How to make a Paragraph
In many languages, the fundamental unit of composition is the paragraph. A paragraph
consists of several sentences that are grouped together. This group of sentences together
discuss one main subject. In U.S. formal academic English, paragraphs have three
principal parts. These three parts are the topic sentence, body sentences, and the concluding
sentence. We will also talk briefly about details in paragraphs.
The Topic Sentence
A topic sentence usually comes at the beginning of a paragraph; that is, it is usually the first
sentence in a formal academic paragraph. (Sometimes this is not true, but as you practice
writing with this online lesson site, please keep to this rule unless you are instructed
otherwise.) Not only is a topic sentence the first sentence of a paragraph, but, more
importantly, it is the most general sentence in a paragraph. What does "most general"
mean? It means that there are not many details in the sentence, but that the sentence
introduces an overall idea that you want to discuss later in the paragraph.
For example, suppose that you want to write a paragraph about the natural landmarks of
your hometown. The first part of your paragraph might look like this:
My hometown is famous for several amazing
natural features. First, it is noted for the Wheaton
River, which is very wide and beautiful. Also, on the
other side of the town is Wheaton Hill, which is
unusual because it is very steep.
(Notice how the first sentence begins with "My hometown..." a few spaces to the right of
the paragraph edge. This is an indentation. All paragraphs in English MUST begin with
an indentation.)
Note how the first sentence, My hometown, Wheaton, is famous for several amazing
geographical features,is the most general statement. This sentence is different from the two
sentences that follow it, since the second and third sentences mention specific details about
the town's geography, and are not general statements.
Here are some examples of sentences that cannot be used as topic sentences. Can you figure
out why they are inappropriate?
1. My hometown is famous because it is located
by Wheaton River, which is very wide, and
because it is built near an unusually steep hill
called Wheaton Hill.
2. There are two reasons why some people like to
buy cars with automatic transmission and two
reasons why others like cars with manual
transmission.
3. Clouds are white.
The problem with sentence #1 is that it contains too many details. Topic sentences are
general, and details should appear later in the paragraph. A better topic sentence would be
like the one mentioned above, My hometown is famous for several amazing geographical
features.
Sentence #2 is not appropriate as a topic sentence because it mentions two topics, not just
one. Paragraphs are usually about one main thing and so their topic sentences should also be
about only one main thing.
The problem with sentence #3 is that it is toogeneral. It is also very boring! Would you like
to read a paragraph with this topic sentence? Most people would not.
We can rewrite sentences #2 and #3 in the following ways to make it better:

There are two reasons why some people like to
buy cars with automatic transmission.
OR (in a different paragraph):

There are two reasons why some people like
cars with manual transmission.

The shapes of clouds are determined by various
factors.
Supporting Sentences
Consider again the above-mentioned, short paragraph:
My hometown, Wheaton, is famous for several
amazing natural features. First, it is noted for the
Wheaton River, which is very wide and beautiful.
Also, on the other side of the town is Wheaton Hill,
which is unusual because it is very steep.
(Again, note how this paragraph is indented on the first line, about five or seven spaces in
from the left-hand edge of the paragraph. Always remember to indent your paragraphs!)
When a reader reads a topic sentence, such as My hometown, Wheaton, is famous for several
amazing natural features,a question should usually appear in the reader's mind. In this
case, the question should be like, "What are the natural features that make Wheaton
famous?" The reader should then expect that the rest of the paragraph will give an answer
to this question.
Now look at the sentences after the topic sentence. We can see that the second sentence in
the paragraph, First, it is noted for the Wheaton River, which is very wide and
beautiful,indeed gives an answer to this question. That is, the second sentence gives some
explanation for the fact that Wheaton is a famous town. Similarly, we can see that the third
sentence also gives some explanation for the fact that Wheaton is famous by giving another
example of an "amazing natural feature," in this case, Wheaton Hill.
The second and third sentences are called supporting sentences. They are called
"supporting" because they "support," or explain, the idea expressed in the topic sentence.
