Building a Paragraph
Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, using visual features, relevant linked ideas, complex sentences, appropriate tense, synonyms and antonyms, correct spelling of multisyllabic words and simple punctuation.
Read this first
A paragraph is one idea, built in three parts.
Words you need
- Topic sentence
- The first sentence. It says what the paragraph is about.
- Detail
- A fact or example that backs it up.
- Closing sentence
- The last line. It ties the idea off.
Worked example
e.g. Write a paragraph about why dogs make good pets.
- Start with the topic sentence. Say the main idea in one line.
- Dogs make good pets for busy families.
- Now add a detail. Give one reason.
- They are happy to wait at home all day.
- Add a second detail. Keep it on the same idea.
- A short walk each evening is enough for them.
- Finish with a closing sentence. Tie it off.
- That is why a dog suits a family with little time.
One idea per paragraph. Start it, back it up, close it.
Practice
Topic sentence, details, closing sentence.
1What is the job of a topic sentence?with a picture
AnswerTo say what the paragraph is about.
2How many main ideas go in one paragraph?with a picture
AnswerOne.
3Write a topic sentence about school lunches.with a hint
Need a hint?
Say the main idea in one line.
AnswerSchool lunches should be healthy and filling.
4Your paragraph is about cats. You add a line about your holiday. What should you do?with a hint
Need a hint?
Does it match the main idea?
AnswerTake it out. It belongs in a different paragraph.
5Write a closing sentence for a paragraph about summer.on your own
AnswerThat is what makes summer the best time of year.
6Why start a new paragraph?on your own
AnswerBecause you have moved to a new idea.
Think about it
1
Why is one idea per paragraph a good rule?
One good answerIt keeps the reader from getting lost. They know where each idea starts.
2
A paragraph has a topic sentence but no details. What is missing?
One good answerThe proof. A claim with nothing behind it is weak.
Common mistakes
A paragraph is any five sentences.
Length does not make a paragraph. One idea does.
The topic sentence can go anywhere.
It can, but put it first while you are learning. It keeps you on track.