A PARAGRAPH is a group of related sentences about a single topic.

The topic of a
paragraph is one, and only one, idea. The first word in a paragraph is moved to the right
about one-half inch. This is called indenting the first word. Also, there is blank space
down both the left and the right sides of the page. These blank spaces are called margins.
Important to be considered when writing a paragraph:
Sentence structure (how to arrange words in a sentence)
Organization (how to arrange ideas in a paragraph)
Grammar and punctuation

The shape of the paragraph:

Each paragraph that you write should have a title. A title tells the topic of the paragraph in a few
words. A title is short. It may even be one word. A title is usually not a complete sentence.
Examples:
- My Classmate
- Friendship
- My Best Friend
- How to Play American Football
- Shopping for a Used Car
Here are some rules for writing paragraphs:
1) Write the title of your paragraph on the top line.
2) Leave margins (blank spaces) of about an inch down the left and right sides of your
paper. Don't write to the edge of the page.
3) Write your full name in the upper left comer. On the next line, write the course name and
number. On the third line, write the date the assignment is due in the order
[month-day-year], with a comma after the day.
4) Skip a line, and begin writing on the third line.
5) Indent the first sentence about one-half inch from the left margin.
6) Begin each sentence at the end of the preceding one. (Don't start each new sentence on a
new line.)
7) Write on every other line. Writing on every other line leaves space for your teacher to

make corrections and write comments.

8) If a word is too long to fit at the end of a line, write the whole word on the next writing
line. Don't try to divide a long word unless you know the rules for doing so.
Your full name
The course name and number
The date the assignment is due (month-day, year)
MARGIN

The Title of the Paragraph

Indent the
first
sentence
five spaces

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Double
space
(skip a
line)

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MARGIN

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