IDENTIFYING PARAGRAPH

In comprehending a reading passage, you need to understanding and learn several skills:
Identfying topics, main ideas, details, references and word meanings. But, before you need to learn
abou what a paragraph is and structures by wich it is developed.

Paragraph Structure

A paragraph is a group of sentences about the same subject. A useful way of understanding
paragraph structure is to think of it as a block that is divided into three sections: the beginning, the
middle, and the end. A basic paragraph follows this structure:

1. Topic Sentense
- States ONE clear idea
- Opening sentence
2. Supporting Sentence
- Elaborates and explains the idea introduced in the topic sentence
- Provides evidence and examples
3. Concluding Sentence
- End of a paragraph
- Makes links between topic paragraph and to the next paragraph

Sample Paragraph
Topic Sentence

The internet make it easier for people to communicate. Past generation used to write
letters to communicate to each other and wait for weeks to receive a reply. Today,
communication is almost instant. Go online, type in the e-mail address, and send your messasge.
It is a matter of seconds, not weeks, before your message arrives. There is no doubts that the
internet make communication easier, quicker, and cheaper.

Concluding Sentence Supporting Sentences

A. Topic Sentence

As stated above that a paragraph is a group of sentences about the same subject. The subject of the
paragraph is called the topic. Readers need to understand the topic of the paragraph in order to
understand the paragraph. Then, how to identify the topic of the paragraph? In order to find the
topic of the paragraph, first, you need to understand the followings:
 a topic is usually expressed as a wotd or phrase. It is not in form of a complete sentence.
 a topic should not be too soecific nor to general.
 A topic may egenerally found in first part a paragraph which is called the topic sentence.

Lets go back to the sample paragraph above. After combing out the paragraph, you know that the
topic is Advantage of the internet.

Explanation: In the opening sentence of the paragraph, it is stated that internet make it easier for
people to communicate. The keyword for finding the point of the sentence is the word easier. Here,
it means that the internet has positive impact enabling people to communicate in almost an
instant way that is a matter of seconds. So, by using internet to communicate, people get
advantages.

B. Supporting Sentence

The supporting sentence composes the body/main part of the paragraph. This element should
consist of detailed information that is directly relevant to and further develops the main point
presented in the topic sentence. It is standard to have anywhere from two to five concise
supporting sentences, which is generally sufficient to develop the main point and keep the
paragraph focused.

In the sample paragraph above, paragraph 2 to 4 clearly explain and provides evidence to the
topic sentence in the beginning of the paragraph that internet really helps people in term of time
needed to communicate or send messages.
C. Concluding Sentence

The concluding, or closing, sentence essentially restates the main idea of the paragraph in the
context of the supporting evidence. However, it is important to note that the concluding statement
should not simply repeat the topic sentence; care should be taken to minimize redundancy
between the two. The concluding statement can also be used to transition into the main idea of the
next paragraph, which improves the overall flow of the paper.

The concluding statement in the sample paragraph above clearly summarizes the conclusion that
the author would like you to draw from the supporting evidence presented in the body of the
paragraph. Here, the author wants to convey that the internet provides people with easy, quick
and cheap communication.

EXERCISE 1 – DENTIFYING PARAGRAPH TOPIC

A. Circle the topicparagraph tof each paragraph.

1. My Saturday mornings as a child were special. My mither used to take me shopping every
Saturday. First, we would go to the fish shopto buy fresh fish for the family. The next stop is
was the fruit and vegetable store. I loved looking at fresh, colorful vegetables stacked up on
the tables. Sometimes, the shop owner gave an apple as a treat. Next door was the butcher’s
where we would choose the meat for our Sunday dinner. Our final stop was always the bakery.
I still remember the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread. Tose were special days.

What is the topic?

a. Different shops
b. Saturday shopping as a child
c. Shopping for vegetables

2. Grocery stores today are very different from stores two generations ago. Tday you only need
to go to one store to buy everything you need. You can find meat, fish, dairy products,
vegetables, and any other grocery items you are looking for – all in one store. In the past, you
had to go from one shop another for all your needs. Also, today you can find a much wider
selection of food. Groery stores also reflect our multicultural world as you can find Mexican,
Chinese, Italian, and Japanese food in almost every large stores. Obviously, grocery stores now
differ a lot since my grandmother’s time.

What is the topic?

a. Grocery stores
b. Fresh food in grocery dtores
c. How grocery stores have changed

3. Someday, a businessman named Ted Turner had an idea. He wanted to create a twenty-four-
our television news channel. At that time, a lot of people laughed at his idea. They believed
people only wanted to watch the news in gthe evening. Turner disagreed, however, and
started CNN, or Cable News Network. CNN quickly became one of the most watched channels
on TV. And, it is still popular today, not only in theUS, but also around the world.

What is the topic?

a. Ted Tirner
b. How CNN began
c. The CNN

4. People who have never been to the US sometimes have an inaccurate idea about life in the US.
They watch Hollywood movies full of beautiful and rich people and think that everyone there
is like this. They also see violent American TV programs and think that life in the US is very
dangerous. They visit McDonald’s in their own country and think that all Americans eat
burgers every day. But, when people visit US, they will find that life is very different from what
they see in movies and on TV.

What is the topic?

a. Hollywood movies
b. Learning about US life through movies and TV
c. Visiting US
5. People communicate in several ways. They communicate throuh words, both spoken and
written, which is called verbal communication. Thete is another types of comminication, that
is the non-verbal communication. Here, they communicate using body language. But, often
communication does not go well because between the speaker and the listener do not share
the intended message. Surprisingly, non-verbal communication often causes the most
communication problems between people of different cultures.

What is the topic?

a. Non-verbal communication
b. Communication
c. Problem caused by non-verbal communication

B. Identify the paragraph topic from the paragraph by filling in the table.

Everything on the earth is made up of molecules. These molecules are in the form of solids,
liquids, and gases. These solids, liquids, and gases are called matter. As you can see, everything on
the earth is called matter. Over 100 elements have been identified. Most of the common items that
we use everyday are made of more than one element. Water has two elements: hydrogen and
oxygen. Water and any other matter, can be in the form of a solid (ice), a liquid, or a gas (steam).
Its form depends on its temperature. It is possible to transform or change the form of any matter
by raising or lowering its temperature. There is no doubts that molecules constructs any matter in
the universe.
Metals in solid form are used extensively in the technical field. Steel is used in constructing
buildings, bridges, and streets as well as in making small items to be used around the house.
Aluminum is found in automobiles, housewares, and radio and TV sets. It is also used for all kinds
of wiring, in tubing and connections, and in fittings. Copper and aluminum are commonly used for
wiring since they are good conductors of electricity and can be bent easily to any shape. Silver is
used in some technical areas because it is such an excellent conductor, but it's really too expensive
to use except in special cases. There is very littl silver in US coins today for the same reason. Most
items in use today are made of alloys instead of pure metals. These substances are less expensive
since the cheaper metals can be combined with the more expensive ones to serve the same
purpose. Brass is a common alloy made up of copper and zinc. In today life, metal has bacome the
main staple in modern industries.

PARAGRAPH TOPIC
1