3: The Basics of Paragraphs

In academic writing, a paragraph is a group of sentences about a single topic. Paragraphs can be different lengths in different writing situations. For low intermediate writers, anywhere from 4 to 12 sentences is a good length for a paragraph. Your instructor will make sure you know how many sentences are expected for each writing assignment.

A good paragraph has three parts:

1. a topic sentence that states what you will write about
2. supporting sentences (the body) that add explanations and details about the topic
3. a conclusion sentence that wraps up the paragraph, similar to the topic sentence

Remember, a paragraph is indented. Each sentence comes right after the other one, not on a new line. Each sentence ends with a period. A paragraph’s form looks something like this:

Read the following sample paragraph.

There are several reasons why I am studying at Washtenaw Community College. First, the tuition is very low. I can take college classes at WCC for less than half of the cost of a university class. Second, WCC has great teachers and student support. My teachers really care about their students. Class sizes are small, and lots of free tutoring is available. Finally, WCC is close to my house. I live only five miles from WCC, so I can ride the bus there in less than 20 minutes. I could even ride my bike there in nice weather. For all of these reasons, I am taking classes at WCC.

Underline the topic sentence.

What is this paragraph about?

How many reasons are given in the body of the paragraph? What are they? Write a word or phrase for each reason.

Circle the conclusion sentence.

How many sentences are there in this paragraph?

The topic sentence is usually the first sentence of a paragraph, especially in student writing. A topic sentence should contain two things:

• the topic that you will write about
• your opinion or personal feeling of the topic. This is often called a controlling idea.

Some topic sentences also make the plan of the paragraph clear. For example, the topic sentence might have a plan like, “for many reasons,” “several qualities,” “three things,” or “a few differences.”

A good topic sentence is not too general and not too specific. It shows the reader what will come in the paragraph. A good topic sentence does NOT:

• Announce the topic.

  Wrong

  “I am going to write about WCC.”

• Ask a question.

  Wrong

  “Why am I going to WCC? I’d like to tell you.”

• Stand above the paragraph. It is NOT a title. It is a complete sentence.

  Wrong

  There are several reasons why I am studying at Washtenaw Community College.

  First, the tuition is very low. I can take college classes at WCC for less than half of the cost of a university class. Second, WCC has great teachers and student support. My teachers really care about their students. Class sizes are small, and lots of free tutoring is available. Finally, WCC is close to my house. I live only five miles from WCC, so I can ride the bus there in less than 20 minutes. I could even ride my bike there in nice weather. For all of these
  reasons, I am taking classes at WCC.

• State a fact.

  Wrong

  “WCC is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.”

Practice 3A

Read the following topic sentences about American cities. Do they contain both the topic and a controlling idea? Check the boxes.

This topic sentence contains a:

1. Washington, DC, is the capital of my country.	___ topic	___ controlling idea
2. New Orleans is a very interesting city.	___ topic	___ controlling idea
3. There are many people in Los Angeles.	___ topic	___ controlling idea
4. St. Augustine is a very beautiful city.	___ topic	___ controlling idea
5. New York is the biggest city in the U.S.	___ topic	___ controlling idea

Practice 3B

Read the following paragraphs. Fill in the blanks with a good topic sentence. Work with a partner, alone, or in a small group.

Paragraph 1: Good Neighbors

_________________________________________________________________. First, a good neighbor is quiet. Even if a neighbor is nice, it is hard to tolerate loud music late at night or dogs that bark a lot. Second, good neighbors are respectful. It is nice to have polite conversation with your neighbor. Neighbors should also respect others by shoveling their sidewalk in the winter and leaving enough parking space for everyone. Finally, a really good neighbor is generous. A good neighbor might bring you cookies during the holiday, or give you some gas if your lawn mower runs out. These are some of the most important qualities of a good neighbor.

