PARAGRAPH

DR. SUNARSIH, M.A.

 DEVELOPING A PARAGRAPH
A GOOD PARAGRAPH CONTAINS SEVERAL RELATED SENTENCES THAT SUPPORT
ONE MAIN IDEA, WHICH IS LIMITED TO AND FOCUSED ON ONE SENTENCE.

ONE PARAGRAPH = ONE MAIN IDEA = ONE TOPIC SENTENCE

TOPIC SENTENCE (LEADER) AND SUPPORTING SENTENCE (SUPPORTER)

SENTENCE = STARTED BY CAPITAL LETTER, CONTAIN COMPLETE IDEA, S AND

PREDICATE, ENDED BY PUNCTUATION (.; ?; !)

A. I STUDIED ENGLISH.

B. WHEN/IF I STUDIED ENGLISH.

 THE TOPIC

1 PARAGRAPH -> 1 TOPIC SENTENCE -> 1 MAIN IDEA

A TOPIC HAS TWO ESSENTIAL PARTS: THE TOPIC AND THE CONTROLLING IDEA. THE TOPIC NAMES THE SUBJECT, OR MAIN IDEA, OF
THE PARAGRAPH.

TOPIC SENTENCE:

ITERA IS A GREEN CAMPUS.

TOPIC CONTROLLING IDEA

IT HAS MANY TREES INSIDE. THE AIR IS FRESH, AND THE LAND IS HUGE.

EXAMPLE:
ITERA IS A NEW CAMPUS. IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2014. IT HAS BEEN 6 YEARS OLD. THE FACILITIES ARE INCOMPLETE BECAUSE
THERE ARE STILL IN PROGRESS OF CONSTRUCTION.
 THE CONTROLLING IDEA

THE CONTROLLING IDEA MAKES A SPECIFIC COMMENT

ABOUT THE TOPIC, WHICH INDICATES WHAT THE REST OF THE
PARAGRAPH WILL SAY ABOUT THE TOPIC.

CONTROLLING IDEA WILL BE EXPLAINED BY THE

SUPPORTING SENTENCES/IDEAS NEXT.
 IDENTIFYING THE TOPIC AND
THE CONTROLLING IDEA
MOUNT LASSEN 10, 453 FEET HIGH, IS ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE
VOLCANOES IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE TOPIC:
MOUNT LASSEN

THE CONTROLLING IDEA:

10, 453 FEET HIGH, IS ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE VOLCANOES IN THE
UNITED STATES
 IDENTIFYING THE TOPIC AND
THE CONTROLLING IDEA

AMERICAN SCIENTISTS ARE WORKING HARD TO

GATHER FACTS ABOUT SEA TURTLES CALLED
LEATHERBACKS.

THE TOPIC:
SEA TURTLES CALLED LEATHERBACKS

THE CONTROLLING IDEA:

AMERICAN SCIENTISTS ARE WORKING HARD TO GATHER FACTS ABOUT
 WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH
PATTERN?

A PARAGRAPH PATTERN IS A PLAN. IT SHOWS THE PARTS OF A

PARAGRAPH AND HOW THEY ARE PUT TOGETHER.
 PARAGRAPH SONG

• INTRODUCE A TOPIC IN A GENERAL WAY

• NEXT, YOU ADD SOME DETAILS OF WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY
• THEN YOU WRITE A CLINCHER, PUT THIS SENTENCE LAST
• NOW YOU HAVE JUST COMPLETED YOUR GREAT
PARAGRAPH
 WHAT ARE MAIN IDEAS?

THE MAIN IDEA IS THE SUBJECT OF THE PARAGRAPH. IT IS WHAT THE

PARAGRAPH IS ABOUT. WRITERS MAY DIRECTLY STATE THEIR MAIN IDEAS OR
THEY MAY IMPLY THEM.

A DIRECTLY STATED MAIN IDEA IS ONE THAT THE WRITERS TELL YOU ABOUT IN
A TOPIC SENTENCE.

AN IMPLIED MAIN IDEA IS JUST THE OPPOSITE OF A DIRECTLY STATED IDEA.

WRITERS DO NOT TELL YOU THE MAIN IDEA IN A TOPIC SENTENCE. THEY GIVE
YOU ONLY THE SENTENCES WITH THE SUPPORTING IDEAS.
 PARAGRAPH

• TOPIC SENTENCE _> TOPIC AND CONTROLLING IDEA

• SUPPORTING SENTENCES -> EXPLAIN CONTROLLING IDEA
• SUPPORTING SENTENCES -> SUPPORTING IDEAS
2-3 1
• MORE THAN ONE
 WHAT TYPES OF PARAGRAPH
PATTERNS DO WRITERS USE?

THE THREE TYPES USED MOST OFTEN ARE THESE:

• QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
• PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED
• TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED
 WHERE DO WRITERS PLACE
THEIR IDEAS
IN A PARAGRAPH?
THE MAIN IDEA FIRST IN THE PARAGRAPH HERE THE TOPIC
SENTENCE (THAT IS, THE SENTENCE CARRYING THE MAIN
IDEA) OPENS THE PARAGRAPH. THE SENTENCES CARRYING
THE SUPPORTING IDEAS COME NEXT. PEOPLE SOMETIMES
DRAW THIS PLACEMENT AS AN UPRIGHT TRIANGLE:
a. MAIN IDEA = 1
b. SUPPORTING IDEAS = MORE THAN ONE
 WHERE DO WRITERS PLACE
THEIR IDEAS
IN A PARAGRAPH?
THE MAIN IDEA LAST IN THE PARAGRAPH IN THIS
PLACEMENT, THE TOPIC SENTENCE IS AT THE END OF THE
PARAGRAPH. THE SUPPORTING IDEAS COME FIRST. THIS
DRAWING OF AN UPSIDE-DOWN TRIANGLE SHOWS THE
PLACEMENT:
A. SUPPORTING IDEAS
B. MAIN IDEA
 WHERE DO WRITERS PLACE
THEIR IDEAS
IN A PARAGRAPH?
THE MAIN IDEA WITHIN THE PARAGRAPH HERE THE WRITERS
START WITH SOME OF THE SUPPORTING IDEAS. THEN, THEY
PUT IN THE MAIN IDEA. NEXT, THEY GIVE SOME MORE
SUPPORTING IDEAS. THIS PLACEMENT IS SHOWN IN THIS
DRAWING OF TWO SMALLER TRIANGLES:
a. SUPPORTING IDEAS
b. MAIN IDEA
c. SUPPORTING IDEAS
 REVIEW

• WHAT DID WE LEARN TODAY?

• SO WHAT? (RELEVANCY, IMPORTANCE, USEFULNESS)
• WHICH PART DID YOU FIND EASY/FUN?
• WHICH PART DID YOU FIND DIFFICULT?
• WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?
 RESOURCES
SUPRIYANTO, B. CRITICAL READING.
BANDUNG: INSTITUT TEKNOLOGI BANDUNG.