Of course, paragraphs in English often have more than two supporting ideas. The
paragraph above is actually a very short paragraph. At minimum, you should have at
least five to seven sentences in your paragraph. Here we can see our paragraph about
Wheaton with a few more supporting sentences in bold font:
My hometown is famous for several amazing
natural features. First, it is noted for the Wheaton
River, which is very wide and beautiful. Also, on the
other side of the town is Wheaton Hill, which is
unusual because it is very steep. The third amazing
feature is the Big Old Tree. This tree stands two
hundred feet tall and is probably about six hundred
years old.
In this lesson, we will talk about supporting sentences again in the section, "Details in
Paragraphs," below.
The Concluding Sentence
In formal paragraphs you will sometimes see a sentence at the end of the paragraph which
summarizes the information that has been presented. This is the concluding sentence. You
can think of a concluding sentence as a sort of topic sentence in reverse.
You can understand concluding sentences with this example. Consider a hamburger that
you can buy at a fast-food restaurant.* A hamburger has a top bun (a kind of bread), meat,
cheese, lettuce, and other elements in the middle of the hamburger, and a bottom bun. Note
how the top bun and the bottom bun are very similar. The top bun, in a way, is like a topic
sentence, and the bottom bun is like the concluding sentence. Both buns "hold" the meat,
onions, and so on. Similarly, the topic sentence and concluding sentence "hold" the
supporting sentences in the paragraph. Let's see how a concluding sentence (in bold font)
might look in our sample paragraph about Wheaton:
My hometown is famous for several amazing
natural features. First, it is noted for the Wheaton
River, which is very wide and beautiful. Also, on the
other side of the town is Wheaton Hill, which is
unusual because it is very steep. The third amazing
feature is the Big Old Tree. This tree stands two
hundred feet tall and is probably about six hundred
years old. These three landmarks are truly amazing
and make my hometown a famous place.
Notice how the concluding sentence, These three landmarks are truly amazing and make my
hometown a famous place,summarizes the information in the paragraph. Notice also how
the concluding sentence is similar to, but not exactly the same as, the topic sentence.
Not all academic paragraphs contain concluding sentences, especially if the paragraph is
very short. However, if your paragraph is very long, it is a good idea to use a concluding
sentence.
Details in Paragraphs
The short paragraph in this lesson is a fairly complete paragraph, but it lacks details.
Whenever possible, you should include enough details in your paragraphs to help your
reader understand exactly what you are writing about. In the paragraph about Wheaton,
three natural landmarks are mentioned, but we do not know very much about them. For
example, we could add a sentence or two about Wheaton river concerning HOW wide it is
or WHY it is beautiful. Consider this revision (and note the additional details in bold):
My hometown is famous for several amazing
natural features. First, it is noted for the Wheaton
River, which is very wide and beautiful. On either
side of this river, which is 175 feet wide, are many
willow trees which have long branches that can
move gracefully in the wind. In autumn the leaves
of these trees fall and cover the riverbanks like
golden snow. Also, on the other side of the town is
Wheaton Hill, which is unusual because it is very
steep. Even though it is steep, climbing this hill is
not dangerous, because there are some firm rocks
along the sides that can be used as stairs. There are
no trees around this hill, so it stands clearly against
the sky and can be seen from many miles away. The
third amazing feature is the Big Old Tree. This tree
stands two hundred feet tall and is probably about six
hundred years old. These three landmarks are truly
amazing and make my hometown a famous place.
If we wished, we could also add more details to the paragraph to describe the third natural
feature of the area, the Big Old Tree.
Why are details important? Consider the example of the hamburger, mentioned above.*
If the hamburger buns are the topic and concluding sentences, then the meat, the cheese, the
lettuce, and so on are the supporting details. Without the food between the hamburger buns,
your hamburger would not be very delicious! Similarly, without supporting details, your
paragraph would not be very interesting.
