CHAPTER 3: SUPPORTING SENTENCES

I. Definition
Supporting sentences add information about the topic and the controlling idea.
In order to choose details to support the topic sentence, you can rephrase the
topic sentence as a question, and then answer that question with your supporting
questions.
E.g. Topic sentence: A university professor has many duties.
Question: What are the duties of a university professor?
Answers supporting ideas
- giving lectures to students
- doing research
- being available for consultation
- writing journal articles /books
There are several ways of finding the supporting sentences to develop a
paragraph: definition, explanations, examples or illustrations, description, detail of
fact or personal experience, comparison contrast, and cause -effect.

1. Examples/illustrations
Examples help to clarify a statement. They offer the readers evidence. (Question:
What examples can be used as evidence?)
E.g. Topic sentence: Many people think happiness lies in the town.
Question: Where can people find happiness in a town? What examples can help
me to prove this?
Many people think happiness lies in the town. There are cinemas and theatres,
beautiful shops and busy streets, dancehalls and restaurants they have all the
conveniences at their disposal. For example, they do not have to travel too far to buy
the things they need. In the evening, if they do not want to cook, they can enjoy dinner

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at a restaurant. Then they may spend the whole evening in a cinema or a dancehall.
Such people would feel that their life was not worth living if they had to live outside
London.

Language tip: Expressions for illustration

For instance/For e

To illustra

2. Description
Describing something a person, a place, or an object helps the readers to
ng is to make
use of the senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. (Question: How does s/he or it
look? What is it like?)
E.g. Topic sentence: The woman who met us had an imposing beauty.
Question: In what ways is she impressively beautiful? How about her
appearance/clothes?
The woman who met us had an imposing beauty. She was tall and large-boned.
Her face was strongly molded, with high cheekbones and the complexion of mahogany.
Her clothing was simple, a black sweater and skirt; and I remember thinking that this
woman, if having dressed in showier garments, would have seemed overwhelming.

3. Definitions
By defining a term or concept, the writer often gives an explanation. Definitions
are usually used in narrating or describing something/someone. (Question: What is it?
What examples or facts can be used?

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 Writing technique: Types of definition
Definition by synonym
Definition by negation combined with examples or facts
Definition by class

E.g. 1.
Topic sentence: Hackers are computers addicts.
Question: Who can be computer addicts? What do they do to become hackers?
Hackers are computer addicts. Typical addicts are young college students, pale
from spending so many late nights working on the computer. Hackers would gladly
give up friends, dates, studying, sunlight, and fresh air just to sit alone in front of the
display screens, inventing programs and directing the technological world at their
fingertips. In fact, they feel more comfortable relating to computers than to people.
(Definition by synonym + examples)
E.g. 2.
Topic sentence: A snakehead fish, a completely new species, has just been found
in Maryland pond.
Question: What kind of fish is snakehead fish? What is this Snakehead fish like?
A snakehead fish, a completely new species, has just been found in Maryland
pond. Sounding like a creature out of science fiction, this northern snakehead is a kind
of fish with big teeth that can survive out of water. At up to 40 inches long and weighing
up to 15 pounds, with toothy jaws and snake-like scales on their heads, with their eyes

survive for two to three days out of water, breathing air with a primitive lung, pushing
themselves around with heir pectoral fins. (Definition by class + facts)
E.g. 3.
Topic sentence: Unlike induction, deduction is reasoning from the general to the
particular.

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 Question: What is deduction? What is the difference between induction and
deduction?
Unlike induction, deduction is reasoning from the general to the particular. It is
not the scientific method in which you start with particular cases and come to general
principle or conclusion. Instead, you first give a general statement, and then you give
concrete examples to support that statement. (Definition by negation + example)

4. Details of fact/personal experience

Facts or personal experiences are usually used in narrating or writing a report.
Facts (including figures, scientific discoveries from resource materials, e.g. books,

persuasive. (Question: Where/ From which sources can I find evidence to support the
idea?)
E.g. Topic sentence: Because the eat-out trend is unlikely to end anytime soon,
it makes sense to know what hides within your favorite offerings.
Question: What substances can be found in the restaurant meals? From which
source can I find the evidence?
Now for ever-growing millions of Americans, restaurant-prepared food has
become a way of life. Because the eat-out trend is unlikely to end anytime soon, it
makes sense to know what hides within your favorite offerings. In a new book,
ve director of the Center
for Science in the Public interest, and Jayne G. Hurley, a registered dietitian at the center,

have gotten larger, layers of melted cheese have gotten fatter, salt and sugar are

According to data gathered by the United States Department of Agriculture, restaurant

meals are, on average, 20 percent fattier and 15 percent higher in saturated fat than

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home-cooked meals. They are also higher in sodium and cholesterol and much lower in
calcium, fiber and iron.

