MEATy Paragraphs Have you been struggling with writing
MEATy Paragraphs Have you been struggling with writing well organized paragraphs for an open-ended question? Have you been struggling with writing well organized body paragraphs for an essay?
• MEAT is a great acronym that you can easily use to help you format paragraphs and edit your own writing. Not only is it easy to use, but it is easy to remember. After practicing this strategy, you can own your writing and receive any writing assignment without fear!
M= Main idea • "Answers" the question • Sets up the paragraph • The first sentence of the paragraph
E= Evidence • Information from sources such as books and readings that support the main idea • Evidence can be quotes, statistics, facts
A= Analysis Analyzes and explains the way the evidence you used supports the topic • Tells what you think and the way you relate the evidence to the topic • Your analysis is unique because it demonstrates your thought process and why you chose that particular evidence. •
T= Tie up (or transition sentence if writing an essay) makes final summary and conclusions about main idea ***Be careful not to sound too repetitive! • Transitions separate each of your pieces of evidence. • Transitions organize your paragraph and make it easy for the reader to follow. (See transition word sheet) • If this is a body paragraph, the last sentence should serve as a transitional one to link to the next paragraph. • If you are only writing one paragraph, use a tie up sentence, summing up the main idea of the paragraph. Be sure to mention your three pieces of evidence again in a new, short way.
Example prompt: At the beginning of Book V, Homer includes a great deal of imagery that appeals to the senses when describing Calypso’s island. Explain how and why Homer appeals to the senses. •
Example: In Book 5 of The Odyssey, Homer uses many sensory details when he describes the island to indicate that Odysseus’s stay on Calypso’s island may not have been as terrible as Odysseus makes the reader think. First of all, the audience learns how beautiful the island is when Hermes arrives to deliver a message to Calypso. For example, Homer writes that the woods on the island have, “summer leaves of alder and black poplar, pungent cypress” (752). Also, Homer includes descriptions of the other plants and birds. Here, the reader learns Calypso’s island is exceptionally beautiful. The types of trees Homer mentions are picturesque, and cypress trees also smell pleasant. Additionally, Homer reveals that “Even a god who found this place would gaze, and feel his heart beat with delight (83). Truly this indicates the beauty that surrounds and the joy that fills all who visit Calypso’s magical island. When combined with Homer’s other sensory details—including the smell of Calypso’s fire, the sound of the springs, and the magical beauty, the reader can begin to understand why Odysseus might have had a pleasurable stay on her island.
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