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Chapter 3 Paragraph Structure

What is a Paragraph?

A paragraph is a unit of writing essentially comprising a group of sentences. Paragraphs separate ideas into logical, manageable chunks, not only for the reader but also for the writer. One paragraph should focus on only one main point and should present coherent sentences to support that one point. Because all the sentences in one paragraph support the same point, a paragraph may stand on its own.

In this chapter, we will focus solely on the stand-alone paragraph, not body paragraphs within the essay. However, the lessons here can apply to body paragraphs in essays, which will be covered in Chapter 4. 

A strong paragraph contains three distinct components:

  1. Topic sentence. The topic sentence is the main idea of the paragraph.
  2. The body. The body is composed of the supporting sentences that develop the main point.
  3. Conclusion. The conclusion is the final sentence that summarizes the main point.

It’s helpful to compare a paragraph to the three parts of a burger; top bun, filling, and bottom bun.

Image shows burger where the top bun is the topic sentence, the fillings are supporting sentences, and the bottom bun is the conclusion sentence
Figure 3.1 Paragraph Burger

The Topic Sentence

The foundation of a good paragraph is the topic sentence, which expresses the main idea of the paragraph. The topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph that guides the reader by signposting what the paragraph is about. All the sentences in the rest of the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

Topic sentences contain both a main idea (the topic that the writer is discussing) and a controlling idea (the writer’s specific stance on that subject). A topic sentence must also contain a controlling idea to direct the paragraph. Different writers may use the same main idea but can steer their paragraph in a number of different directions according to their stance on the subject.

Image shows the main idea + controlling idea = topic sentence
Figure 3.2 Formula for a Topic Sentence

Examples

  • Marijuana is a destructive influence on teens and causes long-term brain damage.
  • The antinausea properties in marijuana are a lifeline for many cancer patients.
  • Legalizing marijuana would create a higher demand for Class A and Class B drugs.

Although the main idea—marijuana—is the same in all three topic sentences, the controlling idea differs depending on the writer’s viewpoint. 

Exercise 3.1

In the following topic sentences, identify the topic and the controlling idea:

  1. Exercising three times a week is the only way to maintain good physical health.
  2. Sexism and racism are still rampant in today’s workplace.
  3. Raising the legal driving age to twenty-one would decrease road traffic accidents.
  4. Owning a business is the only way to achieve financial success.
  5. Dog owners should be prohibited from taking their pets to public beaches.

Characteristics of a Good Topic Sentence

  1. A good topic sentence provides an accurate indication of what will follow in the rest of the paragraph.

Weak Example

Study habits affect learning. 

Problem: Too broad.  

Explanation: The paragraph does not give enough information. For instance, if we were to write about study habits affecting learning, then would the paragraph discuss study habits for students of all ages in all levels of education?

 

Stronger Example

Effective study habits play a critical role in improving college students’ retention of information. 

Explanation: This topic sentence provides a more specific focus to the controlling idea. The topic is still study habits, but the controlling idea is more specific to college students’ ability to retain information.

2. A good topic sentence contains both a topic and a controlling idea or opinion. 

Weak Example

In this paragraph, I will discuss the study habits of students.

Problem: Announcement 

Explanation: This topic sentence provides a topic, but it does not present a controlling idea. It announces the topic. 

Stronger Example

The most effective study habits include studying at the same time each week and removing distractions while studying. 

Explanation: This topic sentence presents the writer’s opinion (controlling idea) on the topic of study habits. 

3. A good topic sentence does not include supporting details. 

Weak Example

Salaries should be capped in baseball for many reasons, most importantly so we don’t allow the same team to win year after year.  

Problem: Includes one supporting detail.

Explanation: This topic sentence includes a supporting detail that should be included later in the paragraph to back up the main point.

Stronger Example

Introducing a salary cap would improve the game of baseball for many reasons.  

Explanation: This topic sentence omits the additional supporting detail so that it can be expanded upon later in the paragraph.

Exercise 3.2

Choose the most effective topic sentence from the following sentence pairs.

1.       a. This paper will discuss the likelihood of the Democrats winning the next election.

b. To boost their chances of winning the next election, the Democrats need to listen to public opinion.

