Overview of TEEL

Overview of TEEL-CON

T=Topic Sentence

"Answers" the question/prompt

Sets up the paragraph

Usually makes an arguable point/claim

The first sentence of the paragraph

Your words!!!

EX. Oedipus deserved his final fate of being exiled from Thebes and living his life as a blind man.

E=Explain

Usually the second (and possibly the third) sentence

Specifies/narrows the topic sentences. (May be about a specific character, event, etc.)

EX. The main reason Oedipus deserved his exile is his rash and impulsive decisions.

E = Evidence or Examples

Information from sources such as books, lectures, readings, etc. that support your main idea

The "stuff " you learned or found out about the topic

Evidence can be quotes, statistics, facts

Evidence is something that is common --anyone can find it or use it

EX. Oedipus was warned by the gods that he would marry his mother and kill his father, yet he tempted this fate by getting married to Jocasta and killing some men on the road to Thebes.

L = Link/Explicate

Links the evidence you used to the key idea in your topic sentence

Explains how the evidence supports your topic

The link is what you think or how you relate the evidence to the topic

Your link is unique --- it shows your thought process and why you chose the evidence.

ANALYZE, INTERPRET, OR CLARIFY THE EVIDENCE.

EX. In this example, Oedipus shows us why he deserved what he got. He knew from the gods that he was headed for this fate, yet he went ahead and impulsively killed men and impulsively married a woman he barely knew. Oedipus never thought he could be fulfilling the prophecy.

E = Evidence or Examples

EX. Furthermore, Oedipus deserves exile because at the beginning of the play, it is Oedipus who tells his people that whoever is guilty of bringing the plague will be exiled.

L = Link

EX. Oedipus makes the decision to exile the guilty parties without considering that he might be the reason for the plague. In essence, Oedipus must accept his punishment because he is the one who created the law of exile for this particular offense.

Con = Concluding statement

The last sentence of your paragraph which summarizes your answer, your evidence

Mentions your three pieces of evidence again in a new, short way

May make transition to next paragraph

EX. So, it is clear that Oedipus got what he deserved. He tempted his fate when he killed and married anyway, he made the law to be exiled in the first place, and he promised to save his people from the plague and that was the only way he could keep his word.

Complete Paragraph:

Oedipus deserved his final fate of being exiled from Thebes and living his life as a blind man. The main reason Oedipus deserved his exile is his rash and impulsive decisions. Oedipus was warned by the gods that he would marry his mother and kill his father, yet he tempted this fate by getting married to Jocasta and killing some men on the road to Thebes. In this example, Oedipus shows us why he deserved what he got. He knew from the gods that he was headed for this fate, yet he went ahead and impulsively killed men and impulsively married a woman he barely knew. Oedipus never thought he could be fulfilling the prophecy. Furthermore, Oedipus deserves exile because at the beginning of the play, it is Oedipus who tells his people that whoever is guilty of bringing the plague will be exiled. Oedipus makes the decision to exile the guilty parties without considering that he might be the reason for the plague. In essence, Oedipus must accept his punishment because he is the one who created the law of exile for this particular offense. So, it is clear that Oedipus got what he deserved. He tempted his fate when he killed and married anyway, he made the law to be exiled in the first place, and he promised to save his people from the plague and that was the only way he could keep his word.

Sample Paragraph:

One character who ends up with internal conflict because of the actions or non-actions of another character is Portia. One example of this is when Portia asks Brutus to "Tell me your counsels, I will not disclose them." She wants to know why Brutus is up all night. He responds to her by saying that "by and by thy bosom shall partake the secrets of my heart." His refusal to tell her at the moment causes more worry and grief for Portia. His not sharing his secrets with his wife creates undo stress for her. Another point in the play where Portia is the victim of undo conflict from Brutus comes from his actions. After Brutus kills Caesar, he flees Rome and goes off to Asia Minor for war. Brutus explains that "Impatient of my absence, and grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony have made themselves so strong. . . she fell distract and . . .swallowed fire." This part of the play shows the ultimate inner conflict for Portia. Because of her husband's actions, she commits suicide, demonstrating her strong conflict inside. She didn't know what else to do. So, Portia becomes one of the innocent characters in the play to suffer from internal conflict not because of her own actions, but because of the nonfiction and action of her husband Brutus.