HOW TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH A PARAGRAPH is

HOW TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH?

A PARAGRAPH is a group of related sentences that develop a main thought, or idea, about a single topic. The structure of a paragraph is not complex. There are usually three basic elements: • (1) a topic, • (2) a main idea, or topic sentence, and • (3) supporting details. The topic sentence states the main point or controlling idea. Often it appears at (or near) the beginning of a paragraph. What follows a topic sentence are a number of supporting sentences that develop/explain the main idea with specific details. • These details may be facts, reasons, or examples that provide further information about the topic sentence.

Look at the highlighted TOPIC SENTENCE. It identifies the topic as COLOR and states that COLOR AFFECT PEOPLE PHYSIOLOGICALLY. The remaining sentences provide further information about the effects of color.

You can think about and visualize a paragraph like this

Here is how you might visualize the paragraph in color

Now, we have some examples to talk about a general topic and more specific details.

To summarize:

What is the TOPIC SENTENCE? The topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph. What does it do? It introduces the main idea of the paragraph. How do I write one? Summarize the main idea of your paragraph. Indicate to the reader what your paragraph will be about. Example: There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. 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.

What are SUPPORTING SENTENCES /DETAILS? They come after the topic sentence, making up the body of a paragraph. What do they do? They give details to develop and support the main idea of the paragraph. How do I write them? You should give supporting facts, details, and examples. Example: There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. 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.

What is the CLOSING SENTENCE? The closing sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph. What does it do? It restates the main idea of your paragraph. How do I write one? Restate the main idea of the paragraph using different words. Example: There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. 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.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARAGRAPH • THE NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH • THE DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH • THE EXPOSITORY PARAGRAPH • COMPARE AND CONTRAST PARAGRAPH

EXPOSITORY PARAGRAPH you give information. You explain a subject, give directions, or show something happens. In expository writing, linking words like first, second, then, and finally are usually used to help readers follow the ideas NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH Have a topic sentence that grabs the reader’s attention: one main event, adventure, scene or happening/anecdote. Write it chronologically: this means you must write about the event in the order the events occurred. Contain plenty of interesting details.

• DESCRIPTIVE • PARAGRAPH You describe something. When you do this, you must use wording that will allow your readers to be able to see what you are writing about without being able to actually "see" it. The types of words to use are strong verbs and colorful adjectives. Verbs are action words such as run, leap, shout, and fly. Adjectives are words that describe nouns. Examples of colorful adjectives are: smelly, disgusting, gorgeous, radiant, brilliant, and gigantic. COMPARE AND CONTRAST PARAGRAPH You expose similarities and differences of two places, countries, people, friends, items, objects or events. The best way to start a compare and contrast paragraph is to choose two related items and clarify what is precisely being compared. After writing the topic sentence, the writer might go on with the supporting sentences. There are two chief ways to develop supporting sentences: whole by whole or point by point. In a whole by whole comparison paragraph, the writer analyzes the first item thoroughly before giving any details about the second one. Point by point comparison is also called alternating arrangement of ideas. Transition words or phrases such as “in contrast”, “on the other hand”, “similarly”, or “whereas”

TIPS • Try to be creative. Choose a TOPIC you like and you are interested in. • Try to get some inspiration from a personal experience or from talking to people • Be organized from the very beginning (topic and supporting ideas), so you don’t feel frustrated. • Look information in reliable sources • Use online dictionaries