The TEEL method: build a paragraph that explains its point

TEEL stands for Topic sentence, Explain, Evidence and Link in this guide. It helps you develop one reason into a connected paragraph. Some teachers put Evidence before Explain, so follow the version your class uses.

Before you start

A persuasive paragraph needs to do more than announce an opinion. The reader needs to understand the reason, see a concrete example and recognise how that reason supports your position. TEEL gives you a way to check those jobs.

Use the letters when planning or revising. You do not need to print them beside the sentences in your finished response. A paragraph can use several sentences for one step when the idea needs more explanation.

Step by step

  1. Topic: choose one reason

    Write the point this paragraph will develop. 'Our library should open at lunchtime because students need a quiet place to read' is more useful than 'Libraries are good'. Save different reasons for other paragraphs.

  2. Explain: answer why it matters

    Describe the connection between your reason and your position. Ask what changes for the people affected. If the explanation simply repeats the topic sentence, add a consequence or describe how the idea works.

  3. Evidence: make the idea concrete

    Use a relevant example, an observation you can honestly describe, or a fact you know. A hypothetical situation can illustrate your reasoning if you signal it with 'For example, a student might...'. It is not research evidence.

  4. Link: return to the argument

    Finish by showing what the paragraph establishes. Name the benefit or consequence rather than adding 'Therefore' to the topic sentence and repeating it. The link should follow from what you have explained.

Worked TEEL paragraph: a lunchtime library

Original practice topic: Should the school library open at lunchtime? This example uses a possible situation, not a reported study.

Topic

Opening the library at lunchtime would give students a quiet alternative to the playground.
Explanation. One paragraph, one benefit: a quiet place.

Explain

Students who want to read or finish a drawing need somewhere they can concentrate without joining a noisy game.
Explanation. The explanation names who would use it and why.

Evidence

For example, a student who is halfway through a mystery could spend the break reading at a library table instead of trying to read beside a football match.
Explanation. A clearly hypothetical example makes the situation easy to picture.

Link

A supervised lunchtime library would therefore make break time useful for students who prefer a quieter activity.
Explanation. The final sentence connects the example to the proposal.

Repair the explanation before adding longer words

Read only the topic sentence and the example. Could the reader work out why the example supports your point? If the answer needs an extra sentence, that sentence belongs in the explanation.

Say the reason aloud before writing it. Then ask whether the proposal needs a limit, such as supervision or a timetable.

Use TEEL flexibly

There is no useful fixed sentence count for every idea. A short reason may need four sentences; a more complicated one may need an extra explanation. Do not pad a finished argument just to fill a box.

TEEL organises a body paragraph. It does not supply your opinion, choose convincing reasons or replace planning an introduction and conclusion.

Try it yourself

Should students have a quiet activity area during lunch?

  1. Choose one benefit and write a topic sentence.
  2. Explain who would benefit and how.
  3. Add one possible situation, clearly marked as an example.
  4. Write a link that names what your reason proves.

Check your draft

Underline the sentence that explains why your example matters. If there is no such sentence, add it before polishing vocabulary.

Common questions

What does TEEL stand for?

Here it means Topic sentence, Explain, Evidence and Link. Other classrooms use Topic, Evidence, Explanation and Link. Both versions ask you to state a point, support it and explain the support.

Does every TEEL paragraph need a statistic?

No. A specific, relevant example can help develop the point. Do not invent statistics or attribute a claim to researchers when you do not have a source.

How is TEEL different from PEEL?

The first letter changes from Topic to Point. Schools also vary the order of the two E steps. Check the explanation of each step rather than assuming every version has the same order.

Curriculum connection

These exercises practise planning, organising and revising written ideas. Australian Curriculum English includes creating texts for an audience and grouping related information into paragraphs. TEEL, PEEL and the other planning methods are teaching aids, not compulsory curriculum formats.

QCAA: Australian Curriculum v9.0 English, Year 3

Sources and further reading

These resources provide background on the skill. The examples and practice tasks above are original.

Use TEEL in your next response

Open writing practice in NAPLAN Expert. Use TEEL to develop one reason, then check that the explanation connects your example to the point.

Practise a TEEL paragraph

Free for every family. No card required. New to NAPLAN Expert? Create a free account.

Examples and activities are NAPLAN Expert teaching material. Sources checked in October 2026.