A paragraph organizes sentences related to the same general topic.

Readers expect each paragraph to

• • Be unified and focus on a single unit of thought

• • Be coherent and present ideas in a logically connected way

28..1 – Creating the elements of a paragraph

A paragraph is made up of several elements:

• • Topic sentence—introduces the topic, gives readers a summary of the general idea that will be covered in the rest of the paragraph, and reminds audiences of the purpose of each paragraph
  • Support sentences—explains, justifies, or extends the topic sentence with specifics; are more specific than topic sentences; provides another piece of evidence to demonstrate the general truth of the main thought, and are clearly related to the general idea being developed

• • Transitions—words or phrases that tie ideas together by showing how one thought is related to another, help readers understand the connections you’re trying to make, and smooth your writing

Establish transitions by

• • Using connecting words
  • Echoing a word or phrase from a previous paragraph or sentence
  • Using a pronoun that refers to a noun used previously

• • Using words that are frequently paired

Transitions are able to:

• • Serve as mood changers
  • Announce a total contrast with what’s gone on before
  • Announce a causal relationship

• • Signal a change in time

Use transitions to help readers understand your ideas and follow you from point to point:

• • Inside paragraphs to tie related points together
  • Between paragraphs to ease the shift from one distinct thought to another

• • Between major sections or chapters

In general, the purpose of a paragraph is to express one point, idea or opinion.

For example, Students require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons in class.

This main idea is expressed through three sections of a paragraph:

1. Beginning – Introduce your idea. (INTRODUCTION)
2. Middle – Explain your idea. (SUPPORTING IDEAS)
3. End – Make your point again, transition to the next paragraph. (CONCLUSION)
4. SEQUENCING LANGUAGE – moving from one point to the next

 

A paragraph must include all of the above.

28..1.1 –  Types of sentences

There are four sentence types used to construct a paragraph: topic sentences, supporting sentences, concluding sentences and transitional sentences.

• 28..2 – Topic sentence

A topic sentence is one sentence that states your idea, point, or claim. This sentence should use a strong verb and make a bold statement.

28..2.1 – For example:

Students require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons in class.

 

• 28..3 – Supporting sentences

Supporting sentences provide explanations and support for the topic sentence (main idea) of your paragraph.

28..3.1 – For example:

 In fact, studies have shown that students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes consistently score better on tests immediately following the break. In addition, clinical analysis

suggests that physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on academic materials.

 

NOTE: Supporting sentences provide the evidence for your topic sentence claim. Supporting sentences that include facts, statistics and logical reasoning are much more convincing than simple statements of opinion.

• 28..4 – Concluding sentence

The concluding sentence restates the main idea and reinforces the point or claim made in the thesis statement.

 

28..4.1 – For example:

Longer periods of recess are clearly required to allow students the best possible chances of success in their studies.

(the topic sentence was = Students require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons in class.)

 

NOTE: Concluding sentences repeat the main idea of your paragraph in different words. (see the underlined parts of both)

 

• 28..5 – Transitional sentence

The transitional sentence prepares the reader for the following paragraph.

28..5.1 – For example:

Clearly, physical exercise is just one of the necessary ingredients for improving student scores on standardized tests.

 

NOTE: Transitional sentences should help readers logically understand the connection between your current main idea, point or opinion and the main idea of your next paragraph. In this instance, the phrase ‘just one of the necessary ingredients …’ prepares the reader for the next paragraph which will discuss another necessary ingredient for success.

28..6 –  Paragraph Construction.

Buying on the Internet.

1. 1.       Some people think that the Internet has changed the way that people in rich countries shop. 2.     It is certainly possible to buy a lot of things now – from groceries to books – without leaving the house. 3.       But other commentators think that the majority of people would still rather go to a shop or supermarket with real people in it than log on to a website. 4.     There is no doubt, however, that computers have had an impact on the shopping habits of many people.
2. Think about the structure of a paragraph like the one above. It is often made up of the following types of sentences.
3. an introductory sentence.
4. an example or explanation.
5. an exception or question sentence.
6. a conclusion.

 

What type of sentence (a-d in the list above):

1. …closes the paragraph?
2. contrasts with the introductory sentence?
3. …follows on from the introductory sentence, expanding on the information on it?
4. ……introduces the subject matter of the paragraph?

 

1. Can you identify the different types of sentences in the paragraph above? Write the letter of the type of sentence in the boxes in the text.

  Put the following sentences in order to make a paragraph.

1. Despite criticism, however, the shops continue to be successful in Europe and the USA, and Anita Roddick goes on working with people all over the world.
2. It was founded by Anita Roddick, who wanted to sell beauty products that had not been tested on animals.
3. One of the most popular organisations in Britain is The Body Shop.
4. Some people do not like her claim that The Body Shop is a better kind of business because it works directly with people in developing countries.

Read the four sentences and then put them in the correct order.

How to make those New Year`s resolutions stick.

1. But by 2 February, most of these resolutions will be no more than a distant memory and we`ll be behaving just the same as we were when the last year ended.
2. Every year on 1 and 2 January, millions of us make New Year`s resolutions.
3. We`ll go on a diet or promise ourselves that from now on we`re going to spend more time on housework or that we`re going to cut down on all the chocolate we eat.
4. We`ll say we are going to quit smoking or that we`ll join a gym.

 Read the 6 sentences below and then put them into the correct order to form a paragraph.

Rules and regulations. 

1. When someone calls to report a pothole, the Public Works Department fills it within forty-eight hours.
2. A bribe, whether a little tip to an employee or a large payoff to a high-ranking minister represents a ticket to jail.
3. If the employee doesn’t want to buy it, the gift is sold at an auction.
4. In a nation known for efficiency, the government is the most efficient of all.
5. A civil servant who receives a present in the mail must send it to a government agency, which puts a price tag on it and then offers to sell it back to the recipient.
6. The Telecommunications Authority will install a new phone the day after the order is received.

 

Read the following sentences and then put them into the correct order to form a paragraph.

28..7 – London Life. The geography of cool.

 And the villages were shaped into a city more by the accidents of history than by the imperatives of town planning.

1. Chelsea did so in the “swinging sixties”.
2. Cool in London is a village affair.
3. Sometimes a village manages to capture the spirit of the age, to reflect a wider social and cultural phenomenon.
4. In the mid-1990s, “cool Britannia” was supposed to be spilling out onto the streets of Camden and Islington.
5. Uniquely, London is a haphazard conglomeration of villages.