Soran University

Faculty of Education
English Department
1st Year- Morning & Evening Study

Reading & Writing

Soran University
Faculty of Education
English Department
October, 14-15, 2023

:By
Hakeem Hasan Sulaiman
M.A. in English language & Linguistics
Contents
How to write a paragraph
 What is a paragraph:
It is a group of sentences all connected to the main idea.
The main idea is the main point of the author, the topic of
the paragraph.
Main idea: What the writer says about the topic.
A good paragraph must have 3 different types of
sentences:
1. Topic sentence: To state the main idea, tells the reader
what the paragraph is about.
2. Supporting sentences: To expand or add details and give
examples on the main idea
3. Concluding sentences: To restate the main idea, to
summarize the paragraph
 Which one is a good paragraph? Why?
 My mother is a very busy person. She works sixteen hours
a day. She goes to office early in the morning and comes
back quite late at night. Sometimes, she even works on
Saturdays. She has no time for plays or fun.

My mother is a very busy person. My toy car is broken. The

cows are grazing in the field. The sun sets in the west. We
live in Dhankuta. My name is Kali Prasad. A mouse is a
little creature.
Topic sentence + Supporting sentences

Trees are useful for us (topic sentence). They clean

the air around us. On a hot day, they give us shade.
We can use their wood to build our homes. Trees also
help to keep the environment fresh. They provide us
oxygen (supporting sentences).

A dog is a useful animal (topic sentence). It guards

our house. It protects us from burglars. It plays with
us and entertains us. It keeps us safe and makes our
life easy (supporting sentences).
 Example:
Complete with a topic sentence:

……………………………….. She works sixteen hours a day. She goes to office early in
the morning and comes back quite late at night. Sometimes, she even works on
Saturdays. She doesn't have much free time at all (Supporting sentences).

 Mrs. Lama is a good housewife.

 Mrs. Lama is a very busy person.
A paragraph: Mobile phone
Mobile phone (topic) is one of the most wonderful gifts of modern science
(controlling idea) (all is a topic sentence). It is a medium for the quickest
communication. It has brought a revolutionary change in our communication. We
can exchange information from one part of the world to another part. At present the
popularity of the mobile phone is increasing day by day. It has some drawbacks too.
It creates problem in hearing and hearts. Terrorists and criminals use it for their
anti-social activities (supporting sentences). Besides this problem, mobile phone is
a blessing for us. We should use it in proper ways (concluding sentence).
 Thank you
Any questions?