PARAGRAPH
WRITING
6th Grade ELA
Unit 1 – Paragraph Writing
What is a paragraph?
■ A paragraph is a series of sentences related to a
single topic
– A paragraph must have at least 3-5 sentences
■ The point of a paragraph is to help the reader see
the organization the essay and grasp its main points
■ Paragraphs show how writer transition between
different ideas in an essay or writing piece
THINK OF A
PARAGRAPH
LIKE A
HAMBURGER
WHY A
HAMBURGER?
• YOU WANT YOUR PARAGRAPH
TO BE MEATY, FULL OF JUICY
DETAILS, AND FILLING
• PARAGRAPHS HAVE SEVERAL
PARTS JUST LIKE
HAMBURGERS
• EACH PART IS IMPORTANT AND
HELPS THE PARAGRAPH TO BE
GREAT JUST LIKE ALL THE
PARTS OF A BURGER HELP TO
MAKE THAT BURGER TASTE
AMAZING!
Parts of a Paragraph
■ There are three parts to any paragraph:
1. Topic Sentence
■ A topic sentence is a sentence that summarizes the main idea of
a paragraph.
■ It is usually the first sentence in a paragraph.
■ Also known as a focus sentence, it organizes an entire paragraph.
2. Supporting Details
■ These are sentences that support the topic sentence or the main idea of
the paragraph.
■ These sentences could include examples, direct quotes, explanations,
details, etc.
3. Conclusion Sentence
■ Usually this is the last sentence of the paragraph.
■ It sums up the main idea of that paragraph.
PARAGRAPH WRITING
RULES
In order to write a great paragraph, there are several
rules writers must follow.
Writing Rules
1. Avoid starting a paragraph with a
pronoun
– Pronouns are words that
replace nouns
– Examples: I, me, we, she, they,
who, that, yours, his, her, etc.
2. Explain “things” and “stuff”
– “Things” and “stuff” do not
describe what is going on in
enough detail to make your
writing interesting
– You want to add as much
details to your paragraph as
possible
Writing Rules
3. Spell out abbreviations
– You want to be formal when
writing
– You are not writing to your
friends, so you should not talk
as if you are
4. Do not get over excited!
– You should only use one
exclamation point when writing
– More than one would be
informal
Writing Rules
5. Avoid starting a sentence with: and,
then, so, or because
6. Capitalize names
Writing Rules
7. Indent the first word of the
paragraph
8. No texting language
– It is informal to use texting
language
– Again you are not talking to a
friend, so you should not write
like it
Writing Rules
9. Avoid contractions
– Examples: can’t, don’t,
shouldn’t, etc.
10. Spell out numbers 0 to 99
Writing Rules
11. All paragraphs have a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding
sentence.
PARTS OF A
PARAGRAPH
There are three parts to any paragraph
Topic Sentence
■ A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the
main idea of the paragraph in which it occurs
■ In formal writing it is usually the first sentence of the
paragraph
■ You might think of it as a headline or a signpost that
alerts your reader to the most important points in
your essay
Which sentence is the topic sentence?
There are many reasons to love dogs. First,
they are very cute and are super fluffy.
Second, they are smart and will listen to
your commands, unlike your little sister.
Third, they will always play with you. These
are all the reasons dogs are the best.
There are several ways to start a topic
sentence.
1.
If . . . Then
– This shows cause and effect
– Example: If you enjoy a thrill, then mountain biking may be in excellent sport for you.
2.
Even though
– This allows you to compare two ideas
– Example: Even though mountain biking is strenuous, the excitement and scenery make up
for it.
3.
Since
– This is another way to show cause and effect
– Example: Since there are many mountains in Colorado, mountain biking is an excellent
summer sport for residents.
4.
When
– This can be used to show time or a thought process
– When you are looking for an adventurous sport to try, consider mountain biking.
Do I always have to use those sentence
starters?
■ No! There are many different ways to start a topic sentence. However, those four are
the most commonly used and are great to catch your reader’s attention.
■ Other options:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
This essay discusses
Therefore
Many
As a result
The central theme is
To summarize
To conclude
In comparison
For this reason
On the other hand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Furthermore
Another essential point is
In addition
Another
Seldom
Rarely
For example
Many
Perhaps
Therefore
Conclusion Sentence
■ A conclusion sentence restates the topic sentence
and lets the reader know the paragraph is done
■ Even though it restates the topic sentence, that does
not mean it should be the same sentence
■ The conclusion sentence summarizes the main
points and pulls everything together
Which sentence is the conclusion
sentence?
There are many reasons to love dogs. First,
they are very cute and are super fluffy.
Second, they are smart and will listen to
your commands, unlike your little sister.
Third, they will always play with you. These
are all the reasons dogs are the best.
There are several ways to start a
conclusion sentence:
1. As you can see,
7. On the whole
2. Clearly,
8. In a nutshell,
3. In brief,
9. In conclusion,
4. In summary,
10.That is why
5. To sum up,
6. In short,
11.To summarize,
12.Overall,
Supporting Details
■ Supporting details act as the middle of our
hamburger paragraphs.
■ They come after the topic sentence, making up the
body of a paragraph
■ They give details to develop and support the main
topic of the paragraph
■ You should give supporting facts, details, and
examples.
Which sentences are the supporting
details?
There are many reasons to love dogs. First,
they are very cute and are super fluffy.
Second, they are smart and will listen to
your commands, unlike your little sister.
Third, they will always play with you. These
are all the reasons dogs are the best.
The First Detail
(Lettuce)
• Should not be the most
important detail.
• Needs to follow directly
after the topic sentence.
• Needs to be full of good
“lettucy” details!
There are many reasons
that I love to teach. First of
all, I love to teach because I
love being at school. Another
reason I love to teach is
because I love seeing a
student understand
something new. Finally, I love
to teach because I love to be
around kids. These are just a
few reasons I love to teach.
The Second
Detail
(Tomato)
• Still should not be the
most important detail.
• Needs to follow directly
after the lettuce sentence.
• Should start differently
than all of the other
sentences
• Needs to be full of good
“juicy” details!
There are many reasons
that I love to teach. First of
all, I love to teach because I
love being at school. Another
reason I love to teach is
because I love seeing a
student understand
something new. Finally, I love
to teach because I love to be
around kids. These are just a
few reasons I love to teach.
The Last Detail
(Meat)
• Finally!! The most important
detail.
• Should start differently than
most of the other sentences.
• You want this detail to pack a
punch and wow your reader
• Needs to be full of good
“meaty” details!
There are many reasons
that I love to teach. First of
all, I love to teach because I
love being at school. Another
reason I love to teach is
because I love seeing a
student understand
something new. Finally, I love
to teach because I love to be
around kids. These are just a
few reasons I love to teach.