Writing an Effective Paragraph

Effective paragraphs will be composed of 3 basic parts:

1. The Topic Sentence: Usually the first sentence of the paragraph. (However, there
are times when the writer places the sentence in the middle or at the end of the
paragraph.) You should have no problem finding the topic sentence of a paragraph.
The topic sentence informs the reader of the topic and main idea of the
paragraph.
Should be considered your Level One sentence (the most important).
The topic sentence usually has the following characteristics:
It is the most general of the sentences in the paragraph.
It does not include any details.
It usually is arguable (states an opinion); it does not state a fact.
It is never stated as a question
The following sentences are GOOD topic sentence:
Puerto Rico has some of the most unique beaches in the world!
Pepsi-Colas new TV commercial is very effective.
When my friend went to a car repair service, it was the worst experience of his life.
The following sentences ARE NOT good topic sentences; identify why:
Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean.
The population of Puerto Rico has reached over four million.
2. Supporting Ideas: The sentences after the topic sentence are used to give support
for the topic sentence. They provide evidence for the claim made in the topic sentence.
They are factual statements that prove the topic sentence. There can be two levels of
supporting sentences.
Level two sentences provide main supporting details that support the claim in the
topic sentence.
Level three sentences provide more specific explanation of the level 2 supporting
detail.
3. A Closing Idea: Many paragraphs end with a concluding sentence that states a
summarizing statement about the information in the paragraph. (In larger, more
developed writing examples, this concluding sentence is often omitted or is used as a
transitional sentence leading into the next topic to be discussed in the paper.)

Paragraph Length: The shortest of paragraphs should have at least 4-5 sentencesthe
topic sentence, the two to three supporting sentences and the concluding sentence. A well
developed paragraph will have at least 8 sentences, if all Level Two supporting sentences are
followed by at least one Level Three sentence each.

Basic Paragraph Outline:

I.

Topic Sentence (specific idea about a topic)

A. Main Supporting Detail
a. Explanation of the supporting detail
b. Explanation of the supporting detail
B. Main Supporting Detail
a. Explanation of the supporting detail
b. Explanation of the supporting detail

C. Main Supporting Detail

a. Explanation of the supporting detail
b. Explanation of the supporting detail
D. Concluding Sentence (or transitional sentence)

Example Paragraphs
o

The different level of each sentence has been identified by the color of the font.

The newspaper ad for abuzz.com, a new Internet service, is very effective.

First, it is a big ad. The ad fills two full pages in the newspaper. Because of its size, the ad
catches your attention. Second, when you look at the ad, you get the message that abuzz.com
is cool and fashionable. The teenage boys in the photograph are wearing the latest teen
fashions and carrying skateboards. Finally, the caption on the opposite page makes you want
to read the ad more carefully. In big letters the caption reads, Jonathan knows. When you
read this caption, you want to find out what Jonathan knows. This ad for abuzz.com is effective
because it makes me want to visit the website to learn more about it.
(This paragraph was taken from the NorthStar 3 Reading and Writing workbook and slightly adapted)

Puerto Rico has some of the most unique beaches in the world! The most
popular of its beaches, for locals and tourists alike, is Luquillo Beach located on the northeastern part of the island. Luquillo has miles of soft sand, tall palm trees, and very calm
waters. This is the perfect beach for families with children. It even offers wheel-chair
accessibility services. Surfers, however, prefer the crashing, tall waves of Playa Higero, in the
south-western part of the island. Surfers come from all over the Caribbean to ride its 16 foot
breaking waves. The most extraordinary beach in Puerto Rico is Playa Negrita, on the small,
off-shore island of Vieques. The beach gets its name from its soft, powder-like black sand. This
beach is wild and unspoiled, a perfect place for romantic walks. These are only three of the
many beaches you can enjoy in the Island of Enchantment, Puerto Rico.
(This paragraph and many of the notes before it were taken from a handout of Dr. Sandy Schmidt)