Writing a paragraph

A paragraph is a group of sentences that develop one topic or idea. It has three main parts:
1. The first part isthe topic sentence. It is called the topic sentence because it states the topic or the subject of
the paragraph.
2. The second main part is the supporting sentences. The supporting sentences develop the topic. This means
that they explain the topic sentence in detail.
3. The last part is the concluding sentence. The concluding sentence summarizes the paragraph and/or adds a
final comment. A clear academic paragraph requires all of these parts.
Read and examine the sample paragraphs below and discuss their structure with your teacher.
Sample Paragraph 1:

Problems in Big Cities 1. The topic sentence

(1) All around the world living in big cities creates serious
problems for people. (2a) The first problem is air pollution. For
example, in Istanbul, many people have cars and cars are one reason 2. Supporting sentences
why the air is polluted. (2b) Secondly, traffic is an important problem
for the people living in big cities. Nowadays there are more and more
cars on roads, and this causes traffic jams in many parts of the cities.
For this reason, many inhabitants waste their time in traffic, and they
are negatively affected by this situation. (3) To sum up, air pollution 3. The concluding
and traffic jams are two important problems that people living in big sentence
cities.

Sample Paragraph 2:
Bicycles are popular today in many countries for three reasons. First, most of the people use bicycles to
exercise.
Topic Sentence Supporting Sentence 1
To illustrate, in Holland, people think riding a bicycle is a better way of keeping fit and staying healthy than
other
sports. The second reason is money. Generally bikes are not expensive to buy, and they are quite cheap to
fix.
Supporting Sentence 2
Finally, they are suitable for city life. In cities, many people prefer bikes to cars because unlike cars, with a
bicycle,
Supporting Sentence 3
they never have to wait in traffic. In brief, having a bicycle is beneficial for people for different reasons.
A. PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH
I. THE TOPIC
A topic is the general idea of a paragraph. It is what gives the answer to the question “What is the paragraph
about?”
Exercise 1: Circle the topic of the words below.
1. Mercury Venus Planets Saturn Mars
2. German Italian English Languages Spanish
3. wheel tire car door seat
4. apple banana grape strawberry fruit
5. fan basketball coach scoreboard player
II. THE TOPIC SENTENCE
The topic sentence is usually the first sentence of a paragraph. It contains the main idea which is developed
in the rest of the paragraph. A topic sentence must be a complete sentence, a statement of intent, opinion or a
mixture of both. It should be neither too broad (Football is very popular in the world) nor too narrow (Gold
is very valuable). The topic tells us the subject (what the paragraph is about) and the controlling idea makes
a specific comment about the topic (what the paragraph is going to say about the topic / the writer’s attitude
1
or idea about the topic). In other words, the controlling idea shows the reader what the rest of the paragraph
will say about the topic; it limits the topic to a specific area to be discussed in a single paragraph.
A topic sentence has two main parts: topic and the controlling idea.
Topic Sentence = topic + controlling idea
Caffeine has several harmful effects on health.
Topic Controlling Idea
 Topic Sentence 
In this example the topic is “caffeine”. A specific comment is then made about the topic: “it has several
harmful effects on health”. From this topic sentence, the reader immediately knows that the supporting
sentences will explain or prove how harmful caffeine can be.
e.g. Students who are studying abroad may face many difficulties.
Topic Controlling Idea
e.g. There are two main advantages of working at home.
Controlling Idea Topic
Exercise 3: Underline the topic and the controlling idea of each topic sentence below.
1. When people divorce, children often have problems.
2. Walking is good for your heart.
3. Watching TV is a good way to learn spoken English.
4. Technology spoils the traditional way of life.
5. Nuclear power is our greatest hope for solving the energy crisis.
6. Nuclear power is the greatest threat to life on the planet.
Exercise 4: Which alternative can be the topic sentence of the paragraph below?
a. Skiing is expensive.
b. Skiing is a popular sport despite its disadvantages.
c. Skiing has many disadvantages.
______. Many people enjoy it although it is expensive and dangerous. Also, the severe cold doesn’t keep
skiers away from the slopes. It is clear that a lot of people spend every winter weekend skiing, and many
families go on winter ski holidays regardless of these drawbacks.
Exercise 5: Write a topic sentence for the paragraph below.
_______________________________________________________. First of all, you must consider the
quality of the university’s academic program. The university’s size and location should also be given a
careful
thought. Finally, you must always be sure to consider the tuition before you decide which university to
attend.
In short, a good education is important, so before choosing a university, the quality of the education given,
the size, the location and the tuition of a university should be taken into consideration.
III. SUPPORTING SENTENCES
The supporting sentences in a paragraph explain or develop the topic sentence. The supporting part can be
narratives, details, facts, examples, explanations or statistics. All of the supporting sentences relate to the
main idea stated in the topic sentence and show why it is true.
Exercise 7: Read the topic sentences below and think of suitable supporting sentences to complete each
paragraph.
1. Wearing a school uniform has certain drawbacks.
a. _________________________________________________
b. _________________________________________________
c. _________________________________________________
2. You can improve your English in several ways.
a. _________________________________________________
b. _________________________________________________
c. _________________________________________________
IV. THE CONCLUDING SENTENCE
The conclusion of a paragraph signals the end of the paragraph; summarizes the main points of the
paragraph
and relates them to the topic sentence; gives a final comment on the topic and leaves the reader with the

