• Session 3 

1st July 2021

Learning objectives:

By the end of the session, learners will be able 

• Define what a paragraph is.

• To identify the three key parts of a paragraph:
topic sentence, supporting details, and
conclusion.
• To produce a paragraph containing a topic
sentence, supporting details, and conclusion.
 Paragraphs
1. What is a paragraph?
2. How do I structure a
paragraph?
3. How do I know when to start a
new paragraph?
 What is a paragraph?
• A paragraph is a group of sentences about
one main idea.

• It can be as short or as long as you like, as

long as the idea you have been writing about
has been fully explained.
How to structure a paragraph
• There is a simple and easy way to
remember how to structure a paragraph.
• It’s called the a burger!

• Each section stands for a different part of

the paragraph.
 Topic Sentences

• The topic of a paragraph is introduced by

a key sentence.
• This is often called a topic sentence.
• This contains the main idea of the
paragraph.
• It often comes at the start of a paragraph.
• "There are three reasons why Britain is
one of the best countries in the world.
First, Britain has an excellent transport
system. Second, Britain has a high
standard of education. Students are taught
by well-trained teachers and are
encouraged to continue studying at
university. Finally, Britain's cities are clean
and efficiently managed. As a result,
Britain is a desirable place to live."
 Supporting sentences

• They come after the topic sentence, making up

the body of the paragraph.
• Each sentence needs to be about your topic
• What do they do? They give details to develop
and support the main idea of the paragraph.
• You should give supporting facts, details and
examples.
• "There are three reasons why Britain is
one of the best countries in the world.
First, Britain has an excellent transport
system. Second, Britain has a high
standard of education. Students are
taught by well-trained teachers and are
encouraged to continue studying at
university. Finally, Britain's cities are
clean and efficiently managed. As a
result, Britain is a desirable place to live."
 Ending Sentences

• Ending sentences close or finish the

paragraph.
• Ending sentences can:
a) repeat the topic sentence in a different
way
b) express how we feel about the topic
c) express what we think about the topic.
• "There are three reasons why Britain is
one of the best countries in the world.
First, Britain has an excellent transport
system. Second, Britain has a high
standard of education. Students are taught
by well-trained teachers and are
encouraged to continue studying at
university. Finally, Britain's cities are clean
and efficiently managed. As a result,
Britain is a desirable place to live."
 Paragraph Structure

Introduces what the

Topic Sentence
paragraph is about.

These sentences add

Supporting Sentences details to the topic
sentence.

This concludes or
Ending Sentence closes the paragraph.
 Your task
On the other hand, my mother is not so tall; she is a little
slim, and she has brown hair and a fair complexion. However,
they look nice together. They don’t look similar at all. 
My father is dark, very tall and of medium weight. My parents'
differences start with their appearance.   

• Look at the paragraphs again.

• Read through each paragraph.
• Order the paragraph starting with topic sentence,
supporting sentences and ending sentences.
 How do I know when to start a
new paragraph?
• There is another simple method you can
use to remember when to start a new
paragraph.

Time Person

TiP ToP
Place Topic
 Recap
1. What is a paragraph?
2. How do I structure a
paragraph?
3. How do I know when to start a
new paragraph?
 Before class
• Complete ILP learner feedback
• Complete Mid-course and personal goals.

• Next session:
Informal and formal English