WRITING EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPHS

Main Idea and Topic Sentence

A. Topic Sentence: a statement of the paragraph’s main idea. The remaining sentences support, explain or

illustrate the topic sentence

B. Implied Main Idea: the sentences in the paragraph contain related facts and details that together communicate the main idea, which the reader can infer

Writing a Topic Sentence

- When you brainstorm the subject of your composition, identify main points.

Write each main point as a topic sentence

When you write a strong topic sentence, readers should know two things: 1. What the paragraph is about 2. The point you are making

Writing Supporting Sentences

Supporting sentences: the sentences in a paragraph that develop, explain, or illustrate the main idea or topic sentence Use Facts- statements that can be proved.

They support your main idea by offering backup, or proof

Use statistics- numerical facts Use examples, illustrations, or instances

Placing Your Topic Sentence

-The topic sentence that presents your main idea usually appears at the beginning of the paragraph At the beginning of a paragraph, a topic

sentence focuses the readers attention before the supporting details are presented

Maintaining Unity and Coherence

Establishing Unity- a paragraph has unity when all of its sentences relate to the main idea The sentences support, explain or develop the

topic sentence *** Make sure you proofread your paragraph

and delete all details/ sentences that do not relate to your main idea

Achieving Coherence

For a paragraph to have coherence, the supporting details must be logically connected and the reader should be able to see how one idea relates to another.