READING AND WRITING SKILLS

(1st Quarter)
Module 2
Week 2-4

DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPHS WITH TOPIC SENTENCES AND

SUPPORTING DETAILS

OBJECTIVE
After completing the module, you should be able to evaluate a written text based on its
properties (organization, coherence and cohesion, language use and mechanics)
(EN11/12RWS-IIIgh-4 – 4.4)

Let us learn how to write effective paragraphs!

LEARNING ACTIVITY

DEFINING PARAGRAPHS

A paragraph is a group of sentences that deals with one particular idea. Paragraphs are defined by the point
that they support, the controlling idea, and not just by how long they are. This is the fundamental rule in writing
paragraphs: only one idea should be discussed per paragraph.

Put together, paragraphs are used as building blocks in organizing longer pieces of text into prose. They
basically function in order to introduce a new idea, develop an old one, compare and contrast information, or provide
readers with a pause.

Identifying the Parts of a Paragraph: The Topic Sentence

To compose a paragraph effectively, you should be familiar with its parts: the topic sentence and supporting
details.

A topic sentence tells the reader the main idea of your paragraph. It reveals what you generally plan to
propose, argue, or explain. When it is part of a longer essay, the topic sentence contains a main point that supports
the thesis statement. Think of the topic sentence as a mini thesis statement for the paragraph. In the following
paragraph, the topic sentence has been underlined:

The circumstances which brought about the Filipino’s adoption of the [American] jeep are nearly providential. For here was an
ideal, economic carrier suited to the extremes of tropic heat and rain and the bumpiness of Philippine highways, narrow dirt roads,
and cowpaths. In the farms, it became an indispensable wheelhorse, unresisting despite all kinds of inhuman abuses. in the city,
the jeep evolved into something its inventors never dreamed of: the phenomenon that has been rattling around Manila for
decades—the jeepney. – (Emmanuel Torres, Jeepneys)

As you can see, the details in the paragraph expound the circumstances surrounding the Filipino’s adoption of
the American jeep. The topic sentence can be found anywhere in the paragraph: in the beginning, at the end, or in the
middle. The topic sentence in the previous paragraph is found in the beginning. It is usually a good practice to include
the topic sentence near the start of the paragraph so your readers have an idea of what you are talking about early
on.

A topic sentence can be explicit, or clearly states the ideas that will be elaborated on in the paragraph. The
previous paragraph makes use of an explicit topic sentence, which plainly reveals to the reader what the paragraph
will be about.

However, a topic sentence can also be implied. Read the paragraph below for an example:

Called the jeep, it was small in stature, easy to operate, hardy and compact, practical. Its capacity for carrying any kind of cargo—
animal, vegetable, or mineral—in just about any shape or size, just so you could cram it all in, was practically limitless. In the
early days of the Liberation, we wide-eyed children starved for gum and Hershey bars would watch uniformed soldiers gallivant
all over town in these jeeps loaded with Gl goodies, like tinned K-rations, cigarettes, duffel bags bulging with beer cans, and
sometimes women. In time the American servicemen disappeared, but the jeep remained.
. - (Emmanuel Torres, Jeepney)

Prepared by: Mr. Jhon Karlo P. Panol Page 1|3

 A topic sentence is implied if there is a clear controlling idea of what the paragraph is about. The reader will
be able to determine the focus of the paragraph because all of the details, as seen above, are linked by an organizing
theme. In the case of the given example, the implied topic sentence is how the American servicemen used the jeep
for carrying cargo.

Also, a good topic sentence reveals your attitude toward the subject. It is helpful to include details like facts
and examples that turn the topic sentence into something more specific and concrete.

Identifying the Parts of a Paragraph: Supporting Details

Every paragraph need supporting details to elaborate on the topic sentence. These supporting details may
range from facts, examples, or instances. Good supporting details expound on the main idea and act as adequate
support; they are specific and stem from the general idea established by the topic sentence. How much detail you
should include in a paragraph depends on your purpose and the topic sentence.

Examine the paragraph below, taken from the same essay. The implied topic sentence is about the types of
passengers one encounters when riding a jeepney. What are the supporting details in this paragraph? How do they
develop the topic sentence?

As every jeepney rider knows, sitting in a packed jeepney can be both awkward and uncomfortable, if not actually perilous,
specially where the passenger crowd includes housewives with their market baskets loaded with vegetables and fish, parents
with smelly, yelping brats, provincianos lugging their boxes and buri bags, fat persons with enormous backsides, etc. The
passenger list does not always include the hoi polloi or the bakya crowd. It also includes middle class commuters with white-
collar jobs and sometimes residents who own cars and even a house in San Lorenzo Village. At any rate, one never knows
beside whom one is sitting. We consider ourselves extremely lucky to sit next to a shapely co-ed, side by side in a packed
jeepney. So you see, a jeepney ride can be a good instance of democratic togetherness, where the have and the have-not, the
literate and illiterate, may sit elbow to elbow tolerating each other’s presence without much of a sign of social discontent as a
sneeze. ~(EmmanuelTorres, Jeepneys)

The supporting details in the previous paragraph give specific details about the types of passengers in the jeepney,
These examples give you a better idea of such passengers. In fact, they enable you t0 picture yourself sitting beside
a variety 0f interesting characters from all walks of life.

MAKING YOUR PARAGRAPHS EFFECTIVE

Now that you have identified the parts of the paragraph, the following characteristics will help you develop
your paragraph into more effective ones.

