What Is The Paragraph’s

Controlling Idea?
Sentence That Expresses The Writer’s POINT Is the
Most Important Sentence in the Paragraph,

It Expresses the WHO or the WHAT the Paragraph Is

About
Understanding the Controlling Idea
Within the Paragraph

Regardless of what the controlling idea is

called, it expresses the Writer’s POINT,
and, therefore is the most important
sentence in the paragraph
 The Controlling Idea is Mobile
The Controlling Idea May Be
Located ANYWHERE in the
Paragraph
BUT

The topic sentence is USUALLY the

first sentence in the paragraph.
 What Is The Paragraph’s
Controlling Idea?
•The Controlling Idea has Three names:
- Controlling Idea whether reading or
writing
- Topic Sentence if writing

- Main Idea if reading

 Locating The Controlling Idea in the
Paragraph
•Ask the Who or What Question:

•Who or What is this paragraph about?

•Ask the POINT question:

•What is the Writer’s POINT?

 2 Required Elements of the
Topic Sentence

1. It must express or reveal the

writer’s POINT &

2. It must express or reveal the

writer’s ATTITUDE about the subject
Understanding the Topic Sentence
The Topic Sentence (The POINT) is
expressed in a way that reveals the
Writer’s opinion about the subject:

I hate ignorance and its many forms.

Writer’s opinion? Writer’s attitude?

No Attitude, No Topic Sentence
 Elements of The Paragraph:
The Supporting Sentences or Proof Sentences
Proof sentences advance the
writer’s attitude about the
subject.
 Proof Sentences Reveal

The writer’s ability to stick to his

or her point & the writer’s
ability to glue the sentences of
the paragraph together.
How The Writer Maintains A Sense of Oneness
in a Paragraph: Enter

Cohesion & Coherence

 Cohesion & Coherence:
Their Role in the Paragraph?
Cohesion or Coherence is the
writer’s ability to glue his or her
sentences, one to the other, so
that ONE unit of thought emerges
as opposed to a series of
standalone sentences
Cohesion and Coherence: What Role Do They
Play in The Paragraph?
Coherence or Cohesion is maintained by writers through the use of the
following:

- pronouns
- key words
- conjunctive adverbs or transition words or GLUE words
Cohesion

• Read Cohesion Examples

Rhetoric: What Roles Does It Play In The
Paragraph?

• What sequence of roads or X-ways did you travel to arrive at this

POINT today?

• Think then tell your neighbor.

Understanding Rhetoric

• Think of Text Patterns as the Writer’s chosen route to his or her

POINT

• Rhetoric is how the Writer drives the reader to the POINT being
expressed
 Understanding Text Patterns
Common Text Patterns
- Description - Examples
- Comparison/Contrast - Sequence
- Problem-Solution - Division & Classification
-Process Analysis - Definition
- Cause/Effect - Narration
- Argument
Understanding Rhetoric

• Sometimes the Writer Wants to use a story to prove or embellish his

or her POINT.

• This is called NARRATION.

• Narration Example
Understanding Rhetoric

• Sometimes the Writer Wants To Use EXAMPLES to prove or embellish

his or her POINT.

• This is called EXEMPLIFICATION or

• Examples
Understanding Rhetoric

• Sometimes the Writer Wants To appeal to the Reader’s senses to

prove or embellish his or her POINT.

• This is called DESCRIPTION

Understanding Rhetoric

• Sometimes the Writer Wants To Define or Describe the elements

necessary to prove or embellish his or her POINT.

• This is called DEFINITION

Understanding Rhetoric

• Sometimes the Writer Wants To Divide a subject into parts and

discuss each part to prove or embellish his or her POINT.

• This is called
• DIVISION & CLASSIFICATION
Understanding Rhetoric

• Sometimes the Writer Wants To Explain the steps in a series or

process to prove or embellish or drive the Reader to his or her point

• This is called PROCESS ANALYSIS

Understanding Rhetoric

• The Point is that RHETORIC helps BOTH the Writer and the Reader……

• The Writer: Here is how I will drive the reader to my point, how I will
embellish it, elaborate on it, or prove it
Understanding Rhetoric

• The Point is that RHETORIC helps BOTH the Writer and the Reader……

• The Reader: The rhetoric is not the POINT, merely a mechanism the
Writer is using to help me understand the POINT he or she is
expressing
 Special Function Paragraphs

•- Introduction Paragraphs
•- Transition Paragraphs
•- Extended Example Paragraphs
•- Conclusion Paragraphs
 The Role of Audience
in the Paragraph
•AUDIENCE refers to WHO needs to know
the point the Writer is expressing

•The TEACHER is never the AUDIENCE

under normal circumstances
 The Role of Purpose
In the Paragraph

PURPOSE refers to the writer’s

REASON for writing the
paragraph in the first place.
 Mobility of Topic Sentences
Topic sentences are usually the first
sentence but may be the second, third,
fourth, fifth, or last sentence

Where the topic sentence is located

depends on the writer’s purpose and
intent as he or she expresses the POINT
of the paragraph