What is a Paragraph?
A paragraph is a colletion of sentences that describe, discuss, or explain one central
idea.
The three main parts of a paragraph are:
The topic sentence
The supporting detail sentences
The concluding sentence
The every part has a specific function, and every part is important.
Topic sentences
A topic sentence tells the reader the main idea or thought that the writer is trying to
express, It is a one-sentence summary of the entire paragraph. Each sentence that
follows helps develop the idea presented in the topic sentence.
The organization of a paragraph is base don the topic sentence.
Elements of a topic sentence
The two main elements of a topic sentence are:
The main subject
A controlling idea
A topic sentence contains the main subject of the paragraph and a controlling idea. The
controlling idea steers the main topic in the direction that the writer wants to take it.
Study the following examples.
Five features of a good topic sentence
Good writers know that an effective topic sentence has certain characteristics:
1. It should guide the whole paragraph.
A well-written topic sentence control sor guides the whole paragraph. It lets the
reader know what the rest of the paragraph will be about.
2. It should not be a well-know fact.
A good topic sentece is not a general fact that everyone accept as true. For
example, cars used gasoline is not a good topic sentence because there us not
much to say about the topic.
3. It needs to be specific.
A good topic sentence is specific. Credit cards are useful is not a good topic
sentence because it is too general. The reader does not know exactly what to
expect in the paragraph. Credit cards are useful on long trips is a good topic
sentence because it is specific. The paragraph will most likely explain how
credit cards can be used in one particular situation- a long trip.
4. It cannot be too specififc.
A good topic sentence is not too specific. A credit card can have a high credit
limit is very specific. There is nothing more to be said about the topoc because
the supporting details have already been stated.
5. It must contain a controlling idea.
A good topic sentence has a controlling idea- a group of words or a phrase that
helps guide the flow of ideas in the paragraph : a credit card is one of the most
important thing that a traveler needs while on vacation. The underline words in
this sentence are the controlling idea.
Practice with controlling ideas
The controlling idea in your topic sentence guides your paragraph and lets the reader
know what the paragraph is going to be about. The topic of the paragraph is limited by
the controlling idea- it narrows the topic.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is quickly writing down all the thoughts that come into your head. When
you brainstorm, you do not think about whether each idea is good or bad or whether
your writing is correct. You simply write to get your ideas on paper. The process is
called brainstorming because it feels like there is a storm of ideas in your brain.
Supporting sentences
Think of supporting sentences as scaffolding for the topic sentence. They describe,
explain, clarify, or give examples of the main idea in the topic sentence. They answer
questions such as who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? They explain the topic
sentence in greater details and give the reader more information.
Each paragraph that you write must have enough supporting details to make the main
idea clear to the reader. Likewise, a good writer makes sure that each supporting
sentence is raleted to the topic sentence and its controlling idea. Study the following
examples.
