Characterization Paragraph Guidelines
Topic Sentence
The topic sentence should tell the reader what the "topic" of the paragraph is and
include a controlling idea. An example of a topic sentence for the characterization
paragraph is as follows:
In the novel Freak the Mighty by Rodman Phillbrick, Kevin is a unique character.
This is a sample topic sentence to get you started.
In the story, (book title) __________________ by (author)_____________________ the
character (name of character) ________________________ is a (type of character; use
an adjective) _______________________ character.
Body
In the body of the paragraph, include detail sentences that support your topic sentence.
If you say that a character is unique, you need to give specific examples from the novel
to support this statement.
Make a list of three reasons why Kevin from Freak the Mighty is unique.
Conclusion
The conclusion should wrap up the essay. An example concluding sentence for the Kevin
paragraph would be:
In Freak the Mighty, Kevin positively influences Max’s life through his adventurous spirit,
witty personality, and kind heart.
This is a sample of what your concluding sentence should look like:
In conclusion, (character’s name) ____________ is a (type of character) ___________
character who (a summary of the character’s actions) _________________.
Once the topic sentence, detail sentences and conclusion are written, students can put
together the parts and write a complete paragraph. The paragraph should be at least
five sentences, but it can be up to ten sentences. A good paragraph will generally be
around six to eight sentences.