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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.
A topic sentence usually comes at the beginning ofa paragraph; that is, it is usually the first sentencein a formal academic paragraph. (Sometimes thisis not true, but as you practice writing with thisonline lesson site, please keep to this rule unlessyou are instructed otherwise.) Not only is a topicsentence the first sentence of a paragraph, but,more importantly, it is the most general sentencein a paragraph. What does "most general"mean? It means that there are not many details inthe sentence, but that the sentence introduces anoverall idea that you want to discuss later in theparagraph.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The main idea of a paragraph tells the reader what
the paragraph is mostly about. All of the other
sentences are details that tell more about the main
idea. Sometimes the title or subtitle tells the main
idea. Other times, the first or last sentence in the
passage reveals the main thought. Sometimes, the
main idea is not written explicitly but is only
suggested. It can also be expressed in two
sentences.
Look for the main idea in the first sentence. For example, read the paragraph:
"Jake's family went on a camping trip. They went to a park by the ocean. They rode their bikes around the park and cooked their food over a fire outside. They saw some deer. They came home Sunday afternoon.“
The main idea in this paragraph is the first sentence: Jake's family went on a camping trip. All of the other sentences give details that tell more about the main idea, the camping trip.
Review the title for a main idea. Review the paragraph below, titled, "Keep Your Teeth Happy":
"Brush your teeth two times every day. Use floss on your teeth before you go to bed. Avoid eating things that stick to your teeth, like candy and syrup. Eat vegetables and fruits that don't cause cavities."
In this paragraph, the title, "Keep Your Teeth Happy," contains the main idea. All of the other sentences give more information about that main thought.
Study the last sentence for the main idea. For example, read the paragraph:
"Porpoises live in the earth's oceans and sometimes in bays and rivers near oceans. Porpoises are mammals. Their babies get their food from their mother's body. These animal live in the water, but they must come up for air. Porpoises are very interesting animals."
The main idea in this paragraph is the last sentence: Porpoises are very interesting animals. All of the other sentences give information about why these animals are interesting.
Review the material and think about whether the main idea is suggested but not written. For example, read the paragraph:
"Hummingbirds love pink or red flowers. They guard their favorite flowers and try to keep other birds away. They fight one another for food. Their wings make a whirring sound when the birds hover over flowers sipping nectar. The tiny birds fly long distances to go to a warmer climate for the winter. They make their tiny nests in shrubs or small trees."
The main idea in this paragraph is that hummingbirds are interesting birds. All of the sentences in the paragraph are details that give facts about that main idea, though the text does not explicitly say it.
Look for a main idea that is expressed in two sentences. For example, read the paragraph:
"Eva wanted to surprise Cindy on her birthday. She decided to plan a picnic for her sister. She made two sandwiches and put them in a bag. Then she put some cookies and bottles of water in the bag. When she told Cindy about the surprise, Cindy gave her sister a big hug. Then the girls walked to the park."
The main idea in this paragraph is in the first two sentences: Eva decided to plan a picnic to surprise her sister on her birthday. The other sentences in the paragraph give more information about the main idea.
Juan loves to play games. His favorite game is chess because it requires a great deal of thought. Juan also likes to play less demanding board games that are based mostly on luck. He prefers Monopoly because it requires luck and skill. If he’s alone, Juan likes to play action video games as long as they aren’t too violent. What is the main idea of this paragraph?
a. Juan dislikes violence.b. Juan likes to think.c. Juan enjoys Monopoly.d. Juan enjoys playing games.
Maria is watching too much television. A toddler shouldn’t be spending hours staring blankly at a screen. Worse yet, some of her wild behavior has been inspired by those awful cartoons she watches. We need to spend more time reading books with her and pull the plug on the TV! What is the main idea of this paragraph?
a. Watching a lot of television isn’t good for Maria.b. Books are good.c. All cartoons are bad.d. Some cartoons are bad for Maria.
Samantha, I can’t eat or sleep when you are gone. I
need to hear your scratchy voice and see your
lovely toothless smile. I miss that special way that
you eat soup with your fingers. Please come home
soon! What is the main idea of this paragraph?
a. Samantha, you have bad manners.
b. Samantha, you should see a dentist.
c. Samantha, I miss you.
d. Samantha, I have lost my appetite.
Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants. They will look and behave much like real humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind. Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier. Which sentence from the paragraph expresses the main idea?
a. Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants.b. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind.c. They will look and behave much like real humans.d. Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience.
QUESTION
