harry's class was going on an excursion

What is the difference between journey , trip , voyage and excursion ?

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Travel Words: Trip, Journey, Cruise, Tour, Voyage…

Published by my lingua academy on 19 sep 2022 19 sep 2022.

Hi English learners! Do you like travelling? In today’s lesson, we are going to talk about travelling and travel words such as trip, journey, cruise, voyage, tour, city break, outing, holiday, excursion.

A trip is a short journey where you go to a place and come back. You can go on a business trip or trip for pleasure. We say that we go on a trip or take a trip.

Mira went on a trip to Scotland last week. She had a great time.
I’d like to go on a shopping trip to Istanbul.
Employees in our company make about 10 business trips a year.

In most cases, when we say journey we mean a trip between two distant places. It can be by plane, by train, etc.

The journey from my flat in Poland to the beach hotel in Spain takes 4 hours, door to door.
Last year, we went on a long journey to China. It was long and tiring but it was worth it.
We broke our journey in Frankfurt and flew to London the next day.

A cruise is a journey by sea. It is connected to tourism because we people usually go on a cruise on a large ship which stops at the coastal places for sightseeing.

We went on a cruise along the Mediterranean coast last summer. It was marvellous!
I’d love to go on a cruise around the world but it’s very expensive.

Travel Words: Trip, Journey, Cruise, Tour, Voyage…

A voyage is a long journey, especially by sea, or even to space.

After a two-year voyage by the Indian Ocean, Marco Polo landed in India.
Isn’t it sad that the Titanic sank on its first voyage ? (you can also say maiden voyage )
NASA scientists are preparing to go on a voyage to Mars soon.

A trip during which you visit a town, a city or an area to look around it.

We went on a guided tour of Athens and we saw so many interesting places there.
Sara won a 3-day tour of France.
When we were in the USA last year, we went on a cycling tour of the Grand Canyon.

If you go on a city break, you visit a big city for a few days for sightseeing or shopping.

Celia and I are going on a city break to Barcelona for the weekend. I can’t wait.
City breaks are becoming more and more popular among tourists.
If you’re stuck in your relationship a romantic city break to Venice could be a game changer.

An outing is a short, usually daily trip.

The children are going on an outing to the Zoo on Sunday.
We went on a family outing to Bath. We had a great time!
It is going to be hot tomorrow so we’ll probably go on an outing to the beach.

You probably know what a holiday is. It is a time we spend resting from school or work; it can be shorter or longer.

We like to book our summer holiday in February because it’s cheaper then.
Employees in that company have 25 days of paid holiday a year.
I’m looking forward Christmas holidays.

An excursion is an organized trip for a group of people who are travelling for pleasure.

Our class is going on an excursion to Bournemouth next month. I can’t wait.
Included in your holiday is an excursion to the mountain.
We’ll go cycling for an excursion and then stay at a campsite.

Remember to always use the prepositional phrase go on (not go to) with the travel words:

go on a trip, go on a journey, go on a tour, go on a cruise, go on a holiday, etc.

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Sam · 26 Feb 2024 at 5:39 am

What about ( picnic)?

Adjectives Grammar Modal verbs Vocabulary

Words that express modality.

Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. Developing knowledge of good vocabulary is essential in language learning. A comprehensive vocabulary will enable you to express your ideas with more ease and more precisely. You’ve probably learned all about modal verbs. But do you know that there are words that express modality too? In today’s lesson, we will look at ten pairs of adjectives and adverbs that express levels of certainty or obligation with loads of example sentences so you can think them through.

Phrasal Verbs Vocabulary

13 phrasal verbs with back.

Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. Do you know the difference between the phrasal verbs go back and come back? In today’s lesson, we will look at the phrasal verbs with “back”.

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words to use in an essay body paragraph

105 Best Words To Start A Paragraph

words to start a paragraph, explained below

The first words of a paragraph are crucial as they set the tone and inform the reader about the content that follows.

Known as the ‘topic’ sentence, the first sentence of the paragraph should clearly convey the paragraph’s main idea.

This article presents a comprehensive list of the best words to start a paragraph, be it the first, second, third, or concluding paragraph.

Words to Start an Introduction Paragraph

The words you choose for starting an essay should establish the context, importance, or conflict of your topic.

The purpose of an introduction is to provide the reader with a clear understanding of the topic, its significance, and the structure of the ensuing discussion or argument.

Students often struggle to think of ways to start introductions because they may feel overwhelmed by the need to effectively summarize and contextualize their topic, capture the reader’s interest, and provide a roadmap for the rest of the paper, all while trying to create a strong first impression.

Choose one of these example words to start an introduction to get yourself started:

The debate surrounding [topic]…
[Topic] has garnered attention due to…
Exploring the complexities of [topic]…
The significance of [topic] lies in…
Over the past decade, [topic] has…
The critical question of [topic]…
As society grapples with [topic]…
The rapidly evolving landscape of [topic]…
A closer examination of [topic] reveals…
The ongoing conversation around [topic]…

Don’t Miss my Article: 33 Words to Avoid in an Essay

Words to Start a Body Paragraph

The purpose of a body paragraph in an essay is to develop and support the main argument, presenting evidence, examples, and analysis that contribute to the overall thesis.

Students may struggle to think of ways to start body paragraphs because they need to find appropriate transition words or phrases that seamlessly connect the paragraphs, while also introducing a new idea or evidence that builds on the previous points.

This can be challenging, as students must carefully balance the need for continuity and logical flow with the introduction of fresh perspectives.

Try some of these paragraph starters if you’re stuck:

Building upon previous research…
As [source] suggests, [topic]…
Analyzing [topic] through [theory]…
Considering the impact of [policy]…
Delving deeper into [topic]…
Drawing from [author]’s findings…
[Topic] intersects with [related topic]…
Contrary to popular belief, [topic]…
The historical context of [topic]…
Addressing the challenges of [topic]…

Words to Start a Conclusion Paragraph

The conclusion paragraph wraps up your essay and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

It should convincingly summarize your thesis and main points. For more tips on writing a compelling conclusion, consider the following examples of ways to say “in conclusion”:

In summary, [topic] demonstrates…
The evidence overwhelmingly suggests…
Taking all factors into account…
In light of the analysis, [topic]…
Ultimately, [topic] plays a crucial role…
In light of these findings…
Weighing the pros and cons of [topic]…
By synthesizing the key points…
The interplay of factors in [topic]…
[Topic] leaves us with important implications…

Complete List of Transition Words

Above, I’ve provided 30 different examples of phrases you can copy and paste to get started on your paragraphs.

Let’s finish strong with a comprehensive list of transition words you can mix and match to start any paragraph you want:

Secondly, …
In addition, …
Furthermore, …
Moreover, …
On the other hand, …
In contrast, …
Conversely, …
Despite this, …
Nevertheless, …
Although, …
As a result, …
Consequently, …
Therefore, …
Additionally, …
Simultaneously, …
Meanwhile, …
In comparison, …
Comparatively, …
As previously mentioned, …
For instance, …
For example, …
Specifically, …
In particular, …
Significantly, …
Interestingly, …
Surprisingly, …
Importantly, …
According to [source], …
As [source] states, …
As [source] suggests, …
In the context of, …
In light of, …
Taking into consideration, …
Given that, …
Considering the fact that, …
Bearing in mind, …
To illustrate, …
To demonstrate, …
To clarify, …
To put it simply, …
In other words, …
To reiterate, …
As a matter of fact, …
Undoubtedly, …
Unquestionably, …
Without a doubt, …
It is worth noting that, …
One could argue that, …
It is essential to highlight, …
It is important to emphasize, …
It is crucial to mention, …
When examining, …
In terms of, …
With regards to, …
In relation to, …
As a consequence, …
As an illustration, …
As evidence, …
Based on [source], …
Building upon, …
By the same token, …
In the same vein, …
In support of this, …
In line with, …
To further support, …
To substantiate, …
To provide context, …
To put this into perspective, …

Tip: Use Right-Branching Sentences to Start your Paragraphs

Sentences should have the key information front-loaded. This makes them easier to read. So, start your sentence with the key information!

To understand this, you need to understand two contrasting types of sentences:

Left-branching sentences , also known as front-loaded sentences, begin with the main subject and verb, followed by modifiers, additional information, or clauses.
Right-branching sentences , or back-loaded sentences, start with modifiers, introductory phrases, or clauses, leading to the main subject and verb later in the sentence.

In academic writing, left-branching or front-loaded sentences are generally considered easier to read and more authoritative.

This is because they present the core information—the subject and the verb—at the beginning, making it easier for readers to understand the main point of the sentence.

Front-loading also creates a clear and straightforward sentence structure, which is preferred in academic writing for its clarity and conciseness.

Right-branching or back-loaded sentences, with their more complex and sometimes convoluted structure, can be more challenging for readers to follow and may lead to confusion or misinterpretation.

Take these examples where I’ve highlighted the subject of the sentence in bold. Note that in the right-branching sentences, the topic is front-loaded.

Right Branching: Researchers found a strong correlation between sleep and cognitive function after analyzing the data from various studies.
Left-Branching: After analyzing the data from various studies, a strong correlation between sleep and cognitive function was found by researchers.
The novel was filled with vivid imagery and thought-provoking themes , which captivated the audience from the very first chapter.
Captivating the audience from the very first chapter, the novel was filled with vivid imagery and thought-provoking themes.

The words you choose to start a paragraph are crucial for setting the tone, establishing context, and ensuring a smooth flow throughout your essay.

By carefully selecting the best words for each type of paragraph, you can create a coherent, engaging, and persuasive piece of writing.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 17 Adversity Examples (And How to Overcome Them)

Words to Use in an Essay: 300 Essay Words

Hannah Yang

Words to use in the essay introduction, words to use in the body of the essay, words to use in your essay conclusion, how to improve your essay writing vocabulary.

It’s not easy to write an academic essay .

Many students struggle to word their arguments in a logical and concise way.

To make matters worse, academic essays need to adhere to a certain level of formality, so we can’t always use the same word choices in essay writing that we would use in daily life.

If you’re struggling to choose the right words for your essay, don’t worry—you’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of over 300 words and phrases to use in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your essay.

The introduction is one of the hardest parts of an essay to write.

You have only one chance to make a first impression, and you want to hook your reader. If the introduction isn’t effective, the reader might not even bother to read the rest of the essay.

That’s why it’s important to be thoughtful and deliberate with the words you choose at the beginning of your essay.

Many students use a quote in the introductory paragraph to establish credibility and set the tone for the rest of the essay.

When you’re referencing another author or speaker, try using some of these phrases:

To use the words of X

According to X

As X states

Example: To use the words of Hillary Clinton, “You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health.”

Near the end of the introduction, you should state the thesis to explain the central point of your paper.

If you’re not sure how to introduce your thesis, try using some of these phrases:

In this essay, I will…

The purpose of this essay…

This essay discusses…

In this paper, I put forward the claim that…

There are three main arguments for…

Example: In this essay, I will explain why dress codes in public schools are detrimental to students.

After you’ve stated your thesis, it’s time to start presenting the arguments you’ll use to back up that central idea.

When you’re introducing the first of a series of arguments, you can use the following words:

First and foremost

First of all

To begin with

Example: First , consider the effects that this new social security policy would have on low-income taxpayers.

All these words and phrases will help you create a more successful introduction and convince your audience to read on.

The body of your essay is where you’ll explain your core arguments and present your evidence.

It’s important to choose words and phrases for the body of your essay that will help the reader understand your position and convince them you’ve done your research.

Let’s look at some different types of words and phrases that you can use in the body of your essay, as well as some examples of what these words look like in a sentence.

Transition Words and Phrases

Transitioning from one argument to another is crucial for a good essay.

It’s important to guide your reader from one idea to the next so they don’t get lost or feel like you’re jumping around at random.

Transition phrases and linking words show your reader you’re about to move from one argument to the next, smoothing out their reading experience. They also make your writing look more professional.

The simplest transition involves moving from one idea to a separate one that supports the same overall argument. Try using these phrases when you want to introduce a second correlating idea:

Additionally

In addition

Furthermore

Another key thing to remember

In the same way

Correspondingly

Example: Additionally , public parks increase property value because home buyers prefer houses that are located close to green, open spaces.

Another type of transition involves restating. It’s often useful to restate complex ideas in simpler terms to help the reader digest them. When you’re restating an idea, you can use the following words:

In other words

To put it another way

That is to say

To put it more simply

Example: “The research showed that 53% of students surveyed expressed a mild or strong preference for more on-campus housing. In other words , over half the students wanted more dormitory options.”

Often, you’ll need to provide examples to illustrate your point more clearly for the reader. When you’re about to give an example of something you just said, you can use the following words:

For instance

To give an illustration of

To exemplify

To demonstrate

As evidence

Example: Humans have long tried to exert control over our natural environment. For instance , engineers reversed the Chicago River in 1900, causing it to permanently flow backward.

Sometimes, you’ll need to explain the impact or consequence of something you’ve just said.

When you’re drawing a conclusion from evidence you’ve presented, try using the following words:

As a result

Accordingly

As you can see

This suggests that

It follows that

It can be seen that

For this reason

For all of those reasons

Consequently

Example: “There wasn’t enough government funding to support the rest of the physics experiment. Thus , the team was forced to shut down their experiment in 1996.”

When introducing an idea that bolsters one you’ve already stated, or adds another important aspect to that same argument, you can use the following words:

What’s more

Not only…but also

Not to mention

To say nothing of

Another key point

Example: The volcanic eruption disrupted hundreds of thousands of people. Moreover , it impacted the local flora and fauna as well, causing nearly a hundred species to go extinct.

Often, you'll want to present two sides of the same argument. When you need to compare and contrast ideas, you can use the following words:

On the one hand / on the other hand

Alternatively

In contrast to

On the contrary

By contrast

In comparison

Example: On the one hand , the Black Death was undoubtedly a tragedy because it killed millions of Europeans. On the other hand , it created better living conditions for the peasants who survived.

Finally, when you’re introducing a new angle that contradicts your previous idea, you can use the following phrases:

Having said that

Differing from

In spite of

With this in mind

Provided that

Nevertheless

Nonetheless

Notwithstanding

Example: Shakespearean plays are classic works of literature that have stood the test of time. Having said that , I would argue that Shakespeare isn’t the most accessible form of literature to teach students in the twenty-first century.

Good essays include multiple types of logic. You can use a combination of the transitions above to create a strong, clear structure throughout the body of your essay.

Strong Verbs for Academic Writing

Verbs are especially important for writing clear essays. Often, you can convey a nuanced meaning simply by choosing the right verb.

You should use strong verbs that are precise and dynamic. Whenever possible, you should use an unambiguous verb, rather than a generic verb.

For example, alter and fluctuate are stronger verbs than change , because they give the reader more descriptive detail.

Here are some useful verbs that will help make your essay shine.