A Note on Formality. In addition to having a particular kind of structure, academic
paragraphs (and multi-paragraph essays, which will be topic of another lesson) are different
from "ordinary writing" (such as letter writing) in that certain kinds of expressions are not
allowed. For example, in formal essays, you should not use contractions such as don't or
aren't. Instead, you should write out the words in full, for example, do not and are not.
Also, in formal essays you should avoid the first and second person. That is, do not use the
pronouns I or you. The pronouns we and us are sometimes used in formal essays in some
major fields, but in general you should not use these unless you are certain that they are
customary in your field and/or your professor allows them. It is safer simply to use the
third person.
< academic in avoid should you that expresions informal some about learn to table
following the>
TOO
INFORMAL
(Do not use)
ACCEPTABLE
don't
doesn't
aren't
weren't
can't
couldn't
won't
do not
does not
are not
were not
cannot
could not
will not
Paragraphs and Topic Sentences
A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized and coherent, and are all related to a
single topic. Almost every piece of writing you do that is longer than a few sentences should be
organized into paragraphs. This is because paragraphs show a reader where the subdivisions of
an essay begin and end, and thus help the reader see the organization of the essay and grasp its
main points.
Paragraphs can contain many different kinds of information. A paragraph could contain a series
of brief examples or a single long illustration of a general point. It might describe a place,
character, or process; narrate a series of events; compare or contrast two or more things; classify
items into categories; or describe causes and effects. Regardless of the kind of information they
contain, all paragraphs share certain characteristics. One of the most important of these is a topic
sentence.
TOPIC SENTENCES
A well-organized paragraph supports or develops a single controlling idea, which is expressed in
a sentence called the topic sentence. A topic sentence has several important functions: it
substantiates or supports an essay’s thesis statement; it unifies the content of a paragraph and
directs the order of the sentences; and it advises the reader of the subject to be discussed and how
the paragraph will discuss it. Readers generally look to the first few sentences in a paragraph to
determine the subject and perspective of the paragraph. That’s why it’s often best to put the topic
sentence at the very beginning of the paragraph. In some cases, however, it’s more effective to
place another sentence before the topic sentence—for example, a sentence linking the current
paragraph to the previous one, or one providing background information.
Although most paragraphs should have a topic sentence, there are a few situations when a
paragraph might not need a topic sentence. For example, you might be able to omit a topic
sentence in a paragraph that narrates a series of events, if a paragraph continues developing an
idea that you introduced (with a topic sentence) in the previous paragraph, or if all the sentences
and details in a paragraph clearly refer—perhaps indirectly—to a main point. The vast majority
of your paragraphs, however, should have a topic sentence.
PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Most paragraphs in an essay have a three-part structure—introduction, body, and conclusion.
You can see this structure in paragraphs whether they are narrating, describing, comparing,
contrasting, or analyzing information. Each part of the paragraph plays an important role in
communicating your meaning to your reader.
Introduction: the first section of a paragraph; should include the topic sentence and any other
sentences at the beginning of the paragraph that give background information or provide a
transition.
Body: follows the introduction; discusses the controlling idea, using facts, arguments, analysis,
examples, and other information.
Conclusion: the final section; summarizes the connections between the information discussed in
the body of the paragraph and the paragraph’s controlling idea.
The following paragraph illustrates this pattern of organization. In this paragraph the topic
sentence and concluding sentence (CAPITALIZED) both help the reader keep the paragraph’s
main point in mind.
SCIENTISTS HAVE LEARNED TO SUPPLEMENT THE SENSE OF SIGHT IN
NUMEROUS WAYS. In front of the tiny pupil of the eye they put, on Mount Palomar, a great
monocle 200 inches in diameter, and with it see 2000 times farther into the depths of space. Or
they look through a small pair of lenses arranged as a microscope into a drop of water or blood,
and magnify by as much as 2000 diameters the living creatures there, many of which are among
man’s most dangerous enemies. Or, if we want to see distant happenings on earth, they use
some of the previously wasted electromagnetic waves to carry television images which they recreate as light by whipping tiny crystals on a screen with electrons in a vacuum. Or they can
bring happenings of long ago and far away as colored motion pictures, by arranging silver atoms
and color-absorbing molecules to force light waves into the patterns of original reality. Or if we
want to see into the center of a steel casting or the chest of an injured child, they send the
information on a beam of penetrating short-wave X rays, and then convert it back into images we
can see on a screen or photograph. THUS ALMOST EVERY TYPE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC
RADIATION YET DISCOVERED HAS BEEN USED TO EXTEND OUR SENSE OF SIGHT
IN SOME WAY.
