BlogEnglishHow to Write a TEEL Paragraph in 4 Steps 😌

How to Write a TEEL Paragraph in 4 Steps 😌

Trying to work towards a Band 6 in HSC English, but are struggling with how to construct TEEL paragraphs well in your essays

As a former student who received a 95+ ATAR, one of the most common pieces of feedback I encounter for essays is “answer the question.” I’ve found that using a structured approach like a TEEL paragraph is key to doing just that. This method helped me raise my essay marks from B range to A range by ensuring my arguments were clear, focused, and directly related to the question.

Let’s break it down for you right now!

What is a TEEL Paragraph?
What’s the difference between a TEEL and a PEEL Paragraph?
Using TEE Tables
How to write a TEEL Paragraph in 5 steps
Top 5 Rules to Remember when Constructing TEEL Paragraphs

What is a TEEL Paragraph?

Basically, the TEEL structure provides you with an organised method for getting your point across.

But why is it important?

Well, paragraph structure is often a really underlooked element when striving to lift your essay writing skills to a Band 6 level.

I have worked with so many students who were really great at textual analysis, but consistently received marks that didn’t reflect their understanding of the text because their argument was presented in a disjointed or convoluted way.

The reality is that even if your insights on the text are valuable, if you don’t construct a clear argument or connect your analysis to the essay question, you’re likely going to end up in Band 4.

So let’s break down the structure!

T for Topic Sentence

This is the first sentence in your paragraph which gives the reader a good understanding of what you are going to talk about. It helps to directly respond to what the question is asking you here!

E for Example

In the example section of the paragraph, you are required to choose an important quote from your text to support your overarching theme and thesis.

E for Explanation

After outlining your example, you need to explain its relation to your theme and how it supports your answer to the essay question. 

L for Linking Sentence

The linking sentence summarises your argument by highlighting how the analysis in your paragraph supports the claim you made in your topic sentence.

Not sure how to find and use quotes in your English Essay? Check out our in-depth guide to embedding quotes.

Download your own copy of our TEEL paragraph template

What’s the difference between a TEEL and a PEEL Paragraph?

The only real difference between a TEEL and PEEL paragraph is the term represented by the first letter (T for topic sentence vs P for point). Both of these terms correspond to the same thing: laying out the main argument of your body paragraph in your first sentence. 

However, ‘Topic Sentence’ is the proper term used for this opening sentence so it’s always good to start thinking about your paragraph structure in a more sophisticated way.

Using TEE Tables

But what happens if you’re in an exam and forget what you were going to write as your explanation or examples?

Using TEE Tables in your notes can help to structure your arguments in a clear and logical manner, which makes analysis a lot easier to remember!

A TEE table organises the techniques, examples, and effects that you wish to analyse for a specific text.

In general, it is helpful to split up your TEE analysis into the various themes that you are exploring in your text.

Here is a sample TEE table for Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Pedestrian’, in reference to the theme of dehumanisation:

Technique Example Effect
Symbolism … “The faintest glimmer of firefly light appeared in flickers behind the windows.” Through symbolism here, Bradbury is referring to the television screens that most residents seem to be glued to, like fireflies to light sources. This highlights how individuals would rather rely on interpretations of the world illustrated on their T.V. screens rather than explore the world for themselves.
Truncated sentence … “No profession.” In this truncated sentence, the police car is shown to dismiss Mead’s occupation as a writer. This exposes the loss of creativity and expression of thought in the protagonist’s restrictive society.
Macabre imagery “Tomb like building…” “…Walking through a graveyard” “Gray phantoms…” Such imagery exposes the isolated and alienated nature of Mead’s city, suggesting the departure from a state of creativity and the slow takeover of technology and loneliness.

This table can be created for each of your themes and serves as an efficient way for you to organise all your techniques and quotes in a clear manner!

After creating these tables, the only thing left to do is put them in a TEEL paragraph format. Since we have our TEE tables for reference, our techniques and examples section of the paragraph is already down pat, and all that’s left to add is a solid thesis statement and a conclusion!

Do you need help with finding themes and techniques in your text? Just sign up or log in to Artie, our AI English tutor for FREE 

Using Artie can save your valuable study time with features to help you fill out your TEE table in no time! 

For example, the Identify Techniques feature is really useful for finding language techniques in all your key quotes:

And the Explain Quotes feature is helpful for figuring out how a specific quote relates to the themes and content of your text:

How to write a TEEL Paragraph in 5 steps

To illustrate how to write a TEEL paragraph, let’s use the TEE table created above to respond to the question: ‘How does Ray Bradbury’s The Pedestrian explore the dehumanising effects of technology?’

Step 1. Topic Sentence:

The topic sentence is the first sentence of a body paragraph and serves as a guide for the reader by clearly stating the overarching point the paragraph will focus on. A strong topic sentence not only presents a clear argument, but also directly links back to the essay question.

For example:

The Pedestrian exposes Bradbury’s fear of dehumanisation due to the increasing reliance on technology as the primary means of communication causing humanity to become desensitised and alienated. 

  • This topic sentence introduces a clear point to be argued in the paragraph: Bradbury believes an overreliance on technology leads to dehumanisation.
  • It also links back to the essay question by mentioning what these dehumanising effects are: individuals becoming desensitised and alienated within society.  

Step 2. Example:

For your example, you need to choose a quote from the text (and identify a language technique) that supports the argument you made in your topic sentence. 

A common mistake made by students is to directly follow up the topic sentence with something like “This is shown in [insert quote here].” This can be confusing for the reader because it does not establish how the quote actually relates to your point. Instead, you need to expand a bit about how the quote reveals whatever theme you are analysing (dehumanisation in this case).

