Essential Elements of the Paragraph

1. PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT

*TOPIC SENTENCE: A sentence which introduces the subject of a paragraph. It states an idea or attitude about the topic. It is also called a "controlling idea."

*SUPPORTING DETAILS: These are specific, concrete details that support your attitude about the topic.

Types of details:

• Reasons

• Examples

• Names

• Numbers

• (Senses) -- used mostly in descriptive or creative writing

*CONCLUDING STATEMENT: A sentence which relates your supporting details to the topic sentence.

2. UNITY:

Each sentence within a paragraph must relate to OR develop the controlling idea.

3. COHERENCE

All sentences should be logically arranged and flow smoothly.