Paragraph 2: Reducing Stress

_________________________________________________________________. One way to reduce stress is to exercise. Some people jog or play high-impact sports to relax. Others just take a walk or a short bike ride. Another idea is talking to a friend or family member. It helps just to express how you are feeling when you are stressed. Lastly, listening to music can help you relax. Quiet, classical music relaxes some people. Listening to loud pop music while singing and dancing also releases stress. We all have stress, and these are three ways to reduce it.

Paragraph 3: My Worst Job

_________________________________________________________________. I earned a lot of money from that job, but I was more miserable than I have ever been in my life. Working on an assembly line was very boring, and I had to concentrate the whole time with almost no breaks. All day long, I had to put DVDs into boxes, and I had to work very fast. The factory was hot and stuffy. Also, the supervisors watched us closely and yelled us when we weren’t working fast enough. Maybe the worst part of the job was the mood of my coworkers. It seemed like they all complained and gossiped. I didn’t make a single friend in the eight months that I worked there. In sum, working in a factory was truly one of the worst experiences that I have ever had.

Supporting sentences begin right after the topic sentence of the paragraph. A good writer will have two or three separate ideas that support the topic as it is stated in the topic sentence. Each supporting idea should be introduced clearly, usually with a transition word or phrase. These transitions are a big signal to the reader that a new idea is being introduced. Using these transition words keeps the body of the paragraph organized. Pointing to new ideas with these transition words also helps the reader understand why certain details are given.

Practice 3C

The following paragraph is missing transitions in the body. Where should the transition word be? Put a star * where transitions are missing. Then rewrite the paragraph, adding the transitions.

Homemade Food

There are three main reasons why I like to eat homemade food. Homemade food doesn’t cost too much. For example, I can buy fresh fish and vegetables at the grocery store for about $15. This will feed my whole family. Homemade food is a lot healthier than precooked food. It contains only a few simple ingredients, and I don’t cook it with too much salt or oil. Homemade food tastes better than precooked food. When I cook my own food, I follow traditional recipes and make it just right. For all of these reasons, I prefer to eat homemade food.

(recopy the paragraph with transitions here:)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The conclusion sentence is the last sentence of a one-paragraph essay. It is similar to the topic sentence because it:

• states the topic again
• states the opinion or personal feeling again, sometimes in a stronger way (controlling idea)

A conclusion sentence should NOT:

• be more than one sentence of the paragraph.
• introduce any new ideas.
• be exactly the same as the topic sentence.
• be a separate sentence that starts on a new line.

Wrong

There are several reasons why I am studying at Washtenaw Community College. First, the tuition is very low. I can take college classes at WCC for less than half of the cost of a university class. Second, WCC has great teachers and student support. My teachers really care about their students. Class sizes are small, and lots of free tutoring is available. Finally, WCC is close to my house. I live only five miles from WCC, so I can ride the bus there in less than 20
minutes. I could even ride my bike there in nice weather.

For all of these reasons, I am taking classes at WCC.

Here are some words that can be used to start a topic sentence:

In conclusion, To conclude, In sum,

For all of these reasons, In all of these ways,

These are a few [qualities, things] that ..... [S + V....]

Practice 3D

This paragraph needs a conclusion sentence. Read the paragraph and choose the best one. Then copy your choice at the end of the paragraph. Be prepared to explain your choice.

Heather Zettelmaier

ESL 128

September 24, 2017

My Favorite Singer

My favorite singer is my husband, Jake. First of all, his music is traditional yet unique. He has a band called Black Jake and the Carnies, and they sing a special kind of music. It is a combination of bluegrass and punk, with instruments like the banjo, mandolin, drums, guitar, accordion, washboard, and even cow bell. Second, his music is full of fun and deep ideas. The

words in the songs go very fast, and they usually tell a story and teach a lesson. I think my favorite song by Jake is “Happy Easter.” This song tells a story of anger and forgiveness between neighbors and friends. It also talks about heaven and death, so it makes me think and touches my emotions. Finally, I like Jake as a singer because his songs make me want to smile, sing, and dance. He uses a funny voice, and it has great quality. It is so easy to catch onto the melodies and beats of his songs. I often clap, tap my foot, or even dance along.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

1. For all of these reasons, Jake Zettelmaier is my favorite singer.
2. My husband Jake is a great singer, and I hope he and his band become more and more popular.
3. There are many kinds of music, but my favorite kind is country music.

