Paragraph writing

• A paragraph is a group of
sentences which develop one
central idea.

• The central idea is usually stated

What is a in a topic sentence.
paragraph?
• Every sentence in the paragraph
must help the development of the
topic sentence.
 Steps for writing a good paragraph
S
t • Read the question multiple times till
e
S you’ve fully grasped it’s meaning
p
t • Select a topic which you fully
1
e understand
S
p
t • Carefully reason out the idea and
2
e expand it
S
p
t • Ensure unity, order, variety, clarity, and
3
e style
S
p
t • Be careful about spellings, punctuation,
4
e and arrangement of sentences.
S
p
t
5 • Stick to the prescribed word limit.
e
p
Topic versus topic sentence
• Topic Sentence = TOPIC + LIMITING STATEMENT
• Take, for example, the general topic of soccer.
• There are too many things to say about soccer to put into a single paragraph.
Therefore, your problem as a writer consists in deciding how you want to
write about soccer.
• In other words, you need to limit your discussion.
• One good way to limit your topic is to place key words or phrases in the topic
sentence. These words or phrases will let the reader know how you are going
to discuss the topic
• The topic sentence:
• Often appears at the beginning of the paragraph, as the first or second
sentence.
• In some writing, the topic sentence appears at the end of the paragraph, while in some it
is both at the beginning and the end, so the topic is restated (although the exact words
will not be repeated).
• Gives the writer’s main idea or opinion about the topic and helps the reader
understand what the paragraph is going to talk about.

• The sentence(s) at the end of the paragraph will often return to the idea
in the topic sentence, to show how it has been developed, and/or link it
to the idea in the following paragraph.

• The sentence(s) in the middle will expand on or modify the main idea
expressed in the topic sentence.
 Paragraph structure
Many nations are now relocating certain government departments from their capital cities. There were
earlier efforts to establish entirely new capitals, like Brasilia in Brazil or Islamabad in Pakistan. These initiatives
are now considered too costly, complicated, and disruptive. The current trend is to distribute various ministries to
less congested areas away from the capital. For instance, Mexico has moved its Ministry of Culture from Mexico
City to Tlaxcala, and Norway has transferred its competition authority from Oslo to Bergen.
1. Topic sentence
Many nations are now relocating certain government departments from their capital cities.
2. Supporting information
There were earlier efforts to establish entirely new capitals, like Brasilia in Brazil or Islamabad in Pakistan.
3. Reason
These initiatives are now considered too costly, complicated, and disruptive.
4. Further detail/restatement
The current trend is to distribute various ministries to less congested areas away from the capital.
5. Examples
For instance, Mexico has moved its Ministry of Culture from Mexico City to Tlaxcala, and Norway has transferred its competition
authority from Oslo to Bergen.
• After you have chosen a topic and written a topic sentence, you
develop your main idea by adding more information to explain what
you mean. Common ways to develop a paragraph:
• giving details
• giving an explanation
• giving an example
• giving an anecdote
• giving facts and statistics

o Details are specific points that tell more about a general statement.
o An explanation tells the reader what something means or how something works.
o An example is a specific person, place, thing, or event that supports an idea or statement.
o An anecdote is a short entertaining account of some happening. It is usually personal. It may
be thought of as a lengthy example
o A fact is something which is objectively verifiable.
o A statistic is a numerical fact which presents significant information about a given subject.
Use of examples in paragraphs
In order to be considered a hero by his own and subsequent generations, a person
must display extraordinary physical or intellectual powers. The physical hero is one
who exhibits great strength to overcome monumental obstacles and emerge a victor-
is found frequently in literature. Samson, although chained and bound, used his
superhuman strength to destroy his enemies, the Philistines, likewise, Dwight
Eisenhower, a more contemporary physical hero, surmounted overwhelming odds to
organize the successful Allied invasion of “Fortress Europe” during World War II. A
second heroic type is the intellectual, admired for his mental prowess and the way
he uses it to the benefit of mankind. Leonardo DaVinci, with his studies of
architecture, human anatomy, and engineering. In addition to his great artistic
achievements, belongs to this second type. More recently, Albert Einstein, who not
only made far-reaching contributions in the physical sciences, but also worked
diligently towards achieving world peace, illustrates the intellectual hero.
Use of details in paragraphs
Perhaps it is because of its terrifying and effective teeth that the shark has
always been one of man’s most hated and feared enemies. Located beneath its
snout, the shark’s mouth contains between four and six rows of teeth, but
these may number up to twenty-four rows in some species. The teeth are
embedded in the gums and gradually move forward as they are used.
Eventually these large teeth drop out and are replaced by new teeth moving
up from behind them. It is possible for one species of shark to produce up to
24,000 teeth over a ten-year period. This awesome dental equipment
produces a jagged crescent-shaped bite.
Use of anecdotes in paragraphs
A film director’s style is usually personal and recognizable, but every
rule has its exception. Not long ago I was in a theatre watching Roman
Polanski’s Macbeth. Suddenly the action slowed considerably. A
frightening red circle began moving outward from the center of the
screen, engulfing first the actors and finally the entire scene. I was
sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next horror, which never
carne. It was not Polanski's terrifying style after all but a fire in the film
projector.
Use of statistics in paragraphs
The term population explosion is usually applied to the rapid growth of
the last three centuries. In the two hundred years from 1650 to 1850, the
world population doubled and reached its first billion. In the next eighty
years, it doubled again, and by 1975, it had doubled once more to a total
of 4 billion. By the year 2000, it is estimated that it will exceed 6 billion
and possibly approach 7 billion unless there is a major reduction in birth
rates or a major increase in death rates.
Concluding sentence:
• The final sentence of a paragraph is called the concluding sentence.