George Harrison, “Faith and the Scientist”
COHERENCE
In a coherent paragraph, each sentence relates clearly to the topic sentence or controlling idea,
but there is more to coherence than this. If a paragraph is coherent, each sentence flows smoothly
into the next without obvious shifts or jumps. A coherent paragraph also highlights the ties
between old information and new information to make the structure of ideas or arguments clear
to the reader.
Along with the smooth flow of sentences, a paragraph’s coherence may also be related to its
length. If you have written a very long paragraph, one that fills a double-spaced typed page, for
example, you should check it carefully to see if it should start a new paragraph where the original
paragraph wanders from its controlling idea. On the other hand, if a paragraph is very short (only
one or two sentences, perhaps), you may need to develop its controlling idea more thoroughly, or
combine it with another paragraph.
A number of other techniques that you can use to establish coherence in paragraphs are described
below.
Repeat key words or phrases. Particularly in paragraphs in which you define or identify an
important idea or theory, be consistent in how you refer to it. This consistency and repetition will
bind the paragraph together and help your reader understand your definition or description.
Create parallel structures. Parallel structures are created by constructing two or more phrases
or sentences that have the same grammatical structure and use the same parts of speech. By
creating parallel structures you make your sentences clearer and easier to read. In addition,
repeating a pattern in a series of consecutive sentences helps your reader see the connections
between ideas. In the paragraph above about scientists and the sense of sight, several sentences
in the body of the paragraph have been constructed in a parallel way. The parallel structures
(which have been emphasized) help the reader see that the paragraph is organized as a set of
examples of a general statement.
Be consistent in point of view, verb tense, and number. Consistency in point of view, verb
tense, and number is a subtle but important aspect of coherence. If you shift from the more
personal "you" to the impersonal “one,” from past to present tense, or from “a man” to “they,”
for example, you make your paragraph less coherent. Such inconsistencies can also confuse your
reader and make your argument more difficult to follow.
Use transition words or phrases between sentences and between paragraphs. Transitional
expressions emphasize the relationships between ideas, so they help readers follow your train of
thought or see connections that they might otherwise miss or misunderstand. The following
paragraph shows how carefully chosen transitions (CAPITALIZED) lead the reader smoothly
from the introduction to the conclusion of the paragraph.
I don’t wish to deny that the flattened, minuscule head of the large-bodied "stegosaurus" houses
little brain from our subjective, top-heavy perspective, BUT I do wish to assert that we should
not expect more of the beast. FIRST OF ALL, large animals have relatively smaller brains than
related, small animals. The correlation of brain size with body size among kindred animals (all
reptiles, all mammals, FOR EXAMPLE) is remarkably regular. AS we move from small to large
animals, from mice to elephants or small lizards to Komodo dragons, brain size increases, BUT
not so fast as body size. IN OTHER WORDS, bodies grow faster than brains, AND large
animals have low ratios of brain weight to body weight. IN FACT, brains grow only about twothirds as fast as bodies. SINCE we have no reason to believe that large animals are consistently
stupider than their smaller relatives, we must conclude that large animals require relatively less
brain to do as well as smaller animals. IF we do not recognize this relationship, we are likely to
underestimate the mental power of very large animals, dinosaurs in particular.
Stephen Jay Gould, “Were Dinosaurs Dumb?”
