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.
