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By Sue Gench
See the steps to write a good paragraph
A one paragraph essay has a specific structure. The three parts of a good one-paragraph essay are:
1. An introductory topic sentence
2. A few supporting sentences
3. A conclusion sentence
The Introductory Topic Sentence:
The Introductory topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. A good topic sentence gives a general idea, not specific.
I love soft rock's rich music.
I love soft rock songs mixing all kinds of instruments and romantic lyrics.
Which one of these statements gives a general idea? If you said "I love soft rock's rich music," you are right. The first statement is a general idea about what kind of music the author likes, the second are reasons for why the author likes soft rock.
Exercise 1:
There are two different paragraphs in the following. Write a topic sentence for each paragraph.
Paragraph 1:
Until last year, in front of the school a large vacant lot spread into the street. Kids played in the lot. It was dangerous because glass and cans were lying around. However, the kids had no other place to play unless they wanted to play in the street. But, with all voluntary neighborhood funds we turned the lot into a playground. Local business has donated playground equipment and money. We all pitched in to clean up the lot. The city provided a trash truck to haul the junk away.
Paragraph 2:
My sister and her husband live in Texas. He is in the military, and she is a teacher. They have three beautiful children. Ron, Dan and Tanya. They live in a large house in a suburb. They want to cultivate a garden in the large backyard of the house next year.
Look at these sentences above again.
I love soft rock's rich music.
Soft rock genre mixes all kinds of instruments, rhythms and lyrics.
The second sentence is a good example for a supporting sentence. A good supporting sentence states specific reasons to back up or explain the topic sentence. Look how this sentence gives the reasons why the author favors the soft rock music.
Good supporting sentences contain details or reasons. Supporting sentences can also provide specific examples. See the following examples of good supporting sentences.
Exercise 2: Can you add one more supporting sentence of your own?
Instruments in soft rock can range from most traditional such as piano, to most modern such a new mouth piece. For example, Lionel Richie's I Call It Love includes several instruments. (Add your statement here in your notebook.)
Exercise 3:
Using the Internet, find articles of your interest. Read the first two sentences in the articles. and then try to write two different paragraphs at least. Make sure you understand the topic. Then complete each paragraph by adding two or more sentences. It doesn't matter if you stray from the facts. The purpose of this exercise is to help you write coherent paragraphs with a topic sentence and supporting sentences. Remember, each sentence you add must give a new piece of information about the topic. You can repeat this exercise over and over again in your spare time. For grammar and sentence construction, see Grammar Lessons.
The conclusion sentence sumps up the paragraph. It is usually more general than the supporting sentences. It gives the reader the final assurance of the topic statement and the ideas of the supporting sentences. Now, here is the concluding sentence for the topic of I love soft rock's rich music.
Because of the richness in instrument, melody and lyric, I enjoy soft rock very much.
Notice that this sentence pulls together all the ideas and restates the main idea
Let's put together all the statements now:
I love soft rock's rich music. The soft rock genre mixes all kinds of instruments, rhythms and lyrics. Instruments in soft rock can range from most traditional such as piano, to most modern such as a new mouth piece. One great soft rock song is Lionel Richie's I call It Love. This song includes several instruments that help to produce a wide range of sounds, producing a colorful melody. Because of the richness in instrument, melody and lyric, I enjoy soft rock very much.
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