2.       a. The unrealistic demands of union workers are crippling the economy for three main reasons.  

b. Union workers are crippling the economy because companies are unable to remain competitive because of added financial pressure.

3.        a. Authors are losing money because of technological advances.  

b. The introduction of new technology will devastate the literary world.

4.       a. Rap music is produced by untalented individuals with oversized egos. 

b. This essay will consider whether talent is required in the rap music industry.

Exercise 3.3

This paragraph is missing a topic sentence. Read the paragraph, then choose the most effective topic sentence from the list below.

Picture of a pug dog in a jean jacket___________________. Compared to humans, dogs have about 25 times the area of nasal olfactory epithelium (which carries receptor cells) and many thousands more cells in the olfactory region of their brain. Dogs can differentiate dilutions of 1 part per billion, follow faint odor trails, and are 10,000 times more sensitive than humans to certain odors. Dogs appear to be able to detect different cancers—ovarian, lung, bladder, prostate, and breast—and diabetes, perhaps by assessing a person’s breath. Consider a collie named Tinker and his human companion, Paul Jackson, who has Type 2 diabetes. Paul’s family noticed that whenever he was about to have an attack, Tinker would get agitated. Paul says, “He would lick my face, or cry gently, or bark even. And then we noticed that this behavior was happening while I was having a hypoglycemic attack, so we just put two and two together.” More research is needed, but initial studies by the Pine Street Foundation and others on using dogs for diagnosis are promising. 

Which topic sentence best fits the paragraph above?

A. Dogs sniff here and there trying to figure out who’s been around and are notorious for sticking their noses in places they shouldn’t.

B. As we know, dogs have a keen sense of smell.

C. Dogs’ sense of smell is so good that they can detect illness in humans. 

Exercise 3.4

Create a topic sentence for each of the following subjects. Remember to include a controlling idea.

  1. The person who influenced me the most
  2. The heat during summer in Phoenix
  3. The legal drinking age
  4. A change that would improve school life

The Body (Supporting Sentences)

Supporting sentences make up the body of the paragraph by explaining, proving, or enhancing the controlling idea in the topic sentence. A supporting sentence usually offers one of the following:

Graphic shows icons for each type of evidence/support, which includes reason, fact, statistic, quotation, and example
Figure 3.3 Types of Evidence

The type of supporting sentence you choose will depend on your purpose and audience. For some purposes and audiences, if you are attempting to persuade your audience to take a particular position, you should rely on facts, statistics, and concrete examples. For other audiences, personal experiences will be valuable, such as to demonstrate your credibility as a writer.

Example of a Paragraph

There are numerous advantages to owning a hybrid car. (Topic sentence) 

First, they get 20 percent to 35 percent more miles to the gallon than a fuel-efficient gas-powered vehicle. (Supporting sentence 1: statistic)

Second, they produce very few emissions during low speed city driving.(Supporting sentence 2: fact)

Because they do not require gas, hybrid cars reduce dependency on fossil fuels, which helps lower prices at the pump. (Supporting sentence 3: reason)

My friend bought a hybrid car two years ago and has been extremely impressed with its performance. (Supporting sentence 4: example)

“It’s the cheapest car I’ve ever had,” she said. “The running costs are far lower than previous gas-powered vehicles I’ve owned.” (Supporting sentence 5: quotation)

Given the low running costs and environmental benefits of owning a hybrid car, it is likely that many more people will follow my friend’s example in the near future. (Concluding sentence)

When put together, the final paragraph looks like this:

     There are numerous advantages to owning a hybrid car. First, they get 20 percent to 35 percent more miles to the gallon than a fuel-efficient gas-powered vehicle. Second, they produce very few emissions during low-speed city driving. Because they do not require gas, hybrid cars reduce dependency on fossil fuels, which helps lower prices at the pump. My friend bought a hybrid car two years ago and has been extremely impressed with its performance. “It’s the cheapest car I’ve ever had,” she said. “The running costs are far lower than previous gas-powered vehicles I’ve owned.” Given the low running costs and environmental benefits of owning a hybrid car, it is likely that many more people will follow my friend’s example in the near future.

Exercise 3.5

Read the paragraphs below and answer the questions.

