The MEAL Plan for Better Paragraphs

Today's topic: Want better papers? Follow the MEAL plan.

If you want better papers, you have to start with better paragraphs.  The MEAL plan is a tried and tested method for achieving this.  It provides a formula for focused, well-developed, logically organized paragraphs. 

MEAL stands for the four crucial elements of a paragraph:

Main idea

Evidence

Analysis

Link

Main idea: This is the paragraph’s central idea, the main idea/point you’re trying to communicate.  Express the main idea in a topic sentence (usually the first sentence in the paragraph, though this isn't a hard and fast rule--some authors prefer to lead up to the topic sentence). You should limit yourself to one main idea per paragraph. When you try to do too much in a single paragraph, things tend to get muddled.  

Evidence: This is the support for your main idea.  This can come in the form of statistics, quotes and paraphrases from your sources, expert opinion, anything that provides reliable support for your point. The evidence you choose for the paragraph should clearly relate back to the main idea and help you develop it. 

Analysis: This is where you explain your evidence and make sure your reader sees how it is connected to the main idea (essentially, you need to make sure it’s clear that the evidence you provided does in fact show what you think it shows).  What does the evidence mean?  Why/how is it important?  Why does it matter?

Link: This is where you double check that the link between the information and analysis you have shared in the paragraph and your main idea is clear. You may or may not have to include a specific sentence to do this; the "link" step is about making sure that the connection between each sentence in the paragraph and the main idea is obvious to the reader.   

Let's look at a sample paragraph that follows the MEAL plan (example from a Walden University Writing Center PowerPoint presentation about paragraphs--by writing instructor Amy Lindquist):

Instructional scaffolding is one strategy for increasing student understanding and learning. Johnson’s (2010) study in a composition classroom revealed that students whose teacher used scaffolding strategies scored an average of five percentage points higher on their final essays than their peers in a lecture-based classroom. This significant difference in scores suggests that scaffolding enables students not only to understand a concept, but also to apply that concept in their own work. Teachers, therefore, should employ scaffolding strategies to help foster independence and confidence in their students.

Now let's break it down into the MEAL plan components.  I'll put the Main idea in bold, the Evidence in italics, underline the Analysis, and leave the Link in regular type.

Instructional scaffolding is one strategy for increasing student understanding and learning. Johnson’s (2010) study in a composition classroom revealed that students whose teacher used scaffolding strategies scored an average of five percentage points higher on their final essays than their peers in a lecture-based classroom. This significant difference in scores suggests that scaffolding enables students not only to understand a concept, but also to apply that concept in their own work. Teachers, therefore, should employ scaffolding strategies to help foster independence and confidence in their students.

Notice that this paragraph follows the two golden rules of paragraph development: it's coherent and it's unified, meaning it has a clear main idea and every sentence in the paragraph works toward developing that idea. There is nothing in the paragraph that does not relate back to the main idea.  When you write your next paper, try the MEAL plan.  I think you'll be pleased at the results.  

Click on this link to learn more about the MEAL plan from the Duke University writing studio (and to see another example): https://twp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/meal_plan.pdf

I hope you've found this week's tip helpful.  Happy scribbling!