5. Comparison contrast
By comparing and contrasting people, theories, etc., the qualities of the two are
clarified. (Question: HOW/IN WHAT WAY are they similar or different? WHAT are
the differences or similarities between them?)
E.g. Topic sentence: One advantage of living outside London is that houses are
cheaper
Question: Can we buy a bigger house outside London at a cheaper price?
One advantage of living outside London is that houses are cheaper. Even a small
flat in London without a garden costs quite a lot of to rent. However, with the same

Language tip: Expressions for comparison & contrast

In addition Whereas Like Unlike
Similarly Although While Though
As well as However In the same way In contrast
Also Both/neither Yet Conversely

6. Cause and effect

Cause and effect analysis can be made from general observation or the use of
data (i.e. facts). (Question: WHY does this happen? WHAT are the reasons /results?)
E.g. Topic sentence
other ways.
Question: In what

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too much time watching television, they may get behind in their homework. Also, if
they stay up to watch a late movie, they may fall asleep in class the next day.
Consequently, they will not learn their lessons, and they could even fail in school.

Language tip: Expressions for cause-effect

Because For that reason As a result
Since Therefore Consequently
As Hence/thus Result in/from

7. Explanation
Explanation tells the reader what something means or how something works.
(
E.g. Topic sentence: My mother, who likes sewing, used this simple saying to
teach me the value of working on problems when they are still small.
Question
simple
saying to teach me the value of working on problems when they are still small.
Originally, the saying referred to sewing if you have a small hole in a shirt, you can
repair it with one stitch. But if you wait, the hole will get larger, and it will take you
nine stitches.

II. Practice
Exercise 8: Underline the topic sentences and identify the methods or
strategies that have been used to develop the following paragraphs.

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 E.g.
Even simple study habits can improve your marks. At university I learned how
important it is to get enough sleep. When you are well-rested, it is easier to learn.

see how getting enough sleep can improve your performance at university.
Topic sentence: Even simple study habits can improve your marks.
Method/strategy: example

Paragraph 1.
I will never eat dinner at The Little French Bistro again. The restaurant is not
very clean. You can see dust in the corners and on the shelves. The food is expensive,

waiters are not very friendly. For these reasons, I will not visit that restaurant again.
i will never eat dinner at The Little French Bistro again
Topic sentence: ..............................................................................................
explanations
Method/strategy: ...........................................................................................

Paragraph 2.

people they are with are wearing popular clothes or listening to trendy music.
Topic sentence: ..............................................................................................
a friend is someone who accepts you the way you are
Method/strategy: ...........................................................................................
definitions

Paragraph 3.
One of the most surprising things about football in England to a stranger is the
great knowledge of the game which even the smallest boy seems to have. He can tell
you the names of the players in most of the important teams; he has photographs of

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them and knows the results of large numbers of matches. He will tell you who he
expects to win such a match, and his opinion is usually as valuable as that of men three
or four times his age.
one of the most ...... to have
Topic sentence: ..............................................................................................
detail of fact
Method/strategy: ...........................................................................................

Paragraph 4.
Last summer holidays, we rented a dreamy house in the mountains for two weeks.
It was a very small house, clean and cheerful, standing in a beautiful garden, with the
green mountain rising up behind it. We were delighted. We stood in the garden for half
an hour before unpacking our things from the car, enjoying the peace and coolness and
watching the sunset. last summer holidays, we rented a dreamy house in the
mountains for two weeks.
Topic sentence: ..............................................................................................
personal experience
Method/strategy: ...........................................................................................

Paragraph 5.
Some pollution happens by accident. In Seveso in Italy, in 1976, there was an
accident at a chemical factory. A cloud of poisonous gas killed a lot of people and
animals. Everybody had to leave the town. Another terrible example of accidental
pollution happened in Minimata in Japan in the 1950s. At that time, people did not fully
understand the dangers of toxic waste. Therefore, a factory dumped its waste which
contained a very poisonous metal called mercury into the sea. Thousands of people died
after eating the fish with mercury in their bodies, while thousands of others never
walked or talked again.
Topic sentence: some pollution happens by accident
example
Method/strategy: ...........................................................................................