Verbs that show change:

Accommodate

Verbs that relate to causing or impacting something:

Verbs that show increase:

Verbs that show decrease:

Deteriorate

Verbs that relate to parts of a whole:

Comprises of

Is composed of

Constitutes

Encompasses

Incorporates

Verbs that show a negative stance:

Misconstrue

Verbs that show a positive stance:

Substantiate

Verbs that relate to drawing conclusions from evidence:

Corroborate

Demonstrate

Verbs that relate to thinking and analysis:

Contemplate

Hypothesize

Investigate

Verbs that relate to showing information in a visual format:

Useful Adjectives and Adverbs for Academic Essays

You should use adjectives and adverbs more sparingly than verbs when writing essays, since they sometimes add unnecessary fluff to sentences.

However, choosing the right adjectives and adverbs can help add detail and sophistication to your essay.

Sometimes you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is useful and should be taken seriously. Here are some adjectives that create positive emphasis:

Significant

Other times, you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is harmful or ineffective. Here are some adjectives that create a negative emphasis:

Controversial

Insignificant

Questionable

Unnecessary

Unrealistic

Finally, you might need to use an adverb to lend nuance to a sentence, or to express a specific degree of certainty. Here are some examples of adverbs that are often used in essays:

Comprehensively

Exhaustively

Extensively

Respectively

Surprisingly

Using these words will help you successfully convey the key points you want to express. Once you’ve nailed the body of your essay, it’s time to move on to the conclusion.

The conclusion of your paper is important for synthesizing the arguments you’ve laid out and restating your thesis.

In your concluding paragraph, try using some of these essay words:

In conclusion

To summarize

In a nutshell

Given the above

As described

All things considered

Example: In conclusion , it’s imperative that we take action to address climate change before we lose our coral reefs forever.

In addition to simply summarizing the key points from the body of your essay, you should also add some final takeaways. Give the reader your final opinion and a bit of a food for thought.

To place emphasis on a certain point or a key fact, use these essay words:

Unquestionably

Undoubtedly

Particularly

Importantly

Conclusively

It should be noted

On the whole

Example: Ada Lovelace is unquestionably a powerful role model for young girls around the world, and more of our public school curricula should include her as a historical figure.

These concluding phrases will help you finish writing your essay in a strong, confident way.

There are many useful essay words out there that we didn't include in this article, because they are specific to certain topics.

If you're writing about biology, for example, you will need to use different terminology than if you're writing about literature.

So how do you improve your vocabulary skills?

The vocabulary you use in your academic writing is a toolkit you can build up over time, as long as you take the time to learn new words.

One way to increase your vocabulary is by looking up words you don’t know when you’re reading.

Try reading more books and academic articles in the field you’re writing about and jotting down all the new words you find. You can use these words to bolster your own essays.

You can also consult a dictionary or a thesaurus. When you’re using a word you’re not confident about, researching its meaning and common synonyms can help you make sure it belongs in your essay.

Don't be afraid of using simpler words. Good essay writing boils down to choosing the best word to convey what you need to say, not the fanciest word possible.

Finally, you can use ProWritingAid’s synonym tool or essay checker to find more precise and sophisticated vocabulary. Click on weak words in your essay to find stronger alternatives.

ProWritingAid offering synonyms for great

There you have it: our compilation of the best words and phrases to use in your next essay . Good luck!

Good writing = better grades

ProWritingAid will help you improve the style, strength, and clarity of all your assignments.

Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Body Paragraphs

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This resource outlines the generally accepted structure for introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions in an academic argument paper. Keep in mind that this resource contains guidelines and not strict rules about organization. Your structure needs to be flexible enough to meet the requirements of your purpose and audience.

Body paragraphs: Moving from general to specific information

Your paper should be organized in a manner that moves from general to specific information. Every time you begin a new subject, think of an inverted pyramid - The broadest range of information sits at the top, and as the paragraph or paper progresses, the author becomes more and more focused on the argument ending with specific, detailed evidence supporting a claim. Lastly, the author explains how and why the information she has just provided connects to and supports her thesis (a brief wrap-up or warrant).

This image shows an inverted pyramid that contains the following text. At the wide top of the pyramid, the text reads general information introduction, topic sentence. Moving down the pyramid to the narrow point, the text reads focusing direction of paper, telling. Getting more specific, showing. Supporting details, data. Conclusions and brief wrap up, warrant.

Moving from General to Specific Information

The four elements of a good paragraph (TTEB)

A good paragraph should contain at least the following four elements: T ransition, T opic sentence, specific E vidence and analysis, and a B rief wrap-up sentence (also known as a warrant ) –TTEB!

A T ransition sentence leading in from a previous paragraph to assure smooth reading. This acts as a hand-off from one idea to the next.
A T opic sentence that tells the reader what you will be discussing in the paragraph.
Specific E vidence and analysis that supports one of your claims and that provides a deeper level of detail than your topic sentence.
A B rief wrap-up sentence that tells the reader how and why this information supports the paper’s thesis. The brief wrap-up is also known as the warrant. The warrant is important to your argument because it connects your reasoning and support to your thesis, and it shows that the information in the paragraph is related to your thesis and helps defend it.

Supporting evidence (induction and deduction)

Induction is the type of reasoning that moves from specific facts to a general conclusion. When you use induction in your paper, you will state your thesis (which is actually the conclusion you have come to after looking at all the facts) and then support your thesis with the facts. The following is an example of induction taken from Dorothy U. Seyler’s Understanding Argument :

There is the dead body of Smith. Smith was shot in his bedroom between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m., according to the coroner. Smith was shot with a .32 caliber pistol. The pistol left in the bedroom contains Jones’s fingerprints. Jones was seen, by a neighbor, entering the Smith home at around 11:00 p.m. the night of Smith’s death. A coworker heard Smith and Jones arguing in Smith’s office the morning of the day Smith died.

Conclusion: Jones killed Smith.

Here, then, is the example in bullet form:

Conclusion: Jones killed Smith
Support: Smith was shot by Jones’ gun, Jones was seen entering the scene of the crime, Jones and Smith argued earlier in the day Smith died.
Assumption: The facts are representative, not isolated incidents, and thus reveal a trend, justifying the conclusion drawn.

When you use deduction in an argument, you begin with general premises and move to a specific conclusion. There is a precise pattern you must use when you reason deductively. This pattern is called syllogistic reasoning (the syllogism). Syllogistic reasoning (deduction) is organized in three steps:

Major premise
Minor premise

In order for the syllogism (deduction) to work, you must accept that the relationship of the two premises lead, logically, to the conclusion. Here are two examples of deduction or syllogistic reasoning:

Major premise: All men are mortal.
Minor premise: Socrates is a man.
Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.
Major premise: People who perform with courage and clear purpose in a crisis are great leaders.
Minor premise: Lincoln was a person who performed with courage and a clear purpose in a crisis.
Conclusion: Lincoln was a great leader.

So in order for deduction to work in the example involving Socrates, you must agree that (1) all men are mortal (they all die); and (2) Socrates is a man. If you disagree with either of these premises, the conclusion is invalid. The example using Socrates isn’t so difficult to validate. But when you move into more murky water (when you use terms such as courage , clear purpose , and great ), the connections get tenuous.

For example, some historians might argue that Lincoln didn’t really shine until a few years into the Civil War, after many Union losses to Southern leaders such as Robert E. Lee.

The following is a clear example of deduction gone awry:

Major premise: All dogs make good pets.
Minor premise: Doogle is a dog.
Conclusion: Doogle will make a good pet.

If you don’t agree that all dogs make good pets, then the conclusion that Doogle will make a good pet is invalid.

When a premise in a syllogism is missing, the syllogism becomes an enthymeme. Enthymemes can be very effective in argument, but they can also be unethical and lead to invalid conclusions. Authors often use enthymemes to persuade audiences. The following is an example of an enthymeme:

If you have a plasma TV, you are not poor.

The first part of the enthymeme (If you have a plasma TV) is the stated premise. The second part of the statement (you are not poor) is the conclusion. Therefore, the unstated premise is “Only rich people have plasma TVs.” The enthymeme above leads us to an invalid conclusion (people who own plasma TVs are not poor) because there are plenty of people who own plasma TVs who are poor. Let’s look at this enthymeme in a syllogistic structure:

Major premise: People who own plasma TVs are rich (unstated above).
Minor premise: You own a plasma TV.
Conclusion: You are not poor.

To help you understand how induction and deduction can work together to form a solid argument, you may want to look at the United States Declaration of Independence. The first section of the Declaration contains a series of syllogisms, while the middle section is an inductive list of examples. The final section brings the first and second sections together in a compelling conclusion.

10 min read

How to write strong essay body paragraphs (with examples)

In this blog post, we'll discuss how to write clear, convincing essay body paragraphs using many examples. We'll also be writing paragraphs together. By the end, you'll have a good understanding of how to write a strong essay body for any topic.

Introduction, how to structure a body paragraph, creating an outline for our essay body, 1. a strong thesis statment takes a stand, 2. a strong thesis statement allows for debate, 3. a strong thesis statement is specific, writing the first essay body paragraph, how not to write a body paragraph, writing the second essay body paragraph.

After writing a great introduction to our essay, let's make our case in the body paragraphs. These are where we will present our arguments, back them up with evidence, and, in most cases, refute counterarguments. Introductions are very similar across the various types of essays. For example, an argumentative essay's introduction will be near identical to an introduction written for an expository essay. In contrast, the body paragraphs are structured differently depending on the type of essay.

In an expository essay, we are investigating an idea or analyzing the circumstances of a case. In contrast, we want to make compelling points with an argumentative essay to convince readers to agree with us.

The most straightforward technique to make an argument is to provide context first, then make a general point, and lastly back that point up in the following sentences. Not starting with your idea directly but giving context first is crucial in constructing a clear and easy-to-follow paragraph.

How to ideally structure a body paragraph:

Provide context
Make your thesis statement
Support that argument

Now that we have the ideal structure for an argumentative essay, the best step to proceed is to outline the subsequent paragraphs. For the outline, we'll be writing one sentence that is simple in wording and describes the argument that we'll make in that paragraph concisely. Why are we doing that? An outline does more than give you a structure to work off of in the following essay body, thereby saving you time. It also helps you not to repeat yourself or, even worse, to accidentally contradict yourself later on.

While working on the outline, remember that revising your initial topic sentences is completely normal. They do not need to be flawless. Starting the outline with those thoughts can help accelerate writing the entire essay and can be very beneficial in avoiding writer's block.

For the essay body, we'll be proceeding with the topic we've written an introduction for in the previous article - the dangers of social media on society.

These are the main points I would like to make in the essay body regarding the dangers of social media:

Amplification of one's existing beliefs

Skewed comparisons

What makes a polished thesis statement?

Now that we've got our main points, let's create our outline for the body by writing one clear and straightforward topic sentence (which is the same as a thesis statement) for each idea. How do we write a great topic sentence? First, take a look at the three characteristics of a strong thesis statement.

Consider this thesis statement:

'While social media can have some negative effects, it can also be used positively.'

What stand does it take? Which negative and positive aspects does the author mean? While this one:

'Because social media is linked to a rise in mental health problems, it poses a danger to users.'

takes a clear stand and is very precise about the object of discussion.

If your thesis statement is not arguable, then your paper will not likely be enjoyable to read. Consider this thesis statement:

'Lots of people around the globe use social media.'

It does not allow for much discussion at all. Even if you were to argue that more or fewer people are using it on this planet, that wouldn't make for a very compelling argument.

'Although social media has numerous benefits, its various risks, including cyberbullying and possible addiction, mostly outweigh its benefits.'

Whether or not you consider this statement true, it allows for much more discussion than the previous one. It provides a basis for an engaging, thought-provoking paper by taking a position that you can discuss.

A thesis statement is one sentence that clearly states what you will discuss in that paragraph. It should give an overview of the main points you will discuss and show how these relate to your topic. For example, if you were to examine the rapid growth of social media, consider this thesis statement:

'There are many reasons for the rise in social media usage.'

That thesis statement is weak for two reasons. First, depending on the length of your essay, you might need to narrow your focus because the "rise in social media usage" can be a large and broad topic you cannot address adequately in a few pages. Secondly, the term "many reasons" is vague and does not give the reader an idea of what you will discuss in your paper.

In contrast, consider this thesis statement:

'The rise in social media usage is due to the increasing popularity of platforms like Facebook and Twitter, allowing users to connect with friends and share information effortlessly.'

Why is this better? Not only does it abide by the first two rules by allowing for debate and taking a stand, but this statement also narrows the subject down and identifies significant reasons for the increasing popularity of social media.

In conclusion : A strong thesis statement takes a clear stand, allows for discussion, and is specific.

Let's make use of how to write a good thopic sentence and put it into practise for our two main points from before. This is what good topic sentences could look like:

Echo chambers facilitated by social media promote political segregation in society.

Applied to the second argument:

Viewing other people's lives online through a distorted lens can lead to feelings of envy and inadequacy, as well as unrealistic expectations about one's life.

These topic sentences will be a very convenient structure for the whole body of our essay. Let's build out the first body paragraph, then closely examine how we did it so you can apply it to your essay.

Example: First body paragraph

If social media users mostly see content that reaffirms their existing beliefs, it can create an "echo chamber" effect. The echo chamber effect describes the user's limited exposure to diverse perspectives, making it challenging to examine those beliefs critically, thereby contributing to society's political polarization. This polarization emerges from social media becoming increasingly based on algorithms, which cater content to users based on their past interactions on the site. Further contributing to this shared narrative is the very nature of social media, allowing politically like-minded individuals to connect (Sunstein, 2018). Consequently, exposure to only one side of the argument can make it very difficult to see the other side's perspective, marginalizing opposing viewpoints. The entrenchment of one's beliefs by constant reaffirmation and amplification of political ideas results in segregation along partisan lines.

Sunstein, C. R (2018). #Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

In the first sentence, we provide context for the argument that we are about to make. Then, in the second sentence, we clearly state the topic we are addressing (social media contributing to political polarization).

Our topic sentence tells readers that a detailed discussion of the echo chamber effect and its consequences is coming next. All the following sentences, which make up most of the paragraph, either a) explain or b) support this point.

Finally, we answer the questions about how social media facilitates the echo chamber effect and the consequences. Try implementing the same structure in your essay body paragraph to allow for a logical and cohesive argument.

These paragraphs should be focused, so don't incorporate multiple arguments into one. Squeezing ideas into a single paragraph makes it challenging for readers to follow your reasoning. Instead, reserve each body paragraph for a single statement to be discussed and only switch to the next section once you feel that you thoroughly explained and supported your topic sentence.

Let's look at an example that might seem appropriate initially but should be modified.

Negative example: Try identifying the main argument

Over the past decade, social media platforms have become increasingly popular methods of communication and networking. However, these platforms' algorithmic nature fosters echo chambers or online spaces where users only encounter information that reinforces their existing beliefs. This echo chamber effect can lead to a lack of understanding or empathy for those with different perspectives and can even amplify the effects of confirmation bias. The same principle of one-sided exposure to opinions can be abstracted and applied to the biased subjection to lifestyles we see on social media. The constant exposure to these highly-curated and often unrealistic portrayals of other people's lives can lead us to believe that our own lives are inadequate in comparison. These feelings of inadequacy can be especially harmful to young people, who are still developing their sense of self.

