The Perfect Support Paragraph!

Yes, there is a formula for this as well!

How To Outline

• Topic sentence that reflects your overall thesis statement – Important background information and proof for

topic sentence claim.– Addressing any critics or doubts.– Disproving the critics or doubts. – Summarizing and transitioning into new

paragraph!

Topic Sentence• Not unlike a thesis statement, the topic sentence

offers a claim that works to prove your overall thesis!

If your thesis is: • “the food in the bakery is awesome because of the

quality and price.”

A potential topic sentence might be: • The bakery prices are low because students, not

professionals, make the food during their baking classes on campus.

Prove the topic sentence• Work to prove your topic sentence through example,

quotes, and other relevant information.________

The bakery prices are low because students, not professionals, make the food during their baking

classes on campus.

• SSCC has a well received baking program that is successful because the students are not only taught theory but instructed in how to practically cook, function in a bakery, and run the business. Because students run the bakery while under supervision, the prices of the food can be kept low for the public.

Address any potential “doubters” or critics!

• No matter what your claim, someone might disagree with you – it is good to anticipate the opposing argument so that you can disprove it!

Example of disproving a critic’s claim

• [Critic’s Claim] Some people might suggest that not paying students for their labor and thereby keeping costs low is unfair, because you should always be paid for your labor.

• [Disproving the Critic] However, throughout history, students were rarely paid for the privilege of being an apprentice, and in today’s world, such practical experience is payment enough!

Summary and transition • Sum up the paragraph creatively, and quickly, restating your

main point while offering a transition into the next paragraph.

Example:

And the proof of SSCC’s baking program’s success is in the pudding, so to speak. Not only is the food cheap, and the students trained in a practical way, but the food is almost always excellent tasting and there is a huge variety of different kinds of baked goods available daily.

– Question: after reading the conclusion, what is the likely topic for our paragraph?

Our final, succinct, and well formed paragraph:

The bakery prices are low because students, not professionals, make the food during their baking classes on campus. SSCC has a well received baking program that is successful because the students are not only taught theory but instructed in how to practically cook, function in a bakery, and run the business. Because students run the bakery while under supervision, the prices of the food can be kept low for the public. Some people, it should be noted, might suggest that not paying students for their labor and thereby keeping costs low is unfair, because you should always be paid for your labor. However, throughout history, students were rarely paid for the privilege of being an apprentice, and in today’s world, such practical experience is payment enough! And the proof of SSCC’s baking program’s success is in the pudding, so to speak. Not only is the food cheap, and the students trained in a practical way, but the food is almost always excellent tasting, and there is a huge variety of different kinds of baked goods available daily.

One thing that makes the SSCC bakery unique is not only the low cost but the delicious variety of baked goods that are made on a daily basis! . . . .