Mastering the PEEL Paragraph Structure

Opinion texts have three sections: an introduction, arguments, and a conclusion. Each of these sections are written using paragraphs.

Just like the text itself, paragraphs also have their own distinct structure. One way to remember this structure is the acronym, ‘PEEL’.

P = State your main point/purpose
E = Support your point with evidence
E = Explain how the evidence supports your view
L = Link back to the topic or issue

This resource contains two posters, an explanatory worksheet, and a graphic organizer to plan an opinion paragraph. A version of the graphic organizer is available in Microsoft Word to enable students to type their content directly into the document.

PEEL vs TEEL

Both PEEL and TEEL are paragraph writing structures that provide your students with the framework for organizing and presenting ideas in a coherent and persuasive manner for opinion paragraphs. These structures are commonly used in teaching writing skills. The only difference is the first letter; PEEL uses the word ‘point’, which states you start by presenting a clear and concise topic sentence or main point that introduces the paragraph’s focus. For TEEL, the first letter is ‘T’ and stands for topic sentence; similar to the point in the PEEL structure, the topic sentence in TEEL introduces the main idea of the paragraph.

Here is the TEEL resource pack link if this is the acronym you’ll be teaching your students.

Download and Get Persuading Today!

This resource is available to download in PDF, it is advised that you print the posters on cardstock to ensure the durability of them.