Let's analyze this essay paragraph. Introducing the topic sentence by stating the social functions of social media is very useful because it provides context for the following argument. Naming those functions in the first sentence also allows for a smooth transition by contrasting the initial sentence ("However, ...") with the topic sentence. Also, the topic sentence abides by our three rules for creating a strong thesis statement:

Taking a clear stand: algorithms are substantial contributors to the echo chamber effect
Allowing for debate: there is literature rejecting this claim
Being specific: analyzing a specific cause of the effect (algorithms).

So, where's the problem with this body paragraph?

It begins with what seems like a single argument (social media algorithms contributing to the echo chamber effect). Yet after addressing the consequences of the echo-chamber effect right after the thesis sentence, the author applies the same principle to a whole different topic. At the end of the paragraph, the reader is probably feeling confused. What was the paragraph trying to achieve in the first place?

We should place the second idea of being exposed to curated lifestyles in a separate section instead of shoehorning it into the end of the first one. All sentences following the thesis statement should either explain it or provide evidence (refuting counterarguments falls into this category, too).

With our first body paragraph done and having seen an example of what to avoid, let's take the topic of being exposed to curated lifestyles through social media and construct a separate body paragraph for it. We have already provided sufficient context for the reader to follow our argument, so it is unnecessary for this particular paragraph.

Body paragraph 2

Another cause for social media's destructiveness is the users' inclination to only share the highlights of their lives on social media, consequently distorting our perceptions of reality. A highly filtered view of their life leads to feelings of envy and inadequacy, as well as a distorted understanding of what is considered ordinary (Liu et al., 2018). In addition, frequent social media use is linked to decreased self-esteem and body satisfaction (Perloff, 2014). One way social media can provide a curated view of people's lives is through filters, making photos look more radiant, shadier, more or less saturated, and similar. Further, editing tools allow people to fundamentally change how their photos and videos look before sharing them, allowing for inserting or removing certain parts of the image. Editing tools give people considerable control over how their photos and videos look before sharing them, thereby facilitating the curation of one's online persona.

Perloff, R.M. Social Media Effects on Young Women's Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research. Sex Roles 71, 363–377 (2014).

Liu, Hongbo & Wu, Laurie & Li, Xiang. (2018). Social Media Envy: How Experience Sharing on Social Networking Sites Drives Millennials' Aspirational Tourism Consumption. Journal of Travel Research. 58. 10.1177/0047287518761615.

Dr. Jacob Neumann put it this way in his book A professors guide to writing essays: 'If you've written strong and clear topic sentences, you're well on your way to creating focused paragraphs.'

They provide the basis for each paragraph's development and content, allowing you not to get caught up in the details and lose sight of the overall objective. It's crucial not to neglect that step. Apply these principles to your essay body, whatever the topic, and you'll set yourself up for the best possible results.

Sources used for creating this article

Writing a solid thesis statement : https://www.vwu.edu/academics/academic-support/learning-center/pdfs/Thesis-Statement.pdf
Neumann, Jacob. A professor's guide to writing essays. 2016.

Follow the Journey

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When you write strong, clear paragraphs, you are guiding your readers through your argument by showing them how your points fit together to support your thesis. The number of paragraphs in your essay should be determined by the number of steps you need to take to build your argument. To write strong paragraphs, try to focus each paragraph on one main point—and begin a new paragraph when you are moving to a new point or example.

A strong paragraph in an academic essay will usually include these three elements:

A topic sentence. The topic sentence does double duty for a paragraph. First, a strong topic sentence makes a claim or states a main idea that is then developed in the rest of the paragraph. Second, the topic sentence signals to readers how the paragraph is connected to the larger argument in your paper. Below is an example of a topic sentence from a paper by Laura Connor ‘23 that analyzes rhetoric used by Frederic Douglass, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Karl Marx. In her paper, Connor argues that Marx’s rhetoric was most effective in driving social change. In his numerous writings, Marx critiques capitalism by identifying its flaws. This topic sentence makes a claim that will then need to be supported with evidence: readers can expect that the sentence will be followed by a discussion of what Marx saw as the flaws in capitalism, which will in turn help them understand Connor’s thesis about how these three authors used their rhetoric to effect social change. A topic sentence signals to your readers what idea is most important in that paragraph—and it also helps you know if you’ve effectively made your point. In this case, Connor has set up the expectation for readers that by the end of the paragraph, they will understand Marx’s view of the flaws in capitalism. Imagine that, instead of writing “Marx critiques capitalism by identifying its flaws,” Connor had begun that paragraph with a descriptive sentence. For example, she could have written something like this: “Marx wrote a critique of capitalism.” While that sentence describes something that happened, it does not give readers information about what will be in the rest of the paragraph—and it would not have helped Connor figure out how to organize the paragraph.
Evidence. Once you’ve made a claim in your topic sentence, you’ll need to help your readers see how you arrived at that claim from the evidence that you examined. That evidence may include quotations or paraphrased material from a source, or it may include data, results, or primary source material. In the paragraph that follows Connor’s topic sentence above, she offers several quotations from Marx that demonstrate how he viewed the flaws in capitalism.
Analysis. It’s not enough to provide evidence to support a claim. You have to tell your readers what you want them to understand about that evidence. In other words, you have to analyze it. How does this evidence support your claim? In Connor’s paragraph, she follows her presentation of evidence with sentences that tell readers what they need to understand about that evidence—specifically that it shows how Marx pointed to the flaws in capitalism without telling his own readers what to think about it, and that this was his strategy. It might be tempting to end your paragraph with either a sentence summarizing everything you’ve just written or the introduction of a new idea. But in a short paragraph, your readers don’t need a summary of all that you’ve just said. And introducing a new point in the final sentence can confuse readers by leaving them without evidence to support that new point. Instead, try to end your paragraph with a sentence that tells readers something that they can now understand because they’ve read your paragraph. In Connor’s paragraph, the final sentence doesn’t summarize all of Marx’s specific claims but instead tells readers what to take away from that evidence. After seeing what Marx says about capitalism, Connor explains what the evidence she has just offered suggests about Marx’s beliefs.

Below, you’ll find Connor’s complete paragraph marked with topic sentence, evidence, and Connor’s analysis of the evidence.

Image version

TOPIC SENTENCE/ In his numerous writings, Marx critiques capitalism by identifying its flaws. ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE/ By critiquing the political economy and capitalism, Marx implores his reader to think critically about their position in society and restores awareness in the proletariat class. EVIDENCE/ To Marx, capitalism is a system characterized by the “exploitation of the many by the few,” in which workers accept the exploitation of their labor and receive only harm of “alienation,” rather than true benefits ( MER 487). He writes that “labour produces for the rich wonderful things – but for the worker it produces privation. It produces palaces—but for the worker, hovels. It produces beauty—but for the worker, deformity” (MER 73). Marx argues capitalism is a system in which the laborer is repeatedly harmed and estranged from himself, his labor, and other people, while the owner of his labor – the capitalist – receives the benefits ( MER 74). And while industry progresses, the worker “sinks deeper and deeper below the conditions of existence of his own class” ( MER 483). ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE/ But while Marx critiques the political economy, he does not explicitly say “capitalism is wrong.” Rather, his close examination of the system makes its flaws obvious. Only once the working class realizes the flaws of the system, Marx believes, will they - must they - rise up against their bourgeois masters and achieve the necessary and inevitable communist revolution.

Not every paragraph will be structured exactly like this one, of course. But as you draft your own paragraphs, look for all three of these elements: topic sentence, evidence, and analysis.

picture_as_pdf Anatomy Of a Body Paragraph

How to write an essay: Body

What's in this guide
Introduction
Essay structure
Additional resources

Body paragraphs

Each body paragraph has three sections. First is the topic sentence . This lets the reader know what the paragraph is going to be about and the main point it will make. It gives the paragraph’s point straight away. Next – and largest – is the supporting sentences . These expand on the central idea, explaining it in more detail, exploring what it means, and of course giving the evidence and argument that back it up. This is where you use your research to support your argument. Then there is a concluding sentence . This restates the idea in the topic sentence, to remind the reader of your main point. It also shows how that point helps answer the question.

Pathways and Academic Learning Support

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Last Updated: Nov 29, 2023 1:55 PM
URL: https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/how-to-write-an-essay

What is a Body Paragraph? (Definition, Examples, How to Start)

What is a body paragraph? How do I start a body paragraph? A body paragraph is the most important part of the sentence subject . It delivers the most impactful information and helps to transition in and out of paragraphs more effectively.

What is a body paragraph?

Any essay, article, or academic writing starts with an introduction and ends with a conclusion. The text between the introduction and conclusion is the body paragraph.

A body paragraph supports the idea that was mentioned in the introduction by shedding light on new details using facts, statistics, arguments, or other information.

What role does a body paragraph play in an article or an essay?

A body paragraph acts as a connection between the introduction and the conclusion. The body paragraph’s role is to justify the thesis stated in the introduction of an essay or article. As mentioned previously it comes between the introduction and the conclusion which is where most of the writing is done. This signifies its importance.

There can be multiple body paragraphs in an article or an essay. That said, each of the body paragraphs should logically connect with one another. In addition to this, all the body paragraphs should focus on the main idea stated in the introduction. Also, the sentences should not be long, so that readers can easily consume the information.

Here is a brief breakdown of the structure of a body paragraph:

How to structure a body paragraph

Every body paragraph has four main parts. They are:

Topic Sentence
Evidence Or Supporting Sentences
Ending Or Conclusion

Here is a detailed breakdown of each one of them.

Topic sentence

The topic sentence is the first sentence in a body paragraph. This sentence discusses the main idea of the topic and indicates what information to expect in the rest of the paragraph. It sets the stage for the rest of the paragraph.

Evidence or supporting sentences

After the topic sentence comes the supporting sentences. These sentences are used to justify the claim that was stated in the topic sentence. Text citations, evidence, statistics, and examples are used to justify the claim. For example, if the topic sentence discusses “Switzerland is a must visit place”, then the supporting sentences should discuss the beautiful parts of Switzerland with examples to justify the claim.

One sentence to another sentence should flow seamlessly and this is possible by using transition words . Transition words like “however”, “although”, “in addition to”, “next”, and “in contrast” helps in doing exactly the same.

Ending or concluding sentence

Every body paragraph should end with a conclusion which comes after the supporting sentences. It summarizes the main idea of the body paragraph and emphasizes the supporting details. The conclusion gives way to the next line of the next paragraph.

Transitions are a few words that help in the smooth flow of the previous paragraph to the next paragraph. These words can be at the beginning of topic sentences or at the end of the body paragraph. They connect one idea of a paragraph to the next idea of another paragraph.

How to write an effective body paragraph

Keep the body paragraph’s focus on the topic.

All the body paragraphs should support the claim made in the introduction of an essay or an article. It should be consistent with the main idea of the topic. It is recommended to avoid adding unnecessary information in the body paragraph that doesn’t relate to the main idea of the topic.

Break complicated topic sentences into smaller parts

If the topic sentence has many parts to it, the topic sentence should be divided into smaller ideas and each idea should be expressed in a different body paragraph. Having too many parts in a topic sentence will lead to many support sentences in the body paragraph which will be too lengthy for readers to grasp.

Add counterarguments

If it is an academic essay or an opinion article, counterarguments should be included in the piece. Adding counterarguments in such pieces will give a broader perspective of the piece. Such inclusions will strengthen the essay or article.

Use signals when more than one paragraph deals with the same evidence

If multiple body paragraphs deal with the same evidence, there are a few signal phrases that will help the reader connect with evidence used earlier in other paragraphs. The signal phrases like “As mentioned previously” and “As already mentioned” can be used.

Include paragraph breaks

It is a single-line space that divides one paragraph from another. This is necessary because too long paragraphs make it difficult for readers to grasp the information. A space between paragraphs will help the readers to easily wade through the text. A paragraph break also signals the transition of one idea of one body paragraph to an idea of another body paragraph.

The body paragraph should be short

The body paragraph should be short and concise . The paragraphs should not exceed one page. Paragraphs exceeding a page will make the article or essay complicated to comprehend the information.

Body paragraphs should be proofread

After writing the body paragraph, proofreading is done. This will help in finding and fixing mistakes. It will also help in removing unnecessary sentences in the body paragraph. The ideal way to proofread is by reading the body paragraph loudly. Doing so will help in identifying awkward word placements in the sentence.

In addition to this, asking questions like “is the body paragraph sticking to the main idea of the topic?” should be exercised. It will give a sense that if the paragraph is heading in the right direction or not.

How to start a body paragraph

The first sentence in a body paragraph is the topic sentence and it is the hardest sentence to write. The topic sentence sets the stage for the rest of the sentences in the paragraph.

Once the reader reads the topic sentence, the reader should get a sense that what the rest of the paragraph will be.

So, it should be concise and to the point, revealing enough information that will help the reader to know what the paragraph will be all about.

How to conclude a body paragraph

At the end of the body paragraph, the sentence should summarize the claim stated in the topic sentence and should also include a brief explanation of the supporting sentences. It should be written in such a way that the sentence is concise and at the same time reveals the main points.

This sentence will help the reader to get a gist of what the paragraph is all about.

Difference between body paragraph and introduction

Though both of them are paragraphs, they are very different. Firstly, the structure of an introduction is constructed differently than the body paragraph. An introduction consists of a thesis statement and a brief explanation. On the other hand, the body paragraph consists of a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a conclusion.

Secondly, the introduction comes first in an essay or an article. In comparison, the body paragraph comes after the introduction. It comes after the introduction and before the conclusion of an essay or article.

A typical body paragraph should contain at least six sentences.

To develop a well-structured paragraph:

Construct a topic sentence.
Include evidence to support the claim expressed in the topic sentence.
Add analysis to the paragraph.
End it with a conclusion summarizing the key points of the paragraph.
Finally, proofread the paragraph to identify and fix mistakes.

An introduction is the first paragraph of an essay or article. It gets the reader’s attention regarding the topic and provides the thesis statement of the topic. To write a good introduction:

Keep the introduction paragraph short.
In one to two sentences explain the thesis statement of the article or essay.

There is no fixed number of words that a body paragraph should have. That said, typically a paragraph contains about a hundred to two hundred words which are six to seven sentences.

Yes, an essay or article can have more than one body paragraph. Some essays have three to four body paragraphs. That said, having two of these is enough to cover important points of the essay.

A conclusion comes after the body paragraph at the end of the essay. A long essay can have two or three paragraphs to conclude. It summarizes the main idea of the topic.

