PARAGRAPHS AND PARAGRAPH WRITING
What is a Paragraph? A paragraph is a distinct section of writing.
A paragraph is a number of related sentences.
A paragraph examines a main idea.
Each new paragraph must start on a new line with an indentation.
THREE KEYS TO PARAGRAPH WRITING:
1. Unity- all sentence focus on one idea
2. Coherence- all sentences are clearly related to each other
3. Development- the main idea is supported with sufficient details and examples to
give it validity
1. UNITY
Topic Sentence- states main idea of paragraph.
Start paragraph with topic sentence
Topic Sentence is made up two essential parts:
o Topic
o Controlling idea
Hurricanes, which are also called tropical cyclones, exert tremendous power.
These violent storms are often a hundred kilometers in diameter, and their winds can
reach velocities of one hundred and twenty kilometers an hour, or more. Furthermore,
the strong winds and heavy rainfall that accompany them can completely destroy a
small town in a couple of hours. The energy that is released by a hurricane in one day
exceeds the total energy consumed by mankind throughout the world in one year.
From the underlined topic sentence we can see the following:
The topic of the paragraph is hurricanes.
The controlling idea of this paragraph is that they exert tremendous
power.
In other words the topic of the paragraph is the subject discussed in a paragraph.
The controlling idea makes a specific comment about the subject.
There could be other controlling ideas about hurricanes. You can ask the five W’s to
generate different controlling ideas.
Who? Eg. Hurricanes, which are also called tropical cyclones, mainly
affect people in the United States who live in Florida and the Gulf Coast.
What? Hurricanes, which are also called tropical cyclones, are unique
weather phenomena?
Where? Hurricanes, which are also called tropical cyclones, regularly
occur in seven cyclone basins around the world.
When? Hurricanes, which are also called tropical cyclones, regularly
occur in summer and in autumn.
Why? Hurricanes, which are also called tropical cyclones, are caused
by warm ocean waters and thunder storms.
Where should the topic sentence come in paragraph?
It is best to put it first, but it can occur anywhere in a paragraph.
Check out the following paragraphs:
Does a hot, humid, summer’s day make you feel grumpy? Does a rainy day make you
feel depressed? The weather seems to affect people’s moods. Hot weather makes some
people irritable, while others love the heat and are very happy and cheerful on a hot
summer’s day. Others don’t mind the heat but say they hate it when it is humid
because the humidity makes them tired.
-------------------In most schools, courses are offered in English, math, science, geography, history and
physical education. Some schools offer art, music, industrial science, foreign
languages, business studies, and even agricultural lessons. A lot of schools provide the
opportunity before, during or after school for students to participate in sport, cultural
clubs, and other activities. Schools are also there to help students with problems,
reward students for achievement, punish students for unacceptable behavior, and in
some cases, even feed students in addition to educating them. Schools address a wide
variety of needs.
2. COHERENCE: all the sentences in the paragraph are clearly related to
each other. A paragraph is coherent if the details in all the sentences fit together so
that the reader can easy follow what you are saying.
How do we achieve coherence?
Create logical bridges from one sentence to another.
1. Repeat key words.
2. Substitute key words with synonyms.
3. Use pronouns for already mentioned nouns
4. Use transition words (as a result, therefore, furthermore etc.)
3. DEVELOPMENT- You must provide details and evidence to support
the assertion made in the topic sentence.
A. Illustrate point with examples
B. You should use enough evidence and examples to convince your reader that the
topic sentence’s assertion is valid.
TEE RULE
T=Topic Sentence
E= Explain the topic sentence
E= Evidence and Examples
Concluding Sentences:
Not all paragraphs need concluding sentences. Long and detailed paragraphs are
most likely to need concluding sentences.
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for three important reasons. First of all, gold has a
lustrous beauty that makes it suitable for jewellery and ornamental purposes.
Secondly, it is resistant to corrosion. For example, an ancient Roman coin remains as
untarnished today as the day it was minted two thousand years ago. Furthermore, for
many years gold has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. Its most recent
use has been in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold plated heat shielding for
protection outside the space ship. In conclusion, gold is not only treasured for its
durability and beauty, but also for its utility.
TEE RULE FOR THE PARAGRAPH ABOVE:
Concluding Sentence: In conclusion, gold is not only treasured for its durability and
beauty, but also for its utility.