Effective Paragraph Writing

2.1 A paragraph

A paragraph is a group of sentences dealing with a single topic or idea. Usually, it is made up of
a topic sentence, the supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.

 A topic sentence is a general statement that expresses the main idea of a paragraph. It can
appear at the beginning, middle or at the end position but it is usually best to place it at
the beginning of a paragraph so that your readers will know immediately what the
paragraph is all about. Without the use of a topic sentence, developing a paragraph can be
extremely difficult.

 The supporting sentences are sentences that explain or develop what is stated in the topic
sentence. Each supporting sentence should provide additional information about the idea
stated in the topic sentence. Here are some ways you can develop and support your topic:
Use examples; give data (facts, statistics, percentages, data from research, etc.); tell a
story illustrating the idea; compare and contrast and so forth.

 A concluding sentence is a sentence that states a conclusion related to the main idea. It
can also bring the paragraph to a close. In some paragraphs a concluding sentence is not
needed.

Generally, a good way to think of a paragraph and how it is structured is like a sandwich. The
topic sentence is the top layer of bread, the concluding sentence is the bottom layer, and all of the
developing details in-between are the meat and other goods of the sandwich.
Activity 1

Locating general (topic) and specific (supporting) sentences

Direction: Look at the pairs of sentences below. Each pair could be included in a single
paragraph. In the space provided at the left of each sentence, indicate which sentence of the
pair is general (G) and which is specific(S).

1. a ______ Radiation can be harmful to pregnant women.

b ______ One effect of radiation on unborn children is brain damage.

2. a ______ Dertogada is an Amharic novel by Yismake Worku.

b ______ Yismake Worku often writes Amharic novels.

3. a ______ My bedroom is very cozy.

b ______ It is a small room with thick carpeting and light bulb walls.

4. a ______ There are three reasons why Canada is the best countries in the world.

b ______ First, Canada has an excellent health care system. Second, it has a high standard
of education.

5. a ______ Students drop out of university for many reasons.

b ______ Some students, for one thing, are not really want to be in university and lack the
desire to do the work. When exams come up, these students won’t do the required
studying.

6. a ______ First, there are her physical attributes. She is long-legged.

b ______ Feven is destined to an excellent long-distance runner.

Activity 2

Direction: After you read the following paragraph, identify the topic sentence, supporting
sentences and a concluding sentence if possible. Then, write your answer on the space
provided.

Text A

Chocolate has been shown to improve cardiovascular health. Cocoa, from which chocolate is
made, contains flavonoids. The main flavonoids present in cocoa have been shown to relax
blood vessels and lower blood pressure (Stresing 2004). When blood pressure is lowered, there
is a reduced risk of health problems such as stroke and coronary heart disease. A study
(Taubert et al. 2007) into the body’s response to the low consumption of cocoa found that
these health benefits are comparable to those achieved through the use of conventional blood
pressure medicine. Therefore, research indicates that small amounts of chocolate can indeed
offer heart health benefits.

1. Topic sentence:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____

2. The supporting sentences:

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
__________
3. A concluding sentence:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____

Activity 3

Direction: The topic sentences have been omitted from the paragraphs below. Read each
paragraph carefully. Then, try to discover what questions the specific sentence is answering.
Next, in the space provided, write the missing topic sentence that would connect all of the
specific sentences. One has been done to help you,

1.
___________________________________________________________________________.

A lucky prisoner might have a room with windows and wooden floor and a small garden
outside. Such a prisoner might also have a bed, stool and some cooking posts in the room.
Most prisoners slept on blankets or straw on dirt floor in a bare, windowless cell.

Topic sentence: There are unequal degrees of living in a prison.

2.
___________________________________________________________________________.

Some of the fans said they went to games because they felt it would help their team to win the
series. Others considered going to all games is more exciting than watching them on TV. A
few felt that purchasing tickets to football games would ensure the financial success of the
game and, thus, its continuance. And a very small number explained that going to football
games was strictly a social occasion.

Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________________.
3.
___________________________________________________________________________.

The boy learns to be a man, a husband, and a father mainly through having lived in a family
where there is an adult make figure. The girl learns how to define woman, wife, and more
according to patterns she notes in the female adult closest to her when she is a child.

Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________________.

4.
___________________________________________________________________________.

Gondar and Harar raise sorghum and Bale raises barely. No doubt agricultural scientists could
raise barely in Gondar, and possibly the earth in Bale could be made to yield some sorghum.
This would certainly be a hard and very expensive way to get our sorghum and barely.

Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________________.

5.
___________________________________________________________________________.

He knew exactly how to turn the car when a sharp curve appeared on the track. The breaks
could be applied smoothly by him even at the fastest speeds. He was unafraid of others cars
gaining speed behind him. His body was tense, but his concentration was excellent.

Topic sentence:
_______________________________________________________________.
 Activity 4

Direction: Find the position of the topic sentence in the following paragraphs and underline it.

1. Babies can now be examined before they are born. This is done with an instrument which
allows doctors to see a baby while it is still in the mother. Such examination before birth may
eventually decrease the number of children who die in their first year of life.

2. Have you noticed that people are more eager these days to get into movie theaters than into
libraries? And have you noticed that the TV Guide has replaced Pilgrim’s Progress in the
honored spot beside the family Bible? It seems that movies and television are replacing books
as sources of entertainment and information. Perhaps the reason is that watching the action of
a story is much more convenient than reading the story and imagining the action. Also the
variety of programs on television today, including comedy, drama, documentaries, and nature
films, provide much of the information that once could be found only in books.

3. Warmth from the old gas heater penetrates the living room as Grandmamma and I sit in our
flannel gowns and talk about everything we can think of. To warm us on the inside, we drink
hot cocoa and eat fresh baked tea cakes. The sounds of our rocking chairs keep time with the
music of the rain drizzling on the tin roof. When we finally decide to go to bed, we hurry
across the cold floor on our bare feet and climb into the bed, already warmed by electric
blanket. There we spend the night in deep, peaceful sleep. Grand mamma’s house is the
perfect place to spend a rainy winter night.

2.2 What qualities does an effective paragraph have?

In general, in order for a paragraph to be effective, it must meet certain requirements. It must
discuss one topic only, it must adopt an order, and it must provide enough supporting details so
that the point of the paragraph is clearly communicated to an audience. In other words, it must
have unity, coherence, and completeness.

2.2.1 Unity
Paragraph unity means that one paragraph is about only one main topic. That is, all the sentences
must tell the reader about one main topic. If your paragraph contains a sentence or some
sentences that are not related to the main topic, then we say that the paragraph "lacks unity," or
that the sentence is "off topic". To check a paragraph for unity, ask yourself the following
question:

(a) Do all of the sentences on target in support of the idea expressed in the topic sentence?

Sample Paragraph

Olympic Games provide an outlet for competition. Friendly competition among many countries
occurs around the world. Regardless of each country’s financial situation, the competition is in
the field of sports and not in politics. It provides to people who have trained very hard a form or
basis of comparison to others around the world, giving these competitors the opportunity to find
out if they are the very best.

 In the sample paragraph above, the topic sentence is about how the Olympic Games
provide an outlet for competition, and all the sentences stick to that idea.

Activity 5

Direction: Each of the following paragraphs contains one sentence that does not belong to the
topic for that paragraph. Identify this sentence and write it in the space provided.

1. Leouk is my student. He is from Tigray and speaks Tigregna. Mekelle is the capital of
Tigray. Leouk is tall and pretty. He smiles a lot and is an exceptional student.

Answer:
______________________________________________________________________

2. My mother is a businesswoman. Every day she has breakfast with her family and then goes
to work. She has brown eyes and curly brown hair. She works in her office all morning and
then usually has lunch at a restaurant. She works until 5:00 in the afternoon and then comes
 home. She is happy to be at home at the end of a busy day.