Body Paragraphs: How to Write Perfect Ones | Grammarly blog
Body Paragraph Example & Structure
How Do I Write an Intro, Conclusion, & Body Paragraph
How to Write a Body Paragraph | BestColleges

Inside this article

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About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

Core lessons

Abstract Noun
Accusative Case
Active Sentence
Alliteration
Adjective Clause
Adjective Phrase
Adverbial Clause
Appositive Phrase
Body Paragraph
Compound Adjective
Complex Sentence
Compound Words
Compound Predicate
Common Noun
Comparative Adjective
Comparative and Superlative
Compound Noun
Compound Subject
Compound Sentence
Copular Verb
Collective Noun
Colloquialism
Conciseness
Conditional
Concrete Noun
Conjunction
Conjugation
Conditional Sentence
Comma Splice
Correlative Conjunction
Coordinating Conjunction
Coordinate Adjective
Cumulative Adjective
Dative Case
Declarative Statement
Direct Object Pronoun
Direct Object
Dangling Modifier
Demonstrative Pronoun
Demonstrative Adjective
Direct Characterization
Definite Article
Doublespeak
Equivocation Fallacy
Future Perfect Progressive
Future Simple
Future Perfect Continuous
Future Perfect
First Conditional
Gerund Phrase
Genitive Case
Helping Verb
Irregular Adjective
Irregular Verb
Imperative Sentence
Indefinite Article
Intransitive Verb
Introductory Phrase
Indefinite Pronoun
Indirect Characterization
Interrogative Sentence
Intensive Pronoun
Inanimate Object
Indefinite Tense
Infinitive Phrase
Interjection
Intensifier
Indicative Mood
Juxtaposition
Linking Verb
Misplaced Modifier
Nominative Case
Noun Adjective
Object Pronoun
Object Complement
Order of Adjectives
Parallelism
Prepositional Phrase
Past Simple Tense
Past Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Past Progressive Tense
Present Simple Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Personal Pronoun
Personification
Persuasive Writing
Parallel Structure
Phrasal Verb
Predicate Adjective
Predicate Nominative
Phonetic Language
Plural Noun
Punctuation
Punctuation Marks
Preposition
Preposition of Place
Parts of Speech
Possessive Adjective
Possessive Determiner
Possessive Case
Possessive Noun
Proper Adjective
Proper Noun
Present Participle
Quotation Marks
Relative Pronoun
Reflexive Pronoun
Reciprocal Pronoun
Subordinating Conjunction
Simple Future Tense
Stative Verb
Subjunctive
Subject Complement
Subject of a Sentence
Sentence Variety
Second Conditional
Superlative Adjective
Slash Symbol
Types of Nouns
Types of Sentences
Uncountable Noun
Vowels and Consonants

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40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine and engineering .

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How to Write a Body Paragraph for a College Essay

January 29, 2024

how to write a body paragraph college essay

No matter the discipline, college success requires mastering several academic basics, including the body paragraph. This article will provide tips on drafting and editing a strong body paragraph before examining several body paragraph examples. Before we look at how to start a body paragraph and how to write a body paragraph for a college essay (or other writing assignment), let’s define what exactly a body paragraph is.

What is a Body Paragraph?

Simply put, a body paragraph consists of everything in an academic essay that does not constitute the introduction and conclusion. It makes up everything in between. In a five-paragraph, thesis-style essay (which most high schoolers encounter before heading off to college), there are three body paragraphs. Longer essays with more complex arguments will include many more body paragraphs.

We might correlate body paragraphs with bodily appendages—say, a leg. Both operate in a somewhat isolated way to perform specific operations, yet are integral to creating a cohesive, functioning whole. A leg helps the body sit, walk, and run. Like legs, body paragraphs work to move an essay along, by leading the reader through several convincing ideas. Together, these ideas, sometimes called topics, or points, work to prove an overall argument, called the essay’s thesis.

If you compared an essay on Kant’s theory of beauty to an essay on migratory birds, you’d notice that the body paragraphs differ drastically. However, on closer inspection, you’d probably find that they included many of the same key components. Most body paragraphs will include specific, detailed evidence, an analysis of the evidence, a conclusion drawn by the author, and several tie-ins to the larger ideas at play. They’ll also include transitions and citations leading the reader to source material. We’ll go into more detail on these components soon. First, let’s see if you’ve organized your essay so that you’ll know how to start a body paragraph.

How to Start a Body Paragraph

It can be tempting to start writing your college essay as soon as you sit down at your desk. The sooner begun, the sooner done, right? I’d recommend resisting that itch. Instead, pull up a blank document on your screen and make an outline. There are numerous reasons to make an outline, and most involve helping you stay on track. This is especially true of longer college papers, like the 60+ page dissertation some seniors are required to write. Even with regular writing assignments with a page count between 4-10, an outline will help you visualize your argumentation strategy. Moreover, it will help you order your key points and their relevant evidence from most to least convincing. This in turn will determine the order of your body paragraphs.

The most convincing sequence of body paragraphs will depend entirely on your paper’s subject. Let’s say you’re writing about Penelope’s success in outwitting male counterparts in The Odyssey . You may want to begin with Penelope’s weaving, the most obvious way in which Penelope dupes her suitors. You can end with Penelope’s ingenious way of outsmarting her own husband. Because this evidence is more ambiguous it will require a more nuanced analysis. Thus, it’ll work best as your final body paragraph, after readers have already been convinced of more digestible evidence. If in doubt, keep your body paragraph order chronological.

It can be worthwhile to consider your topic from multiple perspectives. You may decide to include a body paragraph that sets out to consider and refute an opposing point to your thesis. This type of body paragraph will often appear near the end of the essay. It works to erase any lingering doubts readers may have had, and requires strong rhetorical techniques.

How to Start a Body Paragraph, Continued

Once you’ve determined which key points will best support your argument and in what order, draft an introduction. This is a crucial step towards writing a body paragraph. First, it will set the tone for the rest of your paper. Second, it will require you to articulate your thesis statement in specific, concise wording. Highlight or bold your thesis statement, so you can refer back to it quickly. You should be looking at your thesis throughout the drafting of your body paragraphs.

Finally, make sure that your introduction indicates which key points you’ll be covering in your body paragraphs, and in what order. While this level of organization might seem like overkill, it will indicate to the reader that your entire paper is minutely thought-out. It will boost your reader’s confidence going in. They’ll feel reassured and open to your thought process if they can see that it follows a clear path.

Now that you have an essay outline and introduction, you’re ready to draft your body paragraphs.

How to Draft a Body Paragraph

At this point, you know your body paragraph topic, the key point you’re trying to make, and you’ve gathered your evidence. The next thing to do is write! The words highlighted in bold below comprise the main components that will make up your body paragraph. (You’ll notice in the body paragraph examples below that the order of these components is flexible.)

Start with a topic sentence . This will indicate the main point you plan to make that will work to support your overall thesis. Your topic sentence also alerts the reader to the change in topic from the last paragraph to the current one. In making this new topic known, you’ll want to create a transition from the last topic to this one.

Transitions appear in nearly every paragraph of a college essay, apart from the introduction. They create a link between disparate ideas. (For example, if your transition comes at the end of paragraph 4, you won’t need a second transition at the beginning of paragraph 5.) The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Writing Center has a page devoted to Developing Strategic Transitions . Likewise, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Writing Center offers help on paragraph transitions .

How to Draft a Body Paragraph for a College Essay ( Continued)

With the topic sentence written, you’ll need to prove your point through tangible evidence. This requires several sentences with various components. You’ll want to provide more context , going into greater detail to situate the reader within the topic. Next, you’ll provide evidence , often in the form of a quote, facts, or data, and supply a source citation . Citing your source is paramount. Sources indicate that your evidence is empirical and objective. It implies that your evidence is knowledge shared by others in the academic community. Sometimes you’ll want to provide multiple pieces of evidence, if the evidence is similar and can be grouped together.

After providing evidence, you must provide an interpretation and analysis of this evidence. In other words, use rhetorical techniques to paraphrase what your evidence seems to suggest. Break down the evidence further and explain and summarize it in new words. Don’t simply skip to your conclusion. Your evidence should never stand for itself. Why? Because your interpretation and analysis allow you to exhibit original, analytical, and critical thinking skills.

Depending on what evidence you’re using, you may repeat some of these components in the same body paragraph. This might look like: more context + further evidence + increased interpretation and analysis . All this will add up to proving and reaffirming your body paragraph’s main point . To do so, conclude your body paragraph by reformulating your thesis statement in light of the information you’ve given. I recommend comparing your original thesis statement to your paragraph’s concluding statement. Do they align? Does your body paragraph create a sound connection to the overall academic argument? If not, you’ll need to fix this issue when you edit your body paragraph.

How to Edit a Body Paragraph

As you go over each body paragraph of your college essay, keep this short checklist in mind.

Consistency in your argument: If your key points don’t add up to a cogent argument, you’ll need to identify where the inconsistency lies. Often it lies in interpretation and analysis. You may need to improve the way you articulate this component. Try to think like a lawyer: how can you use this evidence to your advantage? If that doesn’t work, you may need to find new evidence. As a last resort, amend your thesis statement.
Language-level persuasion. Use a broad vocabulary. Vary your sentence structure. Don’t repeat the same words too often, which can induce mental fatigue in the reader. I suggest keeping an online dictionary open on your browser. I find Merriam-Webster user-friendly, since it allows you to toggle between definitions and synonyms. It also includes up-to-date example sentences. Also, don’t forget the power of rhetorical devices .
Does your writing flow naturally from one idea to the next, or are there jarring breaks? The editing stage is a great place to polish transitions and reinforce the structure as a whole.

Our first body paragraph example comes from the College Transitions article “ How to Write the AP Lang Argument Essay .” Here’s the prompt: Write an essay that argues your position on the value of striving for perfection.

Here’s the example thesis statement, taken from the introduction paragraph: “Striving for perfection can only lead us to shortchange ourselves. Instead, we should value learning, growth, and creativity and not worry whether we are first or fifth best.” Now let’s see how this writer builds an argument against perfection through one main point across two body paragraphs. (While this writer has split this idea into two paragraphs, one to address a problem and one to provide an alternative resolution, it could easily be combined into one paragraph.)

“Students often feel the need to be perfect in their classes, and this can cause students to struggle or stop making an effort in class. In elementary and middle school, for example, I was very nervous about public speaking. When I had to give a speech, my voice would shake, and I would turn very red. My teachers always told me “relax!” and I got Bs on Cs on my speeches. As a result, I put more pressure on myself to do well, spending extra time making my speeches perfect and rehearsing late at night at home. But this pressure only made me more nervous, and I started getting stomach aches before speaking in public.

“Once I got to high school, however, I started doing YouTube make-up tutorials with a friend. We made videos just for fun, and laughed when we made mistakes or said something silly. Only then, when I wasn’t striving to be perfect, did I get more comfortable with public speaking.”

Body Paragraph Example 1 Dissected

In this body paragraph example, the writer uses their personal experience as evidence against the value of striving for perfection. The writer sets up this example with a topic sentence that acts as a transition from the introduction. They also situate the reader in the classroom. The evidence takes the form of emotion and physical reactions to the pressure of public speaking (nervousness, shaking voice, blushing). Evidence also takes the form of poor results (mediocre grades). Rather than interpret the evidence from an analytical perspective, the writer produces more evidence to underline their point. (This method works fine for a narrative-style essay.) It’s clear that working harder to be perfect further increased the student’s nausea.

The writer proves their point in the second paragraph, through a counter-example. The main point is that improvement comes more naturally when the pressure is lifted; when amusement is possible and mistakes aren’t something to fear. This point ties back in with the thesis, that “we should value learning, growth, and creativity” over perfection.

This second body paragraph example comes from the College Transitions article “ How to Write the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay .” Here’s an abridged version of the prompt: Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist who was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Read the passage carefully. Write an essay that analyzes the rhetorical choices Obama makes to convey his message.

Here’s the example thesis statement, taken from the introduction paragraph: “Through the use of diction that portrays Parks as quiet and demure, long lists that emphasize the extent of her impacts, and Biblical references, Obama suggests that all of us are capable of achieving greater good, just as Parks did.” Now read the body paragraph example, below.

“To further illustrate Parks’ impact, Obama incorporates Biblical references that emphasize the importance of “that single moment on the bus” (lines 57-58). In lines 33-35, Obama explains that Parks and the other protestors are “driven by a solemn determination to affirm their God-given dignity” and he also compares their victory to the fall the “ancient walls of Jericho” (line 43). By including these Biblical references, Obama suggests that Parks’ action on the bus did more than correct personal or political wrongs; it also corrected moral and spiritual wrongs. Although Parks had no political power or fortune, she was able to restore a moral balance in our world.”

Body Paragraph Example 2 Dissected

The first sentence in this body paragraph example indicates that the topic is transitioning into biblical references as a means of motivating ordinary citizens. The evidence comes as quotes taken from Obama’s speech. One is a reference to God, and the other an allusion to a story from the bible. The subsequent interpretation and analysis demonstrate that Obama’s biblical references imply a deeper, moral and spiritual significance. The concluding sentence draws together the morality inherent in equal rights with Rosa Parks’ power to spark change. Through the words “no political power or fortune,” and “moral balance,” the writer ties the point proven in this body paragraph back to the thesis statement. Obama promises that “All of us” (no matter how small our influence) “are capable of achieving greater good”—a greater moral good.

What’s Next?

Before you body paragraphs come the start and, after your body paragraphs, the conclusion, of course! If you’ve found this article helpful, be sure to read up on how to start a college essay and how to end a college essay .

You may also find the following blogs to be of interest:

6 Best Common App Essay Examples
How to Write the Overcoming Challenges Essay
UC Essay Examples
How to Write the Community Essay
How to Write the Why this Major? Essay
College Essay

Kaylen Baker

With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia Artists/Teachers, and served as an English Language Assistant for the French National Department of Education. Kaylen is an experienced writer/translator whose work has been featured in Los Angeles Review, Hybrid, San Francisco Bay Guardian, France Today, and Honolulu Weekly, among others.

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Transition Words & Phrases | List & Examples

Transition Words & Phrases | List & Examples

Published on May 29, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 23, 2023.

Transition words and phrases (also called linking words, connecting words, or transitional words) are used to link together different ideas in your text. They help the reader to follow your arguments by expressing the relationships between different sentences or parts of a sentence.

The proposed solution to the problem did not work. Therefore , we attempted a second solution. However , this solution was also unsuccessful.

For clear writing, it’s essential to understand the meaning of transition words and use them correctly.

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When and how to use transition words, types and examples of transition words, common mistakes with transition words, other interesting articles.

Transition words commonly appear at the start of a new sentence or clause (followed by a comma ), serving to express how this clause relates to the previous one.

Transition words can also appear in the middle of a clause. It’s important to place them correctly to convey the meaning you intend.

Example text with and without transition words

The text below describes all the events it needs to, but it does not use any transition words to connect them. Because of this, it’s not clear exactly how these different events are related or what point the author is making by telling us about them.

If we add some transition words at appropriate moments, the text reads more smoothly and the relationship among the events described becomes clearer.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Consequently , France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany. The Soviet Union initially worked with Germany in order to partition Poland. However , Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.

Don’t overuse transition words

While transition words are essential to clear writing, it’s possible to use too many of them. Consider the following example, in which the overuse of linking words slows down the text and makes it feel repetitive.

In this case the best way to fix the problem is to simplify the text so that fewer linking words are needed.

The key to using transition words effectively is striking the right balance. It is difficult to follow the logic of a text with no transition words, but a text where every sentence begins with a transition word can feel over-explained.

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There are four main types of transition word: additive, adversative, causal, and sequential. Within each category, words are divided into several more specific functions.

