body Paragraphs
Step 1 Topic Sentence
MAKE YOUR POINT
Some people call the main
sentence of a body
paragraph a topic sentence.
In a good intro paragraph,
you have listed your main
supporting ideas in the plan
of attack.
Every topic sentence of every
body paragraph restates one
of those main supporting
ideas.

Steps are very
important in the transfer
of power in Shakespeares
Richard II.
Express your point, idea, or opinion.
Step 2 - Transition
GET A TRANSITION
A good transition is
important because of a
factor called coherence.
Coherence is a glue that
keeps an essay
proceeding in logical
fashion.
Without good transitions,
you might experience
the misfortune of
having someone call
you incoherent.

Steps are very
important in the transfer
of power in Shakespeares
Richard II. For example,
Transition from your point to the evidence.
Step 3 - Context
REPORT THE CONTEXT
Context makes evidence more
understandable.
Think of context as providing
the who, what, when, where,
why, and/or how that
surrounds the evidence.
Think of the last time
somebody told a friend of
yours something you said as
a joke but didnt mention
that you were jokingis it a
good thing to be quoted out
of context?

Steps are very
important in the transfer
of power in Shakespeares
Richard II. For example,
as Henry Bolingbroke
looks up at Richard II
atop the castle wall and
lays down his challenge,
Set up the context of your evidence.
Step 4 Source (+ verb)
IDENTIFY THE SOURCE
Evidence doesnt come out
of thin air. Some person
or some character or some
speaker in a poem
someone out thereis the
source of the evidence you
are presenting.
To misidentify or, worse yet,
to fail to identify the
source is to weaken
seriously, if not ruin, the
effect of your evidence.

Steps are very
important in the transfer
of power in Shakespeares
Richard II. For example,
as Henry Bolingbroke
looks up at Richard II
atop the castle wall and
lays down his challenge,
Bolingbrokes chief
assistant Northumberland
yells up at Richard,
Identify the source of your evidence.
Step 5 - Evidence
OFFER THE EVIDENCE
In an analytic essay, the
evidence is always either
direct quotation,
paraphrase, or summary.
The best of those three is
DIRECT QUOTATION.
In a personal essay, the
evidence is always
personal anecdote a
relevant story from the
experiences of your own
life.

Steps are very important
in the transfer of power in
Shakespeares Richard II. For
example, as Henry
Bolingbroke looks up at
Richard II atop the castle wall
and lays down his challenge,
Bolingbrokes chief assistant
Northumberland yells up at
Richard, may it please you
to come down
Provide the evidence.
Step 6 - Documentation
PUT IN PARENTHETICAL DOCUMENTATION
Parenthetical documentation
is of the whole
documentation picture.
The other is WORKS
CITED.
It is appropriate to add
parenthetical
documentation after direct
quotation, paraphrase, and
summary; and, of course, a
WORKS CITED entry
must work hand-in-hand
with the parenthetical
documentation.

Steps are very
important in the transfer
of power in Shakespeares
Richard II. For example,
as Henry Bolingbroke
looks up at Richard II atop
the castle wall and lays
down his challenge,
Bolingbrokes chief
assistant Northumberland
yells up at Richard, may
it please you to come
down (3.3.177).
When appropriate, add documentation.
Step 7 - Relevance
EXPLAIN RELEVANCE OF EVIDENCE
Evidence doesnt speak for
itself. Whether in a
courtroom or in the
marketplace of ideas, you
must explain how the
evidence you provide ties
into and supports the
main supporting idea in a
specific body paragraph.

Be sure to explain in detail.

Steps are very important in
the transfer of power in
Shakespeares Richard II. For
example, as Henry Bolingbroke
looks up at Richard II atop the
castle wall and lays down his
challenge, Bolingbrokes chief
assistant Northumberland yells
up at Richard, may it please
you to come down (3.3.177).
As he subsequently
descends the steps,
Richard is leaving his high
position both literally and
figuratively.
Explain the relevance, or importance, of your evidence.
Step 8 - Proofread
CHECK THE ACCURACY OF THE EVIDENCE
In an analytic essay, check
the accuracy of the direct
quotation, paraphrase, or
summary.
In a personal essay, check
the accuracy of your
memory or recollection.
CHECK THE ACCURACY
of evidence because
flawed evidence can ruin
the effectiveness of your
idea.

Steps are very important
in the transfer of power in
Shakespeares Richard II. For
example, as Henry
Bolingbroke looks up at
Richard II atop the castle wall
and lays down his challenge,
Bolingbrokes chief assistant
Northumberland yells up at
Richard, may it please you to
come down (3.3.177). As he
subsequently descends the
steps, Richard is leaving
his high position both
literally and figuratively.
Check the accuracy, or correctness, of your evidence.
Hold on!
How many sentences was that, exactly?...
If you follow the 8 Step Method one time through completely, you
should finish with 5 sentences:
Topic sentence = 1
st
sentence
Transition + Context = 2
nd
sentence
Source (+verb) + Evidence + Documentation = 3
rd
sentence
Relevance = 4
th
and 5
th
sentences (or more)

A well-developed paragraph has more than 5 sentences.
What should you do?

When developing a paragraph, follow Steps 1-8, then repeat using
Steps 2-8. Your second time through Steps 2-8 should use a different
piece of evidence that also supports your main point in Step 1.

This will give you a body paragraph with 9 or more
sentences!
Writing a full length essay? Repeat the entire process for the next
paragraph.