Entry #5 Parts of a paragraph

Parts of a paragraph

When you are writing an academic text you start with the question 'Where should I begin?' or 'How do I write it?'. What you should do is take into account the structure of the text. To start, a paragraph is a group of related sentences which develop one main idea. This idea is the topic sentence. This main idea tends to be general and it should be supported by other sentences which are the supporting sentences. In another words, the paragraph is divided into 3 steps:

1. TOPIC SENTENCE: 

Topic sentences are not the only way to organise a paragraph, and not all paragraphs need a topic sentence. This sentence should tell the reader what it is that you are going to be talking about in that paragraph.The topic sentence is important because it leads the reader into the points that you are trying to make, without leaving them confused. It also helps to prevent any miscommunication on your part. Topic sentences should be interesting and give your opinion on it.

Some examples of topic sentences would be:

'The Battle of Gettysburg, fought in 1863, was the turning point in the Civil War.'

2. BODY:

The body is the heart of your paragraph. Here you write the supportive details or arguments to support your topic sentence. There are two ways of ordering the details: order of importance or chronology. When the topic sentence comes first, the supporting sentences answer the questions the reader will develop in their minds after reading the topic sentence. 

3. CLOSING SENTENCE:

The closing sentence has to functions: remind your audience what you have been writing about (restating your topic sentence) and keep them thinking, give the audience a little extra information.  It may also indicate wider issues not covered in the essay but of interest and relevant to the point of view.

• Well formed paragraphs are the result of drafting and revising, aimed at giving the reader a coherent piece of information. There is no set length to a paragraph, but in university essays it is easier to work with paragraphs that are between four and eight sentences long.
• The concluding and introductory paragraphs are usually best written last when the writer is clear about the point of view and the structure of the entire essay.
• An exercise book can be used for noting quotations from one's reading on one side of the page and comments on the opposite page. It is a good way to keep notes on an essay topic together and to develop the skill of commenting on the viewpoints of others.

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Last visited June 13, 2020

When I started to do this work I thought that it was going to be much harder to understand how to be organized while writing a paragraph but it turned out that the video and the source were very helpful for me to have the ideas more clear. It is always a challenge for me to write with a topic sentence, a few supporting ideas, and a conclusion. But this was actually something that not only could I understand the structure but also think about it as a helpful tool when writing.