Remember that transition words with similar meanings are not necessarily interchangeable. It’s important to understand the meaning of all the transition words you use. If unsure, consult a dictionary to find the precise definition.

Additive transition words

Additive transition words introduce new information or examples. They can be used to expand upon, compare with, or clarify the preceding text.

Adversative transition words

Adversative transition words always signal a contrast of some kind. They can be used to introduce information that disagrees or contrasts with the preceding text.

Causal transition words

Causal transition words are used to describe cause and effect. They can be used to express purpose, consequence, and condition.

Sequential transition words

Sequential transition words indicate a sequence, whether it’s the order in which events occurred chronologically or the order you’re presenting them in your text. They can be used for signposting in academic texts.

Transition words are often used incorrectly. Make sure you understand the proper usage of transition words and phrases, and remember that words with similar meanings don’t necessarily work the same way grammatically.

Misused transition words can make your writing unclear or illogical. Your audience will be easily lost if you misrepresent the connections between your sentences and ideas.

Confused use of therefore

“Therefore” and similar cause-and-effect words are used to state that something is the result of, or follows logically from, the previous. Make sure not to use these words in a way that implies illogical connections.

We asked participants to rate their satisfaction with their work from 1 to 10. Therefore , the average satisfaction among participants was 7.5.

The use of “therefore” in this example is illogical: it suggests that the result of 7.5 follows logically from the question being asked, when in fact many other results were possible. To fix this, we simply remove the word “therefore.”

We asked participants to rate their satisfaction with their work from 1 to 10. The average satisfaction among participants was 7.5.

Starting a sentence with also , and , or so

While the words “also,” “and,” and “so” are used in academic writing, they are considered too informal when used at the start of a sentence.

Also , a second round of testing was carried out.

To fix this issue, we can either move the transition word to a different point in the sentence or use a more formal alternative.

A second round of testing was also carried out.
Additionally , a second round of testing was carried out.

Transition words creating sentence fragments

Words like “although” and “because” are called subordinating conjunctions . This means that they introduce clauses which cannot stand on their own. A clause introduced by one of these words should always follow or be followed by another clause in the same sentence.

The second sentence in this example is a fragment, because it consists only of the “although” clause.

Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed. Although other researchers disagree.

We can fix this in two different ways. One option is to combine the two sentences into one using a comma. The other option is to use a different transition word that does not create this problem, like “however.”

Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed, although other researchers disagree.
Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed. However , other researchers disagree.

And vs. as well as

Students often use the phrase “ as well as ” in place of “and,” but its usage is slightly different. Using “and” suggests that the things you’re listing are of equal importance, while “as well as” introduces additional information that is less important.

Chapter 1 discusses some background information on Woolf, as well as presenting my analysis of To the Lighthouse .

In this example, the analysis is more important than the background information. To fix this mistake, we can use “and,” or we can change the order of the sentence so that the most important information comes first. Note that we add a comma before “as well as” but not before “and.”

Chapter 1 discusses some background information on Woolf and presents my analysis of To the Lighthouse .
Chapter 1 presents my analysis of To the Lighthouse , as well as discussing some background information on Woolf.

Note that in fixed phrases like “both x and y ,” you must use “and,” not “as well as.”

Both my results as well as my interpretations are presented below.
Both my results and my interpretations are presented below.

Use of and/or

The combination of transition words “and/or” should generally be avoided in academic writing. It makes your text look messy and is usually unnecessary to your meaning.

First consider whether you really do mean “and/or” and not just “and” or “or.” If you are certain that you need both, it’s best to separate them to make your meaning as clear as possible.

Participants were asked whether they used the bus and/or the train.
Participants were asked whether they used the bus, the train, or both.

Archaic transition words

Words like “hereby,” “therewith,” and most others formed by the combination of “here,” “there,” or “where” with a preposition are typically avoided in modern academic writing. Using them makes your writing feel old-fashioned and strained and can sometimes obscure your meaning.

Poverty is best understood as a disease. Hereby , we not only see that it is hereditary, but acknowledge its devastating effects on a person’s health.

These words should usually be replaced with a more explicit phrasing expressing how the current statement relates to the preceding one.

Poverty is best understood as a disease. Understanding it as such , we not only see that it is hereditary, but also acknowledge its devastating effects on a person’s health.

Using a paraphrasing tool for clear writing

With the use of certain tools, you can make your writing clear. One of these tools is a paraphrasing tool . One thing the tool does is help your sentences make more sense. It has different modes where it checks how your text can be improved. For example, automatically adding transition words where needed.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or writing rules make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Martin Luther King — How Did Martin Luther King Jr Use Pathos In A Speech

How Did Martin Luther King Jr Use Pathos in a Speech

Categories: Civil Rights Martin Luther King

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Published: Mar 5, 2024

Words: 768 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Introduction, body paragraphs, counterarguments.

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This article was first published in 2022 and updated.

8 March is International Women’s Day – devoted to celebrating the achievements of women and seeking gender equality.
The campaign theme in 2024 is #InspireInclusion , while the official theme of the UN observance of the day is ‘ Invest in women: Accelerate progress ’.
It will take another 131 years to reach gender parity, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2023 .

Gender equality is central to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) – and a perennial item on the Secretary-General's annual priority list.

SDG5 calls for the world to " Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls " by 2030.

Empowering women can boost economies and help the peace process, believes António Guterres, but it needs to happen faster.

"We are promoting women's full and equal participation and leadership in all sectors of society, as a matter of urgency," he told the UN General Assembly, outlining the agency's priorities on 7 February 2024.

It will take another 131 years to reach gender parity , according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2023.

The continued fight for women’s rights is marked each year by International Women’s Day (IWD).

What is International Women’s Day and when did it start?

IWD takes place on 8 March every year.

It began life as National Women’s Day in the United States back in February 1909. The following year, at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Denmark, women’s rights activist Clara Zetkin called for an international women’s day to give women a greater voice to further their demands for equal rights.

It was unanimously approved by the female attendees from 17 countries, including Finland’s first three women MPs. International Women’s Day was marked for the first time in March 1911 – and the date was fixed as 8 March in 1913. The UN celebrated it for the first time in 1975 and in 1996 it announced its first annual theme: "Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future".

How is the day marked around the world?

International Women’s Day is celebrated as a national holiday by countries across the globe, with women often given flowers and gifts – and there are IWD events in major cities worldwide .

On 8 March 1914, there was a women’s suffrage march in London, calling for women’s right to vote, at which high-profile campaigner Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested.

In 2001, the internationalwomensday.com platform was launched to reignite attention for the day, celebrate women’s achievements and continue to call for gender parity.

On the centenary in 2011, sitting US President Barack Obama called for March to be known as Women’s History Month. He said: “History shows that when women and girls have access to opportunity , societies are more just, economies are more likely to prosper, and governments are more likely to serve the needs of all their people.”

The World Economic Forum has been measuring gender gaps since 2006 in the annual Global Gender Gap Report .

The Global Gender Gap Report tracks progress towards closing gender gaps on a national level. To turn these insights into concrete action and national progress, we have developed the Gender Parity Accelerator model for public private collaboration.

These accelerators have been convened in twelve countries across three regions. Accelerators are established in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico and Panama in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean, Egypt and Jordan in the Middle East and North Africa, and Japan and Kazakhstan in Asia.

All Country Accelerators, along with Knowledge Partner countries demonstrating global leadership in closing gender gaps, are part of a wider ecosystem, the Global Learning Network, that facilitates exchange of insights and experiences through the Forum’s platform.

Have you read?

In these countries CEOs and ministers are working together in a three-year time frame on policies that help to further close the economic gender gaps in their countries. This includes extended parental leave, subsidized childcare and making recruitment, retention and promotion practices more gender inclusive.

If you are a business in one of the Gender Parity Accelerator countries you can join the local membership base.

If you are a business or government in a country where we currently do not have a Gender Parity Accelerator you can reach out to us to explore opportunities for setting one up.

What is the theme of International Women’s Day in 2024?

Each year, there are effectively two different themes: one proposed as a campaign theme by the IWD website, which this year is #InspireInclusion , and the UN's official, which this year is " Invest in women: Accelerate progress ".

UN Women and the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs jointly publish an annual update on the progress towards SDG5.

In the latest – Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2023 – they reveal there's an "alarming" $360 billion annual deficit in spending on gender-equality measures.

A gender-focused SDG stimulus package to deliver transformational results for women, girls and societies.

UN Women has outlined areas that need joint action to ensure women are not left behind:

Investing in women: A human rights issue

"Gender equality remains the greatest human rights challenge. Investing in women is a human rights imperative and cornerstone for building inclusive societies. Progress for women benefits us all."

Implementing gender-responsive financing

"Due to conflicts and rising fuel and food prices, recent estimates suggest that 75% of countries will curb public spending by 2025 . Austerity negatively impacts women and crowds out public spending on essential public services and social protection."

Shifting to a green and caring economy

"The current economic system exacerbates poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation , disproportionately affecting women and marginalized groups. Advocates for alternative economic models propose a shift towards a green and caring economy that amplifies women’s voices."

Supporting feminist change-makers

"Feminist organizations are leading efforts to tackle women’s poverty and inequality. However, they are running on empty, receiving a meagre 0.13% of total official development assistance ."

What is the state of gender parity globally?

The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2023 found that, although the global parity score has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, "the overall rate of change has slowed down significantly".

The index benchmarks 146 countries across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival and Political Empowerment) and tracks progress towards closing gender gaps over time.

Of the four gaps tracked, Political Empowerment remains the largest, with only 22.1% closed – a 0.1 percentage point increase on 2022.

The gender health gap: It's more than a women’s issue. Here’s why

Why clear job descriptions matter for gender equality, buses are key to fuelling indian women's economic success. here's why, what is the gender pay gap.

The gender gap in Economic Participation and Opportunity remained the second largest of the gaps, with only 60.1% closed so far (up slightly from 58% in 2022). The pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis is having a disproportionate impact on women .

The gender pay gap is the “difference between the average pay of men and women within a particular group or population” according to the Fawcett Society, which campaigns for equal pay in the UK.

Each year, the charity marks Equal Pay Day in the UK, the day of the year at which women stop earning relative to men. In 2023, that date was 22 November.

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World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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Don't Miss my Article: 33 Words to Avoid in an Essay. Words to Start a Body Paragraph. The purpose of a body paragraph in an essay is to develop and support the main argument, presenting evidence, examples, and analysis that contribute to the overall thesis.

A body paragraph is any paragraph in the middle of an essay, paper, or article that comes after the introduction but before the conclusion.Generally, body paragraphs support the work's thesis and shed new light on the main topic, whether through empirical data, logical deduction, deliberate persuasion, or anecdotal evidence.

How to Write a Strong Body Paragraph for an Essay. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 2 min read. From magazines to academic essays, you can find body paragraphs across many forms of writing. Learn more about how to write engaging body paragraphs that support the central idea of your writing project. From magazines to ...

In other words, over half the students wanted more dormitory options.". Often, you'll need to provide examples to illustrate your point more clearly for the reader. When you're about to give an example of something you just said, you can use the following words: For instance. To give an illustration of. To exemplify.

The body is always divided into paragraphs. You can work through the body in three main stages: Create an outline of what you want to say and in what order. Write a first draft to get your main ideas down on paper. Write a second draft to clarify your arguments and make sure everything fits together.

Body paragraphs: Moving from general to specific information. Your paper should be organized in a manner that moves from general to specific information. Every time you begin a new subject, think of an inverted pyramid - The broadest range of information sits at the top, and as the paragraph or paper progresses, the author becomes more and more ...

A strong thesis statment takes a stand. 2. A strong thesis statement allows for debate. 3. A strong thesis statement is specific. Writing the first essay body paragraph. How not to write a body paragraph. Writing the second essay body paragraph. Conclusion.

Key Takeaways. Your body paragraphs should closely follow the path set forth by your thesis statement. Strong body paragraphs contain evidence that supports your thesis. Primary support comprises the most important points you use to support your thesis. Strong primary support is specific, detailed, and relevant to the thesis.

A strong paragraph in an academic essay will usually include these three elements: A topic sentence. The topic sentence does double duty for a paragraph. First, a strong topic sentence makes a claim or states a main idea that is then developed in the rest of the paragraph. Second, the topic sentence signals to readers how the paragraph is ...

The essay body itself is organised into paragraphs, according to your plan. Remember that each paragraph focuses on one idea, or aspect of your topic, and should contain at least 4-5 sentences so you can deal with that idea properly. Each body paragraph has three sections. First is the topic sentence. This lets the reader know what the ...

Repeating words or phrases from the topic sentence. Using linking words that indicate that conclusions are being drawn (e.g., "therefore", "thus", "resulting"). Second, they often link the current paragraph to the following paragraph. They may anticipate the topic sentence of the next paragraph by:

Any essay, article, or academic writing starts with an introduction and ends with a conclusion. The text between the introduction and conclusion is the body paragraph. A body paragraph supports the idea that was mentioned in the introduction by shedding light on new details using facts, statistics, arguments, or other information.

Body Paragraph Structure. There is a standard basic structure of a body paragraph that helps bring together unity, coherence, and flow. This structure works well for the standard five-paragraph format of academic writing, but more creative pieces of writing (like a narrative essay) may deviate from this structure and have more than the standard three body paragraphs.

Table of contents. Step 1: Identify the paragraph's purpose. Step 2: Show why the paragraph is relevant. Step 3: Give evidence. Step 4: Explain or interpret the evidence. Step 5: Conclude the paragraph. Step 6: Read through the whole paragraph. When to start a new paragraph.

Basic essay structure: the 3 main parts of an essay. Almost every single essay that's ever been written follows the same basic structure: Introduction. Body paragraphs. Conclusion. This structure has stood the test of time for one simple reason: It works. It clearly presents the writer's position, supports that position with relevant ...

4. Moreover; furthermore; in addition; what's more. These types of academic phrases are perfect for expanding or adding to a point you've already made without interrupting the flow altogether. "Moreover", "furthermore" and "in addition" are also great linking phrases to begin a new paragraph. Here are some examples:

4. That is to say. Usage: "That is" and "that is to say" can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: "Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.". 5. To that end. Usage: Use "to that end" or "to this end" in a similar way to "in order to" or "so".

A topic sentence is the first sentence at the beginning of each body paragraph that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. You will want to use body paragraph starters that state the main idea of the paragraph in a clear and concise way. Some specific examples: One reason why… The most important thing to remember is that…

Abruptly switching topics in essays can be jarring; however, transition words can smooth the change for the convenience of the reader.Moreover, you can use essay transition words to start a paragraph, sentence, or clause more naturally.Additionally, essay transition words can connect new information to the previous statement so you don't have to say everything at once.

How to Draft a Body Paragraph for a College Essay (Continued) With the topic sentence written, you'll need to prove your point through tangible evidence. This requires several sentences with various components. You'll want to provide more context, going into greater detail to situate the reader within the topic.

Example sentence. Transition words and phrases. Addition. We found that the mixture was effective. Moreover, it appeared to have additional effects we had not predicted. indeed, furthermore, moreover, additionally, and, also, both x and y, not only x but also y, besides x, in fact. Introduction.

