Topic Sentence

Parts of a Paragraph

Supporting Details Closing Sentence Prewriting Paragraphs

How to Write a Paragraph

Writing Paragraphs Editing Paragraphs Publishing Paragraphs Definition Sequence Choice Explanation Evaluation

Kinds of Paragraphs

Classification Description Compare and Contrast

Topic Sentence
What is the topic sentence? The topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph. What does it do? t introduces the main idea of the paragraph. How do I write one? Summari!e the main idea of "our paragraph. ndicate to the reader what "our paragraph will be about. Example# There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. $irst% Canada has an excellent health care s"stem. &ll Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second% Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught b" well' trained teachers and are encouraged to continue stud"ing at universit". $inall"% Canada(s cities are clean and efficientl" managed. Canadian cities have man" par)s and lots of space for people to live. &s a result% Canada is a desirable place to live.

Supporting Details
What are supporting sentences? The" come after the topic sentence% ma)ing up the bod" of a paragraph. What do they do? The" give details to develop and support the main idea of the paragraph. How do I write them? *ou should give supporting facts% details% and examples. E ample! There are three reasons wh" Canada is one of the best countries in the world. "irst# Canada has an e cellent health care system. $ll Canadians ha%e access to medical ser%ices at a reasonable price. Second# Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well&trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at uni%ersity. "inally# Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities ha%e many par(s and lots of space for people to li%e. &s a result% Canada is a desirable place to live.

Closing Sentence
What is the closing sentence? The closing sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph. What does it do? t restates the main idea of "our paragraph. How do I write one? +estate the main idea of the paragraph using different words. E ample! There are three reasons wh" Canada is one of the best countries in the world. $irst% Canada has an excellent health care s"stem. &ll Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second% Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught b" well'trained teachers and are encouraged to continue stud"ing at universit". $inall"% Canada(s cities are clean and efficientl" managed. Canadian cities have man" par)s and lots of space for people to live. $s a result# Canada is a desirable place to li%e.

)rewriting )aragraphs

What is the prewriting stage? The prewriting stage is when "ou thin) carefull" and organi!e "our ideas for "our paragraph before "ou begin writing. Si )rewriting Steps! *. Thin( carefully about what you are going to write. &s) "ourself# What question am going to answer in this paragraph or essa", -ow can best answer this question, What is the most important part of m" answer, -ow can ma)e an introductor" sentence .or thesis statement/ from the most important part of m" answer, What facts or ideas can use to support m" introductor" sentence, -ow can ma)e this paragraph or essa" interesting, Do need more facts on this topic, Where can find more facts on this topic, +. ,pen your noteboo(. Write out "our answers to the above questions. *ou do not need to spend a lot of time doing this0 1ust write enough to help "ou remember wh" and how "ou are going to write "our paragraph or essa". -. Collect facts related to your paragraph or essay topic. 2oo) for and write down facts that will help "ou to answer "our question. Timesaving hint# ma)e sure the facts "ou are writing are related to the exact question "ou are going to answer in "our paragraph or essa". .. Write down your own ideas. &s) "ourself# What else do want to sa" about this topic, Wh" should people be interested in this topic, Wh" is this topic important, /. "ind the main idea of your paragraph or essay. Choose the most important point "ou are going to present. f "ou cannot decide which point is the most important% 1ust choose one point and stic) to it throughout "our paragraph or essa". 0. ,rgani1e your facts and ideas in a way that de%elops your main idea. 3nce "ou have chosen the most important point of "our paragraph or essa"% "ou must find the best wa" to tell "our reader about it. 2oo) at the facts "ou have written. 2oo) at "our own ideas on the topic. Decide which facts and ideas will best support the main idea of "our paragraph. 3nce "ou have chosen the facts and ideas "ou plan to use% as) "ourself which order to put them in the paragraph. Write down "our own note set that "ou can use to guide "ourself as "ou write "our paragraph or essa".

Writing )aragraphs
What is the writing stage? The writing stage is when "ou turn "our ideas into sentences. "i%e Writing Steps!

4. 3pen "our noteboo) and word processor. 5. Write the topic sentence% supporting sentences% and closing sentence. 6. Write clear and simple sentences to express "our meaning. 7. $ocus on the main idea of "our paragraph. 8. 9se the dictionar" to help "ou find additional words to express "our ideas.

