How should I structure a paragraph?

Begin by reminding yourself of the PEE format (point, evidence, explanation). It is important to have a clear line of argument in an essay. You should begin by outlining what you will write about in the paragraph. Think of this in the same way as the opening line of an introduction- a clear sign post for the marker. An example of this would be- 'In Of Mice and Men Lennie often exhibits child-like behaviour'.Then go on to provide evidence for your point. This will usually take the form of a quote or a reference to an event within the text. Try to embed a short quote within a sentence and do not just rely on a semi colon or dash to force a long quote into a sentence. A short quote will allow the sentence to flow smoothly.Finally, build on the quote by explaining why you have used it. You can look at this in the form of building blocks- your point and evidence are the foundations and the explanation forms the final part of the structure. Close analysis of a quote is crucial in explaining why you have used it. An effective way of signalling an explanation of a quote may be phrases such as 'the use of... shows that...' or 'the metaphor signals...' Remember to link the explanation of the quote back to the opening point- make this explicit.