Paragraph writing

1. PARAGRAPH WRITING
WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH?
A paragraph is a piece of writing that consists of a series of sentences. A paragraph should
always have complete, correct, and concise sentences which are all related to a single topic. As
well it should be easy to read and well organized. The paragraph itself should focus on one
subject, theme, or central idea.
In other words, a paragraph could be about an object such as a young boy. If the paragraph
starts out talking about the boy, it must stay the same throughout. For example, if the writer
were to talk about where a young boy lives and then go on to describe what the boy looks like
these are two separate ideas. This is demonstrated below:
Ali lived in Islamabad, with his two parents. He had his own bedroom, which he decorated
himself. He and parents all lived comfortably in the cozy apartment on the third floor. The
apartments were only three blocks from where he attended his High School.
Ali was only five years old, but he was extremely smart for his age. He wasn’t that tall and he
was a bit on the skinny side. He had big blue eyes, light brown hair, rosy cheeks, and a friendly
smile. Just looking at him he seemed like any other kid-- quite normal. Yet, everyone in his class
looked at him differently because John could never be a normal kid. Instead, he wasn’t normal.
No, he was a genius.
In this example you can see that the first paragraph is about where Ali lives and the second
paragraph covers another topic or idea, which is what he looks like. When examining a
paragraph you can always ask yourself, what is the main idea in this paragraph? If you see two
ideas as in the above example you might have to create two paragraphs.

2. The paragraph serves as a container for each of the ideas of an essay or other piece of writing.
Paragraphs are versatile and can take many forms that strengthen your writing, provide variety
for readers, and help readers to organize the ideas you present.
BASIC PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Most paragraphs have a three-part structure—introduction, body, and conclusion. You can
see this structure in paragraphs whether they are narrating, describing, comparing,
contrasting, or analyzing information. Each part of the paragraph plays an important role in
communicating your meaning to your reader.
INTRODUCTION
The first section of a paragraph; should include the topic sentence and any other sentences
at the beginning of the paragraph that give background information or provide a transition.
The Topic Sentence
A topic sentence usually comes at the beginning of a paragraph; that is, it is usually the first
sentence in a formal academic paragraph. Not only is a topic sentence the first sentence of a
paragraph, but, more importantly, it is the most general sentence in a paragraph, that the
sentence introduces an overall idea that you want to discuss later in the paragraph.
For example, suppose that you want to write a paragraph about the natural landmarks of
your hometown. The first part of your paragraph might look like this:
My hometown Gujrat, is famous for several amazing
natural features. First, it is noted for the Chenab

3. River, which is very wide and beautiful. Also, on the
other side of the town is Bhimbar Hills.
(Notice how the first sentence begins with "My hometown...”)
Note how the first sentence, My hometown, Gujrat, is famous for several amazing
geographical features, is the most general statement. This sentence is different from the two
sentences that follow it, since the second and third sentences mention specific details about
the town's geography, and are not general statements.
Here are some examples of sentences that cannot be used as topic sentences. Can you figure
out why they are inappropriate?
1. My hometown Gujrat, is famous because it is
located by Chenab River, which is very wide,
and because it is built near an unusually
Bhimbar Hills.
2. There are two reasons why some people like to
buy cars with automatic transmission and two
reasons why others like cars with manual
transmission.
3. Clouds are white.
The problem with sentence #1 is that it contains too many details. Topic sentences are
general, and details should appear later in the paragraph. A better topic sentence would be
like the one mentioned above, My hometown is famous for several amazing geographical
features.
Sentence #2 is not appropriate as a topic sentence because it mentions two topics, not just
one. Paragraphs are usually about one main thing and so their topic sentences should also be

4. about only one main thing.
The problem with sentence #3 is that it is too general. It is also very boring! Would you like to
read a paragraph with this topic sentence? Most people would not.
We can rewrite sentences #2 and #3 in the following ways to make it better:
 There are two reasons why some people like to
buy cars with automatic transmission.
 OR (in a different paragraph):
 There are two reasons why some people like cars
with manual transmission.
 The shapes of clouds are determined by various
factors.
BODYOF THEPARAGRAPH
It follows the introduction; discusses the controlling idea, using facts, arguments, analysis,
examples, and other information.
Supporting Sentences
Consider again the above-mentioned, short paragraph:
My hometown Gujrat, is famous for several amazing
natural features. First, it is noted for the Chenab
River, which is very wide and beautiful. Also, on the
other side of the town is Bhimbar Hills.
(Again, note how this paragraph is indented on the first line, about five or seven When a
reader reads a topic sentence, such as My hometown, Gujrat, is famous for several amazing

