Paragraph Organization: An Overview

Paragraph Organization
An overview
What is a paragraph
 A group of related sentences
 Develop only one main idea
 Made up of 1-10 sentences
 Long enough to clearly develop the main
idea
 3 major structural parts
 A topic sentence
 Supporting sentences
 A concluding sentence
Topic sentence
 State the main idea of the paragraph
 Name the topic of the paragraph
 Limit the topic to specific areas to be
covered in a single paragraph
 Is consisted of two parts
 A subject
 A controlling idea
 Ex: Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two
important characteristics.
Supporting Sentences
 To develop/explain the topic sentence
 Give reasons, examples, facts, statistics, and
quotations
Example:
 First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is
resistant to corrosion. (reason)
 Another important characteristic of gold is its
usefulness to industry and science. (example)
 The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits.
(fact)
Concluding Sentence
 Signals the end of a paragraph

 Leaves the reader with important
points to remember
Unity
 Discuss only one main idea in a

paragraph
 Main idea stated in the topic sentence
 Supporting sentences develop the
main idea
Coherence
 Paragraph is easy to read and

understand
 Supporting sentences in logical order
 Ideas connected by appropriate
transitional signals
 Useful phrases
First of all, for example, another
important characteristic, in conclusion
Elements of a good paragraph
 A topic sentence
 Supporting sentences
 A concluding sentence
 Unity
 Coherence
The Topic Sentence
 States the topic and the controlling

idea of the paragraph
 Is a complete sentence
 Usually the first sentence in the
paragraph
 Indicate what the paragraph is going to
discuss
The Topic Sentence
 A complete sentence
(S+V+complemement)
 Non-examples
1. Driving on freeways
2. The importance of gold
3. How to register for college classes
Position of Topic Sentence
 The first or the last sentence in a

paragraph
 The first and the last sentence in a
paragraph
 Sandwich-style paragraph
1. Long paragraph
2. Second topic sentence is the
concluding sentence
The Topic Sentence
 A topic + a controlling idea

Example:
1. Driving on freeways requires skills and
alertness
2. Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two
important characteristics
3. Registering for college classes can be a
frustrating experience for new students.
The Topic Sentence-Tips
 A general statement
 Not give any specific details
 Not to include too many unrelated ideas in
your topic sentence
Example
1. The slang expression so long is probably a
corruption of the Arabic salaam.
2. English is a difficult language to learn.
3. The Arabic origin of many English words is
not always obvious.
The Topic Sentence
Example
1. American food is terrible.
2. American food is tasteless and greasy
because Americans use too many
canned, frozen, and prepackaged
foods and because everything is fried
in oil or butter.
3. American food is tasteless and greasy.
The Topic Sentence
 San Francisco is famous for its

temperate climate, its many tourist
attractions and its cosmopolitan
atmosphere.
 Facts:
Traditional American family relationships have
changed greatly in the last thirty years.
1. X out of x marriages end in divorce
2. X out of x children live in homes with only

one parent
3. X percent of couples living together are not
legally married.
Examples:
Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world.
1. Cost of a dinner at a medium-priced
restaurant
2. Rent for an average two-bedroom
apartment
3. Cost of a ride on public transportation
4. Cost of a medium-priced hotel room

The Concluding Sentence
 To tell the readers that the paragraph is finished
 Is a general statement
 Remind the reader of the topic sentence
 How to do it
1. State the topic sentence in different words
2. Summarize some (or all) of the main points in the
paragraph
 Useful end-of-paragraph signals
Finally, In conclusion, In summary, Therefore, thus,
As a result, Indeed, In brief, In short
The Concluding Sentence
 Examples
1. Synonyms, words that have the same basic meaning,
do not always have the same emotional meaning.
Therefore, you should be careful in choosing words
because many so-called synonyms are not really
synonymous at all.
2. Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important
characteristics.
In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its
beauty but also for its utility.

Paragraph Organization: An Overview

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Paragraph Organization

 Signals the end of a paragraph

 Discuss only one main idea in a

 Paragraph is easy to read and

 States the topic and the controlling

 The first or the last sentence in a

 A topic + a controlling idea

 San Francisco is famous for its

2. X out of x children live in homes with only

4. Cost of a medium-priced hotel room

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