THE PROCESS OF
PARAGRAPH WRITING
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARAGRAPHS
1.
2.
3.
4.
A narrative paragraph entertains by
telling part of a real or make-believe
story.
A persuasive paragraph convinces
the reader to do or think something.
A descriptive paragraph describes
how something looks, feels, smells, or
tastes. It can also describe what
someone looks like.
An expository paragraph gives
information. It can share facts or
explain how to do something.
WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH??
 A paragraph is a group of sentences about the same topic or
main idea.
This main idea is expressed through three sections of a paragraph:
 Beginning - Introduce your idea with a topic sentence.
 Middle - Explain your idea with details and supporting
evidence.
 End - Make your point again and or transition to next paragraph
with a closing sentence.
Beginning
Middle
I like grasshoppers. They are a nice green or brown colour. They eat
only leaves. They are small, but they can jump high. Did you know
that they can also sing? I think grasshoppers are great.
END
THE TOPIC SENTENCE
 The topic sentence tells the main idea of a paragraph or
what the paragraph is about.
 A topic sentence is usually, but not always, the first
sentence in a paragraph.
Is usually the most general sentence in the paragraph.
E.g.
Topic: Bats
Topic sentence: Bats have strange sleeping habits.
Topic: Thesaurus
Topic sentence: A thesaurus is a handy tool to have when
writing a paper.
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
SENTENCES (THE DETAILS)
Supporting sentences (notice the plural) provide
explanations and support for the topic sentence
(main idea) of your paragraph.
 Details can be facts, examples, descriptions, or
reasons. You should have 3-5 sentences.

Bats have strange sleeping habits.They live in caves and sleep during
the day. Bats hang upside down while they sleep. When the warm
weather is cold, they hang close together to keep warm.
A thesaurus is a handy tool to have when writing a paper. It can help
you choose the right word to say what you want to say. A thesaurus
can also help you learn new words. You might find that a word you
don’t know actually has a similar meaning to the one you know.
CLOSING SENTENCE (THE END)
A
closing sentence usually comes at the end of a
paragraph.
It sums up the main idea and or reinforces the
main idea
It often includes the same idea as the topic
sentence, but in different words.
It can also be a linking sentence which leads into
a new paragraph.
OUR EXAMPLES
Bats have strange sleeping habits.They live in caves and
sleep during the day. Bats hang upside down while they
sleep. When the warm weather is cold, they hang close
together to keep warm. Bats also have weird eating habits.
A thesaurus is a handy tool to have when writing a paper. It
can help you choose the right word to say what you want to
say. A thesaurus can also help you learn new words. You
might find that a word you don’t know actually has a similar
meaning to the one you know. No writer should ever be
without a thesaurus.
A WEB PLANNER
HELPS YOU PLAN THE IDEAS FOR A PARAGRAPH.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CIRCLE WRITE THE TOPIC, OR MAIN IDEA OF THE PARAGRAPH.
IN THE OTHER CIRCLES, WRITE DETAILS, OR IDEAS, ABOUT THE TOPIC. THESE CAN BE JUST WORDS,
OR THEY CAN BE COMPLETE SENTENCES.
It has a hard
shell that it
pulls itself
into when it is
in danger
A snail is a
creature with
a soft, slimy
body.
SNAILS
It eyes are
located at the
tips of two
long tentacles
on its head.
It has a foot
containing
muscles that
move the
snail around.