TE/EA Structure

9th Grade Foundations

 Mini-Lesson: What is TE/EA?
TE/EA is an acronym that stands for:
• Topic Sentence
• Evidence
• Explanation
• Analysis

TE/EA structure can be used to write ANY kind of

academic paragraph effectively and is what our
students use at HSPS.
 Topic Sentence:
What is this paragraph about?
• Introduce an IDEA or CLAIM
• States the author and text when applicable.
SAMPLES:
• The endangered wild turkey is partially
responsible for its own demise.
• In the short story “The Mighty Russ”,
author Taye Roberts demonstrates that
true friendship knows no limits.
 Evidence:
Information to support your claim or idea
– A quote, statistic, fact, event, description, etc.
– Direct quotes are best!
– Paragraph needs at least two pieces of evidence  MLA
Citation (Author’s last name + Page Number)
SAMPLES
• “Wild turkeys are known to accidentally down
themselves when it rains” (Kahn 16)

• “Lashonda knew what she had to do…she had to

go out and find Russ” (Roberts 2)
 Explanation:
Interpret your evidence
• Evidence cannot stand on its own, it must
have a lead in.
• Give your evidence some context.
• Explain what the evidence is showing.
 Analysis:
Why does this matter? Why is it important?
• Consider:
– How does the evidence support the topic
sentence?
– What is the effect/impact of this idea or claim?
• Shows critical thought and the writer’s
opinion.