Editing )aragraphs
What is the editing stage? The editing stage is when "ou chec) "our paragraph for mista)es and correct them. 2rammar and Spelling 4. Chec) "our spelling. 5. Chec) "our grammar. 6. +ead "our essa" again. 7. :a)e sure each sentence has a sub1ect. 8. See if "our sub1ects and verbs agree with each other. ;. Chec) the verb tenses of each sentence. <. :a)e sure that each sentence ma)es sense. Style and ,rgani1ation 4. :a)e sure "our paragraph has a topic sentence. 5. :a)e sure "our supporting sentences focus on the main idea. 6. :a)e sure "ou have a closing sentence. 7. Chec) that all "our sentences focus on the main idea. 8. See if "our paragraph is interesting.

)ublishing )aragraphs
What is the publishing stage? The publishing stage is when "ou produce a final cop" of "our paragraph to hand in. Three )ublishing Steps! 4. :a)e a paper cop" of "our paragraph. 5. Show "our wor) to "our teacher% tutor% or parents. 6. &s) them for hints on how to improve "our writing.

Definition )aragraph

When writing a definition paragraph% "ou ta)e a thing or an idea and explain what it is. Example# Write a paragraph giving the definition of a pest. The following words can help you to write a good definition paragraph! *. 3is defined as3 Example# & pest is defined as an" animal or plant that damages crops% forests% or propert".

+. 3is a (ind of3 Example# & pest is a (ind of animal or plant that damages crops% forests% or propert".

Classification )aragraph
When writing a classification paragraph% "ou group things or ideas into specific categories. Example# Write a paragraph discussing two t"pes of energ" resources.

The following words can help you to write a good classification paragraph! Helper Words! is a )ind of can be divided into is a t"pe of falls under belongs to is a part of fits into is grouped with is related to is associated with

Description )aragraph

n a description paragraph% "ou are writing about what a person% place% or thing is li)e. Sometimes% "ou ma" describe where a place is located. Examples# Write a paragraph describing what a polar bear loo)s li)e. Describe where Canada(s industr" is located. The following words can help you to write a good description paragraph! Helper Words! Properties si!e colour shape purpose :easurement length width mass=weight speed &nalog" is li)e resembles 2ocation in above below beside near north=east=south=west

Compare and Contrast )aragraph

n a compare and contrast paragraph% "ou write about the similarities and differences between two or more people% places% things% or ideas. Example# Write a paragraph comparing the weather in >ancouver and -alifax. The following words can help you to write a good compare and contrast paragraph! Helper Words! Similarities is similar to both also too as well Differences the other hand however but in contrast differs from while unli)e

Se4uence )aragraph
n a sequencing paragraph% "ou are writing to describe a series of events or a process in some sort of order. 9suall"% this order is based on time. Example# Write a paragraph outlining how a person becomes the prime minister. The following words can help you to write a good se4uence paragraph. Helper Words! ,rder first% second% third% etc. in the beginning before then after finall" at last subsequentl" Time recentl" previousl" afterwards when after

Choice )aragraph
n a paragraph where "ou have to ma)e a choice% "ou need to choose which ob1ect% idea% or action that "ou prefer. 3ften% "ou will need to give "our opinion on a choice of actions or events. Example# Write a paragraph stating whether "ou would prefer to pla" hoc)e" or lacrosse.

The following words can help you to write a good choice paragraph! Helper Words! )oint of 5iew in m" opinion belief idea understanding )ersonal ,pinion li)e=disli)e hope feel

thin) that consider believe it seems to me prefer

E planation )aragraph
n an explanation paragraph% "ou need to explain how or wh" something happens. >er" often in social studies class% "ou will be as)ed to explore causes and effects of certain events. Example# Write a paragraph explaining wh" so man" Europeans moved to Canada during the nineteenth centur". The following words can help you to write a good e planation paragraph! Helper Words! Cause because since as a result of is due to Effect therefore thus consequentl" hence it follows that if . . . then

E%aluation )aragraph
n an evaluation paragraph% "ou ma)e 1udgments about people% ideas% and possible actions. *ou need to ma)e "our evaluation based on certain criteria that "ou develop. n the paragraph% "ou will state "our evaluation or recommendation and then support it b" referring to "our criteria. Example# Write a paragraph evaluating whether pesticides should be used on farms. The following words can help you to write a good e%aluation paragraph! Helper Words

Criteria for E%aluation good = bad correct = incorrect moral = immoral right = wrong important = trivial

