Paragraph writing

Paragraph Structure

A paragraph is a unit of writing that consists of a group of sentences focusing on a single idea or topic. A well-written paragraph often has the following structure:

1.   Topic Sentence: This sentence outlines the main idea that will be presented in the paragraph.

2.   Support Details or Examples: This is the part of the paragraph that presents details, facts, examples, quotes and arguments that support the main idea.

3.   Conclusion Sentence: This sentence summarizes the main idea of the paragraph. It may also lead the reader to the topic of the next paragraph.

There are many different types of paragraphs, depending on what you are writing:

• Descriptive Paragraph: This paragraph describes something or someone. For example, you can write a descriptive paragraph describing your best friend, including what she likes and dislikes, where she lives, what she wants for her birthday, and her favorite food.
• Expository Paragraph: This paragraph explains an idea; it is also called an information paragraph. For example, you can write as expository paragraph explaining how to make chocolate chip cookies.
• Persuasive Paragraph: This paragraph tries to convince the reader of something. This type of paragraph may start with a phrase like: "I think that..." The support section may include sentences that start with, "One reason is...," or "For example..." It may end with something like, "This is why I think that..." For example, you can write a persuasive paragraph telling why people should vote for you for class president.
• Narrative Paragraph: This paragraph describes an event or tells a story, usually in chronological order. For example, you can write a narrative paragraph detailing what you did on your first day of school.

The following is an example of a 7-sentence paragraph composition:

Pandas

My favorite animal is the Giant Panda for two reasons. First of all, I like the panda because it looks so cute and cuddly. The panda's black and white body colors are simple, make it stand out, and look soft. Its sad looking face makes me want to hug it and make it happy. In addition, I am fond of the giant panda because it is endangered. We all should try to preserve the animals, like the panda, that are in danger of extinction. Clearly, the Giant Panda is the animal I like best.

Sample

My Worries 

        There are many things that worry me, but the most common ones are being on time, getting my homework done, and saving money. I worry about being on time because I don’t like to make other people wait, and I don’t like to miss anything. I always try to arrive a little early. I also worry about getting my homework done. After school, I go to my part-time job and don’t get home until about eight o’clock. That give s me only one or two hours to do my homework, and I’m usually too tired to do a good job. I worry about saving money, too. I’m trying to save enough money to go to England this summer, but I haven’t saved very much so far. I go out with my friends too often and spend more than I should. I will have to either stop spending so much money or forget about my summer plan. These three things always make me worried.

Topic sentence      main idea + controlling ideas

Supporting details       explaining ..  / reasons /   

                                     examples …

Concluding sentence    restate the main idea again