Paragraph Structure

elisabeth alfrida

Oshima and Hogue (1999: 16) describes paragraph as a basic unit of organization in writing in which a group of related sentences develops one main idea.

1.         TOPIC SENTENCE

A topic sentence has four main characteristics

Ø  It is a sentence.

Ø  It is a part of a paragraph, usually the first sentence.

Ø  It has the topic of the paragraph

Ø  It has the controlling idea of the paragraph (the specific area). A controlling idea tells the reader what the writer is going to say about the topic.  It might be an opinion about the topic, or it might be the focus or the direction that the writer is going to take the topic.

So, a topic sentence is a sentence that has a topic and a controlling idea and is the first sentence of a paragraph.

2.        SUPPORTING SENTENCES

Supporting sentences develop the topic sentence by giving reasons, examples, facts, statistics, and quotations.

For example:

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

Note: Gold (= Topic sentence)

           Two important characteristics (= controlling idea)

Some of the supporting sentences that explain the topic sentence are:

First of all, gold has lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted 23 centuries ago.

Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits.

3.        CONCLUDING SENTENCE

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

For example:

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