The parts of a paragraph

In academic writing

A paragraph is a small unit of writing that

new paragraph. A paragraph generally has three parts:

focuses on one idea. This one idea is explained and developed in the paragraph. The first line of each paragraph is indented. The indentation signals the beginning of a a topic sentence support a conclusion.

SAMPLE
Parents can help their children be successful in school by encouraging them. Children usually enjoy playing games instead of studying their boring lessons, so parents have to take the responsibility to monitor their studying and to remind them to do their homework at home after school. Parents should also encourage their children to study by buying story books with pictures, or they can buy text books or tapes that help children learn to spell or read. The best way to encourage children to study efficiently is to reward them when they get an "A." As a child, I experienced this. My parents gave me a gift if I had studied well, and then I was very excited. So. if parents really want their children to succeed in school. they need to pay attention to their children's studies and encourage them. * -Truong Dinh

The Topic Sentence

The topic sentence is the main-idea sentence. It is the most general and most important sentence of the paragraph. It tells the following: the topic - what the paragraph is about the controlling idea - the writer's attitude or idea about the topic

The controlling idea

is a word or phrase that focuses or controls the information in the rest of the paragraph. The reader can ask questions about the controlling idea and expect to have

them answered in the paragraph

Analyze
In the paragraph above, the topic sentence is the following: Parents can help their children be successful in school by encouraging them. The topic of the sentence is how parents can help children succeed in school; the controlling idea is encouraging. The reader might ask the following questions and expect the paragraph to answer them: How can parents encourage their children? What specific things should parents do to encourage their children? How will this encouragement lead to success?

Support
The support in a paragraph explains or develops the topic sentence. The supporting part can be narratives, details, facts,

examples, explanation, or statistics. All of the support relates to the main idea stated in the
topic sentence and shows why the topic sentence is true.

Here is a brief list of the support

Topic Sentence:
Parents can help their children be successful in school by encouraging them.

Support:

1.

Parents can encourage children by reminding them to do their homework. Parents can encourage children by buying them books and tapes to help them learn. Parents can encourage children by rewarding them.

2.
3.

Conclusion
The conclusion of a paragraph summarizes or comments on the main idea. In a one-paragraph composition, the conclusion is one or two sentences. Often, the concluding sentences close the paragraph by

returning to the main idea of the paragraph. They do this by repeating a key word or phrase from the topic
sentence

Conclusion

Topic Sentence: Parents can help their children be successful in school by encouraging them. Concluding Sentence: So, if parents really want their children to succeed in school, they need to pay attention to their children's studies and encourage them.

Reminder
Sometimes in the concluding sentences, the writer does

not use the exact key words from the topic sentence but rephrases them, using other words that mean the
same thing. This gives some variety to the paragraph. Notice how the key words in the topic sentence above could be rephrased: Concluding Sentence: Parents who want their children to do their best in school must support and pay attention to them. In this concluding sentence, do their best means the same as succeed and support means the same as encourage.

The paragraph is a series of

sentences developing topic.

one

The Topic Sentence

The

topic of a paragraph is stated in one sentence. This is called the topic sentence.

The rest of the paragraph consists of sentences that develop or explain the main idea.

Through the centuries rats have managed to survive all our efforts to destroy them. We have poisoned them and trapped them. We have fumigated, flooded, and burned them. We have tried germ warfare. Some rats even survived atomic bomb tests conducted on Entwetok atoll in the Pacific after World War II. In spite of all our efforts, these enemies of ours continue to prove that they are the most

Developing a Paragraph

Unity in the Paragraph

Every sentence in a paragraph should support the main idea expressed in the topic sentence.

The concluding or clincher sentence

Restate the topic sentence in different words. A clincher sentence or concluding sentence clinches the point made in the paragraph. It summarizes the paragraph.

Coherence in a Paragraph

Stick to the point: The ideas have a clear and logical relation to each other.
Put details or examples or incidents in logical order.

4 3 2 1

chronological in relation to each other in order of importance

Connecting Sentences Within the Paragraph

chronological order first meanwhile Transition words objects in relation to one another next to in front of in order of importance however furthermore

later
afterwards finally

beside
between behind

as a result
in fact yet

Types of Paragraphs

The narrative paragraph

tells a story
tries to convince the audience describes something

The persuasive paragraph.

The descriptive paragraph

The expository or explanatory paragraph

gives information or explains something

The End

The this presentation was created by Hai Jim, an English teacher from HEC-VN006, HNU, who gives us permission to use this material. Hai Nguyen majored in English at the University of Sydney.