  1. People who form close relationships with other people tend to be happier than those who do not. The number of friends a person has is not important. Dr. Robert Waldinger says that “everybody needs somebody who they feel really has their back that they could go to, in times of need.” When it comes to happiness, what matters most is the quality of the relationships. Close relationships are ones that usually involve the sharing of feelings, mutual respect, acceptance, trust, fun and empathy. As long as the relationships are deep, a person will experience greater levels of happiness.
  2. People who exercise regularly are usually happier than people who avoid exercising. People with good exercise routines are always improving both their physical and mental well-being. In fact, research has shown that exercise can be as effective as medication in treating depression.

Questions 

  1. Do both paragraphs have enough support for an academic essay? If not, how can they be improved?
  2. Look back at the ways to develop supporting sentences in a paragraph mentioned earlier. What types of support does each paragraph use?

Concluding Sentence

An effective concluding sentence draws together all the ideas you have raised in your paragraph. It reminds readers of the main point—the topic sentence—without restating it in the same words. Compare the topic sentence and concluding sentence from the previous example:

Example

Topic sentence: There are numerous advantages to owning a hybrid car.

Concluding sentence: Given the low running costs and environmental benefits of owning a hybrid car, it is likely that many more people will follow my friend’s example in the near future.

Notice the use of the synonyms “advantages” and “benefits.” The concluding sentence reiterates the idea that owning a hybrid is advantageous without using the exact same words. It also summarizes two examples of the advantages covered in the supporting sentences: low running costs and environmental benefits.

A concluding sentence may do any of the following:

Image shows that a concluding sentence might RestateRestate the main idea. Summarize Summarize the key points in the paragraph. Conclude Draw a conclusion based on the information in the paragraph. Predict Make a prediction, suggestion, or recommendation about the information in the paragraph. Observe Offer an additional observation about the controlling idea.
Figure 3.5 Strategies for Conclusions

 

Examples

  • Restate: Because of these factors, childhood obesity is a growing problem in the United States.
  • Summarize: Considering this evidence, we can see how a lack of healthy choices, poor parenting, and an addiction to video games are among the many factors contributing to childhood obesity.
  • Draw a conclusion: These statistics indicate that unless we take action, childhood obesity rates will continue to rise.
  • Make a prediction, suggestion, or recommendation: Based on this research, more than 60 percent of children in the United States will be morbidly obese by the year 2030 unless we take evasive action.
  • Offer an additional observation: Childhood obesity is an entirely preventable tragedy.

Exercise 3.6

Image of guitar tattooFirst, read the topic sentence and supporting sentences in the paragraph below. Then choose the best concluding sentence for the paragraph.

It is not always the influence of other people or the media that results in a person getting a tattoo. Many people decide to wear tattoos to express their individuality and passions. For example, a musician in a rock band may get a tattoo of a guitar on the arm. Some environmentalists may tattoo pictures of endangered animals on their shoulders. Lovers may tattoo each others’ names over their hearts. ___________________________. 

Which concluding sentence best fits the paragraph above?

  1. A person’s friends and the media will affect their decision to get a tattoo.
  2. The unfortunate fact about tattoos is that they are impossible to remove.
  3. Permanent and visible, tattoos can be a vital way for people to remind themselves – and others – who they are.

Transitions

Like relay race runners handing off the baton, a strong paragraph moves seamlessly from the topic sentence into the supporting sentences and on to the concluding sentence. To help organize a paragraph and ensure that ideas logically connect to one another, writers use transitional words and phrases. A transition is a connecting word that describes a relationship between ideas.

 

Take another look at the earlier example where each of the underlined words is a transition word.

There are numerous advantages to owning a hybrid car. First, they get 20 percent to 35 percent more miles to the gallon than a fuel-efficient gas-powered vehicle. Second, they produce very few emissions during low speed city driving. Because they do not require gas, hybrid cars reduce dependency on fossil fuels, which helps lower prices at the pump. Additionally, my friend bought a hybrid car two years ago and has been extremely impressed with its performance. “It’s the cheapest car I’ve ever had,” she said. “The running costs are far lower than previous gas-powered vehicles I’ve owned.” Given the low running costs and environmental benefits of owning a hybrid car, it is likely that many more people will follow my friend’s example in the near future.

The following chart provides some useful transition words to connect supporting sentences and concluding sentences. 

