WEEK 2

HOW TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH

A paragraph is a group of sentences which are related to a main idea, topic, or theme. A paragraph
can serve different purposes such as describing someone or something, giving an opinion on a topic,
comparing people or summarizing a text. The author’s purpose in a paragraph requires a specific type of
paragraph such as a descriptive paragraph, an opinion paragraph, or a summary paragraph. However, no
matter what the paragraph type is, there is a golden rule to remember: Each sentence in a paragraph must
be related to one single main idea. The sentences in a paragraph build upon each other to explain the main
idea. As a result, you must be careful about irrelevant sentences in a paragraph.
A paragraph has three main parts: a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a concluding sentence.
The topic sentence introduces the main idea of the paragraph, the supporting sentences give details about
the topic sentence to support the main idea. The concluding sentence summarizes the paragraph or gives
advice on the topic.

Exercise 1: Read the paragraph below. Notice how the sentences are all connected to each other in order
to explain the main idea.

Sample Paragraph

In Turkey, a lot of people move to large cities for three main reasons. The first reason is the variety
in job opportunities. People in big cities have a lot of alternatives such as state institutions and private
companies. The second reason for migration to big cities is educational opportunities. As the number of
schools is very high in big cities, people have more school choices in these cities. In addition, people can
get higher education in big cities because they have a lot of universities. The third reason why people
move to large cities is the cultural facilities. There are a lot of cultural activities people can do in their free
time. For instance, they can watch a recent film at a cinema or a famous play at a theatre. To sum up, people
choose to move to big cities to have a better lifestyle.

The first sentence of the paragraph above is the topic sentence, the last sentence is the concluding
sentence, and the sentences between the topic sentence and the concluding sentence are the supporting
sentences.

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The Topic Sentence: In Turkey, a lot of people move to large cities for three main reasons.

The topic sentence introduces the main idea of the paragraph. It tells the reader what the paragraph
will be about. All the other sentences in the paragraph help the author to explain the main idea which is
stated in the topic sentence.
Based on the topic sentence, the reader should understand whether the author will talk about a
personal experience, list the reasons for something, compare two people, summarize a speech or something
else.
Golden rules for a good topic sentence:
- A topic sentence must focus on one topic or idea.
- It must be clear.
- It must be specific, not too general.
- The topic sentence is usually the first sentence of a paragraph.
- A topic sentence has two main parts: a topic and a controlling idea. The topic is what the
paragraph is about, it tells the reader the main topic of the paragraph. The controlling idea
narrows down your topic. It helps your topic sentence to be specific. The controlling idea usually
expresses a definite opinion or attitude about the topic.

Exercise 2: Read the topic sentences below. Notice how the topic and the controlling idea are connected.

Working at home is advantageous for several reasons.

Topic Controlling idea

I believe technology has changed our relationships in many ways.

Topic Controlling idea

Watching Tv series is a good way to learn spoken English.

Topic Controlling idea

Exercise 3: Choose the best topic sentence for each paragraph below.

1. __________________________________________. Firstly, some students have difficulty in finding

suitable accommodation because there aren't enough dorms for all the students on campus. Secondly,
they usually have financial problems. That means the money they have is not enough for their expenses.
Another difficulty is loneliness because it isn't easy to make friends when they start university. In
conclusion, university students face many difficulties.

a) University students feel lonely in their first year

b) Life is difficult for a new student at university
c) In their first year, all students have problems

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2. ____________________________________. First of all, we need money to repair old roads and build
new roads. We also need more to pay teachers’ salaries and to pay for services such as trash collection.
Finally, more tax money is needed to give financial help to the poor citizens of the city. It is clear that
the city will have serious problems if taxes are not raised soon.
a) We should raise city taxes.
b) City taxes are too high.
c) City taxes pay for new roads.

3. __________________________________________. Firstly, you should consider the quality of the

university’s educational program. You also need to think about the size and the location of the school.
Finally, you should think about the financial side. Make sure you can afford the tuition. To conclude,
before choosing a university, you should make a careful analysis.

a) It is expensive to attend a university in the United States

b) You should consider several factors when you choose a university in the US
c) You should consider getting a good education in the United States

Exercise 4: Write a suitable topic sentence for each paragraph below and submit your work after you check
it yourself.
1. __________________________________________________________________________. Firstly,
football is played mostly with the feet, but basketball is played with the hands. Another difference is the
number of players. Each football team has eleven players, but each basketball team has only five players.
Lastly, football is usually played outdoors in large stadiums, but basketball games are usually played
indoors.

