A presentation on developing effective paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting details

1. Developing
Effective Paragraphs with
Topic Sentences and
Supporting Details
Prepared by:
JOEY F. VALDRIZ

2. Introduction
Writing an essay is similar to constructing a building. We
may not see right away how putting two bricks together
can form a wall. We may not see right away how putting
two bricks together can form a wall, or how this wall
will be part of a taller structure.
But as you saw in the previous lessons, using pre-writing
strategies, finding a thesis statement, and making outlines
are helpful as you write your essay. They function as a
blueprint to guide you in your writing. A blueprint alone
does not make a building – its design needs to be
executed on the raw materials with which the building is
built.
As such, paragraphs are the building blocks of essays.

3. Defining Paragraphs
A paragraph is a group of sentences
that deals with one particular idea.
Paragraphs are defined by the point
that they support, the controlling
idea, and not just by how long they
are.
Only one idea should be discussed per
paragraph.

4. Parts of a Paragraph
1. A topic sentence tells the reader the main
idea of your paragraph. It reveals what you
generally plan to propose, argue, or explain
(what the author wants to say about the
topic).
• A topic sentence can be found anywhere
in the paragraph: in the beginning, at the
end, or in the middle.
• A topic sentence can be explicit, or clearly
states the ideas that will be elaborated on
in the paragraph. However, a topic
sentence can also be implied.

5. Parts of a Topic Sentence
A topic sentence tells what the main idea
of the paragraph will be.
• We will call this the “topic” (or
“subject”) of the paragraph.
A topic sentence tells what the author is
going to say about the subject.
• We will call this the “controlling idea”
of the paragraph.

6. Parts of a Topic Sentence
 The invention of the light bulb
◦ (topic)
 changed the world in many ways
◦ (controlling idea)
 The invention of the light bulb changed the
world in many ways.
- or, you can reverse the two -
 The world was changed in many ways by the
invention of the light bulb.

7. Topic
 Topics (or Subjects) can be fairly broad.
The controlling idea will limit the
subject.
 Examples of topic could be:
◦ Daisies
◦ Space Travel
◦ Christmas
◦ Tooth Decay
◦ Pride

8. Controlling Idea
 The “controlling idea” limits the subject.
It tells what the author intends to say
about the subject.
 Examples of controlling ideas are:
◦ can be grown easily by following these steps
(daisies)
◦ increased during the Cold War (space travel)
◦ is my favorite holiday for several reasons
(Christmas)
◦ is caused by three things (tooth decay)
◦ takes many forms (pride)

9. Parts of a Paragraph
2. Every paragraph needs supporting
details to elaborate on the topic
sentences. These supporting details
may range from facts, examples, or
instances.

10. Making Your Paragraph
Effective
The first characteristic of an effective
paragraph is unity. Unity simply
means that all of the sentences in the
paragraph are related to the topic
sentence. The whole paragraph
should begin and end with one focus
only.

11. Making Your Paragraph
Effective
The second characteristic of an
effective paragraph is adequate
development. The topic sentence in
the paragraph should be elaborated
on using concrete evidence, different
examples, relevant facts, and specific
details.

12. Making Your Paragraph
Effective
The third characteristic of an effective
paragraph is coherence. This means that
the sentences are arranged in a logical
manner, making them easily understood
by the reader. Coherence is achieved when
ideas flow smoothly within and between
paragraphs. Your paragraph can become
more coherent through the use of logical
order and signal devices.

13. How Coherence of
Paragraph is Achieved?
1. The details of a paragraph can
be organized according to
chronological, spatial, or
emphatic order.

14. How Coherence of
Paragraph is Achieved?
a. When a paragraph’s arrangement is in
chronological order, the details are arranged in
the order in which they happened
“The everyday life of a high school freshman can
be exhausting.”
Provide an account of the student’s routine;
waking up early to go to school,, listening to
different lectures, collaborating on many group
projects, joining extra-curricular activities, and
answering many assignments.

15. How Coherence of
Paragraph is Achieved?
b. Spatial arrangement is when the sentences of a
paragraph are arranged according to geographical
location, such as left to right, up to down, etc.
“The high school classroom has many differences from
the grade school classroom that can be surprising to the
freshman.”
You might first talk about the small tables and chairs in
the grade school classroom, then the colorful bulletin
boards at the back of the room with familiar cartoon
characters stuck on them. In contrast, the high school
classroom has bigger tables and chairs, and a plainer
looking bulletin board at the back wall.

16. How Coherence of
Paragraph is Achieved?
c. The details of a paragraph can be organized
according to emphatic order. This is when the
information found in a paragraph is arranged to
emphasize certain points depending on the
writer’s purpose.

17. How Coherence of
Paragraph is Achieved?
2. You can achieve coherent paragraphs through
the use of signal devices, or words that give
readers an idea of how the points in your
paragraph are progressing. The following are
examples of signal devices:
1. Transitions (these are words and phrases that
connect one idea to another)
a. Time (first, immediately, afterward, before, at
the same time, after, earlier, simultaneously,
finally, next, in the meantime, later, eventually,
then, meanwhile, now, subsequently, etc.

18. Use of Signal Devices
b. Sequence (moreover, furthermore, next, also,
finally, last, another, first, second, third, besides,
additionally, etc.)
c. Space (above, next to, below, behind, beside,
etc.)
d. Illustration (for instance, specifically, for
example, namely, in this case, to illustrate, etc.)
e. Comparison (similarly, also, in the same way,
still, likewise, in comparison, too, etc.)
f. Contrast (but, despite, however, even though,
yet, on the other hand, although, on the
contrary, otherwise, conversely, etc.)

19. Use of Signal Devices
g. Cause and Effect (because, as a result,
consequently, then, so, since, etc.)
h. Conclusion (thus, therefore, in conclusion, in
short, etc.)
2. Repetitions (repetitions of main ideas keep
continuity and highlight important ideas)
3. Synonyms (these are words similar in meaning
to important words or phrases that prevent
tedious repetitions)
4. Pronouns (words that connect readers to the
original word that the pronouns replace)
5. Parallelism (using similar sentence structures)

20. Exercise
Write four sentences of supporting details
for each of the given topic sentences.
1. Many memes on the Internet are
actually socially relevant.
2. A long commute to school has both
advantages and disadvantages.

21. Source:
Rodriguez, Maxine Rafaella C. and Marella
Therese A. Tiongson. 2016. Reading and
Writing Skills. Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.