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 Paragraph 6.
However, a lot of pollution is deliberate. Some people deliberately dump their
waste in dangerous ways because it is cheaper than doing it safely. Every day, factories
deliberately dump toxic waste in the river Rhine. They know it is wrong, but they still
do it because it is cheap. Consequently, every year many seals at the mouth of the Rhine
die from the toxic chemicals in the bodies of the fish they eat.
a lot of pollution is deliberate
Topic sentence: ..............................................................................................
cause effect
Method/strategy: ...........................................................................................

Paragraph 7.
The second difference between the traditional family and the modern one is in

her first years of marriage. However, after she became pregnant, she would usually quit
her job. Her primary role was to take care of her family and home. In contrast, the
woman in the modern family works outside the home even after she has children. She
is doing two jobs instead of one, so she is busier than the traditional mother was.
Topic sentence: ..............................................................................................
the second diference between the .......
Method/strategy: ...........................................................................................
comparison- contrast

Paragraph 8.
Europeans have been eating Quorn Quorn nuggets, Quorn cutlets, Quorn
patties for 16 years. Quorn named for a British village and manufactured in the north
of England is a meat substitute made from a kind of a fungus, grown in giant
fermentation tanks and processed into a low-fat, protein- rich substance that has some
of the texture of meat. Twenty million Europeans have tried it, buying nearly a billion
portions, according to the manufacturer, Marlow Foods, which is owned by
AstraZeneca, a leading drug company based in London.
Topic sentence: ..............................................................................................

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 Method/strategy: ...........................................................................................
description

Exercise 9: Read the following topic sentences. Put a check ( ) next to each
sentence below that supports the topic sentence.
E.g. I am an organized person.
_ __ a. My desk is always neat and tidy.
_ __ b. I have a system of organizing my papers, and I can always find what I need.
_____c. I feel uncomfortable when I am in a strange environment.
_ __ d. My friends always want me to help them put their closets in order.

1. Twenty questions is an easy game to play when you are traveling.

____ b. Sometimes people travel by car, and sometimes by train or airplane.

____
+ c. It is very important to travel with people that you get along with.
____ d. The other players take turns asking questions that can only be answered with

2. Tea and coffee are very different from each other.

+ a. Coffee has more caffeine than tea does.
____
____ b. Coffee and tea both have caffeine.
____ c. People enjoy tea and coffee during social occasions.
+ d. Tea is much more common around the world than coffee is.
____

3. In my opinion, people spend too much money on cars.

____
+ a. Some drivers spend a fourth of their income for a car payment, which is
unnecessary.
____ b. Cars do not increase in value, so they are not a great investment.
____ c. Car companies are always looking for ways to make vehicles safer on the road.
+
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____ d. People who do not pay cash must also pay interest, so they lose even more
+
money.

4. It is easy to get a sports injury.

____ a. Many people enjoy sports.
____
+ b. Runners often have problems with their ankles and knees.
____ c. basketball players can break their fingers or get knocked over by another player.
____
+ d. Many people make the simple mistake of joining a gym, and then they never
go there to exercise.

5. My city is famous because of its architecture.

____
+ a. We have ancient, red-tiled buildings around the main square.
____ b. The restaurants near the beach serve great seafood.
____
+ c. It has expensive tree-lined boulevards with beautiful limestone buildings and
monuments.
+ d. A famous university is located on the side of a mountain.
____

Exercise 10: Find and cross out any sentences that are not related to the
controlling idea of the paragraph.
e.g. Chinese food is popular everywhere in the world. Most people would agree
that Chinese cuisine is especially flavourful, varied, and healthful. Not even the best
French chefs can equal the imaginative combination of ingredients and delicious blend
of flavours of Chinese cooking. Japanese food is more beautiful to look at than Chinese
food.

Paragraph 1.
My brother lives in Boston. He found a nice big apartment on Commonwealth
Avenue. He likes to read. Although the landlord

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cats. The cats seem to understand the situation, because they hide behind the refrigerator
whenever someone comes to the door.

