PARAGRAPH WRITING

A paragraph is a group

of sentences that tells

about one subject

or area and develops

an idea.

A topic sentence is the most general statement in

a paragraph because it gives the main idea of the

paragraph. You might think of it as a signpost for

readers. They can see what the paragraph is

going to discuss and, therefore, is better prepared

to understand it. Topic sentences usually appear

at the very beginning of paragraphs.

When you write a topic sentence, always

remember to include TWO following parts:

A topic and a controlling idea.

Supporting sentences are the sentences which specify the

controlling idea expressed in the topic sentence.

Supporting sentences construct the body of a paragraph;

therefore, if the paragraph does not have effective

supporting sentences, the meaning of the paragraph may

collapse. Readers may find it confusing to follow the

author's ideas. Effective supporting sentences often provide

detailed information about the topic sentence. In other

words, they will provide readers with the answers to the

questions - Who, What, Where, When, Why and How - to

support the main idea of the paragraph.

Supporting details give more information, statistics,

explanations, or examples to the supporting sentences and

help readers have a clearer picture of the idea development

in the paragraph.

:

A concluding sentence is the sentence that signals the end of a

paragraph. It tells readers that the writer has completed what she/he

wants to express and leaves in the readers’ minds a final general

statement of the paragraph's main idea. In other words, the concluding

sentence is a reminder of the important points mentioned in the

paragraph. It can restate the topic sentence in a different way. You

might think of it as a paraphrase of the topic sentence.

Concluding Sentence

Example:

A Note on Formality

Sevde Nur Küçükler