2. __________________________________________________________________________. First of
all, bicycles are much cheaper than other vehicles. They also do not need gas to make them go. They are
easy and cheap to fix, too. In cities, cyclists do not have to wait in traffic. They can always go around a
traffic jam. Finally, bicycles do not need parking spaces. They can be parked everywhere. That’s why many
people prefer to use bicycles for transportation.

3. __________________________________________________________________________. One
reason is that Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services
at a reasonable price. It also has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers
and are encouraged to continue studying at university. In addition, Canada’s cities are nice and clean.
They have many parks and lots of space for people to enjoy. As a result, Canada is a desirable place to
live.

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Supporting sentences: The supporting sentences in a paragraph explain and develop the topic sentence.
They can be about details, examples, facts, statistics, and events based on the type of the paragraph and the
explanations the topic sentence needs. All the supporting sentences must be related to the topic sentence
and contribute to development of the main idea.
Usually supporting sentences are divided into major supporting sentences and minor supporting
sentences. Major supporting sentences are directly linked to the controlling idea of the topic sentence, and
they explain the topic by narrowing it down. Minor supporting sentences, on the other hand, explain the
major supporting sentences with examples, statistics, facts etc. They give more information about the major
supporting sentences, so they are directly linked to the major supporting sentences.
Golden rules for supporting sentences:
- Each supporting sentence must be related to the topic sentence. After writing each supporting
sentence, ask yourself whether the sentence supports the topic sentence or not.
- There are usually at least three supporting sentences in a paragraph. When you have less,
your paragraph might not be as convincing as it should be.
- The supporting sentences should not present a new idea. They should give the details about
the main idea.
- To write your supporting sentences, you can ask the topic sentence questions like “How?”
and “Why?”. Your answers to the question can help you find the best ideas for supporting
sentences.
Exercise 5: Look at the chart below. Notice how the supporting sentences are all connected to the topic
sentence and how each supporting sentence is linked to the next one.

TOPIC SENTENCE: In Turkey, a lot of people move to large cities for three main reasons.
Major Supporting Sentence 1:
The first reason is the variety in
job opportunities.
Minor Supporting Sentence:
People in big cities have a lot of
alternatives such as state
institutions and private
companies.
SUPPORTING SENTENCES
Major Supporting Sentence 2:
The second reason for migration
to big cities is educational
opportunities.
Minor Supporting Sentences:
As the number of schools is very
high in big cities, people have
more school choices in these
cities. In addition, people can get
higher education in big cities
because they have a lot of
universities.
Major Supporting Sentence 3:
The third reason why people
move to large cities is the cultural
facilities.
Minor Supporting Sentence:
There are a lot of cultural
activities people can do in their
free time. For instance, they can
watch a recent film at a cinema or
a famous play at a theatre.

CONCLUDING SENTENCE: To sum up, people choose to move to big cities to have a better lifestyle.

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Exercise 6: Each paragraph below has one irrelevant sentence. Find it and cross it out.

1. (I) The students in my class come from many different parts of the world. (II) Some are from
European countries, such as France, Spain and Italy. (III) Others are from Middle Eastern countries
like Saudi Arabia and Israel. (IV) Still others were born in Asian countries, including Japan and
Korea. (V) Korean people are very friendly. (VI) The largest number of students is from Latin
American countries like Mexico, Venezuela, and Peru. (VII) In brief, the class is an interesting mix
of people from many different countries.
2. (I) Stress can be put into one of two categories: mental or physical. (II) Mental stress is characterized
by such things as worries over money or a loved one’s health, loss of a loved one or losing a job.
(III) Physical stress reasons include lack of sleep, poor diet or the effects of an illness. (IV) If you
are experiencing both of these types, you really need help. (V) Therefore, third category is believed
to be the most dangerous one.
3. (I) There are many examples to show that failure in school does not always predict failure in life.
(II) Albert Einstein, one of the world’s geniuses, failed his university entrance examinations on his
first attempt. (III) Sir Winston Churchill, who is considered one of the masters of the English
language, had to have special tutoring in English during elementary school. (IV) Dorothy Parker,
who is a remarkable poet, used her famous sense of humor to write some very good short stories
and poems when she was a student. (V) William Faulkner, one of America’s noted writers, never
finished college because he could not pass his English courses.

Exercise 7: Write a suitable supporting sentence for each paragraph below.

