Paragraph Structure Checker

Paste a body paragraph — the tool checks for PEEL structure: Point (topic sentence), Evidence (citation or source), Explanation (analysis), and Link.

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PEEL at a glance

Point: Open with a specific, arguable sub-claim — not a topic announcement

Evidence: A cited source, named study, quotation, or specific data with attribution

Explanation: What the evidence specifically proves about your claim — the analytical work

Link: Connect back to the thesis or forward to the next paragraph

What the checker is looking for

The checker reads your paragraph for the four PEEL components and reports which it can and cannot find: an opening claim sentence, evidence markers such as citations or quotations, analytical language that explains what the evidence demonstrates, and a closing sentence that links back to the argument. It also reports word count and sentence count, and flags the two most common structural faults — a paragraph with no identifiable claim, and a paragraph presenting evidence with no analysis after it.

It is a structural check, not a grader. It cannot tell you whether your evidence is any good, whether your reading of a source is defensible, or whether the claim is worth making. Those are the things your marker is actually assessing, and no automated check substitutes for them.

The explanation gap

If the checker flags one thing repeatedly, it will be explanation. This is the most common weakness in undergraduate writing and the most costly, because analysis is where the marks concentrate.

The pattern looks like this: a claim, a well-chosen quotation, and then straight on to the next claim — as though the quotation spoke for itself. It never does. The reader needs to be told what in the evidence supports the point, and why that reading is the right one. A useful habit is to write “this shows that…” after every piece of evidence in a draft, then delete the phrase later but keep the sentence it forced you to write.

When PEEL is the wrong shape

PEEL is a scaffold for argumentative paragraphs, and it is genuinely useful while the habit is forming. It is not a universal template. Introductions, conclusions, methods sections, literature reviews and narrative or descriptive passages all have different jobs and will fail this check for entirely legitimate reasons.

Experienced writers also break the order deliberately — leading with the evidence for effect, or carrying one claim across two paragraphs. Once the structure is second nature, the scaffold comes down. The academic writing course covers what to do after PEEL.

How long a paragraph should be

There is no fixed rule, but there is a useful diagnostic. A paragraph much under about 80 words rarely has room for a claim, evidence and analysis, which usually means the claim is underdeveloped or the analysis is missing. A paragraph much over 300 words is often two claims sharing a space, and the second one is being smuggled past the reader.

The better test is not length but unity: can you state, in one sentence, the single thing this paragraph proves? If that sentence needs an “and” joining two unrelated halves, split the paragraph. If you cannot write it at all, the paragraph does not yet have a point.

Common questions

What is PEEL paragraph structure?

PEEL stands for Point, Evidence, Explanation, and Link. Point is the opening claim — what the paragraph will argue. Evidence is a cited source, quotation, or data that supports the claim. Explanation is the analytical work — what the evidence specifically proves, why it supports the point. Link connects the paragraph back to the thesis or forward to the next paragraph. A PEEL paragraph advances one sub-claim supported by evidence and analysis.

What does the paragraph checker look for?

The checker analyses your paragraph for: a clear opening claim sentence (Point), evidence markers such as citations, quotations, or named examples (Evidence), analytical explanation language — phrases that explain what evidence demonstrates (Explanation), and a linking sentence connecting to the broader argument (Link). It also checks word count, sentence count, and flags common issues like insufficient analysis or no citation.