Paragraph

Prepared by Zalgay ‘Samadi

 Paragraph
Paragraph:
Paragraph is derived form a Latin word “Paragraphos,” which means a line or
stroke upon which ideas fall.
The word Paragraph is made up of two words Para, which means writing and
graph, which means picture, so Paragraph means Picture of Writing.
Or: Paragraph is a unit of thought that has several or many sentences in it
about one topic is called paragraph.
Or: A group of related sentences that develops one main idea or topic is called
a paragraph.
 Guide for Writing a Good Paragraph:
Consider the followings for an effective paragraph:
1. The first sentences should begin several spaces to the right margin.
(Optional)
2. It should have starter sentence or topic sentence as it is called in
paragraphing.
3. All the sentences should be arranged in order.
4. The sentences should be arranged in a proper order either logical or
chronological order.
5. The sentences should be joined by some kinds of connecting words,
especially called transitions.
6. The paragraph should go somehow like this: should begin with an
idea, develop it and then conclude it.
7. It should restate the general topic by concluding or clincher
sentence as it is also called restatement.
 III. Main Three Parts of Paragraph:
1. Topic Sentence 2. Supporting Sentences 3. Concluding Sentence

Starting Sentence A number of follow- up sentences Restatement

1. Topic Sentence: It introduces the topic to the readers. It serves as a
key to the rest of the paragraph. This sentence is the first sentence of a
paragraph and summarizes the main idea of the paragraph.
All of the following sentences will add information that expands upon or
supports the idea stated here.
It has two parts namely:
A. Topic: It contains a key word or phrase.
B. Direction or general word: It contains a conclusion, an opinion, or a
statement about the topic.
e.g. Listening to the news each day keeps people informed about current
events. Topic Direction
 2. Supporting Sentences:
These are all the other sentences in the paragraph that relate to and
develop the controlling idea.
 The second sentence identifies the first major supporting detail.
 The third sentence brings up a second supporting detail.
 Similarly, the fourth sentence mentions a third supporting detail.
 Additional sentences can be added here for additional supporting
details or to divide one lengthy supporting detail into separate, easier-to-
read sentences.
 3. Concluding Sentence(s)
This is closing sentence or restatement that reminds
not only writers not to finish the paragraph suddenly,
but also reminds the readers of the general topic.
 The last sentence of your paragraph is your
concluding sentence, which quickly ties your
supporting thoughts together.
 It also might restate your first topic sentence using
different terms.
 Identifying Topic Sentence:
The people in Dubai come from many different countries of the
world. Some are from European countries, such as France, Italy
and Spain. Other are from Middle Eastern countries like Qatar,
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Besides, many are from Latin America
countries; for example, Chile, Peru and Venezuela. The largest
number are from Asian counties, such as Afghanistan, China,
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Philippines.
What is the topic sentence? ____________________________
Notice that all sentences relate to the topic sentence
 Now read the following paragraph and answer the questions
below:
There are several of reasons why people change their
professions every year. In fact, some change their jobs to
move to other locations. Others are attracted to higher
salaries with excellent benefits. Still, others want to
change jobs to advance and polish their skills.
Finally, many people want to change a job to fight the
inflation (high cost of living). Keeping in mind the above
reasons, people switch to different lines of work.
Exercise 1: Answer the following questions
What is the topic sentence?________________________________________
Do all supporting sentences relate to the topic sentence?
______________________________________________________________
Exercise 2: Read the group of sentences and circle the letter of the better topic sentence in each pair.
1. A. Many things make learning Arabic difficult.
B. What makes Arabic particularly difficult to learn is the pronunciation.

2. A. The wide variety of things makes shopping in Shar-e-Naw useful.

B. Shar-e-Naw is a useful place to shop.

3. A. The historical construction in Herat reflects styles in ancient art.

B. Herat is an ancient city.

4. A. Riding a bicycle has many problems.

B. Even though riding a bicycle is inexpensive, it can be risky.

5. A. One of my favorite family experiences was when I went to see pyramids in Egypt .
B. Egypt is an historical place for a vacation.
Exercise : First, read at the paragraph below and then develop a paragraph for two of the topic
sentences above.

Even though riding a bicycle is cheap, it can be dangerous. For instance, when I worked in
downtown Kabul, I used to ride my bicycle to work every day – from Macrorayan. During the rush
hour, the drivers were either not quite awake or angry after a hard day’s work. Sometimes, some of
the angry drivers tried to push me off the road. Others came close behind me and blew their horns
loudly. Once I was nearly hit by a driver driving fast. After that incident, I parked my bicycle at
home and started to take the bus to work.
Paragraph 1:
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________________________________________________________________________________
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_____Paragraph 2:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
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___
Thanks!