• It sums up the main points or restates the main idea in a different

way.
• A sentence that sums up the paragraph reminds the reader of what the
writer’s main idea and supporting points were.
• A sentence that restates the main idea should give the same information in
a slightly different way, perhaps by using different words or by using
different word order.

• The concluding sentence in a paragraph should not introduce a new

point.
Choose each idea individually and Paragraph- “a unit of thought”
develop it into a separate paragraph. -Ernest Gowers

Unity- Must deal with one topic or

idea

Order- Logical sequence of

thought or development of subject

Variety- Should not be repetitive

Features of a
paragraph: Clarity- Judicious choice and
correct placement of words

Style- Has to be pithy and concise

 Statements
with no
connection to
main topic
Expanding
Irrelevant
when unclear
details
on a topic

Lengthy
AVOID
Going beyond
compound
word limit
sentences

Repetition Ambiguity
Signposts/signalling language
• Signposts are sentences that give a clear indication of what
the main topics covered in the paragraph are likely to be.
• They can be words or phrases that can help the reader
follow your argument.

• Signposts of relations:
• Addition
• Similarity
• Illustration
• Contrast
• Cause and effect
• Reformulation
Addition Similarity Illustration Contrast Cause and effect Reformulation

As well as… Just as…, so too… For instance… In contrast… Therefore… In other words…
In addition to… Likewise… In particular… In comparison… This causes… Put simply…
Besides… Similarly… One way… Conversely… Consequently… That is to say…
Another… In the same way… One such… Whereas… Hence… Better still…
Further… Correspondingly …like… On the other With this in Stated
To elaborate… … …including… hand… mind… otherwise…
Notably… Despite this… It can be seen To look at this
Actually… that… another way…
Nonetheless… Resulting from Rather…
While this may be this…
true… This suggests
On the contrary… that…
Subsequently…
Addition
• She enjoys reading as well as watching sports in her spare time.
• She enjoys reading in addition to watching sports in her spare time.
• Besides reading, she enjoys watching sports in her spare time.
• She enjoys reading; another activity she loves is watching sports in her
spare time.
• She enjoys reading; further, she likes watching sports in her spare
time.
• She does various activities in her spare time; to elaborate, she reads
and watches movies.
Similarity
• Just as she enjoys reading, so too does she love watching sports in her
spare time.
• She enjoys reading; likewise, she loves watching sports in her spare
time.
• She enjoys reading; similarly, she loves watching sports in her spare
time.
• She enjoys reading; in the same way, she loves watching sports in her
spare time.
• Her enjoyment of reading is high; correspondingly, her love for sports
is equally high
Illustration
• She enjoys many activities; for instance, her love for books and sports stands out.
• She enjoys many activities; in particular, her love for books and sports stands out.
• She enjoys many activities; one way this is evident is through her love for books
and sports.
• She enjoys many activities; one such example is her love for books and sports.
• She enjoys many activities, like reading books and watching sports.
• She enjoys many activities, including reading books and watching sports.
• She enjoys many activities; notably, she loves reading books and watching sports.
Contrast
• She loves watching sports; in contrast, she hates outdoor activities and playing
sports.“
• She loves watching sports; in comparison, her interest in outdoor activities and
playing sports is debatable.
• She loves watching sports; conversely, she hates outdoor activities and playing
sports.
• She loves watching sports, whereas she hates outdoor activities and playing sports.
• She loves watching sports; on the other hand, she hates outdoor activities and
playing sports.
• She loves watching sports; despite this, she hates outdoor activities and playing
sports.
Contrast
• Even though she loves watching sports, she actually hates playing
them.
• She loves watching sports; nonetheless, she hates outdoor activities
and playing sports.
• She loves watching sports; while this may be true, she hates outdoor
activities and playing sports.
• She loves watching sports; on the contrary, she hates outdoor activities
and playing sports.
Cause and effect
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child; therefore, she hates
playing sports.
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child; this caused her to hate
playing sports.
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child; consequently, she hates
playing sports.
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child; hence, she hates playing
sports.
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child; with this in mind, she
refrains from playing sports.
Cause and effect
• It can be seen that her hatred for sports is due to her childhood injury.
• Her hatred for playing sports resulted from the severe injury on the
field.
• She had severe injuries on the field as a child. This suggests that a
reason for her hatred of sports could be that experience.
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child; subsequently, she
developed a hatred for playing sports.
Reformulation
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child; with this in mind, she
refrains from playing sports. Stated otherwise, her aversion to playing
sports is a consequence of that traumatic childhood experience.
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child and her interest in playing
sports declined after that incident. To look at this another way, her
current aversion to playing sports can be directly traced back to that
traumatic childhood experience.
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child and her interest in playing
sports declined after that incident, or rather, her current aversion to
playing sports is a direct consequence of that traumatic childhood
experience.
Reformulation
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child; subsequently, she hates playing
sports. In other words, her aversion to playing sports is tied to that traumatic
childhood experience.
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child; consequently, she hates playing
sports. Put simply, her aversion to playing sports is tied to that traumatic
childhood experience.
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child; subsequently, she hates playing
sports. That is to say, her aversion to playing sports is tied to that traumatic
childhood experience.
• She had a severe injury on the field as a child and she hates playing sports after
that. Better still, her aversion to playing sports can be attributed to that
traumatic childhood experience.
Coherence
• Writers achieve coherence by ensuring their
material is both logically and stylistically
consistent, and by organizing and presenting
their ideas according to specific patterns

• At the level of the whole document,

coherence helps to provide the larger picture, The paragraph is a key tool for
in which the connections among the parts of ensuring coherence. By structuring
the document are made clear by the writer content with a topic sentence and
supporting sentences, paragraphs
unify material and highlight different
aspects of conceptual development.
Thank you!