For example:

Bradbury critiques how technology diminishes the human capacity for critical thinking by symbolically likening the growing reliance on television for news and entertainment to fireflies mindlessly drawn to a light. This is evident in the line “the faintest glimmer of firefly light appeared in flickers behind the window.” 

  • This example expands in more detail about how technology can actually lead to dehumanisation: diminishing the human capacity for critical thinking.
  • The quote chosen is relevant to the theme of dehumanisation and identifies the corresponding language technique of symbolism.

Step 3. Explanation:

The next part is to explain how your example supports your argument through connecting your linguistic analysis (how the author is using language techniques) to your thematic analysis (what the author is trying to say about a theme). Always keep your essay question in mind when writing the explanation to make sure your argument doesn’t go off topic.

For example:

By using symbolism, Bradbury highlights how individuals prefer to rely on the television’s interpretations of the world rather than explore it themselves and form their own experiences and opinions, thus losing their sense of self. 

  • This explanation directly connects the firefly symbolism to detailed thematic analysis on technological dependency.
  • It also links backs to the essay question as it references losing one’s sense of self as a dehumanising impact of technology.

*Note

In your typical body paragraph, you should be incorporating around 2-4 quotes from the text so you would have to repeat steps 2 and 3 again. Here are some more examples of analysis using this structure:  

Example

Explanation

Furthermore, through an automated police car dismissing Mr Mead’s occupation as a writer in the blunt truncated sentence “no profession,” Bradbury exposes how the digitisation of society can lead to a suppression of creativity and imagination in favour of rigid functionality. 

Similarly, through the use of macabre imagery in the lines “tomb like building,” “walking through a graveyard” and “gray phantoms,” Bradbury exposes the atmosphere of alienation in Mr Mead’s city, subtextually intimating that the rise of technology will engender a loss of creativity and human connection. 

Step 4. Link:

This is your final sentence where you are essentially reframing the argument you made in your topic sentence in relation to the analysis you used to support your point.

For example:

Ultimately, Bradbury comments on the dehumanising effects of technology by crafting a dystopian society where the prevalence of technology has diminished individuality and creativity.

  • Links back to the argument about dependency on technology leading to dehumanisation. 
  • Effectively summarises how this argument was supported and expanded upon through your analysis: Bradbury specifically examines how technology can deprive people of their individuality and creativity.

Step 5. Edit:

Here’s a quick checklist you can follow to ensure you’ve written a strong TEEL paragraph:

  • Did I actually answer the question? Reread the question again and check if there are any places where you went off-topic and connect it to your overarching argument.
  • Did I make my point clear? A good tip is to imagine you are reading your essay as someone who has never heard of the prescribed text. Make sure you incorporate supporting evidence and present your argument in a logical way that can be understood by someone with no background knowledge.
  • Did I expand on my argument? Make sure you aren’t repeating the same exact phrase you used in your topic sentence over and over again. For example, rather than just saying “technology is dehumanising” again, you can say something like “technology disconnects you from interpersonal relationships” which is still relevant to your topic sentence without directly repeating it.
  • Was I too vague or simplistic? For example, “Ray Bradbury says technology is bad” would be an oversimplification of his message. Explain in detail what the author is trying to convey about your chosen theme.
  • Is my writing legible? Check that all your sentences logically connect to one another. Fix any confusing wording or run-on sentences.
  • Did I contextualise my quotes to show how they relate to my chosen theme?
  • Is the grammar and spelling all correct?
  • Have I double checked the definitions of any words I’m not sure of?

If you’d prefer to use a different paragraph structure, then you should check out how the STEEL paragraph structure, PEEL paragraph structure or the PETAL paragraph structure works!

Download your own copy of our TEEL paragraph template

Top 5 Rules to Remember when Constructing TEEL Paragraphs

#1: Language must always be formal 

Using formal language in TEEL paragraphs is important because it helps to clearly and seriously present your ideas in a professional way.

#2: Use Third Person 

Using the third person in TEEL paragraphs helps students maintain an objective and unbiased tone in their writing. However, it is important to note that some essay questions will ask for your individual perspective on the text e.g. ‘How has your study of 1984 enhanced your understanding of the dangers of totalitarianism?’ In this case, you need to switch to first person in the ‘Explanation’ section as it requires you to present your own interpretation and insights gained from studying the text. 

#3: Check for Spelling and Grammar Mistakes

It’s crucial for students to scan their TEEL paragraphs for spelling and grammar mistakes to ensure your arguments are clearly expressed. Strong textual analysis can be easily dragged down by typos that confuse the reader and detract from the clarity and credibility of the argument.

#4: Avoid Using Contractions

Students should refrain from using contractions in their TEEL paragraphs as it diminishes the formality of the writing. Utilising complete words instead of contractions, such as replacing “can’t” with “cannot” and “it’s” with “it is,” enhances the overall clarity of the essay.

#5: Remember to Use Single Quotation Marks (‘) when Referencing the Book Title

Students should use single quotation marks when referencing book titles in their writing to distinguish them and indicate they are the titles of larger, standalone works. Underlining the title also works.

Looking for some extra help with your TEEL paragraph?

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We can help you master your HSC English text and ace your upcoming HSC English assessments with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or at one of our state of the art campuses in Hornsby or the Hills!

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Aarya Mogarkar is an academic tutor and senior coach at Art of Smart Education. She is currently completing her Bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of New South Wales and tutors students in the areas of English, Economics and Business Studies.

Christina Ugov is currently completing a double degree in International and Global Studies and Theatre and Performance at the University of Sydney. Outside of her studies, she enjoys exploring creative writing projects, analysing literature and playing with her cat. She spends her spare time reading, listening to music and drinking lots of tea.

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