Back to Basics -...

Back to BasicsParagraph Writing

The rings or circles on the Olympic flag have a special meaning.

The five circles stand for the five major continents of the world. To

show that athletes at the games compete as friends, the rings are

linked. The colours, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green and

red. They were chosen for a purpose as the flag of every country has at

least one of these colours. The rings of the Olympic flag are truly

special as they unite the world.

What makes this a good paragraph?

The rings or circles on the Olympic flag have a special meaning.

The five circles stand for the five major continents of the world. To

show that athletes at the games compete as friends, the rings are

linked. The colours, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green and

red. They were chosen for a purpose as the flag of every country has at

least one of these colours. The rings of the Olympic flag are truly

special as they unite the world.

Topic sentence

The rings or circles on the Olympic flag have a special meaning.

The five circles stand for the five major continents of the world. To

show that athletes at the games compete as friends, the rings are

linked. The colours, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green and

red. They were chosen for a purpose as the flag of every country has at

least one of these colours. The rings of the Olympic flag are truly

special as they unite the world.

Supporting detail 1

The rings or circles on the Olympic flag have a special meaning.

The five circles stand for the five major continents of the world. To

show that athletes at the games compete as friends, the rings are

linked. The colours, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green and

red. They were chosen for a purpose as the flag of every country has at

least one of these colours. The rings of the Olympic flag are truly

special as they unite the world.

Supporting detail 2

The rings or circles on the Olympic flag have a special meaning.

The five circles stand for the five major continents of the world. To

show that athletes at the games compete as friends, the rings are

linked. The colours, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green

and red. They were chosen for a purpose as the flag of every country

has at least one of these colours. The rings of the Olympic flag are truly

special as they unite the world.

Supporting detail 3

The rings or circles on the Olympic flag have a special meaning.

The five circles stand for the five major continents of the world. To

show that athletes at the games compete as friends, the rings are

linked. The colours, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green and

red. They were chosen for a purpose as the flag of every country has

at least one of these colours. The rings of the Olympic flag are truly

special as they unite the world.

Supporting detail 4

The rings or circles on the Olympic flag have a special meaning.

The five circles stand for the five major continents of the world. To

show that athletes at the games compete as friends, the rings are

linked. The colours, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green and

red. They were chosen for a purpose as the flag of every country has at

least one of these colours. The rings of the Olympic flag are truly

special as they unite the world.

Concluding sentence

The rings or circles on the Olympic flag have a special meaning.

The five circles stand for the five major continents of the world. To

show that athletes at the games compete as friends, the rings are

linked. The colours, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green and

red. They were chosen for a purpose as the flag of every country has at

least one of these colours. The rings of the Olympic flag are truly

special as they unite the world.

Concluding sentence

Topic sentence

Have a look at the topic sentence and the concluding sentence. Make note of the fact that the two are supposed to be related.

How to Write a Good Paragraph

In order to write a good paragraph, you must have the following three

things:

1. A topic sentence that tells what the paragraph is going to be about.

It does not include the word because!

2. Supporting sentences that give details about the topic

o Three supporting details is the general rule

3. A concluding sentence that restates the topic sentence in a different way or summarizes the main points you have discussed

I am writing about how training to be an olympic athlete takes

every bit of strength and determination an athlete can muster. The first

recorded Olympic games took place in 776 B.C. The opening and

closing ceremonys are to important rituals of the Olympic games. My

favorite sport is the downhill skiing. Economists are skeptical about the

long term benefits of hosting an Olympics. Sometimes athletes are

charged with doping or there is a terrorist attack at Olympic events.

“Paralel Olympics” or Paralympics as they are now known, became

popular as a way to promote healing in soldiers after World War Two.

What makes this a lousy paragraph?

Training to be an Olympic athlete takes every bit of strength and

determination an athlete can muster. The first recorded Olympic games

took place in 776 B.C. The opening and closing ceremonies are two

important rituals of the Olympic games. My favorite sport is the

downhill skiing. Economists are skeptical about the long term benefits

of hosting an Olympics. Sometimes athletes are charged with doping or

there is a terrorist attack at Olympic events. “Parallel Olympics” or

Paralympics as they are now known, became popular as a way to

promote healing in soldiers after World War Two.

Have a look at the topic sentence and the concluding sentence. They are unrelated.

Training to be an Olympic athlete takes every bit of strength and

determination an athlete can muster. The first recorded Olympic games

took place in 776 B.C. The opening and closing ceremonies are two

important rituals of the Olympic games. My favorite sport is the

downhill skiing. Economists are skeptical about the long term benefits

of hosting an Olympics. Sometimes athletes are charged with doping or

there is a terrorist attack at Olympic events. “Parallel Olympics” or

Paralympics as they are now known, became popular as a way to

promote healing in soldiers after World War Two.

Supporting details are multi-topic

Practice Assignment:

According to both Facebook and Instagram’s terms of service, you need to be at least 13 years old to have a Facebook or Instagram account. Do you think this is a fair rule?

Write a paragraph that includes a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.