Introduction to

Paragraph II
Supporting Sentences or Body
Definition of a Paragraph

A Paragraph is:
 A group of sentences that develops one
main idea or a topic. (Boardman, C.A &
Frydenberg, 2002; Blanchard, K & Root, C,
2003; Smalley,et.al, 2001)
Elements of a Paragraph

 Topic sentence
 Supporting sentences/Body
 Concluding sentence
 An example of a Paragraph
Smoking cigarettes can be an expensive
Topic habit. [Considering that the average price
sentence per pack of cigarette is about $2.50, people
who smoke two pack of cigarette a day
spend $5 per day on their habit. At the end
Supporting of one year, these smokers have spent at
sentences/ least $1,825.00. But the price of cigarettes
body is not the only expense cigarette smokers
incur. Since cigarette smoke has an
offensive odor that permeates clothing,
stuffed furniture, and carpeting, smokers
often find that these items must be cleaned
more frequently than those of nonsmokers.]
Although it is difficult to estimate the cost of
this additional expense, one can see that
Concluding
sentence
this hidden expense does contribute to
making smoking an expensive habit.
The Body / Supporting
Sentences
 Support the opinion or attitude
expressed in the topic sentence
(TS).
 Serve to back up, clarify,
illustrate, explain or prove the
point made in TS.
 Develop main idea and add
details to the topic.
Three Common Ways to
support a topic sentence
 Use facts or statistics
 Use examples
 Use personal experience
Facts or Statistics

Use of the Internet has grown

very quickly. In 1983, there were 562
computers connected to the Internet.
By the turn of the century, there were
72.3 million computers in 247
countries on-line. Experts say that
the Internet is now growing at a rate
of approximately 40 percent a year.
As time goes on, the Internet is
becoming more and more popular.
Personal Experience

There are many reasons I hate

my apartment, but three are the
worst. The plumbing does not work
properly and the landlord refuses to
fix it. I also have noisy neighbors
who keep me up all night.
Furthermore, there are so many
bugs in my apartment that I could
start an insect collection. I really
want to move.
Examples
Usually three or four weeks before
Valentine’s Day, you begin to see too many
reminders of this only-for-lovers holiday almost
everywhere. For example, you see red heart
and cupids in every shop and restaurant.
Shops want you to buy a gift for your Valentine,
and restaurants hope that you will treat yourself
and your Valentine to an expensive dinner. You
also seem to see more pictures of people in
love and more people on the streets who are
obviously in love. They walk hand-in-hand and
gaze into each other’s eyes lovingly. Another
example of Valentine’s Day reminders in
seeing the commercials on TV, which tell you
about all the wonderful presents and cards that
you can buy for that “special someone”. In
short, we are constantly reminded of
Valentine’s Day for several weeks each year.
Two Types of supporting
Sentences (SS)
 The major SS
The main details that tells about
the topic sentence.
 The minor SS
Tell more about the major SS
 Diagramming a paragraph
Topic Sentence.
Usually three or four weeks before Valentine’s Day, you begin to see
too many reminders of this only-for-lovers holiday almost
everywhere.
Major SS
For example, you see red heart and cupids in every shop and
restaurant.
Minor SS Shops want you to buy a gift for your Valentine, and
restaurants hope that you will treat yourself and your Valentine to
an expensive dinner.
Major SS
You also seem to see more pictures of people in love and more people
on the streets who are obviously in love.
Minor SS They walk hand-in-hand and gaze into each other’s eyes
lovingly.
Major SS
Another example of Valentine’s Day reminders in seeing the
commercials on TV, which tell you about all the wonderful presents
and cards that you can buy for that “special someone”.
Concluding sentence In short, we are constantly reminded of Valentine’s
Day for several weeks each year.
Irrelevant Sentence
The students in the class come from
many different parts of the world. Some are
from European countries, such as France,
Spain, and Italy. Others are from Middle
Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and
Israel. Still other students were born in
Asian countries, including Japan and
Korea. Korean food is delicious. The
largest number of students are from Latin
American countries like Mexico, Venezuela
and Peru. The class is interesting mix
people from many different countries.
 Exercise: find the sentence in each group that
does not belong.
1. Topic: It is interesting to visit foreign countries.
a. You can meet new people.
b. You can eat different kinds of food.
c. It’s expensive.
d. You can see the way other people live.

2. Topic: Different people spend their free time in different ways.

a. A lot of people spend their free time going to movies.
b. The price of movies has increased recently.
c. Some people like to read.
d. Many people enjoy sports.
e. Some people prefer to listen to music.

3. Topic: Smoking cigarettes is a bad habit.

a. It is expensive.
b. It may cause cancer.
c. There are many kinds of cigarettes.
d. The smoke often bothers other people.
e. Burning cigarettes cause fire
Thank you