The parts of a paragraph and explanations for each of them.

1. Parts of a Paragraph
Linking sentences, Major/Minor Support,
Concluding sentence

2. The Order of Your Paragraph:
1. Topic Sentence
2. Linking Sentence
3. Major Support #1
4. Minor Support of Major Support #1
5. Minor Support of Major Support #1
6. Major Support #2
7. Minor Support of Major Support #2
8. Minor Support of Major Support #2
9. Major Support #3
10. Minor Support of Major Support #3
11. Minor Support of Major Support #3
12. Concluding sentence

3. Topic Sentence
This says what your paragraph is about.
It must not be a statement of fact. It must express an opinion
BUT
It cannot SAY it is an opinion.
It must have only ONE direction.
Example: The internet is an excellent tool for students.

4. Your Turn!
Write a topic sentence about the following
subject:
Space exploration.

5. Linking Sentence (optional)
Tells the audience what your 3 MAJOR
SUPPORTS will be:
Topic Sentence: My greatest strength as a
student is my ability to argue effectively.
Linking Sentence: I always win because I use
sound logic, stay calm, and explain my position
in detail.

6. Your turn!
Write a linking sentence for this topic sentence.
The internet is an excellent tool for
students.

7. Major Support
This is the "big picture" idea. These are from
your linking sentence.
Major Support: When trying to prove my point, I
always make sure my approach is logical and
based on facts, not feelings.

8. Minor Support
These are the SPECIFIC EXAMPLES of your major
supports.
Minor Support: For example, I was once arguing with my
sister about whether we should have Chinese food or
Mexican food. She said we should have Chinese food
because Mexican food is "gross." However, I was able to
argue that the health department reports of the Mexican
restaurant I wanted to go to were better than those of the
Chinese restaurant she wanted to visit.

9. Your turn!
Write a minor support sentence (or sentences)
about this major support sentence:
Another thing that makes me an
effective arguer is my ability to stay
calm and to avoid being overly
emotional.

10. Concluding sentence
Restates the topic sentence and provides
closure.
Concluding sentence: While I have many
attributes of an excellent scholar, my ability to
argue effectively is definitely the skill that has
benefited me most.

11. Your turn!
Write a concluding sentence for this topic
sentence:
The internet is an excellent tool for
students.