Writing A Good Paragraph

Writing a good Paragraph!

Paragraphs are sentences that express a specific idea, main point, topic and so on. A number
of paragraphs are then combined to write a report, an essay, or even a book. This guide
to writing paragraphs describe the basic structure of each paragraph you will write.

In general, the purpose of a paragraph is to express one main point, idea or opinion.

This main idea is expressed through three sections of a paragraph:
1. Introduction - Introduce your idea with a topic sentence

2. Body - Explain your idea through supporting sentences
3. Conclusion - Make your point again with a concluding sentence, and, if necessary,
transition to the next paragraph.
Example Paragraph
Here is a paragraph taken from an essay on various strategies required for an overall
improvement of student performance. The components of this paragraph are analyzed below:
Have you ever wondered why some students can't seem to concentrate in class? Students
require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons in class. In fact, studies
have shown that students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes consistently score
better on tests immediately following the recess period. Clinical analysis further suggests
that physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on academic materials. Longer
periods of recess are clearly required to allow students the best possible chances of success
in their studies. Clearly, physical exercise is just one of the necessary ingredients for
improving student scores on standardized tests.
There are four sentence types used to construct a paragraph:
Introduction - Topic sentence

The topic sentence states your idea, point, or opinion. This sentence should use a strong verb
and make a bold statement.
(hook) Have you ever wondered why some students can't seem to concentrate in class?
(topic sentence) Students require more recreational time in order to better focus on lessons
in class.
Notice the strong verb 'require' which is a call to action. A weaker form of this sentence might
be: I think students probably need more recreational time ... This weaker form is
inappropriate for a topic sentence.
Supporting sentences
Supporting sentences (notice the plural) provide explanations and support for the topic
sentence (main idea) of your paragraph.
In fact, studies have shown that students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes
consistently score better on tests immediately following the recess period. Clinical analysis
further suggests that physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on academic
materials.
Supporting sentences provide the evidence for your topic sentence. Supporting sentences that
include facts, statistics and logical reasoning are much more convincing that simple
statements of opinion.
Concluding sentence (conclusion)

The concluding sentence restates the main idea (found in your topic sentence) and reinforces
the point or opinion.
Longer periods of recess are clearly required to allow students the best possible chances of
success in their studies.
Concluding sentences repeat the main idea of your paragraph in different words.
Quiz
Identify each sentence according to the role it plays in a paragraph. Is it a hook, topic
sentence, supporting sentence, or concluding sentence?
1. To sum up, educators must try to ensure that students practice writing rather than just
taking multiple choice tests.
2. However, due to the pressures of large classrooms, many teachers try to cut corners by
giving multiple choice quizzes.
3. Nowadays, teachers realize that students need to actively practice their writing skills
though review of basic concepts is also required.
4. Have you ever done well on a multiple-choice quiz, only to realize that you don't really
understand the topic?
5. Real learning requires practice not just style exercises that focus on checking their
understanding.
Taken from: https://www.thoughtco.com/paragraph-writing-1212367

By Kenneth Beare
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/consistency-issues-in-writing/
Extra information about writing good paragraphs.

Answers
1. Concluding sentence - Phrases such as 'To sum up', 'In conclusion', and 'Finally'
introduce a concluding sentence.
2. Supporting sentence - This sentence provides a reason for multiple choices and
supports the main idea of the paragraph.
3. Supporting sentence - This sentence provides information about current teaching
practices as a means of supporting the main idea.
4. Hook - This sentence helps the reader imagine the issue in terms of their own life. This
helps the reader become personally engaged in the topic.
5. Thesis - The bold statement gives the overall point of the paragraph.

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Writing a good Paragraph!

In general, the purpose of a paragraph is to express one main point, idea or opinion.

This main idea is expressed through three sections of a paragraph:

1. Introduction - Introduce your idea with a topic sentence

There are four sentence types used to construct a paragraph:

Introduction - Topic sentence

Concluding sentence (conclusion)

Taken from: https://www.thoughtco.com/paragraph-writing-1212367

Extra information about writing good paragraphs.

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