A paragraph is a unit of text that develops one idea or topic in specific detail.

Like a paper, a paragraph is further categorized in three different parts which are described below at length to give you an insight of Parts of Paragraph: Topic Sentence Supporting Details Closing Sentence

Q: A: Q: A: Q: A:

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.

Q: A: Q: A: support Q: A:

What are supporting sentences? They come after the topic sentence, making up the body of a paragraph. What do they do? They give details to develop and the main idea of the paragraph. How do I write them? You should give supporting facts, detailsr 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.

Q: A:

What is the closing sentence? The closing sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph.

Q: A: Q: A:

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.

Getting started means getting organized and at Paragraph Organizer, you will be taught just that. To start well is a vital part of the writing process which requires critical thinking and lots of practice. It is important to: Analyze the information that you have, to understand what is being asked in the assignment Think about the information that you know about the subject and decide what is relevant Decide which information you will use and where it will be most effective Once you know and understand the paragraph structure, you need to plan well and quickly. The better the planning, the better the paragraph. Read below to know more about paragraph writing and what does a paragraph do to make your assignment a success.

It supports your ideas:

The purpose of the paragraph is to show that you can support your ideas with specific examples and evidence. If you have no support for your ideas, you generalize which leads to a vague and imprecise assignment. Use concrete, everyday words to explain and illustrate your ideas, and abstract, specific words to show how you interpret the support and evidence you present: Abstract words organize ideas ("concentration of economic activity") Concrete words illustrate ideas ("merchants' shops, storehouses, mills") Repetition of key words create coherence ("concentration")

It captivates the readers:

You organize and sequence the material for a paragraph just the way you organize a paper. Find a logical pattern that the reader will be able to follow and build to a point of emphasis. If the logic is strong, the reader would be captivated for the rest of the assignment and would follow your line of thought.

It takes them through to the end:

However, the reader can't follow your line of thought unless each sentence leads smoothly and logically to the next. Consistency plays an important part in making your paper a success otherwise the reader will not be interested in going beyond a couple of paragraphs at the most. Use repetition and transition words to create connections and make sure that grammar errors don't break down the coherence of

your writing.

How do I write a paragraph? How can I begin?

It is important to know how to write a paragraph. There are certain rules you should follow in order to write a paragraph and to know how to write term papers. Your first sentence should be a topic sentence and should contain the topic and an opinion on the topic. It should strictly not contain any supporting ideas which MUST feature in the next sentence. You should write at least three sentences supporting your ideas, with facts, reasons, examples, statistics, comparison, or an anecdote. Last, you should have a concluding sentence which reasserts your opinion, but does not have the same wording. Going by these helpful rules will lead to good paragraph writing. There are also four stages in which we have categorized paragraph writing so as to make it a lot easier for you to learn the art. The four stages are: Prewriting Paragraphs Writing Paragraphs Editing Paragraphs Publishing Paragraphs

What is the prewriting stage?

The prewriting stage is when you think carefully and organize your ideas for your paragraph before you begin writing.

Six Prewriting Steps:

1. Think carefully about what you are going to write: Ask yourself: What question am I going to answer in this paragraph? How can I best answer this question? What is the most important part of my answer? How can I make an introductory sentence from the most important part of my answer? What facts or ideas can I use to support my introductory sentence? How can I make this paragraph interesting? Do I need more facts on this topic? Where can I find more facts on this topic? 2. Open your notebook: Write out your answers to the above questions. You do not need to spend a lot of time doing this. Just write enough to help you remember why and how you are going to write your paragraph. 3. Collect facts related to your paragraph topic: Look for and write down facts that will help you to answer your question. 4. Write down your own ideas: Ask yourself: What else do I want to say about this topic? Why should people be interested in this topic? Why is this topic important?

5. Find the main idea of your paragraph: Choose the most important point you are going to present. If you cannot decide which point is the most important, just choose one point and stick to it throughout your paragraph. 6. Organize your facts and ideas in a way that develops your main idea: Once you have chosen the most important point of your paragraph, you must find the best way to tell your reader about it. Look at the facts you have written. Look at your own ideas on the topic. Decide which facts and ideas will best support the main idea of your paragraph. Once you have chosen the facts and ideas you plan to use, ask yourself which order to put them in the paragraph. Write down your own note set that you can use to guide yourself as you write your paragraph.

