INTRODUCTION

A paragraph is a basic unit of organization in writing in which a group of related sentences develops one main idea. A paragraph can be as short as one sentence or as long as ten sentences. The number of sentences is unimportant; however, the paragraph should be long enough to develop the main idea clearly.                     

A paragraph may stand by itself. In academic writing, a paragraph is often used to answer a test question such as the following: "Define management by objectives, and give one example of it from the reading you have done for this class."  

A paragraph may also be one part of a longer piece of writing such as a chapter of a book or an essay. You will first learn how to write good paragraphs, and then you will learn how to combine and expand paragraphs to build essays.

 

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

The following model contains all the elements of a good paragraph. Read it carefully two or three times, and try to analyze its structure.

 

Gold

Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts' suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection outside spaceships. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.

THE THREE PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH

A paragraph has three major structural parts: a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.

The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. It not only names the topic of the paragraph, but it also limits the topic to one or two areas that can be discussed completely in the space of a single paragraph. The specific area is called the controlling idea. Notice how the topic sentence of the model states both the topic and the controlling idea:

 TOPIC                                  CONTROLLING IDEA

Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics.

 

Supporting sentences develop the topic sentence. That is, they explain the topic sentence by giving reasons, examples, facts, statistics, and quotations. Some of the supporting sentences that explain the topic sentence about gold are:

 

First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion.

 

For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago.

 

Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science.

 

The most recent use of gold is in astronauts' suits.

 

The concluding sentence signals the end of the paragraph and leaves the reader with important points to remember:

In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for to beauty but also for the utility.