Answer:
______________________________________________________________________

3. My composition class is in an old building. The classroom walls are white and the desks and
chairs are brown. There are large windows in one wall. The chalkboard is in the front of the
room near the door. My composition class is difficult and I do not like to write compositions.
The room is cool in warm weather and warm in winter. I like my classroom.

Answer:
______________________________________________________________________

2.2.2 Coherence

Paragraph coherence means that all the ideas in a paragraph “hold together". It is the logical or
sequential arrangements of ideas. When the supporting information of a paragraph is logically
organized and smoothly connected, the paragraph has coherence. To check a paragraph for
coherence, ask yourself the following questions:

(a) Does the paragraph have a clear method of organization?

(b) Are transitions and other connecting words used to tie together the paragraph?

Generally, there are a number of ways to achieve coherence: through use of transitions, pronouns,
and repetition of key words.

Transitional expressions
Transitions are signal words that help the readers follow the direction of the writer’s thought.
They show the relationship between ideas, connecting one thought with the next. They can be
compared to signs on the road that guide travelers. Here are the most commonly used transitional
expressions:

Signals Words

Addition also, in addition, moreover, furthermore, and, besides, further

Example for example, for instance, as an illustration, namely, specifically

Contrast but, yet, however, nevertheless, on the other hand, conversely, in contrast,
on the contrary, although, despite, in spite of, though, even though

Comparison similarly, likewise, in the same way, in comparison,

Result therefore, for this reason, so, as a result, consequently, thus, accordingly

due to this,

Summary in brief, in summary, in conclusion, in general, generally, to sum up,

finally, on the whole

Time first, firstly, second, secondly, third, fourth, next, then, finally, afterwards

before, soon, later, during, meanwhile, immediately, subsequently,

currently, in the future

Place in the front, in the back, at the side, adjacent, nearby, in the distance,

here, there, on the left, on the right, above, below, farther, next

Sample Paragraph
Drug addiction is a serious health issue that affects addicts, their families and society. First of all,
drug addiction has severe physical effects on the addict's body. Drug users can experience many
physical symptoms including sickness, fevers, sweats and shakes, loss of appetite, and weight
loss. They also face the danger of contracting serious diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis, and other
communicable diseases, not to mention the risk of overdose. Families and friends of drug addicts
are inevitably also affected by their addiction. Addiction can lead to serious financial problems,
loss of trust, and eventually family breakup and divorce. Society as well pays a cost: crime rates
go up, and more security and hospital care is needed which are all paid for by taxpayers. Drug
addiction is a destructive way to live. Maybe more would be done about it if it were looked at not
just as a problem that addicts face alone, but as something that affects society as a whole.

 In the sample paragraph above, the topic sentence is about how drugs can destroy
people's lives, and all the supporting sentences hold together to that idea through the use
of transitions, pronouns and repetition of key words.

Activity 6

Direction: Rearrange the sentences in each set to create a coherent paragraph. Wrote the letter
of the sentences in their new order on the lines given.

1. a, First you should state your topic sentence clearly.

b, Then you ought to include the important details.

c, Writing a paragraph has its own steps.

d, Next check that whether the details have unity with the topic sentence

or not.

e, After that it is important to check if your paragraph is coherently written and sensible.
The correct order: __________________________________________

2. a, Earthquake and volcanic eruption are examples of natural causes.

b, These are natural and man- made causes.

c, Climate change is one of the current global issues.

d, Its causes can be categorized into two main divisions.

e, Deforestation can also be taken as a good example for man-made causes.

The correct order: __________________________________________

3. a, Beti and I met at Ambassador Cinema.

b, We fell in love and promised to be a spouse.

c, They were very angry.

d, Beti phoned to her parents and told them that she is pregnant.

e, And decided not to see her again.

The correct order: __________________________________________