A paragraph is an important aspect of written English. A brief description of a paragraph is a collection of sentences closely related to one another that work to support, develop and explain a particular idea. When you introduce something new, you will need to start a new paragraph. For example:
- When you start writing about a new topic/time/place.
- When you talk about a new person.
- Each time a new person speaks.
In theory, what makes a great paragraph is being concise. To do this, an important technique to use is a ‘topic sentence’. A topic sentence usually begins a paragraph. This sentence includes the main ‘topic’, or, in other words, the main point of the paragraph which the other sentences follow on to further support, explain and develop.
For example, the topic sentence in the above paragraph is ‘A paragraph is an important aspect of written English to understand.’ This is then followed by a definition of what a paragraph is, then what makes a great paragraph and how you yourself can achieve this by always applying a topic sentence to every one of your paragraphs.
Mastering the technique of producing structured and concise paragraphs will help towards passing all essays in the exam and help you pass any essays that you may have in the future, both in English or in a different subject.
At the end of this unit, you will be asked to complete a task relevant to the paragraph and topic sentence.
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