English 66 Paragraph

TOPIC

SENTENCE

The topic sentence is the first sentence

in a paragraph.

It introduces the main idea

of the paragraph.

Summarize the main idea of your

paragraph. Indicate to the reader what

your paragraph will be about.

SUPPORTING

DETAILS

What are supporting

sentences?

They give details to develop and support the main idea

of the paragraph.

You should give supporting facts, details, and examples.

First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live.

CLOSING

SENTENCE

The closing sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph.

It restates the main idea of your paragraph.

Restate the main idea of the paragraph using different words.

As a result, Canada is a desirable place to live.

There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is a desirable place to live.

Element #1: Unity. Unity in a paragraph begins with the topic sentence. Every paragraph has one single, controlling idea that is expressed in its topic sentence, which is typically the first sentence of the paragraph. A paragraph is unified around this main idea, with the supporting sentences providing detail and discussion. In order to write a good topic sentence, think about your theme and all the points you want to make. Decide which point drives the rest, and then write it as your topic sentence.

Element #2: Order. Order refers to the way you organize your supporting sentences. Whether you choose chronological order, order of importance, or another logical presentation of detail, a solid paragraph always has a definite organization. In a well-ordered paragraph, the reader follows along easily, aided by the pattern you’ve established. Order helps the reader grasp your meaning and avoid confusion.

Element #3: Coherence. Coherence is the quality that makes your writing understandable. Sentences within a paragraph need to connect to each other and work together as a whole. One of the best ways to achieve coherency is to use transition words. These words create bridges from one sentence to the next. You can use transition words that show order (first, second, third); spatial relationships (above, below) or logic (furthermore, in addition, in fact). Also, in writing a paragraph, using a consistent verb tense and point of view are important ingredients for coherency.

Element #4: Completeness. Completeness means a paragraph is well-developed. If all sentences clearly and sufficiently support the main idea, then your paragraph is complete. If there are not enough sentences or enough information to prove your thesis, then the paragraph is incomplete. Usually three supporting sentences, in addition to a topic sentence and concluding sentence, are needed for a paragraph to be complete. The concluding sentence or last sentence of the paragraph should summarize your main idea by reinforcing your topic sentence.

Sample Sentence: At 16, Felicia knew she was too young to raise a child, but the realization occurred to her too late.

Sample Sentence: Tricia's life was changed forever when a drunk driver crashed into her family's car one October evening, but unfortunately, her parents were not that lucky.

Sample Sentence: Jennifer had never been tempted to cheat on an exam until the day she got an anonymous text from someone in class.

Sample Sentence: While some believe that the prevalence of teen alcohol abuse would die down if the drinking age were lowered to 18, there is evidence to suggest quite the opposite.

Examples of transition words that can help you to link your paragraphs together:

What do they do?

For additional ideas

• Another
• In addition to
• Related to
• Furthermore
• Also

For listing different points:

• First
• Second
• Third

For counter examples:

• However
• Even though
• On the other hand
• Nevertheless

To show cause and effect

• Therefore
• Thus
• As a result of
• Consequently

What is the topic sentence?

NOTE

• Like all good paragraphs, each supporting paragraph should have a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a summary sentence.
• To connect your supporting paragraphs, you should use special transition words. Transition words link your paragraphs together and make your essay easier to read. Use them at the beginning and end of your paragraphs.

How do I write them?

What does it do?

How do I write them?

They come after the topic sentence, making up the body of a paragraph.

1. List the points that develop the main idea of your essay.

2. Place each supporting point in its own paragraph.

3. Develop each supporting point with facts, details, and examples.

How do I write one?

SUPPORTING

PARAGRAPHS

How do I write one?

1. Restate the strongest points of your essay that support your main idea.

2. Conclude your essay by restating the main idea in different words.

3. Give your personal opinion or suggest a plan for action.

EXAMPLE

How do I write one?

Paragraph

EXAMPLE

1. Write the thesis statement. The main idea of the essay is stated in a single sentence called the thesis statement. You must limit your entire essay to the topic you have introduced in your thesis statement.

2. Provide some background information about your topic. You can use interesting facts, quotations, or definitions of important terms you will use later in the essay.

• Supporting paragraphs make up the main body of your essay.
• They develop the main idea of your essay.

Overall, the changes that occurred in hockey have helped to improve the game. Hockey is faster and more exciting as a result of changes in the past 120 years. For these reasons, modern hockey is a better game than hockey in the 1890s.

EXAMPLE

There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world.

CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

Parts

Topic Sentence

Supporting Details

Closing Sentence

What is the closing sentence?

State your main idea clearly. Because your topic sentence is likely the first sentence in the paragraph, it needs to clearly state the subject matter of your paragraph without being wordy or difficult to understand.. It must include your topic and an opinion, or your controlling idea.

• The introduction paragraph is the first paragraph of your essay.
• It introduces the main idea of your essay. A good opening paragraph captures the interest of your reader and tells why your topic is important.