2
most important ideas to think about; can make a suggestion or a prediction.
A concluding sentence is not absolutely necessary, but it is very helpful to the reader since it signals the end
of the paragraph and reminds the reader of the important points. The concluding sentence often closes the
paragraph by returning the main idea of it. They do this by repeating a keyword or phrase from the topic
sentence.
e.g.:
Topic sentence: There are many good reasons for why people live in the country but not in cities.
Conclusion : In conclusion, living in the country is much better than living in the city.
Topic Sentence: Forests are important for life on earth.
Conclusion : To sum up, if there were no forests, there would be no life on this planet.
Topic Sentence: There are some important qualities of a good boss.
Conclusion : All in all, a qualified boss should be fair, should be a good leader and should act with
consistency.
Concluding sentence often begins with the following phrases:
In summary, In conclusion, To conclude, In brief, In short.
The basic format of a paragraph:
TOPIC SENTENCE
SUPPORTING DETAIL 1 (+ Minor Detail 1)
SUPPORTING DETAIL 2 (+ Minor Detail 2)
SUPPORTING DETAIL 3 (+ Minor Detail 3)
THE CONCLUDING SENTENCE
Exercise1. Following is a paragraph describing your hometown. Read the paragraph carefully then
answer the questions.
1. What is the topic sentence?
2. How many supporting sentences are there in the paragraph?
3. What are the connectors in the paragraph?
4. What is the concluding sentence?
Paragraph 1:
My hometown, Wheaton, is famous for several amazing natural features. First, it is noted for the
Wheaton River, which is very wide and beautiful. On either side of this river, which is 175 feet wide, are
many willow trees which have long branches that can move gracefully in the wind. In autumn the leaves of
these trees fall and cover the riverbanks like golden snow. Second, on the other side of the town is Wheaton
Hill, which is unusual because it is very steep. Even though it is steep, climbing this hill is not dangerous,
because there are some firm rocks along the sides that can be used as stairs. There are no trees around this
hill, so it stands clearly against the sky and can be seen from many miles away. The third amazing feature is
the Big Old Tree. This tree stands two hundred feet tall and is probably about six hundred years old. These
three landmarks are truly amazing and make my hometown a famous place.
Paragraph 2:
Canada is one of the best countries in the world to live in. First, Canada has an excellent health care system.
All Canadians have access to medical services 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
university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities have many parks and
lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is a desirable place to live.
Paragraph 3:
There are several reasons why television is one of the most beneficial inventions of human. Firstly,
television helps us to learn more about the world and to know and see many new things. For example, you
can learn about various cultures around the world just by sitting on a couch. Moreover, television can make
things memorable because it presents information in an effective way. Secondly, television entertains us as
watching it is an enjoyable way to relax. Music and film, for instance, are one of the most frequently
watched programs on TV. Furthermore, it increases the popularity of sports and games. Finally, it makes us
aware of our global responsibilities. This can be seen in developed and peaceful countries whose citizens
become increasingly well-informed about the victims living under the constant threat in warring nations.
Indeed, television has brought about many benefits because it is not only a source of information and a
means of entertainment but also a constant reminder of our duty to make a better world.

3
Exercise 2. Complete the paragraph below with the connectors provided.
Second, Also, Another reason is that , For example, Moreover, However, On the other hand, First ,
One reason is that , The best choice

There are three major airports near Washington, D.C., but the traveler to Washington should be
careful about which one he or she chooses.(1)_________ Baltimore-Washington International Airport,
which is located near the city of Baltimore, is a good international airport. (2)_________ it is not the best
choice for a traveller who wants to visit Washington.(3) _________ it is relatively far from the city of
Washington itself. (4)_________ a passenger bus trip between Baltimore and Washington is somewhat
expensive. Dulles International Airport is a slightly better choice, since it is located closer to the city.(5)
_________ if a traveller arrives in the early evening, he or she will encounter rush-hour traffic, which is
not a good way to begin a trip to the city.(6) _________ may be Washington-Reagan National Airport.
There are two reasons for this.(7) _________ this airport is the closest to the city.(8) _________ it is
located on the Metro train system, which is a convenient method of transportation, allowing a traveller to
travel almost anywhere he or she likes in the city of Washington.

