How to write a good paragraph S1

 How to write a good paragraph S1

A paragraph is a group of related sentences that discuss one (and usually only one)

main idea. A paragraph can be as short as one sentence or as long as ten sentences.

The number of sentences is unimportant; however, the paragraph should be long

enough to develop the main idea clearly.

A paragraph may stand by itself. In academic writing, you often write a paragraph

to answer a test question such as the following: "Define management by objective,

and give one example of it from the reading you have done for this class." A paragraph

may also be one part of a longer piece of writing such as an essay or a book.

We mark a paragraph by indenting the first word about a half inch (five spaces on

a typewriter or computer) from the left margin.

The following model contains all the elements of a good paragraph. Read it carefully

two or three times. Then answer the Writing Technique questions that follow,

which will help you analyze its structure.

All paragraphs have a topic sentence and supporting sentences, and some paragraphs

also have a concluding sentence.

The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. It not only names the topic

of the paragraph, but it also limits the topic to one specific area that can be discussed

completely in the space of a single paragraph. The part of the topic sentence that

announces the specific area to be discussed is called the controlling idea. Notice how

the topic sentence of the model states both the topic and the controlling idea:

Every good paragraph has a topic sentence, which clearly states the topic and the

controlling idea of the paragraph.

A topic sentence is the most important sentence in a paragraph. It bliefly indicates

what the paragraph is going to discuss. For this reason, the topic sentence is a helpful

guide to both the writer and the reader. The writer can see what information to include

(and what information to exclude). The reader can see what the paragraph is going to

be about and is therefore better prepared to understand it. For example, in the model

paragraph on gold, the topic sentence alerts the reader to look for two characteristics.

Here are three important points to remember about a topic sentence.

1. A topic sentence is a complete sentence; that is, it contains at least one

subject and one verb. The following are not complete sentences because

they do not have verbs:

-  Driving on freeways.

-  How to register for college classes.

-  The rise of indie films.!

2. A topic sentence contains both a topic and a controlling idea. It names the

topic and then limits the topic to a specific area to be discussed in the space

of a single paragraph.

3. A topic sentence is the most general statement in the paragraph because

it gives only the main idea. It does not give any specific details. A topic

sentence is like the name of a particular course on a restaurant menu.

When you order food in a restaurant, you want to know more about

a particular course than just "meat" or "soup" or "salad." You want to

know generally what kind of salad it is. Potato salad? Mixed green salad?

Fruit salad? However, you do not necessarily want to know all the

ingredients. Similarly, a reader wants to know generally what to expect

in a paragraph, but he or she does not want to learn all the details in the

first sentence.

The topic sentence is usually (but not always) the first sentence in a paragraph.

Experienced writers sometimes put topic sentences in other locations, but the

best spot is usually right at the beginning. Readers who are used to the English

way of writing want to know what they will read about as soon as they begin

reading.

Supporting sentences develop the topic sentence. That is, they explain or prove

the topic sentence by giving more information about it. Following are some of the

supporting sentences that explain the topic sentence about gold.

Supporting sentences explain or prove the topic sentence. One of the biggest problems

in student writing is that student writers often fail to support their ideas adequately.

They need to use specific details to be thorough and convincing.

There are several kinds of specific supporting details: examples, statistics, and

quotations. 

The concluding sentence signals the end of the paragraph and leaves the reader

with important points to remember.

A concluding sentence serves two purposes:

1. It signals the end of the paragraph.

2. It leaves the reader with the most important ideas to remember. It can do

this in two ways:

• By summarizing the main points of the paragraph

OR

• By repeating the topic sentence in different words

A paragraph does not always need a concluding sentence. For single paragraphs,

especially long ones, a concluding sentence is helpful to the reader because it is

a reminder of the important points. However, a concluding sentence is not needed

for every paragraph in a multiparagraph essay.

You may want to begin your concluding sentence with one of the signals in the

list on page 14. You may also end a paragraph without a formal signal or perhaps by

using an expression like those in the column on the right.

Review

These are the important points covered in this chapter:

1. A good topic sentence

• is a complete sentence with a subject, a verb, and a controlling idea.

• is neither too general nor too specific. It clearly states the main idea of

the paragraph but does not include specific details.

• is usually the first sentence in the paragraph.

2. Good supporting sentences

• explain or prove the topic sentence.

• are specific and factual.

• can be examples, statistics, or quotations.

3. A good concluding sentence

• signals the end of the paragraph.

• summarizes the important points briefly or restates the topic sentence

in different words.