How to write a paragraph

Understanding Paragraph Structure

A paragraph consists of a topic sentence and support. The topic
sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. This idea unifies the
paragraph. The other sentences in the paragraph provide support.
These sentences present details, facts, and examples. At the end of the
paragraph is a final concluding sentence, a sentence that sum up the
paragraph’s main idea.
 Topic
sentences
and
controlling
ideas
*When writing a topic sentence, keep the
following in mind:
• It tells the reader the main idea of the paragraph
• Every sentence in the paragraph relates to it
• It should not be too general or too specific
(ex: Nam is a man/ Nam doesn’t like food in the canteen)
• It should not use phrases such as I am going to write about….. or This
paragraph is about …………………..
Some Paragraph Writing Genres
• Descriptive: describes a thing, a person, or a place (e.g. a descriptive
about holiday foods)
• Informative: provides the reader with information (e.g. an
informative paragraph about health treatments)
• Narrative: tells a story (e.g. a narrative paragraph about a part of
your life)
• Analytical: a written text based on the analysis of a subject (e.g. a
one- paragraph movie review)
• Comparative/contrastive: explains how two subjects are either
similar or different (e.g. a paragraph comparing two sports)
• Argumentative: presents a point of view and provides evidence for
the point of view taken (e.g. an opinion paragraph about large and
colleges)
In summary

A paragraph is a group of sentences about one main idea. Paragraphs for

school and usually have the following parts:
A topic sentence: This sentence tells the main idea of the whole paragraph.
It is usually the first or second sentence in the paragraph.
Supporting sentences: These sentences explain the main idea. They often
give examples and details
A concluding sentence: This sentence ends the paragraph. Sometimes it tells
the reader the main idea again. Some paragraphs, especially short ones, do
not have a concluding sentence.
A strong paragraph is important for good writing
Note: At the beginning of a paragraph, the writer indents the first line. This
means the line starts after five letter spaces.