A well-developed paragraph consists of three main parts:
- The topic sentence
- The body of the paragraph
- The concluding sentence
The Topic Sentence
The topic sentence expresses the main idea of the entire paragraph. It controls the content of the paragraph.
A well-developed topic sentence:
1. Narrows the topic to a manageable size appropriate for a paragraph.
Too broad: Rolling blackouts cause problems.
Narrowed: Rolling blackouts in California cost businesses money.
2. Identifies the specific subject that will be discussed in the paragraph.
Nonspecific: There are many health care problems to discuss.
Specific: Lack of adequate medical insurance is a serious problem for millions of Americans.
3. Provides the reader with a sense of direction, purpose, or point of view that will be expressed in the paragraph. This is the controlling idea.
No controlling idea: Water levels are down in the Northwest.
Controlling idea: The low water levels in the Northwest will lead to three major problems this summer.
4. Attracts the reader's attention and interest.
Lack of interest: I have blackberry bushes in my back yard.
Interest: Dressed in my combat clothes, I confronted and defeated the blackberry bushes by using a three-step method of attack.
The Body of the Paragraph
The body of the paragraph consists of sentences with supporting details. The sentences in the body of the paragraph develop the topic (subject) that is expressed in the topic sentence.
The body of the paragraph:
- Includes sufficient details to support, explain, strengthen, or prove the topic sentence with the controlling idea. The result is adequate development.
- Presents the details in an orderly, logical sequence. The result is coherence.
- Shows a strong relationship to the topic sentence with the controlling idea. The result is unity.
- Uses appropriate transition words between sentences.
- Provides interest and information for the reader.
The Concluding Sentence
The concluding sentence follows the body of the paragraph to:
- Signal the end of the paragraph.
- Summarize or reinforce the key ideas in the paragraph or echo the topic sentence.