What is the writing stage?

The writing stage is when you turn your ideas into sentences.

Five Writing Steps:

1. Open your notebook and word processor. 2. Write the topic sentence, supporting sentences and closing sentence. 3. Write clear and simple sentences to express your meaning. 4. Focus on the main idea of your paragraph. 5. Use the dictionary to help you find additional words to express your ideas.

What is the editing stage?

The editing stage is when you check your paragraph for mistakes and correct them.

Grammar and Spelling

1. Check your spelling. 2. Check your grammar. 3. Read your assignment again. 4. Make sure each sentence has a subject. 5. See if your subjects and verbs agree with each other. 6. Check the verb tenses of each sentence. 7. Make sure that each sentence makes sense.

Style and Organization

1. Make sure your paragraph has a topic sentence. 2. Make sure your supporting sentences focus on the main idea. 3. Make sure you have a closing sentence. 4. Check that all your sentences focus on the main idea. 5. See if your paragraph is interesting.

What is the publishing stage?

The publishing stage is when you produce a final copy of your assignment to hand in. The three most vital publishing steps are: 1. Make a paper copy of your paragraph. 2. Show your work to your teacher, tutor or parents. 3. Ask them for hints on how to improve your writing.

Characteristics of a good paragraph:

Topic sentence, which includes the topic and a controlling idea. Supporting ideas (usually 3 - 5), which support the topic sentence RENNS (reasons, examples, names, numbers, senses), which give details for and further explain the supporting ideas. Optional concluding sentence, which leaves the reading with something to think about and may summarize the supporting ideas if the paragraph is long. Coherenence, which means that all the information of the paragraph is well-organized, logically ordered and easy to follow. This is accomplished by: Repetition of key words and phrases (often from the topic sentence) Parallel grammatical structure

1. Compose your topic sentence. Think of a topic and a controlling idea that will narrow the topic enough to support it well in one paragraph. 2. Brainstorm supporting ideas. Choose 2 - 6 supporting ideas that do a good job supporting your topic sentence. 3. Write your paragraph in topic outline form as follows. Don't actually write sentences in the outline, except for the topic sentence.

Topic sentence:

A. Supporting idea 1. 1. 2. 3. B. Supporting idea 2. 1. 2. 3. C. Supporting idea 3. 1. 2. 3.

Concluding sentence:
4. Put your supporting ideas in a logical order. 5. For each supporting idea, think of RENNS that further explains the idea. For balance, each supporting idea should have about the same amount of RENNS. 6. Think of a concluding sentence. 7. Write your paragraph using sentences. Use the coherence strategies to make paragraph easy to follow. Here is an example we did in class. We came up with a good topic sentence and supporting ideas: your

Topic sentence: Choosing a college or university can be difficult. Supporting ideas: 1. Good Location, 2. Affordable, 3. Good preparation
for major. We decided to order these supporting ideas according to importance as shown in the outline below. Now we put this information into outline form and added some RENNS for each supporting idea.

Topic sentence: Choosing a college or university can be difficult.

A. Good preparation for your major 1. thorough, solid curriculum 2. qualified professors

B. Affordable

1. must be able to pay tuition and living expenses 2. possibility of scholarships C. Good Location 1. study environment 2. possibilities of part-time job in your major Concluding sentence: You should consider these points carefully so you can choose the most appropriate college or university for you.

Finally, we wrote the paragraph using sentences and trying to make the paragraph coherent using different coherence strategies: Choosing a college or university can be difficult. The most difficult part is finding a university that prepares you well for your future career. In order to get a good job, the curriculum that is taught must be thorough and up-to-date. In addition, the professors must be highly qualified and respected in their fields. Another difficulty in choosing a university or college is affordability. You need to be able to pay the tuition fees and living expenses. Some institutions might be able to offer you scholarships if you cannot afford the fees. A good location is also very important when choosing a school. The environment should be safe and quiet to facilitate studying. Moreover, there should be possibilities near the school for part time or summer jobs in your major, so you can get some practical work experience. You should consider all of these points carefully so you can choose the most appropriate college or university for you.