5. natural features, a question should usually appear in the reader's mind. In this case, the
question should be like, "What are the natural features that make Gujrat famous?" The
reader should then expect that the rest of the paragraph will give an answer to this question.
Now look at the sentences after the topic sentence. We can see that the second sentence in
the paragraph, First, it is noted for the Chenab River, which is very wide and beautiful, indeed
gives an answer to this question. That is, the second sentence gives some explanation for the
fact that Gujrat is a famous town. Similarly, we can see that the third sentence also gives
some explanation for the fact that Wheaton is famous by giving another example of an
"amazing natural feature," in this case, Bhimbar Hills.
The second and third sentences are called supporting sentences. They are called
"supporting" because they "support," or explain, the idea expressed in the topic sentence.
Of course, paragraphs in English often have more than two supporting ideas. The paragraph
above is actually a very short paragraph. At minimum, you should have at least five to
seven sentences in your paragraph. Here we can see our paragraph about Gujrat with a few
more supporting sentences in bold font:
My hometown Gujrat, is famous for several amazing
natural features. First, it is noted for the Chenab River,
which is very wide and beautiful. Also, on the other side
of the town is Bhimbar Hills.The third amazing feature
is the Big Old Bazar. This bazaar is famous for its mud
pots stands two hundred feet tall and is probably
about one hundred years old.
CONCLUSION
the final section summarizes the connections between the information discussed in the body

6. of the paragraph and the paragraph’s controlling idea.
The Concluding Sentence
In formal paragraphs you will sometimes see a sentence at the end of the paragraph which
summarizes the information that has been presented. This is the concluding sentence. You
can think of a concluding sentence as a sort of topic sentence in reverse.
You can understand concluding sentences with this example. Consider a hamburger that you
can buy at a fast-food restaurant.* A hamburger has a top bun (a kind of bread), meat,
cheese, lettuce, and other elements in the middle of the hamburger, and a bottom bun. Note
how the top bun and the bottom bun are very similar. The top bun, in a way, is like a topic
sentence, and the bottom bun is like the concluding sentence. Both buns "hold" the meat,
onions, and so on. Similarly, the topic sentence and concluding sentence "hold" the
supporting sentences in the paragraph. Let's see how a concluding sentence (in bold font)
might look in our sample paragraph about Gujrat:
My hometown Gujrat, is famous for several amazing
natural features. First, it is noted for the Chenab River,
which is very wide and beautiful. Also, on the other side
of the town is Bhimbar Hills. The third amazing feature
is the Big Old Bazaar. This bazaar is famous for its mud
pots stands two hundred feet tall and is probably
about one hundred years old. These three landmarks
are truly amazing and make my hometown a famous
place.
Notice how the concluding sentence, These three landmarks are truly amazing and make my
hometown a famous place, summarizes the information in the paragraph. Notice also how
the concluding sentence is similar to, but not exactly the same as, the topic sentence.

7. NECESSARY DETAILS IN PARAGRAPHS
The short paragraph in this lesson is a fairly complete paragraph, but it lacks details.
Whenever possible, you should include enough details in your paragraphs to help your
reader understand exactly what you are writing about. In the paragraph about Gujrat, three
natural landmarks are mentioned, but we do not know very much about them. For example,
we could add a sentence or two about Chanab river concerning HOW wide it is or WHY it is
beautiful. Consider this revision (and note the additional details in bold):
My hometown Gujrat, is famous for several amazing
natural features. First, it is noted for the Chenab River,
which is very wide and beautiful. On either side of this
river, which is several feet wide, are many villages and
natural beauty, big old trees which have long branches
that can move gracefully in the wind. Also, on the
other side of the town is Bhimbar Hills, Climbing these
hills is not dangerous, because there are some firm
rocks along the sides that can be used as stairs. There
are fruit and shady trees around these hills, so it
stands clearly against the sky and can be seen from
many miles away. The third amazing feature is the Big
Old Bazaar. This bazaar is famous for its mud pots
stands two hundred feet tall and is probably about one
hundred years old. These three landmarks are truly
amazing and make my hometown a famous place.
If we wished, we could also add more details to the paragraph to describe the third natural
feature of the area, the Big Old Bazaar.
There are some Do’s and Don’ts in Paragraph Writing.