Ahrefs' Paragraph Generator uses a language model that learns patterns, grammar, and vocabulary from large amounts of text data - then uses that knowledge to generate human-like text based on a given prompt or input. The generated text combines both the model's learned information and its understanding of the input.

Body Paragraph 1: One of the most prominent examples of manipulation in Othello is Iago's deceitful tactics to manipulate Othello's emotions and perceptions. Throughout the play, Iago strategically plants seeds of doubt and suspicion in Othello's mind, ultimately leading to the tragic downfall of the protagonist.

Good sentence starters to establish cause and effect. It's common to use two different sentences to discuss a cause-and-effect relationship, as in something making something else happen. Sentence starters can make this relationship clear and show which sentence is the cause and which is the effect. As a result . . .

Body Paragraphs. Martin Luther King Jr. was a master of using emotional appeals to stir the hearts and minds of his audience. In his famous "I Have a Dream" speech delivered during the March on Washington in 1963, King employed various rhetorical devices to create a sense of unity and empathy among his listeners.

8 March is International Women's Day - devoted to celebrating the achievements of women and seeking gender equality. The campaign theme in 2024 is #InspireInclusion, while the official theme of the UN observance of the day is 'Invest in women: Accelerate progress'.; It will take another 131 years to reach gender parity, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2023.

164 likes, 0 comments - upsc_studytrick on March 8, 2024: "Writing an essay for the UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam requires a structured approach. Here's ..." Upsc_study_trick on Instagram: "Writing an essay for the UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam requires a structured approach.

Prince Harry 'booked out entire first class train carriage' after eco-conference

Prince Harry and his bodyguards had the entire first class carriage from Edinburgh to London to themselves on the outgoing royal's way home from an eco-conference, reports say

00:20, 28 Feb 2020
Updated 14:13, 28 Feb 2020

Prince Harry booked out an entire first class carriage on his way home from an eco-conference in Scotland, reports say.

The Duke of Sussex and his bodyguards reportedly had the entire carriage to themselves on the way home from Edinburgh to London.

No other passengers were allowed to use the carriage on the LNER service to King's Cross Station on Wednesday night, according to the Mail Online.

He was on his way home from his eco-conference where he had asked attendees to drop his royal title, urging them to just call him 'Harry.'

Only the Queen conventionally travels exclusively first-class on the rail.

She typically has a small first class carriage to herself to and from her estate in Sandringham, Norfolk.

Whereas Prince William and Kate Middleton earlier this month travelled to and from the new Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre near Loughborough, Leicestershire, alongside ordinary commuters.

Prince Harry had been speaking at the Travalyst event at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on sustainable tourism.

The Duke founded the Travalyst coalition, which is working to help tourists find more eco-friendly ways to travel.

The conference this week focused on getting travel industry feedback on new sustainability ideas, such as creating an online scoring system to show the green status of aviation, accommodation and holiday experiences.

The Duke's train trip comes after the Sussexes were criticised for their private jet travel last year.

Buckingham Palace has been approached for comment on Harry's travel arrangements.

He and wife Meghan Markle are beginning a new life split between Canada in the UK following their shock announcement the planned to step back from royal life.

The move has left questions over the pair's security arrangements, as they still require protection in their new lifestyle.

Today Canada confirmed police protection for the family, including baby Archie, would end within weeks.

The Royal Mounted Canadian Police would end its protection services once the couple's transition out of royal life is complete, leaving the question of how to protect the pair to the UK, and to the Sussexes themselves.

Sources warned the Mirror earlier this week the family's security bill could mount to more than £20 million a year and lead to a headache for Met Police resources as the couple jet-set around the world in their new, independent lifestyle.

It is not yet clear who will foot the bill for the couple, who have declared their wish to become financially independent, and are expected to be set to make millions in commercial deals and speaking engagements in their new life outside the royal family.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's New Arrangement After Royal Exit: Everything to Know

Here's a breakdown of everything we know — and all the burning questions the royal family has yet to answer

Plans have been set in place for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ’s exit from royal life, but while many aspects of the arrangement have already been brought to light, there are still several questions that remain unanswered.

Nearly two weeks after Meghan, 38, and Harry, 35, made the bombshell announcement that they intended to step back from their roles as senior royals , Queen Elizabeth shared that an agreement had been reached .

“Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family,” the monarch, 93, said in a statement on Saturday.

Here’s a breakdown of everything we know — and all the burning questions the royal family has yet to answer.

No Longer Using Their HRH Titles

One of the biggest questions for many revolved around whether Meghan and Harry would retain their HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) titles — especially after the Queen didn’t use them when referring to the pair following the f amily summit at Sandringham last week.

While there has been a precedence for stepping away from royal life while retaining HRH status — as the Queen’s uncle, Edward VIII, did when he abdicated the throne and was given the title of the Duke of Windsor — it was announced on Saturday that Meghan and Harry would no longer be using theirs.

“The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family,” a statement from Buckingham Palace explained.

Despite this, the couple will always be members of the royal family, and will retain their HRH titles until this spring, when the new changes go into effect.

Additionally, the pair, who was named the Duke and Duchess of Sussex by the Queen on their wedding day, will still be referred to formally as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and will be called Harry, the Duke of Sussex and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

A royal source also told PEOPLE on Saturday that Meghan and Harry will keep the titles of President and Vice President of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, and will continue to work in support for the Queen around the Commonwealth.

However, Harry will leave three military patronages: Captain-General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington and Commodore-in-chief of Small Ships and Diving.

Meanwhile, Meghan is keeping her patronages: the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), National Theatre, the Mayhew and Smart Works.

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE ‘s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton , Meghan Markle and more!

No More Public Funds

Harry and Meghan, who have been adamant in their desire to become “financially independent,” will no longer be relying on public funds .

“They will no longer receive public funds for Royal duties,” Buckingham Palace’s statement said.

While Harry and Meghan will no longer be receiving Sovereign Grant funding — an annual sum given by the government to cover working expenses incurred in support of the Queen — Prince Charles will be offering private financial support, a royal source told PEOPLE on Saturday.

The couple is free to seek employment, but have promised that everything they do will uphold the values of her majesty, the source added, noting that they have no commercial agreements signed or in the pipeline at the moment.

It has also been revealed that Harry and Meghan will be repaying the money that was spent on renovations of their Frogmore Cottage residence last year, prior to the birth of their son Archie .

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have shared their wish to repay Sovereign Grant expenditure for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their UK family home,” the statement from Buckingham Palace read.

Meghan and Harry will meet the running costs of the home moving forward, royal sources have told PEOPLE. The couple is also expected to pay a commercial rent on the property.

Splitting Their Time Between North America and the U.K.

In Harry and Meghan’s original statement announcing they were stepping back as senior members of the royal family, the pair said that they planned to “balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America.”

“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity,” they explained.

Although they have yet to reveal where they’ll move to in North America, they’ll continue to live in Frogmore Cottage when in the U.K.

New Agreement to Last for a Year

The new arrangements will be reviewed in a year , a royal source told PEOPLE, at which point the royal family will revisit the agreement.

This review is likely to include the foursome who met at Sandringham last week: the Queen, Charles, Prince William and Harry.

At the moment, Harry and Meghan will continue to attend royal events at the invitation of the Queen.

RELATED VIDEO: Prince Harry Was Asked About His ‘Future’ at First Palace Appearance Since His Royal Exit

While the royal family has answered many of the biggest and most immediate questions regarding Meghan and Harry’s exit, several major details have yet to be revealed.

Where They’ll Live in North America — and How Much Time They’ll Be Spending There

While it’s yet to be officially announced, a royal source told PEOPLE that Harry and Meghan will likely be spending most of their time across the pond, although they may have some official duties that will keep them in the U.K. before the new changes go into effect.

“There has been an acceptance about what the couple wants to achieve and a desire to come up with a new way of working and supporting them in that,” the source said. “The issues are complicated but aides believe that the announcement meets the Queen and the family’s wish for a speedy resolution.”

The pair could choose to move to Vancouver Island in Canada , where they spent several weeks over the holiday season with baby Archie and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland .

There is also the possibility of Meghan’s hometown of Los Angeles or even Toronto, where she lived for several years while she filmed her hit show Suits .

What will become of SussexRoyal?

Another question that has yet to be addressed is what will become of their SussexRoyal website and brand.

Although Harry and Meghan are still members of the royal family — and will still be formally referred to as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — there is a question over whether they can still use SussexRoyal if they’re no longer working royals.

Security Costs

One aspect of Harry and Meghan’s financial situation that has yet to be addressed is who will be covering their security costs.

Buckingham Palace’s official statement noted that the palace “does not comment on the details of security arrangements” adding that “there are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly- funded security.”

Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau said no final decision had been made regarding whether Canada would cover security costs for the couple while they were there.

“We’re not entirely sure what the final decisions will be,” Trudeau told reporters .

Although the couple previously laid out the details of their plan on their website, the section relating to how their “future financially autonomy” extends “to covering the costs of security” did not provide many answers.

“The provision of armed security by The Metropolitan Police is mandated by the Home Office, a ministerial department of Her Majesty’s Government, responsible for security and law & order. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are classified as internationally protected people which mandates this level of security,” the website reads before noting the “long established policy” of not commenting on those arrangements.

Harry's Excursion to LAS VEGAS and SHOWEST

Published at: March 29, 1998, midnight CST by staff

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Definition of 'excursion'

Video: pronunciation of excursion

excursion in American English

Excursion in british english, examples of 'excursion' in a sentence excursion, related word partners excursion, trends of excursion.

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In other languages excursion

American English : excursion / ɪkˈskɜrʒən /
Brazilian Portuguese : excursão
Chinese : 短途旅行
European Spanish : excursión
French : excursion
German : Ausflug
Italian : escursione
Japanese : 小旅行
Korean : 짧은 여행
European Portuguese : excursão
Spanish : excursión
Thai : การเที่ยวพักผ่อนหย่อนใจ, การเที่ยวช่วงสั้นๆ

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The Benefits of School Excursions for Students

Every students loves to get out of the classroom and explore. Great school excursions take planning and effort but the rewards can be huge for both students and teachers and something students will remember for a long time. The importance of school excursions and the benefits school excursions offer students are listed below. Get some ideas for great school excursions at www.schoolactivities.com.au

The Benefits of School Excursions are:

Provides another dimension to class based learning and helps reinforce what has been taught in the classroom - Students may get to learn in a new environment with new teachers or instructors.
Students are excitement and energised by the anticipation of leaving the classroom and school environment. Fun school excursions will help students retain the information they have learnt on their trip.
Children have the opportunity to learn about and see new things in a less structured enviroment with more learning styles available - student learning can be hands on or interest-driven and they may be excited to learn something from someone new who is an expert in their field.
Exposure to new experiences - outside the classroom students have the opportunity of being exposured to new experiences and observe new things that are not available at school, such as rare and exotic wildlife and plants, different cultures and tours/visits to iconic buildings and areas.
Social skills - Getting out of the classroom gives children an opportunity to spend time with each other in a new environment without the structure of the classroom. School excursions often require students to spend time in small groups, observing, chatting and learning.

Sources referenced to create this blog:

https://www.teachthought.com/learning

http://www.educationaltourism.org

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Prince Harry at the coronation: How the royal ceremonies had him on the sidelines

By Caitlin O'Kane

May 6, 2023 / 10:46 AM EDT / CBS News

Prince Harry attended his father King Charles II's coronation without his wife Meghan , Duchess of Sussex, or their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. He also had no formal role during the ceremony and did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony with other members of the family.

In April, Buckingham Palace announced Harry, who is fifth in line for the throne , would attend the coronation while Meghan remained in California with their young children. The day of the coronation, May 6, happens to be Archie's birthday.

Harry's brother, Prince William , who is first in line for the throne, had a key role in the ceremony. After their father was crowned king, William kissed his father and pledged his loyalty to him. William's 9-year-old son, Prince George, also served as a Page of Honor for King Charles, and Camilla's grandsons served as three of her Pages of Honor.

Harry has been estranged from his family since he and his family moved to California in 2020. In the Netflix documentary released last year, he and Meghan said she faced racism and mistreatment from the British press and claimed the royal family did not offer support. Her mental health suffered and with a lack of help from the family and they worried about the lack of security for their family, leading the pair to decide to leave their roles as senior royals.

Their Majesties King Charles III And Queen Camilla - Coronation Day

Harry made further accusations and other public comments about the royals in his book, "Spare," and during the press tour for the book.

The invitation to the coronation seemed like an olive branch from his father, but it appears Harry's relationships with his family members are still strained.

He and his uncle, the disgraced Prince Andrew, did not have roles during the ceremony and did not join the procession, as neither are "working" members of the family. Instead, Harry arrived with his cousin, Prince Andrew's daughter Princess Beatrice.

Where did Harry sit at the coronation ceremony?

Harry did not sit with other senior royals, instead he was three rows back during the elaborate ceremony. He did, however, appear to be smiling in many photos from the event.

During the ceremony, he sat next to Princess Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank, and behind his aunt, Princess Anne, and Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, the Duke of Kent, according to BBC News .

He was seen getting into a car alone after the ceremony. Prince Andrew, who also appeared in the third row, left with Eugeine and Brooksbank.

Was Harry allowed to join the "working royals" on the balcony?

Harry did not appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the ceremony, a longtime tradition for senior members of the royal family. Instead, newly-crowned King Charles III and Queen Camilla stood with the "working" members of the family as well as their grandkids — many of whom played roles during the ceremony.

Harry and Meghan attended Queen Elizabeth II's funeral last year, but tension remained behind the scenes , according to Valentine Low, royal correspondent for the Times of London newspaper. "There was definitely not any great personal warmth between the two couples," Low told CBS News about Princes Harry and William and their wives. Low said Meghan may have skipped the coronation so as to lessen the drama.

Meghan planned to have a "low-key party at home" for Archie's fourth birthday, a source told People magazine.

U.K. publication The Sun reported Harry would only be in the U.K. for about 24 hours and would leave promptly after the coronation ceremony. CBS News contributor Tina Brown confirmed that he would not attend the private lunch for the family members.

Is Prince Harry still in line to the throne?

Harry is still fifth in line to the throne . His father is king, his brother, Prince William is first in line and William's children – Prince George, Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis – are second, third and fourth in line, respectively. Harry's son Prince Archie is sixth in line for the throne and daughter Princess Lilibet is seventh in line.

Who's next in line for the throne after King Charles? The British royal family's line of succession in detail

King Charles III
Prince Harry Duke of Sussex
Meghan Duchess of Sussex

Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.

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Go inside Prince Harry's treacherous South Pole trek in prime time special

What began as a race to the South Pole between three teams of combat veterans, including Prince Harry, turned into a struggle for survival.

Prince Harry and his team battle the elements.

Matt Lauer will host an exclusive prime time special, "Prince Harry's South Pole Heroes," airing Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on NBC. Viewers will be taken along as the royal and a group of veterans embark on an arduous 130-mile trip to the South Pole with the charity Walking With The Wounded.