For Supporting Sentences

above all

but

for instance

in particular

moreover

subsequently

also

conversely

furthermore

later on

nevertheless

therefore

aside from

correspondingly

however

likewise

on one hand

to begin with

at the same time

for example

in addition

meanwhile

on the contrary

 

For Concluding Sentences 

after all

all things considered

in brief

in summary

on the whole

to sum up

all in all

finally

in conclusion

on balance

thus

 

Developing Paragraphs That Use Topic Sentences, Supporting Ideas, and Transitions Effectively 

Learning how to develop a good topic sentence is the first step toward writing a solid paragraph. Once you have composed your topic sentence, you have a guideline for the rest of the paragraph. To complete the paragraph, a writer must support the topic sentence with additional information and summarize the main point with a concluding sentence.

This section identifies the three major structural parts of a paragraph and covers how to develop a paragraph using transitional words and phrases.

Identifying Parts of a Paragraph

As explained above, an effective paragraph contains three main parts: a topic sentence, the body, and the concluding sentence. A topic sentence is often the first sentence of a paragraph. This chapter has already discussed its purpose—to express a main idea combined with the writer’s attitude about the subject. The body of the paragraph usually follows, containing supporting details. Supporting sentences help explain, prove, or enhance the topic sentence. The concluding sentence is the last sentence in the paragraph. It reminds the reader of the main point by restating it in different words.

Read the following paragraph. The topic sentence is underlined for you.

Compared to many animals, our own senses are almost dull. Last year, a cat traveled 130 miles to reach its family, who had moved to another state and had left their pet behind. Even though it had never been to their new home, the cat was able to track down its former owners. A dog in my neighborhood can predict when its master is about to have a seizure. It makes sure that he does not hurt himself during an epileptic fit. Overall, animals possess extraordinary senses that allow them to navigate the world  in remarkable ways.

The first sentence of this paragraph is the topic sentence. It tells the reader that the paragraph will be about animals’ senses, and it expresses the writer’s opinion that their sense are much sharper than humans.

Each of the following sentences in the paragraph supports the topic sentence by providing further information about a specific animal with superior senses. The final sentence is the concluding sentence. It reiterates the main point that animals have superior senses. 

Paragraphs that begin with the topic sentence move from the general to the specific. They open with a general statement about a subject (animals’ senses) and then discuss specific examples (the cat and dog mentioned). 

Paragraph Structure Graphic Organizer

Consider using an outline to organize your ideas for your paragraph.

Topic Sentence (topic + comment/judgment/interpretation):

____________________________________________________________________

Supporting Sentence 1: _________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

Supporting Sentence 2: _________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

Supporting Sentence 3: _________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

Supporting Sentence 4: _________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

Supporting Sentence 5: _________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

Supporting Sentence 6: _________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

Concluding Sentence (summary of comment/judgment/interpretation):

____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

Exercise 3.7

Write a complete paragraph using the components above: topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a conclusion sentence; remember to include good transitions. Use the topic sentence you developed for Exercise 3.4.  

Key Takeaways

  • A good paragraph contains three distinct components: a topic sentence, body, and concluding sentence.
  • The topic sentence expresses the main idea of the paragraph combined with the writer’s attitude or opinion about the topic.
  • Good topic sentences contain both a main idea and a controlling idea, are clear and easy to follow, use engaging vocabulary, and provide an accurate indication of what will follow in the rest of the paragraph.
  • Topic sentences may be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a paragraph. In most academic essays, the topic sentence is placed at the beginning of a paragraph.
  • Supporting sentences help explain, prove, or enhance the topic sentence by offering facts, reasons, statistics, quotations, or examples.
  • Concluding sentences summarize the key points in a paragraph and reiterate the main idea without repeating it word for word.
  • Transitional words and phrases help organize ideas in a paragraph and show how these ideas relate to one another.

Attributions

The Writing Textbook by Josh Woods, editor and contributor, as well as an unnamed author (by request from the original publisher), and other authors named separately is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Introduction to Academic Writing for ESOL, Second Edition, released 2018, Compiled by Delpha Thomas; adapted by Tim Krause, is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

 

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Introduction to Composition Copyright © by Shelley Decker; Mary Kieser; Heather Moulton; and Peter Shipman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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