6ecommendation suggest recommend advise argue

The Topic Sentence The topic of a paragraph is usually introduced in a sentence; this sentence is called the topic sentence. However, the topic sentence can do more than introducing the subject of the paragraph. A good topic sentence also serves to state an idea or an attitude about the topic. This idea or attitude about the topic is called the controlling idea; it controls what the sentences in the paragraph will discuss. All sentences in the paragraph should relate to and develop the controlling idea. To illustrate, look at the following topic sentence to identify the topic and the controlling idea: Smoking cigarettes can be an expensive habit. n this sentence, the topic is the habit of smoking cigarettes; the controlling idea is that smoking can be e!pensive. A paragraph that develops this topic sentence should demonstrate that smoking cigarettes can indeed be an e!pensive habit. "eread the paragraph given above on smoking cigarettes and see if it develops the idea of e!pensive. #f course, there are many other controlling ideas one could have about the topic of smoking cigarettes. ndeed, one of the most popular is that smoking is ha$ardous to health. Improving the Topic sentence As indicated, a topic sentence introduces the topic and the controlling idea about the topic. However, it is not enough merely to have a topic and a controlling idea. The controlling idea should be clear and focused on a particular aspect. %or e!ample, consider the following topic sentence: Drinking coffee is bad. This sentence has a topic&drinking coffee& and a controlling idea&bad& but they are vague. n what way is coffee bad' %or whom or what is bad' s drinking a little coffee is bad or a lot of coffee bad' As one see, this topic sentence opens a lot of

(uestions that probably can not be answered effectively in one paragraph. The sentence needs more focus, and that focus can come from the controlling idea: Drinking over four cups of coffee a day can be harmful.' n this version, the topic sentence itself is narrowed down some more and the controlling idea is more precise. Formulating the Topic sentence #nce one have selected a manageable topic, one need to e!amine the topic more closely to determine ones feelings or attitude about it. To decide on the controlling idea and what one want to say about a topic, begin by using one or more of the pre&writing techni(ues for generating ideas one learned in the first article, )how to generate ideas.) %or e!ample, one is asked to write about a place in one*s country and one narrows that broad topic down to a certain resort. The following is one e!ample of a brainstorm on the topic. Topic: Gilgit "esort +otes: ,rystal ,lear water lakes, -orgeous mountains, Tourists swarming every place, new hotels cropping up every year; growing tourist shops. "esort provides many jobs, brings in ./ million in the revenue from tourists, has attracted some new companies to the city. #f course, the list could be e!panded. #nce one has brainstormed one*s ideas, look through the list for something striking. %or e!ample, one might reali$e that the resort has provided economic benefits to the local area. #r one might find that one wants to write about the beauty of the resort area. +ow formulate a topic sentence from one*s ideas and support the topic sentence with the supporting statements. Unity 0ach sentence within a paragraph should relate to the topic and develop the controlling idea. f any sentence does not relate to or develop that area, it is irrelevant and should be omitted from the paragraph. ,onsider the topic sentence discussed earlier in this article. 1moking cigarettes can be an e!pensive habit.

f a sentence in this paragraph had discussed how annoying it is to watch someone blow smoke rings, that sentence would have been out of place, since it does not discuss the e!pense of smoking. A paragraph that has sentences that do not relate to or discuss the controlling idea lacks unity. Coherence 2e have seen that a paragraph must have a topic sentence and a controlling idea, support and unity. Another element that a paragraph needs is coherence. A coherent paragraph contains sentences which are logically arranged and that flow smoothly. 3ogical arrangements refer to the order of one*s sentences and ideas. There are various ways to order one*s sentences, depending on one*s purpose. %or e!ample, if one want to describe what happens in a movie&that is, the plot& one*s sentences would follow the se(uence of the action in the movie, from beginning to the end. A paragraph can be incoherent even when the principle for ordering the ideas is logical. 1ometimes, as we are writing we remember something that we wanted to say earlier and include it as we write. 4nfortunately this sentence ends up out of place. 1mooth flow refers to how well one idea or sentence leads into another. 1mooth flow can be achieved through sentence combining and through the use of certain e!pressions, called transitions that provide the link between ideas. 1ome transitional e!pressions are: for e!ample, to begin with, in contrast, however and also; there are many others too. f the sentences are not logically arranged or if they do not connect with each other smoothly, the paragraph is incoherent.