8. TOO INFORMAL
(Do not use)
ACCEPTABLE
don't do not
doesn't does not
aren't are not
weren't were not
can't cannot
couldn't could not
won't will not
FOUR STAGES IN PARAGRAPH WRITING
1. Prewriting Paragraphs
The prewritingstage iswhenyouthinkcarefullyandorganize your ideas for your paragraph before
you begin writing.
2. Writing Paragraphs
The writing stage is when you turn your ideas into sentences.
3. Editing Paragraphs
The editing stage is when you check your paragraph for mistakes and correct them like Grammar
and Spelling.
4. Publishing Paragraphs
The publishing stage is when you produce a final copy of your assignment to
hand in.

9. SEVEN TYPES OF PARAGRAPHS
In order to write coherent essays, students need to learn about the basic functions of various
paragraphs in college writing. Most paragraphs will have several functions to fulfill at a time
and it is important to know under what circumstances their functions can be conjoined, if at all.
The following list contains explanations regarding content and style of different paragraphs as
well as examples.
1. Narrative Paragraph
Narration paragraphs are most frequently used in fiction and personal statements. As such,
they will contain all necessary components of action development: protagonist, setting, goal,
obstacle, climax and resolution. Writing a narration paragraph requires, consequently,
accounting for sequential order of events and chronology. There are many descriptive elements
included in the body of a narration paragraph but, if composed correctly, the paragraph will
prioritize action over description.
2. Expository Paragraph
Often times, this kind of a paragraph are used as a component of other types of writing. It’s
written in order to clarify or explain problems and phenomena. Writing exposition paragraphs
requires strict focus on evidence and objective language. It can contain elements of comparison
and contrast, or cause and effect writing as both facilitate accurate exposition of the subject-
matter.
3. Definition Paragraph
Definition paragraphs are used in order to explain the meaning, origin and function of things.
They are used both in academic writing and fiction. To write a definition paragraph, writers
should concentrate on the role of its subject in the context of the essay and account for
evidence as well as examples accordingly.

10. 4. Classification Paragraph
Writing classification paragraphs requires a more varied approach. It should be concentrated on
defining as well as making relevant comparisons. In other words, writers should classify the
subject of the paragraph in a specific context providing comparisons to corresponding ideas.
Classification can be performed on multiple levels – semantic (comparing different meanings of
things), linguistic (using vocabulary to show contrast), and more.
5. Descriptive Paragraph
Preferably, description paragraphs should concentrate on action (verbs), rather than sensations
or impressions (adverbs and adjectives), which ensures that the tone remains objective and
authoritative. Description paragraphs should be detailed, clear, and render the represented
reality chronologically.
6. Process Analysis Paragraph
It, usually, takes the form of a how-to paragraph which guides readers through a process or
action to be performed. It’s very concise and uses formal, non-descriptive vocabulary. It should
be written in chronological order accounting for subsequent actions or events.
7. Persuasive Paragraph
Persuasion paragraphs require exhortatory and dynamic language. They are aimed at
persuading the reader into taking a particular action or adopting a certain point of view. They
should be devoid of descriptive content and rely on the imperative mode instead.
ORGANIZATION OF THE PARAGRAPH
A. UNITY: It means that all the sentences refer to the main idea, or the topic of the paragraph.
Exercise 1: The original student paper:

11. I live in a flat with my family. We have two bedrooms and a living room. We have a garden and
we have some flowers there. In weekdays I arrive home at five o'clock and I have lunch. Then I
do my homework and go to bed. I had a computer but now it doesn't work. I have a brother
and a sister and I think I am very lucky to live with them. Sometimes our relatives visit us. Our
flat becomes very crowded sometimes but I like it.
In a unified paragraph, we expect all the sentences to be about the main idea of the paragraph.
The main idea in this paragraph is "the description of your house". If we examine the
paragraph, we see that some sentences do not describe the house, such as:
In weekdays I arrive home at five o'clock and I have lunch.
Then I do my homework and go to bed.
I had a computer but now it doesn't work.
Now, rewrite the main idea of the example paragraph so that it covers all the sentences the
student has written.
B. COHERENCE: It means that the sentences should be organized in a logical manner and
should follow a definite plan of development.
Exercise 2: The original student paper:
I live in a house in Karachi. It isn't old or modern. It's a normal Pakistani house. We can say it is
near the sea. It takes about 10 minutes to go to the sea side on foot. We have one bedroom,
one living room. We also have two other rooms, too. We use them as a dining room. Naturally,
we have a kitchen, a bathroom, and a toilet. I live with my parents. And our house has a little
garden; my parents spend their time there to grow vegetables and fruit.
First, let's see the order of the ideas:

12. 1. Where is the house?
2. Type of the house.
3. Location of the house.
4. The rooms in the house.
5. The fact that he lives with his parents.
6. The garden.
The paragraph is well organized until he says he lives with his parents. It looks like this idea
interrupted his description of the house. It should be put somewhere else in the paragraph.
THINGS TO AVOID
1. A Faulty Start
Here are some ways to bore your readers to death (!) when starting a paragraph:
You can start with:
i. . a nonsense sentence:
e.g. I want to talk about……………...
ii. a formula:

13. e.g. …………. plays a great role in our lives.
…………is a very important issue in today's world.
Exercise 3: Here is an example:
I want to talk about friendship. Friends can change your life. So, you must know who is a real
friend. Firstly, your friend must understand you and of course, you must understand her, too. I
think, another important point in a friendship is confidence. You mustn't tell lies to each other.
In addition, you must say everything about yourself. I think these are important for a friendship.
If you have a friend like this, you don't break up with her because a real friend is not found
easily.
How do we understand that "I want to talk about friendship." is a nonsense sentence? If we
leave the nonsense sentence out, the content and meaning of the paragraph does not change
2. Lack of Topic Sentence:
Having no topic sentence is bad both for the writer and the reader. First, the reader has to read
the entire paragraph to get to the point. This is one side. Lack of a topic sentence also causes
the writer to drift away from the topic. He loses control over the writing.
Exercise 4: Try to write only a topic sentence for this paragraph.
I hate lie. I always try not to tell lies and I want that from my friends, too. I think it is the most
important behavior. I can believe everything my friends say. In addition, a good friend must say
his ideas to me firstly. I mean, he shouldn't talk about me with other people. Especially about

14. the bad thing, he doesn't have to talk because it might be wrong. Secondly, a good friend must
help me. He must do his best. He should ask help from me too. If we solve problems together,
our friendship will be better and it will become stronger. Thirdly, the talking time is important. I
can talk with my friends for a long time, and during that time I must be happy. That's why we
should like the same things. In conclusion, trust is the basics of a friendship.
3. Choice of Poor Vocabulary:
Exercise 6: Let's read the original student paragraph below.
Friends play a great role in our lives. They effect our lives negatifly or positifly. We should
choose them very carefully. First, we can look at his behaviors. If it is OK, no problem but if it is
not, we can't become a "Kanka". After that, we can look at his activities. It is very important to
do something together. We must beware of people who has bad habits such as smoking, bad
speaking, etc. Some people don't think so but I think finally we should look at his phsical
aparians because if you have diffirent phsical aparianse than him, you can't be relaxable. For
example if you are taller than him, this generally does unrelaxable to him. As a consequently, it
is very important to choose a friend according to your especialities.
SOME USEFUL TRANSITIONS
To show addition:
again, and, also, besides, equally important, first (second, etc.), further, furthermore, in
addition, in the first place, moreover, next, too
To give examples:
for example, for instance, in fact, specifically, that is, to illustrate
To compare:
also, in the same manner, likewise, similarly
To contrast:

15. although, and yet, at the same time, but, despite, even though, however, in contrast, in
spite of, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, still, though, yet
To summarize or conclude:
all in all, in conclusion, in other words, in short, in summary, on the whole, that is,
therefore, to sum up
To show time:
after, afterward, as, as long as, as soon as, at last, before, during, earlier, finally,
formerly, immediately, later, meanwhile, next, since, shortly, subsequently, then,
thereafter, until, when, while
To show place or direction:
above, below, beyond, close, elsewhere, farther on, here, nearby, opposite, to the left
(north, etc.)
To indicate logical relationship:
accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this reason, hence, if, otherwise, since, so,
then, therefore, thus