The first characteristic of an effective paragraph is unity. Unity simply means that all of the sentences in the
paragraph are related to the topic sentence. The whole paragraph should begin and end with one focus only. Each of
the details should have a clear and consistent connection to the topic sentence. Read the following sample paragraph,
the paragraph lacks unity because the underlined point does not support the main idea.

Ordinary Filipinos can easily promote our country to foreigners via social media by supporting the Department of Tourism’s (DOT)
“It’s more fun in the Philippines” campaign. First, they can share and like official publicity materials from the DOT’s Facebook
page. Each time a post is shared and liked, it becomes increasingly visible on Facebook and can reach a wider audience. Next,
they can tweet their experiences in various local tourist destinations on Twitter using the hashtag Iike #ItsMoreFunInPH. When
many users tweet using a specific hashtag, it becomes a trending topic and can be viewed by Twitter users around the world.
They can also tell stories to their foreign friends by talking to them and volunteering to tour them around in our top tourist
destinations. Finally, they can share their own travel photos on Instagram. Because pictures can be worth a thousand words,
their pictures can reveal to foreigners the beauty of the travel destinations the Philippines is blessed with. These, and so much
more, are just some examples of how Filipinos can participate in the DOT’s campaign through social media.

The second characteristic of an effective paragraph is adequate development. The topic sentence in the
paragraph should be elaborated on using concrete evidence, different examples, relevant facts, and specific details.
Having specific details helps your readers become interested in your topic, understand your message, and convince
them of the validity of your topic sentence.

The following are two versions of a paragraph:

Prepared by: Mr. Jhon Karlo P. Panol Page 2|3

 I dislike Physical Education (PE). Why is it that we have to waste class time playing sports that we have no choice in? Who said
basketball is the best sport? I dislike PE because It makes me tired. It makes my skin dark. Finally, I dislike it because I look
stupid when I play sports.

The first paragraph has vague (not clear) ideas; the writer has enumerated reasons for disliking PE but did not
explain them sufficiently. Meanwhile, the second paragraph below provides specifics; therefore, is more engaging
and informative:

I am one student who has a strong dislike for PE. First, I do not like how we have little choice in the sports we play in. We usually
play basketball, volleyball, or other team sports. I am someone who prefers one-on-one games because I am shy and I find it
hard to work in a team. Second, most sports we choose involves outdoor settings. My skin is sensitive to the sun and I get
allergies and become dark easily when exposed to sunlight for too long. Finally, most sports we play are spectator sports. They
are meant to be played before a cheering audience. As someone who is seIf-conscious when playing sports (especially since I
am not sporty), I am uncomfortable when all eyes are on me. Overall, I believe I will enjoy this subject more if we had more
options in the sports that we take up.

The third characteristic of an effective paragraph is coherence. This means that the sentences are arranged in
a logical manner, making them easily understood by the reader. Coherence is achieved when ideas flow smoothly
within and between paragraphs. Your paragraph can become more coherent through the use of logical order and
signal devices.

First, the details of a paragraph can be organized according to chronological, spatial, or emphatic order. When
a paragraph’s arrangement is in chronological order, the details are arranged in the order in which they happened.
Meanwhile, spatial arrangement is when the sentences of a paragraph are arranged according to geographical
location, such as left to right, up to down, etc. Finally, emphatic order is when the information found in a paragraph
is arranged to emphasize certain points depending on the writer's purpose.

Imagine that you were to write an essay on the difficulties that a new high school freshman might face when
he/she first enters high school. Consider how you might arrange the supporting details depending on the angle on the
topic you are considering.

If your topic sentence were something like “The everyday life of a high school freshman can be exhausting,”
you might use a chronological approach to provide an account of the student’s routine: waking up early to go to
school, listening to different lectures, collaborating on many group projects, joining extra-curricular activities, and
answering many assignments.

Another paragraph with the topic sentence “The high school classroom has many differences from the grade
school classroom that can be surprising to the freshman” might utilize a spatial approach to detail arrangement. You
might first talk about the small tables and chairs in the grade school classroom, then the colorful bulletin boards at
the back of the room with familiar cartoon characters stuck on them. In contrast, the high school classroom has bigger
tables and chairs, and a plainer looking bulletin board at the back wall.

Next, you can also achieve coherent paragraphs through the use of signaI devices, or words that give
readers an idea of how the points in your paragraph are progressing. The following are examples of signal devices:

1. Transitions (these are words and phrases that connect one idea to another)
a. Time (first, immediately, afterward, before, at the same time, after, earIier, simultaneously, finally, next, in the
meantime, later, eventually, then, meanwhile, now, subsequently, etc.)
b. Sequence (moreover, furthermore, next, also, finally, last, another, first, second, third, besides, additionally,
etc.)
c. Space (above, next to, below, behind, beside, etc.)
d. Illustration (for instance, specifically, for example, namely, in this case, to illustrate, etc.)
e. Comparison (similarly, also, in the same way, still, likewise, in comparison, too, etc.)
f. Contrast (but, despite, however, even though, yet, on the other hand, although, on the contrary, otherwise,
conversely, etc.)
g. Cause and Effect (because, as a result, consequently, then. so, since, etc.)
h. Conclusion (thus, therefore, in conclusion, in short, etc.)

2. Repetitions (repetitions of main ideas keep continuity and highlight important ideas)
3. Synonyms (these are words similar in meaning to important words or phrases that prevent tedious repetitions)
4. Pronouns (words that connect readers to the original word that the pronouns replace)
5. Parallelism (using similar sentence structures)

Prepared by: Mr. Jhon Karlo P. Panol Page 3|3