Paragraph Organization

1. Paragraph
Organization

2. Topic sentence
NOT ALL PARAGRAPHS
NEED A TOPIC
SENTENCE, SUCH AS IN
A NARRATIVE OR THE
STEPS IN AN
EXPERIMENT
TOPIC SENTENCES ARE
REALLY USEFUL IN
ARGUMENTS AND
ANALYSIS ESSAYS
TOPIC SENTENCES HELP
THE WRITERS TO
DEVELOP THE MAIN IDEA
OF THE PARAGRAPH, TO
STAY FOCUSED AND
GUIDE THEM THROUGH
COMPLEX ARGUMENTS
Main idea developed in a group of
related sentences, known as
"paragraph"

3. Supporting
Sentences
DEVELOP THE MAIN IDEA EXPRESSED IN THE
TOPIC SENTENCE AND PROVIDE DETAILS SUCH AS
FACTS AND EXAMPLES
ANSWER THE QUESTION THE READER WILL
DEVELOP IN THEIR MINDS AFTER READING THE
TOPIC SENTENCE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
PARAGRAPH

4. Concluding Sentences
RETURN THE READER TO
THE TOPIC
ACT AS A CONNECTION
TO LINK THE
INFORMATION WITH THAT
COMMING UP IN THE
NEXT PARAGRAPH

5. SENTENCES
SHOULD BE
LOGICALLY
ARRANGED AND
FLOW SMOOTHLY.
THE ORDER WILL
DEPEND ON THE
PURPOSE
(CHRONOLOGICAL
OR IMPORTANCE)
USE ENOUGH
LINKING WORDS
TO HELP THE
READERS FOLLOW
THE IDEAS
CLEARLY
REPETITION OF
WORDS ALLOWS
THE WRITER TO
KEEP FOCUSSED
ON THE MAIN
IDEA. EACH
SENTENCE SHOULD
RELATE TO THE
TOPIC AND
DEVELOP ITS
MAIN IDEA
OMIT IRRELEVANT
SENTENCES THAT
DON´T RELATE TO
OR DEVELOP THE
MAIN IDEA
(REVISION
STAGE)
Building a Paragraph

6. Incorporating Sources
Writers´ ideas must be backed up
with evidence, examples and
experts´ opinions

7. Incorporating
Sources
THESIS STATEMENT
TOPIC SENTENCE
SOURCES REFERRED
Point of view broadly expressed in the
topic sentence.
It is a brief but very specific statement
of the position the writer will take in
the essay.
It is often re-stated and supported
within the paragraph with more specific
detail and evidence provided.
They back up the writer.

8. Incorporating
Sources
ADITIONAL COMMENTS
CITATION
They make the writers´ point of
view clear
Words and ideas taken from other
sources must be clearly and
appropriately cited

9. Types of Paragraphs

10. Introductory Paragraph
IT PROVIDES THE READER WITH ANY NECESSARY
BACKGROUND INFORMATION BEFORE LEADING
INTO A CLEAR STATEMENT OF THE WRITER´S
POINT OF VIEW: THE THESIS STATEMENT.
IT MAY ALSO PRESENT AN OVERALL PLAN OF
HOW THE ARGUMENT WILL BE DEVELOPED
Sensitive
Intuitive
Charismati

11. Body Paragraphs
THEY BUILD UP THE WRITER´S POINT OF VIEW
IN DETAIL.
THEY EXPAND ON THE THESIS STATEMENT AND
ARE CLEARLY FOCUSED ON A SINGLE ISSUE
WITH PLENTY OF SUPPORTING DETAIL OR
EVIDENCE FROM CONCRETE AND RELEVANT
EXAMPLES OR SUPPORTING READING.
Sensitive
Intuitive

12. Concluding Paragraph
IT SUMMARISES THE POINT MADE; REPEATS THE
OVERALL POINT OF VIEW AND EXPLAINS THE
WRITER´S POSITION.
IT MAY ALSO INCLUDE RELEVANT INFORMATION
NOT COVERED IN THE ESSAY.
Sensitive
Intuitive
Charismatic