Paragraph 2.
As people have more time and money to spend on recreation, new sports are
developed. Traditional sports such as racing on foot, horse, and skis, and in boats,
cars, and aeroplanes are still popular. Fifteen years ago, no one had ever heard of
windsurfing. Now it is the rage at beach resorts everywhere. Twenty years ago, who
would have thought that intelligent men and women would jump out of aeroplanes for
fun, as they do in the sport of skydiving? Ten years ago, not many people believed that
humans would be able to glide through the air like birds, as they do in the new sport of
hand gliding.

Paragraph 3.
Fortunately, many parents were very strict with me when I was a child. I think
that they were protective because I was an only child. However, at that time, it felt like
I was in prison. I had to come straight home after school and immediately do my
homework. After I finished my homework, I was allowed to watch only one hour of
television. While my friends were playing video games or watching cartoons, I was
usually doing chore around the house to help my mother. This included doing some of
the laundry and ironing, mowing the lawn, and helping to prepare dinner. My father
was an architect, and my mother was a housewife. Looking back, I am not sorry that
my parents were strict with me because I benefited from a ll the hard work.

Paragraph 4.
Swimming pools can be beautiful, but they need to be maintained every day.
First, you must check the amount of chlorine in a swimming pool. If there is not enough
chlorine, the pool might begin to grow algae. In addition, you must check the pH level,

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especially after a rainstorm. Certain chemicals can be added to make sure that the pH
level of the pool water is balanced. If you accidentally swallow some of these chemicals,
you have to go to the doctor at once. Finally, you should remove any leaves and small
insects that are in the pool. By doing all these things, you can be certain that your pool
will last a very long time.

Paragraph 5.
When people have a hard time falling asleep at night, there are three things that
they can do to relax before going to sleep. One of the most pleasant ways to relax is to
imagine a beautiful and peaceful place. This requires a creative mind, but it is very
effective. Another common method is to practice deep-breathing exercises. These
rhythmic exercises are good for getting rid of the tension that causes people to stay
awake. A third method is to listen to relaxing music, such as classical or baroque music.
Baroque music is also popular because it helps students study better. Some people have
developed unique ways to help them fall asleep, but these three methods are extremely
effective for the majority of people with sleep problems.

Exercise 11: Read each topic sentence (TS). Then, ask a question about the
topic and add two more supporting points to each list.
E.g. T.S: Smoking in restaurants should be prohibited for several reasons.
Question: What are these reasons?
Supporting points: [a] It pollutes the air.
[b] It
[c] It may cause a fire.
1. T.S: International students have difficulty taking notes in class for several
reasons.
Question ..
Their range of English vocabulary is not good/sufficient enough to understand the
Supporting points:[a] teachers/lecturers/professors

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 Lack of familiarity with subject/ knowledge - specific terminology

[c] Knowledge is general and difficult to understand

2. T.S: We should consider several criteria before choosing a job.

Question ..
Salary + benefits/remuneration(salary + benefits) is high/ good enough to lead a ……
Supporting points:[a] life/finance the family
Working environment is friendly and comfortable for you

[c] the job must fit your ability

Opportunities for growth and development
3. T.S: Computer technology will one day eliminate the use of libraries.
Question Users can easily find the resources they need thanks to Google's automatic ..
categorizing system. You just need to type keywords of that subject on Google search
Supporting points:[a] engine,, it will constantly search related information for you
It is more convenient if you stay far away from the library and easier to look up
information
Digital resources are often more cost-effective than physical books and other
[c] materials.
4. T.S: Classrooms without windows have adverse effects on students.
Question What are the bad effects that classrooms without windows have on students? ..
Supporting points:[a] Classrooms without windows create a feeling of cramped and frustrated
Negative Impact on student’s Mood and Well-being

[c] Poor light spectral quality in classrooms can create strain on students’ eyes

5. T.S: Summer is the best time to travel in my country.

Question ..
Supporting points:[a] great festivals and fairs take place in summer

Summer makes it easier for families to plan vacations and travel

[c] People have more free time in the summer. Children don’t have to go to school. Most
adults take some time off for traveling.

Exercise 12: Develop your own paragraph. Look back at the topic sentences
you wrote in Exercise 7 (CHAPTER 2 PRACTICE). Follow these steps.
Step one: Choose one topic sentence that you would like to develop into a
paragraph.
Step two: Brainstorm some ideas using any method you like.

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 Step three: Develop your paragraph with supporting sentences
Step four: Exchange paragraphs with a partner. Say what kind of support your
partner used. Could your partner tell what kind of support you used?

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