Structure and development of paragraphs

Yayu Romdhonah, Ph.D

• A paragraph is a series of sentences developing one topic.
• It usually begins with a sentence that states the main idea.
This sentence is called the topic sentence. The other
sentences explain, add details, and give support to the main
idea. These sentences are called supporting sentences.
• Sometimes paragraphs also have a concluding sentence. It is
the last sentence of the paragraph.
• Proper paragraph form:
• Indent the first word of each paragraph
• Leave margins (space on both sides of the paragraph)
• Begin each sentence with a capital letter
• End each sentence with a period, question mark, or exclamation
point
• Do not start each new sentence on a new line
Understanding parts of a paragraph
• Read the model paragraph and study the
parts.
The students in the class come from many
Topic sentence
different parts of Banten Province. Some are from
Cilegon City such as Merak, Grogol, and Ciwaduk. Supporting
Others are from Pandeglang, Lebak, and sentences
Tangerang. However, the largest number of
students are from Serang area. The class is an
Concluding
interesting mix of people from many different sentence
places in Banten.

As you read the model paragraph above,

notice that every detail/sentence the author
gives is closely related to the topic.
• The paragraph may be long or short, depending upon the idea
it develops; but it must take a single point that the reader can
graps. It must stick to that point.
• The topic sentence states the one topic of a paragraph.
• It is the most general, most important sentence in the
paragraph
• In the previous paragraph, the topic sentence is the first
sentence. This sentence contains the controlling idea of the
whole paragraph; it tells the reader what the paragraph is
about.
 • EXERCISE 1. Read the following paragraph and answer the
questions

As watermelons reach horticultural maturity, the ground spot

changes from white to pale yellow, tendrils nearest the fruit may turn
brown and dry, and the fruit surface may become irregular and dull
rather than bright or glossy. Experienced harvest managers may note
that when the fruit is thumped or rapped with the knuckles, immature
fruit give off a metallic ringing sound while mature fruit will sound
dull or hollow. The most reliable method of determining maturity
within a given field is to visually examine the fruit for the changes
described above, then cut some fruit in random sectors of the field to
check flavor and internal color development. Some buyers require that
fruit have some minimum SSC which is easily measured with a
refractometer (Sackett, 1974; Rushing et al., 2000).

a. What is the topic sentence?

b. How many supporting sentences are there in the paragraph?
c. Is there a concluding sentence?
• EXERCISE 2. Choose the best topic sentence for the following
paragraph.

_______________________________________________.
For example, a person can have breakfast in New York, board
an airplane, and have dinner in Paris. A businesswoman in
London can instantly place an order with a factory in Hong
kong by sending a fax. A schoolboy in Indonesia can turn on a
TV and watch a soccer game being played in England.
Furthermore, one can make a video call from somewhere in the
world to anywhere in the world by using the internet.

a) Airplanes have changed our lives.

b) Advances technology have made the world seem smaller.
c) The fax machine was an important invention.
• EXERCISE 3. The paragraphs below contains a sentence that is
not related to the topic sentence. Find this sentence.

Crude oil is not a simple substance but a mixture of many

different kinds of liquid. These useful liquids must be
separated, and the separation process known as distillation is
the first job of the oil refinery. The process of distillation crude
oil is complicated because each liquid has its own boiling point.
Bitumen is used for road surfacing and waterproofing, while
fuel oil have a variety of uses. When crude oil is heated, some
parts of it boil and vaporise at low temperatures, others at
higher temperatures, and some will boil only when the
temperature is very high indeed.
• EXERCISE 4. The paragraphs below contains a sentence that is
not related to the topic sentence. Find this sentence.

