Sample Thoreau Paragraph
  Using a quote to develop a paragraph's topic

[Sentence 1: Transition from previous paragraph and Topic Sentence] Thoreau, however, is not necessarily interested in actually living in nature to the extent that he would be camping out.

[Sentence 2: Lead-in to the quote] He writes about building his house, and the fact that it protected him from the elements.

[Sentence 3: Includes quote]”I began to occupy my house on the 4th of July,” he says, “as soon as it was boarded and roofed, for the boards were carefully feather-edged and lapped, so that it was perfectly impervious to rain . . . .”

[Sentence 4: Elaboration: Tells why you include this quote] As you can see, he was careful in the way he constructed his house, and he did wish to be protected from the elements when necessary.

[Sentence 5: Elaboration: Adds more information to strengthen the support] It is also interesting that he did not actually move to the woods until this house was ready for him to live in.

[Sentence 6: Nail down your point: Reminder of how this relates to your main idea] So it is apparent that while he loved nature, he wasn’t living in a cave, or even a tent.

That’s it! A well-developed and unified paragraph using a quote to support the point:

Thoreau, however, is not necessarily interested in actually living in nature to the extent that he would be camping out. He writes about building his house, and the fact that it protected him from the elements. “I began to occupy my house on the 4th of July,” he says, “as soon as it was boarded and roofed, for the boards were carefully feather-edged and lapped, so that it was perfectly impervious to rain . . . .” As you can see, he was careful in the way he constructed his house, and he did wish to be protected from the elements when necessary. It is also interesting that he did not actually move to the woods until this house was ready for him to live in. So it is apparent that while he loved nature, he wasn’t living in a cave, or even a tent.