PARAGRAPH
STRUCTURE
THE PARAGRAPH…
• Stephen King maintains
that the paragraph is the
basic unit of writing. He
said,
• “I would argue that the
paragraph, not the sentence,
is the basic unit of writing—
• the place where coherence
begins, and words stand a
chance of becoming more
than mere words.”
WHAT IS A
PARAGRAPH?
A paragraph is a collection of
related sentences dealing
with a single topic.
EFFECTIVE
PARAGRAPHS
• To be as effective as possible,
a paragraph should contain
each of the following:
• A Topic Sentence
• Unity
• Adequate Development
THE TOPIC SENTENCE
A topic sentence is a
sentence that indicates in
a general way what idea
or thesis the paragraph is
going to deal with.
It comes at the beginning
of the paragraph.**
[Link]
UNITY
The entire paragraph should
concern itself with a single
focus.
If it begins with one focus or /paragraph_hamburger
major point of discussion, it [Link]
should not end with another
or wander within different
ideas.
THE TOPIC SENTENCE…
• Needs to be:
• Clear
• Specific
• Well focused
[Link]
FORMULA
• A topic sentence = a
limited topic + a specific
feeling or thought or
Example:
assertion about that
topic.
Technology(limited
topic) is making people
lazy(a specific thought
about the topic)
PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT
Compare and contrast…
or evaluate causes and reasons…
or examine effects and
consequences…
or analyze the topic…
[Link]
_success/paragraph-examples/ or describe the topic..
or offer a chronology of an event.
A topic sentence states the main
point of your paragraph. It typically
appears at the beginning of the
paragraph.
A topic sentence has two parts:
TOPIC (SUBJECT) + MAIN IDEA
(FOCUS)
IMPORTANT
POINTS! Your topic sentence should NOT be
a fact. It should state an idea that
can be developed by reasons and
examples and details.
You should be able to illustrate your
point in a single paragraph—you’re
not writing a book.
DIAGNOSTIC EXERCISES
EXAMPLE 1
Today we rely on technology
for carrying our everyday work. It
has become an integral part of
our way of life. The whole
civilization has become
dependent on modern
technology that it uses. Minus the
technology, life and business
would come to a standstill.
Technology is helpful to
civilization, but it must be used
with necessary caution.
What is the topic sentence? Underline it with
a different color.
EXAMPLE 2
No matter what you do, there are only 24 hours in a day. To be successful
at university, students need to have good time-management skills. The first skill
is not taking on more than you can handle. If you have a part-time job, have
a family or are involved in a community organization, then taking a full
course-load at university will be too much. Another time management skill is
reasonably estimating the time required to perform each of the tasks. For
example, reading a chapter from a course text cannot be completed in
between television programs. Finally, actually doing what needs to be done
seems obvious, but is sometimes difficult. You may find that cleaning out your
room becomes vital when you are avoiding study. Procrastination is a time
manager's enemy. By learning time management skills, your university study
will be successful and most importantly enjoyable.
What is the topic sentence? Underline it with a different color.
DIAGNOSTIC EXERCISE
• Choose one of the following topics.
• Create a topic sentence for the selected topic.
• Gather information for a possible paragraph about it.
(You must not write the paragraph, only ideas)
• Decide your audience, purpose and type of paragraph.
TOPICS:
• 1. Learning English.
• 2. The World of Tomorrow
• 3. My predictions for the world 10 years from now.
• 4. My last vacations.
THANK YOU!