For years, potted orchids were produced mainly for

hobbyists. Many orchid growers do not ship orchids during Winter
months to avoid chilling or freezing injury to the plants. However,
during the past decade, there has been a tremendous worldwide
booming of orchid production for sale as potted blooming plants
for the public, particularly the Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium
orchids. Potted, blooming orchids represent a $100 million
industry in the U.S. alone (USDA, 2001). Potted orchid is now a
promissing business.
The Development of a Paragraph
• Write a topic sentence
• Make a list of supporting details
• Think about the ideas on your list. Cross out any idea that
does not support your topic sentence.
• Write your list in a complete sentences
• Use the topic and supporting sentences to write a paragraph
 Packed with
vitamins and
minerals

Vegetables
and fruits are
Have lots of Contain
important
fiber part of a
carbohydrate
healthy diet.

Help fighting
diseases
• Topic sentence:
Vegetables and fruits are important part of a healthy diet.
Supporting details: Supporting sentences:
Contain vitamins and minerals Fruits and vegetables are packed with
vitamins and minerals you need to keep
your body fucntioning smoothly.
Contain carbohydrates Fruits and vegetables give carbohydrates for
energy.
Have lots of fiber Fruits and vegetables have lots of fiber to
help digestive system working properly.
Help fighting diseases Research proves that the nutrients in fruits
and vegetables can help fighting diseases.
• Concluding sentence:
If you eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you will be on a better
heatlh.
• Transitions are words that join one idea to another idea.
• Transitions add coherence to writing by joining ideas together.
• Example of transitions within a paragraph:
To many foreigner, the American word family is confusing.
Foreigners often hear an American say “My family is coming to visit.”
In this sentence, family means grandparents and perhaps other
relatives. However, at other times, the same American might say, “I’m
going to stay home with my family this weekend.” In this case, he is
talking about his wife and children. This is a much narrower meaning
than the first one. Using family in this way makes a foreigner wonder
which term really describes an American family. The answer, of course,
is that there are two meanings for the word family in the United
States—a narrow one and a brad one. And there is another term –
immediate family– to describe something in between.
Exercise 1. Circle the transitions in the paragraph. Then answer
the questions.

Life in a new country can be confusing. For

example, one day I wanted to go to the consulate to
renew my student visa. So, my aunt gave me the
consulate’s address. But when I arrived downtown, I got
lost. First, I went to a bank. A lady there told me to walk
three blocks south. Then, I walked three blocks.
However, instead going south, i went to north. I got so
lost. Finally, I asked a policeman for help. As a result,
he drove me right to the door of the consulate. From my
story, you can see that I had a hard time doing one
errand.

1. What is the topic sentence?

2. How are the supporting sentences organized?
3. What is the concluding sentence?
Organizing Information by Time
It is important to use correct prepositions to show time
relationships.
Prepositions of Time Example
Use at with specific of time at 5:00 / at 7:30 / at noon /
at midnight
Use from and to with a span of time from 6:00 to 9:00 /
from 1998 to 2002
Use in with other part of the day in the afternoon / in the morning /
in the morning (exception: at night)
Use in with months, years, seasons in September
in 2012
in the summer / in the winter
Use on with days of the week, specific on Sunday / on Friday
dates on October 10 / on October 10, 2010
• You can put the most important piece of informations first, or
you can safe it for last.
• Read the model paragraph and answer the questions.

There are several ways to learn a new language. One way

is to spend a lot of time watching television and listening to the
radio. Another way is to take classes at a language school or
university. The best way to learn a new language is to talk to
native speakers.

1. What is the topic sentence?

2. What three ways to learn a new language does the author
mention?
3. What does the author feel is the best way?
• Exercise 2. Write the paragraph using transitions from the
sample topic sentence.

• __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
____.
Exercise 3. In pairs, discuss the topic: the qualities of a good
teacher. Then, decide which supporting detail is most important.
Put a 1, 2, 3 in front of that point. Finally, write the paragraph.

Qualities of a good teacher:

_____ has knowledge of subject
_____ cares about students
_____ has ability to explain clearly

A good teacher has several important qualities. ________

____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________.
Write a paragraph about one of the following topics.
1. Smoking cigarette is a bad habit.
2. Different people spend their free time in different ways.
3. There is a lot to do in Serang City.
4. There are many reasons why students choose
Agroecotechnology as a university major.
5. My favorite food is fruit salad.
6. My favorite sport is walking.
7. Etc.