1. Learners of English have to improve their language skills in three areas. Firstly, these learners have to
improve their listening skills. They can do this by watching TV programs in English. For example, they
can watch documentaries or news programs. Secondly, these learners must learn new vocabulary. They
can learn new words by reading books and magazines regularly. Finally,
_________________________________________________________________________________.
Talking to native speakers of English is a good way of doing this. To sum up, improving listening skills,
learning new vocabulary and developing speaking skills are the three most important needs of learners
of English.
2. Cats are popular house pets for most people. First, cats are well-known for their cleanliness. They spend
hours cleaning themselves, so their owners do not need to wash them. Moreover, they never make a
mess in the house since they are careful creatures. Second, cats are inexpensive to feed.
_________________________________________________________________________________.
For these reasons, many people prefer cats as house pets.

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3. Life is very difficult for international students in Turkish universities. First of all, these students do not
have suitable places to stay. Some of them stay in dormitories, but they are not happy there because most
of the dorms do not have study rooms. Secondly, language is a big problem for these students. They do
not know Turkish, and it is hard for them to communicate with Turkish people. Finally, homesickness
is a problem for international students.______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________.
To sum up, problems related to accommodation, language and homesickness make life quite hard for
the international students in Turkish universities.

The Concluding Sentence: The concluding sentence is the last sentence of a paragraph. It usually
summarizes the paragraph or restates the topic sentence. The concluding sentence can also give advice to
the reader on the topic.
Golden rules for the concluding sentence:
- It must be related to the main idea of the paragraph.
- If you want to restate your topic sentence in the concluding sentence, paraphrase your topic
sentence, make sure you stick to the topic.
- If you want to summarize the paragraph in the concluding sentence, make sure to include the
idea that you focus in each major supporting sentence.
- If you want to give advice, make sure it is useful for the readers.

Exercise 8: Look at the topic sentence and the concluding sentence examples below. Notice how they are
connected.

1. Topic sentence: In Turkey, a lot of people move to large cities for three main reasons.
Concluding sentence: To sum up, people choose to move to big cities to have a better lifestyle.
2. Topic sentence: Forests are important for life on earth.
Concluding sentence: To sum up, if there were no forests, there would be no life on this planet.
3. Topic sentence: There are some important qualities of a good boss.
Concluding sentence: In summary, a qualified boss should be fair, should be a good leader and
should act with consistency.

Exercise 9: Read the paragraphs below and choose the best concluding sentence for each.
1. California is the most wonderful place to visit because of its weather and its beautiful nature.
Visitors to California can find the weather they like; cool temperatures in the summer and warm
weather in the winter. They can also find the nature they like. They can see high mountains and

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 green lands. Visitors can enjoy a huge forest and a beautiful coast at the same time.
_________________.
a) So, California’s weather and beautiful nature make it a fantastic place to visit.
b) So, you can do different activities in the winter in California.
c) So, the high mountains and forests affect the weather of California a lot.
d) So, the warm weather and beautiful coasts in California help you have the best summer holiday.
2. In my opinion, travelling by plane cannot be compared with any other type of transportation. To
start with, there is no faster way to travel. You can go from one country to another in a few hours.
Also, you always feel well looked after on a plane. You are served drinks and meals and offered
newspapers and blankets, which will make the journey more comfortable. However, air travel can
be expensive and there are often long delays in airports, which can be tiring. What’s more, many
people are afraid of flying and turbulence, so they think travelling by plane is unsafe.
_________________.
a) To sum up, although it has some negative points, air travel will always remain popular because
of its speed and
comfort.
b) In conclusion, air travel has always been a second or third choice for people because of its many
disadvantages.
c) All things considered, different types of transportation have both good and bad points.
d) In conclusion, few people will continue to prefer air travel because of its cost and
turbulence.

Exercise 10: Write a suitable concluding sentence for each paragraph below. Make sure you check your
work before you submit it to your teacher.

1. Credit cards have two main advantages. First of all, credit cards are convenient because you don’t

have to carry a lot of cash with you. They enable you to buy the products and services you need even

when you do not have cash in your pocket. Secondly, using credit cards helps you to manage your

budget more effectively. Since it is necessary to keep to the card limit, you can’t spend more than

you have, so you have to plan your budget more carefully. _________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

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2. Cambridge is a very popular university for several reasons. One reason is that Cambridge has

qualified instructors. It has good teachers who are experts in their subjects. Another reason is

Cambridge is an international university, and it gives importance to research and development. It

has lots of laboratories, computer facilities and libraries for students who want to do research and

continue their studies. The last reason is that Cambridge offers social and sports activities. Students

can be actively involved in these activities in their free time. They can also join student clubs in a

number of interesting fields. ______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________