Princy Harry walks around his team's camp in Antarctica.

In a preview of the special, Harry and the three teams, the members of which include an amputee, a suicide bombing survivor, a blind paratrooper and a soldier with a brain injury, struggle to overcome the tough terrain, grueling pace and threatening conditions, where temperatures of minus 40 degrees inflict frostbite within seconds.

One team journeys through difficult elements while racing to the South Pole.

“Right at the beginning of this, our aim was to get 12 wounded individuals to the Pole,” Ed Parker, co-founder of Walking With The Wounded, said during the trek. “If we go on like this, we are simply not going to do it.”

Harry showed off a large blister on the ball of his foot. "I can't even begin to tell you how painful that is," he said, "but I count myself lucky I have got feet."

In a sweet moment, Harry's team headed to Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth before setting off for Antarctica.

Harry ribbed his teammates in front of his granny, and she offered some advice.

"I don't know how they are going to get me out of the sleeping bag," said Ivan Castro, who's from Puerto Rico.

"Do be careful of the crevasses and such that one might find," the queen told him.

Tune into NBC on Wednesday at 8 p.m. for the full special.

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Holland america cruises for first timers.

Are you considering going on a Holland America cruise and want to know what the experience is like? We find that the biggest thing holding people back from trying a cruise is not knowing if they’ll like it or not. We’d like to take the mystery away and show you just how enjoyable and exciting a Holland America cruise can be.

You might think a cruise is only for travelers who want everything planned and done for them, so all they can do is be herded around from port to port, not really seeing or experiencing the real culture of the destination at all.

From that perspective, a cruise doesn’t sound that fun. However, we can assure you that a cruise can be so much more than that. (You can read the many reasons to go on a cruise in this article .) There are dozens of activities to do on board a cruise, while you’re sailing, that keep the excitement going for the entire cruise.

There are a lot of daily activities to fill your time. When in port, you are free to choose your own excursions, if you’re more of a do-it-yourself kind of traveler, or you can choose from an array of excursions planned by the cruise line. It’s up to you!

So, let’s launch into this informative post on Holland America cruises for first timers, where we’ll tell you everything you need to know about cruising on Holland America Line.

Why Choose Holland America?

Holland America Line has a fleet of 14 ships that sail all over the world on more than 500 cruises in 400 ports. The variety of cruises you can take on Holland America are staggering. They offer short getaways, like a 1-day Seattle to Vancouver sailing and a 5-day Western Caribbean cruise, to an extensive 128-day itinerary that covers a vast area.

On our recent Far East cruise, 60 of the passengers had done the entire journey from Vancouver to Singapore. Some cruise highlights include Antarctica explorations, South America circumnavigations and exotic Australia & New Zealand and Asia cruises, along with popular sailings to the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Canada and New England, Europe and the Panama Canal.

Health Safety Protocols

Many changes have been made in the travel industry die to COVID-19, and Holland America is following all CDC recommended protocol onboard in order to ensure the safety of its guests. They currently require all passengers to be fully vaccinated and to produce a negative, medically-observed viral COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) taken within 2 days of embarkation, until at least February 28, 2022, in accordance with CDC directives.

There is currently a requirement that all passengers wear face masks in any communal space and use hand sanitizer regularly, which can be found throughout the ship. Intensive cleaning procedures are also in place to ensure the environment remains safe.

Socially Responsible

When you sail on Holland America, you’ll see lots of guests walking around with “On Deck for a Cause” t-shirts on. This is a fundraising program to benefit cancer organizations around the world.

To date, more than 300,000 guests have participated in the non-competitive 5k fundraising walks on Holland America Line cruises, which have raised $4.5 million dollars to fight cancer.

Environmentally Responsible & Sustainable

If you’re like me, you want to make sure the cruise line you’re on is being environmentally responsible. We’ve all heard the negative impact cruise ships can have on the environment. Holland America is part of the Marine Conservation Institute which aims to educate guests about taking care of our oceans and wildlife.

They’re committed to reducing emissions, fuel consumption, and energy and water use. They’re also working to reduce single-use packaging and plastics by the end of 2021. Watch our video walk-through of our recent cruise on Holland America. It shows our embarkation, getting to our state room what all of the amenities looks like, as well as some food and entertainment.

The On Board Experience

Each of Holland America’s ships is a bit different, but you can expect to find mostly the same amenities throughout the fleet. There are numerous restaurants & lounges, a main stage theater, several smaller theaters for nightly entertainment, a casino, various shops, pools, a kid’s club, observation decks, and staterooms.

Every evening, a schedule for the next day’s activities is delivered to your stateroom, so you can check out what activities are happening (particularly useful on sea days), and plan your itinerary.

There are yoga classes, tournaments, cooking demonstrations, casino games, mixology classes, afternoon tea, and dancing lessons, to name but a few of the plethora of things to do on board . The on board experience is as busy or relaxing as want.

There are enough venues and activities to keep your days filled, but there are also plenty of relaxation spots, like lounge chairs around the deck, on the back of the ship near the pool, and inside on the pool deck. Holland America keeps their ships up-to-date by taking them into dry dock frequently for refurbishments.

All of the common spaces are designed to a high standard and are open and airy.

Table of Contents

Holland America Staterooms

One of the first decision you have to make when planning your cruise is what type of stateroom you’d like. I always prefer a room with a veranda. I think it really makes a difference being able to open the door and get some fresh air whenever needed.

On sea days when the deck chairs around the ship fill up, we like to hang out on our own balcony instead. The different types of stateroom available are:

Vista Suite
Signature Suite
Neptune & Pinnacle Suite

Of course, you’ll save money by booking an inside or oceanview cabin, but I don’t think it would be as enjoyable an experience as with a verandah.

Each cabin is fitted with the Mariner’s Dream™ bed, which we loved. It was very comfortable, with soft linens.

Pinnacle Suite Amenities

If you choose to go all out with the Pinnacle Suite, extra amenities include use of the exclusive Neptune Lounge, a private concierge and an array of complimentary services. You can see the Neptune Lounge in the photo below.

Stateroom Features

Packing for a cruise is tedious, and good organization and careful planning is essential. Each stateroom has a basic set of features, and what you bring will make it more functional.

There’s no need to bring hangers or a hair dryer, since they are provided. You can bring and plugin an electric razor, curling iron, straightener, or electric toothbrush. Other small appliances like an iron, kettle, or hot plate are not allowed.

One of the bigger issues these days is having enough plugins for all your devices. There are never enough plugs. The situation is not so bad on Holland America. There are only a few wall plugs near the desk area, but there are also multiple USB plugs, both by the desk and behind the bed.

They have included both American and European plugs. If you want to make use of all ports, be sure to bring both adapters with you. Extension cords are allowed, but only those without a surge protector.

One of the major concerns about staterooms is the amount of storage available. I was very pleasantly surprised by the amount of space in our Westerdam Verandah stateroom. There were large drawers under the bed that fit our carry-on size suitcases, so we could hide those away once we unpacked.

The wardrobe was bigger than our closet at home, with three full sections to store luggage , shoes, hang clothes and stack things. Next to the bed on both sides was a side table with two deep drawers. Above the couch was a lift-up cabinet with two deep, and large shelves.

We didn’t even use that area due to all the other space provided. In the bathroom, there was a large shelf underneath the bathroom sink, and a set of shelves inside the vanity. Again, plenty of space.

Dining/Drinking

When you’re on a 2-week or longer cruise, having multiple choices for where to eat is important. I tend to get bored of eating the same food every day, so variety is big for me. The dining venues vary, but there are a few mainstays that are included on every ship.

First, here’s a breakdown of the dining options on each ship. Following this is an overview of each of the main dining facilities.

Main Dining Room

Every cruise ship has a main dining room. This is where breakfast, dinner, and occasionally lunch, are served every day in a seated, restaurant style. Dine as you wish is their program that allows you to choose a set time to dine each day, or to shop up whenever you want.

The main dining room on the Westerdam felt like dining at an upscale restaurant at home. The service was great. The food exceeded my expectations. This is due in large part to Holland America’s award-winning Culinary Council, led by Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, and the seven international celebrity chefs who provide guidance on all things culinary.

The head chef of the ship and the kitchen staff are also highly trained, and very good at their jobs.

Lido Market

Every cruise ship has a buffet. It’s usually the dining venue that I avoid, because I’m not a huge fan of buffets, but the Lido Market buffet was different. Most of the food was kept behind the serving windows and was served by the wait staff, rather than open to the public.

That helped cut down on food waste, and made the whole experience much more sanitary. The food was always very good in the Lido Market. You can choose to dine there any time you want, for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Each night there is a different main course featured. They even have a special night that features local cuisine and fruits.

Sometimes you just want a quick bite to eat. That’s where Dive-In hits the spot. It’s a quick burger, hot dog, and fries spot on the Lido Deck, near the pool. Place your order at the window and they’ll bring it out within a few minutes.

Then you can enjoy your burger on the sunny deck. We were quite impressed by the quality of the burgers.

Specialty Restaurants

Despite the fact that the main dining room is a great choice, the addition of specialty restaurants gives variety to both the type of food you eat and the experiences you have.

Cruising for a special occasion is fairly common. If it’s your birthday, anniversary, or you’re celebrating something, it’s fun to break out of the norm and choose a specialty restaurant.

On the Westerdam, there are three specialty restaurants that require reservations – Pinnacle Grill, Rudi’s Sel de Mar popup and Cannaletto. Tamarind is available on some ships. We dined at all of these restaurants multiple times and enjoyed it very much.

Yes, there is an up-charge for dining at these restaurants, but it’s well worth it for the variety of food that’s served. My favorite restaurant was the Pinnacle Grill, where they serve Double R Ranch meats from Washington State – a true delicacy!

Afternoon Tea in the Dining Room

If you’re a tea fan, they serve afternoon tea every day in the main dining room. Since there were no tea kettles in the stateroom, this was my chance to go have a good cup of tea and a few snacks. It’s all set up when you arrive, so all you have to do is sit down and enjoy.

There are 11 possible bars on Holland America ships, though no one ship has them all. Holland America collaborates with Master Mixologist Dale DeGroff, who created a drinks menu of signature classics and unique concoctions.

Our favorite bar was the Gallery Bar, which is beautifully decorated and has many of these signature cocktails on the menu. It’s the bar that felt the most elite and luxurious.

For an afternoon cocktail or drink, we preferred the Lido Bar, near the pool, and the Sea View bar when it was too hot outside.

For before-dinner drinks, we enjoyed the Ocean Bar and Pinnacle Bar. It was a comfortable place to sit with a drink while waiting for dinner reservations, and to explore the wine menu. After dinner, if we were still wanting to hang out, but weren’t going to an entertainment venue, we found the Explorations Cafe a nice place to relax.

It’s quiet up there at night – since you can’t see the view in the dark – and you can take the rest of your bottle of wine from dinner up there and request a few glasses to enjoy it.

Explorations Cafe is also a fantastic place to go for an afternoon coffee. If you can get one of the lounge chairs with a view through the front windows, you can stay there all afternoon enjoying the view.

Wine Packages

Another unique thing on Holland America worth mentioning is the Sommelier Suite wine packages that are available. You can purchase a complete drinks package, but if you’re only interested in adding wine, this is a great option.

The wine list was curated by James Suckling, acclaimed wine critic, and it includes many of our favorite Northwest wines from Washington State and California . You can purchase packages of 4, 6 or 8 bottles, which will save up to 25% off the single bottle price.

The packages range from $119 for 4 bottles in the Cellar 1 tier, to $189/4 in the Cellar 2 tier. You can choose which quality tier you want based on the wines in the list. We chose a Cellar 2 tier 4/bottle package for our 14-day cruise. It turned out to be just the right amount.

There are dozens of activities each day that you can participate in. These range from anytime activities like swimming, sunbathing, and visiting the spa, to pre-planned events like ping pong and poker tournaments to daily afternoon tea, and specialty tasting events, like tequila tastings, mixology classes, and wine tastings.

Entertainment

In the evening, the entertainment options are plentiful. There’s a main stage with large performances, the BB King’s Blues Club with blues and jazz performances, the Billboard Onboard bar with dueling pianos, and the Lincoln Center Stage with smaller classical performances.

Cruise Excursions

One of the main objections people often have about cruising is they don’t want to go on excursions with 100+ people being shuttled from one touristy spot to another. I felt that way too, and was reluctant to book excursions, but on Holland America, there are many different options, so you don’t ever have to join a large bus tour, if you don’t want to.

Some of the ship excursions are actually quite small, meaning you’ll only be touring around with maybe 10 or 20 other people. If that’s still not your idea of a good time, you can plan your own excursions or get the help of the onboard travel consultant who can help you plan private and personalized excursions for just your party.

Using Cruise Ship Excursions

The major benefit of going with Holland America excursions is that if for any reason your excursion is delayed, the ship will wait for you. If you book your own, it’s sort of ‘at your own risk’.

The excursions are created with cruisers in mind, so they feature overview tours of each of the cities, as well as a few more specialized tours, like the culinary tours designed with Food & Wine magazine.

You can book your excursion before the cruise by looking at their website and reading the brochure. It’s advised to book in advance if there’s something you don’t want to miss, because the tours fill up. But if you wait, you can go up to Exploration Central at any time and view the options on the Virtual Table.

Helpful staff members are also available to answer your questions and book your excursions on the spot.

Asia Cruise Excursions

We were on a 14-day sailing in Far East Asia . Some of the excursions included on this cruise were Hanoi Highlights, Best of Ancient Hoi An, Local Life in Nha Trang, Panoramic Sihanoukville, A Taste of Vietnamese Cuisine with Food & Wine Magazine, The Best of Ho Chi Minh City, etc.

We went on two excursions, including the Taste of Vietnamese Cuisine cooking class and a beach excursion in Samui, Thailand . We had scheduled two others, but both were cancelled by Holland America while we were on the cruise.

In my opinion, the HAL excursions were fine. They delivered on what they promised and were always back on time. Both excursions we did included less than 20 people total.

However, I think these tours are designed best for travelers who aren’t used to planning their own excursions, want to let someone else take care of the details, and/or have some trouble getting around on their own.

For us, it was better in the long run for us to plan our own private excursions. This is because we are seasoned world travelers with extensive experience planning our own activities. Which option you choose should depend on your personal level of comfort.

The best excursions we did that we planned ourselves was a food tour in Da Nang , with just 4 people total. We went to some really interesting places and had great food. We also planned our own day in Hoi An, so we could go where and when we wanted and eat at tiny restaurants where large groups don’t fit.

We also set up a private cooking class in Nha Trang that was incredible, start to finish. It far exceeded our experience on the Ho Chi Minh cooking class, because there were only 4 of us and the personalized service was great.

We set this up with Chef Dat at Nha Trang Cooking School (highly recommended).

Finally, we set up a private boat trip in Ha Long Bay, because we wanted to stay out of the overcrowded Ha Long Bay area. The tour we did with Indochina Junk went to Bai Tu Long Bay instead, which is much less crowded and pristine. It included a fantastic 5-course lunch.

The excursions are all based on which itinerary you choose, so yours will likely be different. This is just to give any overview of the things you can do off the ship, while cruising.

