Definition of procrastination (brief discussion–in the introduction or first body paragraph)
Causes of procrastination (lengthier discussion, in the first 1-2 body paragraphs)
Effects of or problems caused by procrastination (in 1 paragraph after the causes)
Solutions to procrastination (longest/most developed part of the body–in the final 1-3 body paragraphs)
Each of your body paragraphs should:
Start with a topic sentence (i.e., the main point of your paragraph that responds to one part of the prompt). For example, you might have a topic sentence that:
Reviews some of the causes of procrastination, or
Discusses some of the potential impacts or consequences of procrastinating, or
Describes how people might prevent or respond to procrastination.
Include plenty of evidence to explain and prove each point. For example, you might include:
Definitions of procrastination,
Statistics about how common procrastination is,
Myths about procrastination,
Stories of people procrastinating (from the readings or your own experience),
Explanations of why people procrastinate,
Findings from studies discussed in the sources,
What experts say about procrastination, and
Descriptions of solutions or strategies that might help people address procrastination.
Include plenty of analysis for the evidence. Analysis (also called “commentary”) should:
Explain how your evidence proves your point. For example:
Why might X cause lead someone to procrastinate?
How might procrastination result in Y consequence?
How would Z solution help address this challenge?
Explain why the evidence and/or your point is important. For example:
Why might it be important to realize the causes of procrastination?
Why might X cause be important?
Why might Y consequence be significant?
Why might it be important to try to effectively address procrastination?
