More detailed information on the paragraph

A well structured paragraph can, firstly, help us to become more critical readers, able to identify key points and recognise examples etc. Secondly, we can become more confident and effective writers.

Think carefully and organise your ideas for your paragraph before you start writing:

• What does the topic sentence do? It introduces the main idea of the sentence.
• How do I write one? Summarize the main idea of your paragraph. Indicate to the reader what your paragraph will be about.

Example:

"There are three reasons why Britain is one of the best countries in the world. First, Britain has an excellent transport system. Second, Britain has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Britain's cities are clean and efficiently managed. As a result, Britain is a desirable place to live."

• What are supporting sentences? They come after the topic sentence, making up the body of the paragraph.
• What do they do? They give details to develop and support the main idea of the paragraph.
• How do I write them? You should give supporting facts, details and examples.

Example:

"There are three reasons why Britain is one of the best countries in the world. First, Britain has an excellent transport system. Second, Britain has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Britain's cities are clean and efficiently managed. As a result, Britain is a desirable place to live."

• What is the closing sentence? The closing sentence is the last sentence in the paragraph.
• What does it do? It restates the main idea of your paragraph.
• How do I write one? Restate the main idea of the paragraph using different words.

Example:

"There are three reasons why Britain is one of the best countries in the world. First, Britain has an excellent transport system. Second, Britain has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Britain's cities are clean and efficiently managed. As a result, Britain is a desirable place to live."