PARAGRAPH

DEVELOPMENT
Ghana Christian International
High School 10 WASSCE LESSON 7
STARTER ACTIVITY

• Teacher to invite volunteers to define a

‘paragraph’
 LEARNING OUTCOMES

• 1. Define topic sentences and supporting sentences and

demonstrate understanding of their function in a text.

• 2. Identify the qualities of a good topic sentence and supporting

sentences.

• 3. Write a topic sentence and supporting sentences on a given topic.

• A paragraph is a group of sentences that support and
develops a single idea.
• A good paragraph therefore has unity and a pattern of
organization.
• Unity in a paragraph means every sentence in a
paragraph contributes to the development of a main
idea.
• The main idea is usually conveyed in a topic sentence.
 PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH
• A paragraph has two main parts
• Topic Sentence
• Supporting Sentences (Including a
concluding sentence which draws
the discussion to a close or links
it to the next paragraph)
 TOPIC
SENTENCE
• This is the sentence that states the main idea in a paragraph.
• It may entice or tantalize readers, set the stage for the
description that follows.
• It focuses the reader’s attention in a specific direction.
• It is compulsory for each paragraph to have a topic sentence.
• It is advisable to start the paragraph with the topic sentence.
(The topic sentence should come first to make the paragraph
clear)
 SUPPORTING
SENTENCES
• The supporting sentences are also
called the body of the paragraph.
• They are used to support, explain,
illustrate, or provide evidence for the
idea expressed in the topic sentence.
 WRITING PARAGRAPHS
• We can write a paragraph by having a single main idea, the topic
sentence, and then writing more about that idea. You can use any one
of these techniques or strategies in order to write more about the
topic sentence.
a) Providing illustration or examples

b) Making a comparison

c) Using some reasons

d) Discussing a definition

e) Filling in with facts

SENTENCES WITHIN THE
PARAGRAPH

•Simple sentences
•Compound sentences
•Complex Sentences
A well-run zoo will have a number of features. For
example, it will have large areas in which the animals
can exercise properly. It will try to provide the
animals with the type of vegetation and environment
with which they would be familiar in the ‘wild’.
Visitors would be able to watch the animals closely,
but they will be partly hidden from the animals’ view
so that the animals have some privacy.
THE FEATURES OF A GOOD PARAGRAPH ARE AS
FOLLOWS:

At our level, a good paragraph should

• Usually be 3 to 5 sentences long
• Have a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a
concluding sentence
• Connects well with the previous and next paragraph
 CLOSURE
Let the students verbally summarize what they have
learnt.
 EXERCISE
• Write a ten-line paragraph on any topic
of your own. Your paragraph must
include a clear topic sentence with
supporting sentences. Make sure all the
supporting sentences are discussing what
has been said in the topic sentence