Exercise 3:
a. These are mixed sentences of a paragraph. Put each sentence below in the correct place in the
chart to form the paragraph. The topic sentence is h.
a) Thirdly, because of financial problems, some students fail university classes.
b) For example, students who have to take jobs don’t have as much time to study, so they may fail classes.
c) The first reason is that they fail because their academic background is weak.
d) Finally, there are students who fail because their energies are not directed toward their classes.
e) For example, one student might not have had enough mathematics course at high school, so he fails his
university
math class.
f) The second reason is that most of the students don’t understand the importance of regular attendance.
g) Others may worry because they have too little money, and they may not be able to concentrate on their
studies.
h) There are some reasons why a lot of students fail in college.
i) Because some students don’t attend classes regularly, they may not be able to pass the test in class because
they
don’t know the answers.
j) In conclusion, due to all these problems, numerous students fail in college every year.
k) For example, some of these students are not interested in college and they spend their day doing other
things.

PARAGRAPH 1
Topic sentence : H
Supporting idea 1 :c
Minor detail 1 :e
Supporting idea 2 :f
Minor detail 2 :i
Supporting idea 3 :a
Minor detail 3 :g
Minor detail 3 :b
Supporting idea 4 :d
Minor detail 4 :k
Conclusion :j

4
 PARAPHRASING

I. Từ vựng
1. Giữ nguyên từ vựng trong câu, nhưng thay đổi hình thái từ (tính từ chuyển thành danh từ, động
từ ...)
Ví dụ:
1. The use of renewable sources could stop the destruction of the rainforests
--> Using renewable sources could stop people destroying the rainforests
2. “The most effective way to build your English skill is to study regularly.”
- "The most effective way of building your English skill is to do studying on a regular basis."
2. Dùng từ đồng nghĩa hoặc trái nghĩa, từ gần nghĩa
Example:
1. Overuse of ground water would lead to pervasive drought
--> Overuse of ground water would cause widespread dryness
2. It is difficult to choose a suitable place to learn a foreign language.
--> It is challenging to pick up a relevant place to learn a foreign language.
3. More and more people believe that living in a city is slightly better than living in a countryside
 An increasing number of people presume living in a city is slightly better than living in a countryside
Many a person holds a view that living in a city is slightly better than living in a countryside
-> A growing number of people take the view that living in a city is slightly better than living in a
countryside
4. “It can be difficult to choose a suitable place to study English.”

 “It is often a challenge to pick up (x) a relevant (x) school to learn English.”

 “It is sometimes hard to select an appropriate place to learn English.”

II. Cấu trúc câu
1. Thay đổi thể (chủ động và bị động và ngược lại)
Ví dụ:
The use of renewable sources could stop the destruction of the rainforests. (active voice)
--> The destruction of the rainforests could be stopped by the use of renewable sources. (passive voice)
2. Di chuyển vị trí các cụm từ trong câu
Ví dụ:
Overuse of ground water would cause widespread dryness
--> Widespread dryness would be a result of overuse of ground water
3. Kết hợp câu theo mối quan hệ trong đoạn văn
Ví dụ:
Typhoon forced more than a thousand people to escape from villages in the mountains. It poured over one
meter of heavy rain on mountainous areas. (2 sentences)
--> Typhoon forced more than a thousand people to escape from villages in the mountains as it poured over
one meter of heavy rain on mountainous areas. (1 sentence)

Applied exercises: Paraphrase the following sentences

1. Around 30,000 children may be helped by the proposed “free lunch” program.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. All of the people in class studied hard. The effect was a big increase in test scores.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

5
3. If you use cheap paper and discount ink, the quality of your printed documents will suffer. This
situation can be avoided by switching to high quality products.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. The weather forecast says it will be mostly windy and rainy over the next few days. In
addition, a strong typhoon is expected to hammer the coast next Wednesday.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. A science teacher caught two high school students smoking outside the school cafeteria. This
action forced the principle to expel them for violating the school’s no smoking policy.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. The engineer must judge how much dynamite to use according to the quantity of material to be
removed from the tunnel.
The amount of dynamite

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. Skateboarding is a fun way to exercise, meet people and look cool. It is a popular sport with around
10 million skaters worldwide. Based on this information, skateboard companies work hard to
develop new products for this large group of consumers.
Of exercizing, meeting..., looking.
Popular = common
New products are developed/manufactured/created for this large group of
consumers/customers/skaters by skateboard companies' work hard
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. More than half of the women who attended the one-day meeting were in business with their spouses.
Attend = participate = join
To be in business = do business
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
9. Cell phone usage has exploded over the past decade and continues to rise. Today there are over one

6
billion phone users worldwide. Concern has arisen over whether cell phone usage can harm a
person’s health. Brain cancer rates in the United States have risen since cell phones were introduced,
leading some people to wonder if cell phone usage is the reason for the increase.
One billion people who use phones
Whether using cell phones can do harm to a person's health has raised concern.
Rate = portion = percentage'
The percentage of brain cancer in the United States has soared/gone up/grown since the introduction
of cell phones, causing people to wonder if the increase is the result of using cell phones.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

7
8