After reading this article on Holland America for first timers, you should have a pretty good idea what to expect on the cruise. I hope this gives you the info you need to prepare for the cruise you already have booked. We enjoyed our experience on the Holland America cruise line.

From start to finish, it was very well organized, with incredible service and staff members, great food, fun excursions, and plenty to see along the way. You really can’t go wrong booking with Holland America. I think that’s why there are so many repeat cruisers on board.

(Disclaimer: We were invited as guests of Holland America for the purpose of this review. However, our views and opinions are our own honest reflections.)

Be Prepared For Travel Planning is the most important part of any successful trip. Do it the easy way:

🧳 Travel Packing List | ✔️ Why You Need Travel Insurance | ✈️ What to Do Before You Leave Home

Find and book the best hotel (our favorite booking site is Expedia)
Research flight options (our favorite tool is Skyscanner )
Book a tour (we always use Viator to find the best tours)
Rent a car through Discover Cars (they search the best deals for you!)

10 Unique Things to Do on a Cruise Ship

Scandinavia Cruises: Everything You Need to Know to Start Planning

7 Helpful Cruise Apps to Make Planning Easy

Northern Europe Cruises: Everything You Need to Know to Start Planning

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Laura Lynch, creator and writer of Savored Journeys, is an avid world traveler, certified wine expert, and international food specialist. She has written about travel and food for over 20 years and has visited over 75 countries. Her work has been published in numerous guidebooks, websites, and magazines.

15 thoughts on “ Holland America Cruises for First Timers ”

What happens when people stop at a port are them again before getting back on boat?

I assume you mean will they be asked for vaccination information or tested again before getting back on board. It is my understanding that there are no requirements like that. If you’re not vaccinated, you won’t be allowed to go on non-HAL excursions though.

Well don’t get the insurance. Our flight was canceled night before departure. Holland took 20% of refund money and won’t give it back even though cancelation was p out of my control.

That’s not good. I’m sorry to hear that has happened to you, Jo.

We have been on about 14 Holland America cruises and are 4 star mariners. We did a cruise on another line and the comparison said to us, back to Holland America hopefully in 2024. Service, cleanliness and friendliness is great. Cabin stewards always ready to help as well as front desk.

That’s great to hear Patricia. We love Holland America, too.

Thanks, Nick & Laura your article very helpful for me. l am a Thai and l booked the Holland America for Alaska from Seattle. My concern is that l need a Canada Visa at port of Victoria British Columbia as it is the last itinerary of the cruise. If l will not go onshore and will stay on board. Your advice much appreciated.

If you are staying on board back to Seattle and do not plan to get off the ship, I don’t believe you need a visa, but you should double check with Holland America to be sure.

I booked an Alaska cruise tour myself because the cruise consultant assigned to me did not reply to emails. I tried requesting a different cruise consultant, but so far nothing and not sure how to contact someone at HAL to get someone besides Michelle. She doesn’t respond to emails and this concern me that if this is a HAL representative, that my service on board will be even worse. May cancel and book another cruise line, this is my first with HAL. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Have a good day.

I’m sorry to hear you’ve had so much trouble with booking. I wouldn’t place the service of an entire organization on one lousy rep though. I had incredible service on board. Perhaps you could call the main line and get something else to help.

I am a loyal HAL cruiser but since my wife passed away I have to add SOLO to my description. I have the opportunity of cruising with friends in January from FLL thru the Panama Canal. I love my veranda unobscured stateroom but will not be subjected to the outrageous single supplement charge. When cruising on Celebrity and Norwegian that fee was waived. The contact person I thought I had by checking on line did not respond to any of my emails. Any suggestions?

Hi Phil. I’m sorry about your wife’s passing. It’s never fun to be a solo traveler on a cruise ship, because of those fees. Unfortunately I don’t have any suggestions except to keep calling and try to get a sympathetic person on the phone.

My wife and I are planning a 10-12 day land/cruise trip to Alaska in 2024. We are looking at mainly Princess and Holland America, but also Celebrity Cruises. All 3 have similar itineraries starting in Alaska, ending in Vancouver. Reviews vary. How do we choose? Can you recommend one over another? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you

Ron, it can be a difficult choice because they all have something unique to offer. For luxury, I would definitely recommend Celebrity, but for overall value, I’d probably go with Holland America, which will be a less expensive option, but not quite as luxurious.

I found a cruise approved surge protector on Amazon. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07BHVKPC3?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title.

A Magical Guide to the Harry Potter Train in Scotland (2024 UPDATE)

by Danika Clark
July 17, 2023

The wizarding world of Harry Potter has enchanted millions of people over the years with best-selling books and box office hit movies, but did you know the inspiration for much of the story is in Scotland?

While not officially confirmed by J.K. Rowling, many speculate, that the magical school of Hogwarts is actually in Northern Scotland. Most notably, you can find the Harry Potter Train in Scotland is known as the Jacobite Steam Train and is located in Fort William, Scotland.

As a massive Harry Potter fan, I have only ever dreamed of riding this train and buying my very own chocolate frog as I whisk through the enchanting forests and dreamy lochs.

I finally got to ride on the Jacobite Express. Yes, it was everything.

In this post, I have put together all my knowledge about the Harry Potter Train in Scotland, including how to get tickets, what makes it so popular, where to stay, what to expect, and more!

Harry Potter Train in Scotland: A Magical Guide to the Jacobite Express

What is the jacobite steam train.

The Jacobite Steam Train is a popular train that has gained worldwide recognition for its historical significance and enchanting appeal. Located in Fort William, in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, this iconic steam train has captivated both locals and tourists alike.

This famous steam train gained popularity because of the popular Harry Potter Films. Often referred to as The Harry Potter Train Scotland, this train takes you to one of the most iconic spots in all the films, the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

The Jacobite Steam Train dates back to the late 19th century. Originally designed to transport goods and passengers between Fort William and Mallaig, the train has become a symbol of Scottish heritage and a beloved tourist attraction.

Steam trains have become increasingly rare in modern times, making the Jacobite Steam Train a unique experience. Riding this unique train offers a glimpse of what it was like back in the day in the Scottish Highlands.

Additionally, the scenic landscapes that unfold outside the train’s windows further enhance the journey. The Jacobite Steam Train offers breathtaking views of Scotland’s rugged mountains, picturesque lochs, and iconic landmarks like the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

Harry Potter and the Jacobite Steam Train: The Harry Potter Train in Scotland

Since its debut in 1997, Harry Potter has become a global phenomenon captivating audiences of all ages and transporting them into the wizarding world. The Jacobite Express has been the inspiration for one of the most iconic scenes in the books and movies. Students board the famous Platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross Station in London and make their way to their wizarding school, Hogwarts.

Glenfinnan Viaduct on the Harry Potter Train in Scotland

The Harry Potter train in Scotland makes a cameo in the first three films, The Philosopher Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, and The Prisoner of Azkaban.

This steam train’s outside appearance is nearly a replica of what you see in the film. Besides the changing of the name from The Jacobite to Hogwarts Express, it’s almost the same.

standard class ticket on Jacobite Steam Train in Scotland

Inside, however, is a bit different. The standard class most resembles the student’s carriage in the films, but they still differ quite a bit. In the films you will find doors to each compartment, offering a more private experience. On the Jacobite Express standard class, you won’t find as much privacy, but you can see where they drew a lot of inspiration.

What to Expect During Your Journey on the Harry Potter Train in Scotland

Planning your Harry Potter Train in Scotland journey in advance is crucial to maximizing your time!

Stop 1: Gennafinn Viaduct

The Jacobite Express is a half-day round-trip journey through the heart of the Scottish Highlands. There are no one-way tickets available for purchase. The Jacobite Express runs two trains every day during the summer, departing Fort William at 10:15 am and 12:50 pm.

Your journey begins in the adventure capital of Scotland, Fort William, and will have some noteworthy stops along the way. The first and most famous stop will be at Glenfinnan Viaduct (as seen in the photo below).

If you are a Harry Potter fan, you will immediately recognize this iconic view from many of the movies. But, if you haven’t seen Harry Potter, I am here to help. This Viaduct is famously featured in three Harry Potter films as the way first-year students arrive at their wizarding school, Hogwarts.

Glenfinnan Viaduct during the Harry Potter Train in Scotland

Protip: For the best views and picture opportunities, secure a seat on the LEFT side of the train. I also recommend opening your window for the best views.

The train conductor will make an announcement as you approach the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Then, the train will slow down allowing you optimal amounts of time to take photos, but the train will not stop.

You will notice a large crowd standing at the base of the viaduct on the left side, or ahead of you on the hill. Many tourists who are unable to secure tickets take pictures of the train from these spots.

Stop 2: Rest Stop and Bathroom Break

About 1 hour into your 2-hour trip to Mallaig, the train will approach as a rest stop. The train gives you a quick 15-minute stop here to stretch your legs, use the bathroom, or shop in its Harry Potter shop! Yes, the train reserves a room inside of it just to shop all things Harry Potter!

If you are feeling extra motivated, you can head past the bathrooms and down a walking trail. This walking trail is gorgeous and worth a look, even if you only have 5-minutes to spare. You will find the enchanting garden is quintessential Scotland. The path continues onward for a long time and connects to the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Please be mindful of your time, as the train will not wait for late passengers!

views from the Harry Potter Train in Scotland

Stop 3: Mallaig Fishing Village

The famous Harry Potter Train Scotland is about the journey and scenic views, but after just over 2 hours of riding you will reach your destination of Mallaig. Mallaig is a beautiful fishing village. It also doubles as a ferry port connecting the Scottish Highlands to the popular Isle of Skye and other smaller isles.

Harry Potter Train in Scotland Mallaig stop on the train

Where to Eat in Mallaig

You will have a 2-hour stop here. I recommend grabbing lunch first. It’s a small and very walkable town with a handful of options for lunch. Not surprisingly, most of the menus are made up of seafood but there are other meats and vegetarian options available.

Start by having a quick wander when you arrive to decide where you want to eat, but don’t too long, as the restaurants will fill up QUICK!

Once you finish dining, you will probably have some free time to wander the town.

A must-do for Harry Potter lovers is to visit Haggard Alley. Haggard Alley can be found by locating a big yellow flag on the sidewalk. Head down the alley and you will enter an amazing self-made Harry Potter shop. In these 3 rooms, you can buy Harry Potter merchandise and be amazed by the magic and details the owner has put into creating this space.

Additionally, you can shop at traditional souvenir stores that will sell t-shirts and Scottish memorabilia. Most of which can be found in other tourist gift shops in Scotland.

Add On Excursion

If you have the luxury of booking your train tour in advance, consider booking a wildlife boat tour during your stop. These companies guarantee you will make it back for your train in time, and are a great way to maximize your time! Be sure to pack your lunch if you choose this option.

Planning your Harry Potter Train in Scotland Journey

The Jacobite Steam Train operates seasonally from mid-April to mid-October. During this time, the train will run twice a day, 7 days a week. In my opinion, the best time to visit is during late September or early October as the autumn leaves and fall foliage are beautiful.

I rode the train in late May on a beautiful sunny day. Scotland doesn’t receive many days of sunshine, so I feel very lucky! Don’t worry, if your train ride is booked on a rainy day, it adds to the cozy atmosphere and Harry Potter vibes.

Types of Tickets available for the Harry Potter Train in Scotland

There are two classes available for purchase on the train, first class and standard. Please see online for updated prices. You can buy tickets online here!

The First-Class ticket price includes more spacious chairs, armrests, and a lamp on each table. This overall provides a more luxurious experience onboard the train. Additionally, with this ticket, you will receive a complimentary non-alcoholic drink and a snack box. You can also pre-order champagne.

The first-class ticket is ideal for someone who wants extra room or an elevated experience on the 5-hour train journey. If you are a Harry Potter fan, I would not recommend this cabin upgrade because the lamp on each table will block parts of the window. This will obstruct some of your views.

The Standard ticket comes at a cheaper price point than the First-Class ticket. This is what I would recommend you purchase as a Harry Potter fan. This cabin is best because it is the cabin that closest resembles what the Hogwarts students traveled in! Additionally, the window views are unobstructed (request the left side of the train!).

Harry Potter Train in Scotland standard cabin seat

Onboard amenities on the Harry Potter Train in Scotland

In the Harry Potter films, Harry, Ron, and Hermione first meet on the train journey. They order lots of sweet treats, like chocolate frogs! One of the more exciting parts of riding the Jacobite Express is during your journey, the trolly cart will come around selling all sorts of magical goodies to passengers, including the famous chocolate frogs!

While riding the Harry Potter Train in Scotland, there is also a carriage in the middle of the standard class where you can buy simple snacks and drinks.

Harry Potter Train in Scotland merchandise

Protip: Purchase your snacks and drinks before you board the train as the train snack selection is small and more expensive. There is a grocery store across the street from the Fort William train station.

Day-Of Tickets for the Harry Potter Train in Scotland

The Harry Potter Train in Scotland is a must-do for anyone visiting Scotland! Whether you are a Harry Potter enthusiast, or just enjoying beautiful views, everyone should have this on their list. This means it sells out MONTHS in advance.

If you can secure your tickets in advance, have no fear! The train offers day-of tickets to be sold in CASH ONLY! These tickets are the same price as you will see on the website and they usually have both first-class and standard tickets available.

The Day-Of tickets are on a first come first serve basis. So, arrive early at the Fort William Train Station on the day you wish to ride.

I recommend showing up at least an hour before the train’s scheduled departure.

In late May of 2023, I bought day-of tickets for the Jacobite Express. I arrived just over 1 hour early and was the first in like, a short 15 minutes later, others joined behind me. By the time the train arrived, the line was about 15 people. Some days the line becomes very full, so arrive early!

Where to Stay for the Harry Potter Train in Scotland

The famous Harry Potter train is located in the heart of Fort William, Scotland. It is best to stay as close to the city as possible, but if you have a car you can always drive in. Fort William is about a 1.5-hour drive from Inverness, another popular spot.

Fort William is known as the outdoor and adventure capital of Scotland. So, there is no shortage of things to do in the area. I highly recommend checking out Ben Nevis, a beautiful national park just a quick 15-minute drive from the train station!

Additionally, here you can even visit another famous Harry Potter filming location, Steall Falls.

The Harry Potter Train in Scotland is a must-do experience for visitors wanting to see the beautiful Scottish Highlands. This train ride treats passengers with some of the best views in Scotland, an authentic steam train ride, and a lot of Harry Potter magic.

Visiting Scotland? Read these!

North Berwick Scotland: Incredible One-Day Itinerary
Scotland 7 Day Itinerary – The BEST of Scotland
15 Best Places to Visit in Scotland – A Magical Guide to Scotland
21 Incredible Free Things To Do in Edinburgh (Updated 2023)
2 Days in Edinburgh Itinerary On A Budget (2023 Update)

I’m Danika! A travel obsessed, Disney adult, with a knack for budgeting.

In 2020 I was furlough from my “dream” job at Disney and have pursued my first love of travel ever since. I have traveled to 33 states and 28 countries spanning 5 continents.