Chapters 7: Writing Effective
Paragraphs
The Structure of a Paragraph
• A paragraph is a group of connected sentences that
develop an idea about a topic.
• Each paragraph in your essay should support your
thesis statement.
• A well developed paragraph contains:
–
–
A well-focused topic sentence
Unified, specific supporting details (definitions, examples,
explanations, and other evidence).
Sample Paragraph
 Audiences gather with varying degrees of willingness to hear a speaker
[topic sentence]. Some are anxious to hear the speaker, and may even have
paid a substantial admission price. The “lecture circuit,” for example
[transition],is a most lucrative aspect of public life. But [transition] whereas
some audiences are willing to pay to hear a speaker, other don’t seem to
care one way or the other. Other [transition] audiences need to be persuaded
to listen (or at least to sit in the audience). Still other [transition] audiences
gather because they have to. For example [transition], negotiations on a
union contract may require members to attend meetings where officers give
speeches.– DeVito, The Essential Elements of Public Speaking
 Notice how the writer repeats the words audience(s) and speaker, along
with the synonyms lecture and speeches, to help tie the paragraph to the
idea in the topic sentence.
Structure of a Paragraph
Topic Sentence
Supporting Details
Concluding or Transitional
Sentence
•
•
•
•
•
Identifies what the paragraph is about
Makes a point about the topic
Connects to the previous paragraph
•
•
Explain the topic sentence
Support the topic sentence with evidence, such as
examples, facts, statistics, personal experience, and
definitions.
Draws the paragraph to a close, or
Leads to the next paragraph
Writing a Topic Sentence
• A topic sentence is to a paragraph what a thesis
statement is to an essay.
• Thesis announces the main point of an essay; a topic
sentence states the main point of a paragraph.
Topic Sentence Should…
• Be focused
– It should tell readers what the paragraph is about in specific and
detailed language.
– Avoid vague and/or general statements.
– Example:
•
•
Unfocused: Some members of minority groups do not approve of
affirmative action.
Focused: Some members of minority groups disapprove of
affirmative action because it implies that they are not capable of
obtaining employment based on their own accomplishments.
A Topic Sentence May Preview the Organization
of the Paragraph
• A topic sentence may suggest the order in which details are discussed
in the paragraph, thereby helping readers know what to expect.
–
Ex. Teaching employees how to handle conflicts through anger management [first
detail] and meditation [second detail] is essential in high-stress jobs.
A Topic Sentence Should Support Your Thesis
• Each topic sentence must in some way explain the thesis or show why
the thesis is believable or correct.
• Ex.[Thesis] Adoption files should not be made available to adult
children seeking their biological parents.
• Topic Sentences:
–
–
–
–
Research has shown that not all biological parents want to meet with the sons or
daughters they gave up many years before.
If a woman gives up a child for adoption, it is probably that she does not ever intend
to have a relationship with that child.
Adult children who try to contact their biological parents often meet resistance and
even hostility, which can cause them to feel hurt and rejected.
All of these topic sentences support the thesis because they offer valid reasons
for keeping adoption files closed.
Topic Sentences Should Be Strategically Placed
 Where you place the topic sentence will determine the order and
structure of the rest of the paragraph.
 The topic sentence also may have different effects, depending on its
placement.


The most common and often best position for a topic sentence is at the beginning of
the paragraph.
A paragraph that opens with the topic sentence should follow logically: State your
main point & explain it.
Sample Topic Sentence Paragraph
• Advertising is first and foremost based on the principle of visibility—
the customer must notice the product [topic sentence]. Manufacturers
often package products in glitzy, even garish, containers to grab the
consumer’s attention. For example, one candy company always
packages its candy in reflective wrappers. When the hurried and hungry
consumer glances at the candy counter, the reflective wrappers are easy
to spot. It is only natural for the impatient customer to grab the candy
and go. [everything else that follows the topic sentence are the
explanatory details used to further develop the paragraph]
Effective Paragraphs Provide Specific Supporting
Details
• The evidence you provide to support your topic sentences should be
concrete and specific.
–
Example: (Vague) Many people are confused about the difference between a
psychologist and a psychiatrist. Both have a license, but a psychiatrist has more
education that a psychologist. Also, a psychiatrist can prescribe medication.
–
Example: (Concrete & Specific) Many people are confused about the difference
between psychiatrists and psychologists. Both are licensed by the state to practice
psychotherapy. However [transition], a psychiatrist has earned a degree from
medical school and can also practice medicine. Additionally[transition], a
psychiatrist can prescribe psychotropic medications. A psychologist, on the other
hand [transition], usually has earned a Ph.D., but has not attended medical school
and therefore cannot prescribe medication of any type.
–
Concrete details make clear the distinction between the two terms.
Making Your Paragraph Specific & Concrete
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Focus on who, what, when, where, how, and why questions
a.
[vague] Some animals hibernate for part of the year. (What animals? When do they
hibernate?)
b.
[specific] Some bears hibernate for three to four months each winter.
Name names: include names of people, places, brands, & objects.
a.
[vague] When my aunt was refused a job, she became very upset.
b.
[specific] When my sixty-three-year-old Aunt Angela was refused a job at Vicki’s Nail Salon,
she became a livid victim of age discrimination.
Use action verbs
a.
[vague] When Selena came on stage, the audience became happy.
b.
[specific] When Selena burst onto the stage, the audience screamed, cheered, and chanted,
“Selena, Selena!”
Use descriptive language that appeals to the senses
a.
[vague] It’s relaxing to walk on the beach.
b.
[specific] I walked in the grainy, warm sand, breathing in the smell of the salt water, and
listening to the rhythmic sound of the waves.
Use adjectives and adverbs
a.
[vague] As I weeded my garden, I let my eyes wander over the meadow sweets and
hydrangeas, all the while listening to the chirping of a cardinal.
b.
[specific] As I slowly weeded my perennial garden, I let my eyes wander over the pink
meadow sweets and blue hydrangeas, all the while listening absent-mindedly to the chirping
of a bright red cardinal.
Coherent Paragraphs Include Transitional Expressions
 Most films are structured much like a short story. The film begins
with an opening scene that captures the audience’s attention.
Gradually, the writers build up tension, preparing for the climax of a
story. Soon after, the first scene, they complicate the situation by
revealing other elements of the plot, perhaps by introducing a
surprise or additional characters. Next, they introduce a problem.
Eventually, the problem will be solved either for the betterment or to
the detriment of the characters and the situation. Finally, a resolution
brings the film to a close.
Exercise 7.1 Briefing
 A topic sentence may suggest the order in which
details are discussed in the paragraph, thereby
helping readers know what to expect.


Ex: Teaching employees how to handle conflicts through anger
management [first detail] and mediation [second detail] is
essential in high-stress jobs.
Therefore, readers can expect anger management to be
discussed first, followed by a discussion of mediation.
Exercise 7.1
 On your own paper, revise each topic sentence to make it focused
and specific. At least two of your revised topic sentences should
also preview the organization of the paragraph.
1. In society today, there is always a new fad or fashion in
clothing.
2. People watch television talk shows because they find them
irresistible.
3. Body piercing is a popular trend.
4. Procrastinating can have a negative effect on your success in
college.
5. In our state, the lottery is a big issue.