If your instructor asks you to write a title for your paragraph, there are rules that you should follow:

1. Use capital letters for the important words and the first word of the title. Don’t use capital letters for prepositions (of, for), conjunctions (and, or), or articles (the, a, an).
2. Don’t write a sentence. Don’t end it with a period.
3. Write something short that gives the topic of your paragraph.

Look back at the titles in the sample paragraphs of this chapter. Do they all follow the rules for title writing?

Most timed, in-class paragraphs and essay test questions do NOT require a title. On the TOEFL test, for example, writing a title would be a poor use of your time. You should write a title for paragraphs that you write over a longer time, usually for homework.

What is the difference between a title and a topic sentence?

1. LOCATION:

A title is located _____________________________________________________________.

A topic sentence is located _____________________________________________________________ .

2. CAPITAL LETTERS:

In a title, _____________________________________________________________ should be capitalized.

In a topic sentence, only _____________________________________________________________ should be capitalized.

3. GRAMMAR:

A title is NOT ______________________________________________ , so it doesn’t end with a ________________________________________ .

A topic sentence is ______________________________________________ , so it ends with a __________________________________________ .

4. A title is only required for formal compositions, usually written over a long time. A topic sentence is ALWAYS needed in a paragraph.

Practice 3E

Read the following titles. What is wrong with each one? Write a few words to explain. One of the titles is okay.

1. I want to visit Uzbekistan. OK NOT OK → Why? ______________________________________________
2. My Paragraph OK NOT OK → Why? ______________________________________________
3. Uzbekistan and Its Wonders OK NOT OK → Why? ______________________________________________

Good writing doesn’t happen instantly or without some careful thought. To write with quality, good writers follow three steps of the writing process:

1. Pre-writing. In this step, brainstorm. In pre-writing, choose the best ideas and make a plan to organize the paragraph.
2. Rough draft, in other words, write the paragraph. Keep the ideas flowing. Try to write a good topic sentence and follow the plan from your pre-writing.
3. Revise and edit. Try to improve your paragraph. Make sure all of the sentences stay on topic. Check organization and work on the conclusion sentence. When you are sure the content is good, check the grammar.

In this book, we will practice several pre-writing strategies. The first one is called clustering.

Here is how it’s done:

• write the topic in the middle of a page and circle it
• write about the topic in a general way, close to the middle word
• as you write farther away from the word, get more specific, add details
• You do not have to include everything from your cluster in the paragraph.

Topic: Write about the qualities of a good boss

Practice 3F

Use the clustering method to brainstorm about one of the following topics. Use a separate sheet of paper.

Topic: Write about an interesting place near the city where you live now.

(example: near Ann Arbor, MI) Topic: Write about the qualities of a good teacher

Topic: Write about your favorite hobby or sport

Topic: Write about your favorite singer, athlete, writer, or actor

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:

Use one of the topics from Practice 3F to write a formal paragraph. Use the format rules on p. 8, Unit 1.

The rough draft can be written by hand. Please double space write in a single paragraph. Before you hand it in, check your paragraph:

• Does it have a title?
• How many sentences is it? (Try for 8-12. If it has less, try to find more information that fits your paragraph.)
• Does it have a topic sentence?
• Does it have a conclusion sentence?

The rough draft is due on . You will get feedback from your classmates and your instructor before writing the final draft. Keep all pre-writing and rough drafts.

The final draft will be due on . Your instructor will give you directions on the final draft.

Attributions

Image 1:

“Turn Left Arrow Road Sign Roadsign” is licensed via Pixabay under CC0 1.0.

Image 2:

“Isolated Arrow Sign” by Paul Brennan is licensed via PublicDomainPictures.net under CC0 1.0.

Image 3:

“Advisor Exit Speed English 34” by Ltljltlj via Wikimedia Commons is in the Public Domain.