Hook your reader. One of the many important roles of a topic sentence is to draw the reader in. Bring up questions in their mind that you intend to answer. An effective way to do this is to drop them straight into the action. This is possible whether your paper is fiction or nonfiction, and can be done in a number of ways

• The conclusion comes at the end of your essay after you have finished developing your ideas.
• It summarizes or restates the main idea of the essay. You want to leave the reader with a sense that your essay is complete.

EXAMPLE

Give a reasonable opinion. The body of your paragraph is meant to prove your topic sentence. Therefore, your topic sentence should state something that you think or believe that can be supported by concrete evidence. You can choose to state on opinion in your topic sentence, but do so only if you are able to back it up in the following paragraph. Take, for example, the topic sentence "Growing herbs will further your appreciation for fresh cooking." The phrase "further your appreciation" states something that you believe, and you can now spend the rest of the paragraph explaining why you believe what you believe.

Hockey has been a part of life in Canada for over 120 years. It has evolved into an extremely popular sport watched and played by millions of Canadians. The game has gone through several changes since hockey was first played in Canada.

What does it do?

Keep it short and sweet. The topic sentence should put forward your intention without forcing your reader to hunt it down; keeping it short will help keep your intention clear. The topic sentence should act as a middle ground in your paragraph: it should be slightly more specific than your thesis, but it should not encompass the information from your entire paragraph. Keeping the sentence short will also help the flow of your paragraph.

How to Write a Paragraph Using the Four Essential Elements

Maria did not like the rain. Whenever it rained, dark clouds would cover the sky and block out the sun, making the entire day seem dreary and gray. If it rained on a chilly day, then the day seemed even colder and more miserable than before. Moreover, regardless of the temperature, rain meant that Susan’s hair would get frizzy and messed up no matter how much time she spent on it. Even a few raindrops were enough to undo an entire morning’s worth of styling. As far as Maria was concerned, rain was certainly not her friend.

The Paragraph

How do I write one?

Six Prewriting

Steps:

EXAMPLE

1. Think carefully about what you are going to write.

2. Open your notebook.

Sunday is my favorite day because I spend the day watching football with my dad.On Sunday, unlike the other days of the week when he works, my dad spends the whole day with me watching football on TV. We even eat lunch together while watching. The highlight of the day is watching the Chargers' game. Dad and I get so excited, we yell and cheer together.On Sundays, I get to combine watching my favorite sport and spending time with my favorite person—what a great day!

Write out your answers to the above questions. You do not need to spend a lot of time doing this; just write enough to help you remember why and how you are going to write your paragraph or essay.

Ask yourself: What question am I going to answer in this paragraph or essay? How can I best answer this question? What is the most important part of my answer? How can I make an introductory sentence (or thesis statement) from the most important part of my answer? What facts or ideas can I use to support my introductory sentence? How can I make this paragraph or essay interesting? Do I need more facts on this topic? Where can I find more facts on this topic?

COMPLETE EXAMPLE

3. Collect facts related to your paragraph or essay topic.

Look for and write down facts that will help you to answer your question. Timesaving hint: make sure the facts you are writing are related to the exact question you are going to answer in your paragraph or essay.

PREWRITING ESSAYS

4. Write down your own ideas.

Ask yourself: What else do I want to say about this topic? Why should people be interested in this topic? Why is this topic important?

The prewriting stage is when you prepare your ideas for your essay before you begin writing. You will find it easier to write your essay if you build an OUTLINE first, especially when you are writing longer assignments.

5. Find the main idea of your paragraph or essay.

Choose the most important point you are going to present. If you cannot decide which point is the most important, just choose one point and stick to it throughout your paragraph or essay.

6. Organize your facts and ideas in a way that develops your main idea.

PUBLISHING ESSAYS

Once you have chosen the most important point of your paragraph or essay, you must find the best way to tell your reader about it. Look at the facts you have written. Look at your own ideas on the topic. Decide which facts and ideas will best support the main idea of your essay. Once you have chosen the facts and ideas you plan to use, ask yourself which order to put them in the essay. Write down your own note set that you can use to guide yourself as you write your essay.

WRITING ESSAYS

EDITING ESSAYS

The publishing stage is when you produce a final copy of your essay to hand in.

The writing stage is when you turn your ideas into sentences.

The editing stage is when you check your essay for mistakes and correct them.

PUBLISHING STEPS

Five Writing Steps:

1. Make a paper copy of your essay.2. Show your work to your teacher, tutor, or parents.3. Ask them for hints on how to improve your writing.

EDITING STEPS

Grammar and Spelling

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

1. For the introduction, write the thesis statement and give some background information.2. Develop each supporting paragraph and make sure to follow the correct paragraph format.3. Write clear and simple sentences to express your meaning.4. Focus on the main idea of your essay.5. Use a dictionary to help you find additional words to express your meaning.

1. Check your spelling.

2. Check your grammar.

3. Read your essay again.

4. Make sure each sentence has a subject.

5. Make sure your subjects and verbs agree with each other.

6. Check the verb tenses of each sentence.

7. Make sure that each sentence makes sense.

Style and Organization

1. Make sure your essay has an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.

2. Check that you have a thesis statement that identifies the main idea of the essay.

3. Check that all your paragraphs follow the proper paragraph format.

4. See if your essay is interesting.

Now, let's write!

Teacher Meli.