PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH

Contains the topic

and the controlling
idea of the paragraph
Topic Sentence Ideas (with
Supporting sentence 1 explanations, ex
amples, and
Supporting sentence 2
details) which
Supporting sentence 3 support and
Concluding Sentence develop the
controlling idea

Contains a
restatement of
the topic
sentence
COFFEE
 Patterns of Organization
Pattern Example Main Idea Statements
Extended Definition An M&M peanut candy is composed of a thin exterior layer, a
soft inner layer and a peanut in the middle.
Lake Baikal, the world’s largest lake, is located in southern
Siberia, in Russia.
Process (Sequence) It is easy to make a cup of tea.
A trip to another country requires a lot of planning.
My daily schedule is busy and complicated.
Classification (Listing) The environment is in danger in many ways.
Grandmothers are important to the family for many reasons.
My hometown has many wonderful features.
Comparison/Contrast There are few important similarities between college and high
school.
The Ukrainian and Japanese cultures are generally very
different, but they do have one thing in common.
Both New York and Paris depend on vast subway lines to
transport their millions of commuters.
Cause - Effect Many factors contribute to the spread of disease.
Global warming will create many changes for life on earth.
Educating girls in third world countries contributes to
economical growth of the countries.
 Identifying the Pattern of
Organization of a Paragraph

• Read the topic sentence

(topic + controlling idea)
• Read the concluding sentence
• Identify idea connectors - signal words
 Signal words /Key words
(for a complete list see Appendix)
Extended Listing/ Process/ Comparison/ Cause/
Definition Classification Sequence Contrast Effect
 Thesis Statement
From Pragraph to Essay
Supporting Idea 1

Topic Sentence

Supporting idea 1 Supporting Idea 2

Supporting idea 2

Supporting idea 3
Supporting Idea 3
Concluding sentence

• The topic sentence becomes the thesis statement

(the last sentence in the introductory paragraph)

• Each supporting idea in the paragraph becomes Conclusion

the topic sentence for the body paragraphs in the
essay (if there are 2 supporting ideas, there will be
two body paragraphs in the essay)

From Pragraph to Essay
Topic Sentence
Supporting sentence 1
Detail/Example/Explanation
Supporting sentence 2
Detail/Example/Explanation
Supporting sentence 3
Detail/Example/Explanation
Concluding sentence
General introduction to the
topic, more specific information
on the topic, and transition
from general idea to your...
Thesis Statement: Your
opinion on the topic
Topic sentence with idea 1
Support
Support
Concluding sentence
Topic sentence with idea2
Support
Support
Concluding sentence
Topic sentence with idea3
Support
Support
Concluding sentence
Conclusion: Summary of main
ideas (1, 2 and 3) or
restatement of the thesis; final
comment
 Opinion Essay vs. Reaction Paper
Opening sentence
OpSening of the summary of the article
sentencSS

Topic sentence with idea 1

Support
Support
Thesis statement: Your opinion about the article
Concluding sentence your read

Topic sentence with idea2

Support Topic sentence: Supporting idea 1
Support
Concluding sentence
Details/explanation/example
Details/explanation/example
Topic sentence with idea3
Support
Support
Concluding sentence
Topic sentence: Supporting idea 2
Conclusion: Summary of main Details/explanation/example
ideas (1, 2 and 3) or Details/explanation/example
restatement of the thesis; final
comment Conclusion: Summary of main ideas
and restatement of your thesis

Summary of the article you read
Reaction to the article
Reaction Paper
Opening sentence with the main purpose of
the article (includes at least the source
of the article, publishing date, name of
the author, and title of the article)
Main ideas and important details
Your thesis statement: Your
opinion about the article you read.
Supporting idea 1
Detail/explanation/example
Supporting idea 2
Detail/explanation/example
Supporting idea 3
Detail/explanation/example
Conclusion