SOME USEFUL TRANSITIONS
(modified from Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference)
To show addition:
again, and, also, besides, equally important, first (second, etc.), further, furthermore, in
addition, in the first place, moreover, next, too
To give examples:
for example, for instance, in fact, specifically, that is, to illustrate
To compare:
also, in the same manner, likewise, similarly
To contrast:
although, and yet, at the same time, but, despite, even though, however, in contrast, in
spite of, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, still, though, yet
To summarize or conclude:
all in all, in conclusion, in other words, in short, in summary, on the whole, that is,
therefore, to sum up
To show time:
after, afterward, as, as long as, as soon as, at last, before, during, earlier, finally, formerly,
immediately, later, meanwhile, next, since, shortly, subsequently, then, thereafter, until,
when, while
To show place or direction:
above, below, beyond, close, elsewhere, farther on, here, nearby, opposite, to the left
(north, etc.)
To indicate logical relationship:
accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this reason, hence, if, otherwise,
since, so, then, therefore, thus
Tips for Writing a Paragraph
Characteristics of a good paragraph:






Topic sentence, which includes the topic and a controlling idea.
Supporting ideas (usually 3 - 6), which support the topic sentence
RENNS (reasons, examples, names, numbers, senses), which give details
for and further explain the supporting ideas.
Optional concluding sentence, which leaves the reading with something to
think about and may summarize the supporting ideas if the paragraph is
long.
Unity, which means that all sentences in the paragraph directly support
the topic sentence.
Coherenence, which means that all the information of the paragraph is
well-organized, logically ordered and easy to follow. This is accomplished
by:
o Repetition of key words and phrases (often from the topic
sentence)
o Parallel grammatical structure
o Transition words and phrases. Click here for a web site with many
of these expressions.
Process of Writing a Paragraph:
1. Compose your topic sentence. Think of a topic and a controlling idea that
will narrow the topic enough to support it well in one paragraph.
2. Brainstorm supporting ideas. Choose 2 - 6 supporting ideas that do a
good job supporting your topic sentence.
3. Write your paragraph in topic outline form as follows. Don't actually write
sentences in the outline, except for the topic sentence.
Topic sentence:
A. Supporting idea 1.
1.
2.
3.
B. Supporting idea 2.
1.
2.
3.
C. Supporting idea 3.
1.
2.
3.
Concluding sentence:
4. Put your supporting ideas in a logical order.
5. For each supporting idea, think of RENNS that further explain the idea.
For balance, each supporting idea should have about the same amount of
RENNS.
6. Think of a concluding sentence.
7. Write your paragraph using sentences. Use the coherence strategies to
make your paragraph easy to follow.
Here is an example we did in class.
We came up with a good topic sentence and supporting ideas:
Topic sentence: Choosing a college or university can be difficult.
Supporting ideas: 1. Good Location, 2. Affordable, 3. Good preparation for major
We decided to order these supporting ideas according to importance as shown in the
outline below.
Now we put this information iinto outline form and added some RENNS for each
supporting idea.
Topic sentence: Choosing a college or university can be difficult.
A. Good preparation for your major
1. thorough, solid curriculum
2. qualified professors
B. Affordable
1. must be able to pay tuition and living expenses
2. possibility of scholarships
C. Good Location
1. study environment
2. possibilities of parttime job in your major
Concluding sentence: You should consider these points carefully so you
can choose the most appropriate college or university for you.
Finally, we wrote the paragraph using sentences and trying to make the paragraph
coherent using different coherence strategies.
Choosing a college or university can be difficult. The most difficult part is finding a
university that prepares you well for your future career. In order to get a good job, the
curriculum that is taught must be thorough and up-to-date. In addition, the professors
must be highly qualified and respected in their fields. Another difficulty in choosing a
university or college is affordability. You need to be able to pay the tuition fees and
living expenses. Some institutions might be able to offer you scholarships if you cannot
afford the fees. A good location is also very important when choosing a school. The
environment should be safe and quiet to facilitate studying. Moreover, there should be
possibilities near the school for parttime or summer jobs in your major, so you can get
some practical work experience. You should consider all of these points carefully so you
can choose the most appropriate college or university for you.