College of San Mateo Computer Online Writing

Unity, Support and Coherence in Your Paragraphs

Paragraph Basics: Topic Sentences and Details

 

As a college student, you are often required to express your ideas in logical, persuasive essays. Each paragraph of an essay should express a point about your topic. It is important to understand the characteristics of effective paragraphs, so you can present your ideas more convincingly to your readers.

The Ingredients of a Good Body Paragraph
A good body paragraph:

  • is indented at the beginning
  • contains a topic sentence
  • contains specific details.

What Is a Topic Sentence?
A topic sentence:

  • should accurately represent the main point of the paragraph
  • must be a complete sentence
  • is often the first sentence of the paragraph
  • can also be the last sentence, or in another position in the paragraph.

Different Types of Details
In paragraphs many different kinds of details can be used to develop topic sentences. In Exercise 1, you can see how some different types of details are used to develop topic sentences.

Sentence Numbering
In real life sentences in a paragraph are not numbered, but in this tutorial each sentence is numbered for identification purposes.

 

Exercise 1

Model Paragraph #1

..........1Several years ago I bought a Volaré with a warranty. 2A few days later, my speedometer cable disconnected. 3The dealer brushed it off as a minor problem. 4Consequently, I had to wait two weeks to get it fixed. 5Immediately after the cable was repaired, it broke again. 6This happened four times in six weeks. 7The repairs were free; I was, however, inconvenienced and frustrated. 8Having a warranty on a new car certainly doesn't prevent headaches.

1. In Model Paragraph #1, find the topic sentence, the sentence which states the main point of the paragraph.

Type the number of the topic sentence

reason

2. What kind of detail is used to develop the topic sentence in Model Paragraph #1?

an incident from personal experience

examples

reasons

facts

all of the above

Model Paragraph #2

..... 1There are several ways for people to view money. 2First is the person whose dollars disappear in mere moments. 3To this person, a savings account is like a straitjacket. 4The spender lives only in the present and can't plan ahead financially. 5Next is the individual who hoards pennies like rubies. 6The hoarder may be wealthy, but remains unable to relish the pleasures that money makes possible. 7This person lives in the future, a future that never arrives. 8More common is the person who likes to save, but can occasionally spend without anxiety. 9This person is rooted in the present, but prepared for days to come.
 

3. In Model Paragraph #2, find the topic sentence, the sentence which states the main point of the paragraph.

Type the number of the topic sentence

reason

4. What kind of detail is used to develop the topic sentence in Model Paragraph #2?

an incident from personal experience

examples

reasons

facts

all of the above

  
Model Paragraph #3

..... 1Basketball is appealing for several reasons. 2Basketball is fast, exciting, and unpredictable&emdash;a large lead can be lost in a single minute, and many games are decided by a single point. 3Because the basketball team has few members, I can become acquainted with each player's personality. 4I also love watching a player leap gracefully to the basket and dunk the ball. 5But most of all, I love basketball because it gives me a chance to yell at the refs.
E

5. In Model Paragraph #3, find the topic sentence, the sentence which states the main point of the paragraph.

Type the number of the topic sentence

reason

6. What kind of detail is used to develop the topic sentence in Model Paragraph #3?

an incident from personal experience

examples

reasons

facts

all of the above

 
Model Paragraph #4

..... 1Under the constitution, the President is commander of the armed forces, possessing the ability to send troops to other countries. 2The president has the right to veto laws that Congress passes, and as chief executive, the president is responsible for all federal law enforcement. 3In addition, the president appoints all the justices of the Supreme Court, judges who interpret the laws of the land and serve life terms. 4While there are checks and balances on these powers, there is no question that the president possesses considerable influence. 5Clearly, the president is a powerful human being.
E

7. In Model Paragraph #4, find the topic sentence, the sentence which states the main point of the paragraph.

Type the number of the topic sentence

reason

8. What kind of detail is used to develop the topic sentence in Model Paragraph #4?

an incident from personal experience

examples

reasons

facts

all of the above

 
Model Paragraph #5

..... 1E-mail can suck up much of a person's free time. 2According to 2001 surveys in MacWorld and PC Week magazines, eight out of ten people spend more than one hour daily on e-mail. 3In fact, one of my friends, a computer aficonado, tells me that she has spent up to four hours per day reading and sending e-mail messages. 4One reason for the time drain is that every day tons of bulk e-mail or spam arrives in most e-mail accounts and must be deleted. 5In addition, wading through old e-mails for important instructions or information can also involve hours. 6I myself have found that e-mailing friends and family is so easy that I tend to write many unnecessary messages to many more people than I would write otherwise, spending free time with e-mail rather than going to the movies or reading a book.

9. In Model Paragraph #5, find the topic sentence, the sentence which states the main point of the paragraph.

Type the number of the topic sentence

reason

10. What kind of detail is used to develop the topic sentence?

an incident from personal experience

examples

reasons

facts

all of the above

 

 

 

Paragraph Basics:

 

1. A good body paragraph:
  • is indented at the beginning
  • contains a topic sentence
  • contains specific details.

 

2. A topic sentence:
  • should accurately represent the main point of the paragraph
  • must be a complete sentence
  • is often the first sentence of the paragraph
  • can also be the last sentence, or in another position in the paragraph.

 

3. Many different types of details can be used to develop a topic sentence, including:
  • an incident from personal experience
  • examples
  • reasons
  • facts.

 The Writing Assignment

Now that you are at the end of the Paragraph Basics tutorial and are sure you understand the material, you must write four paragraphs.

Topics (Choose one).

1. Many studetns both work full- or part-time and attend school, somethimes taking a full load. If you have ever both worked and attended shcool, write a page explaining some of the problems or conflicts in trying to perform both roles--student and employee.

OR

2. Think about your own reasons for attending a community college and reasons why your friends, acquaintances, and classmates may have for attending. Then write a page explaining some of the reasons students may decide to attend a community college.

Directions for Revising This Draft

Using what you have learned in this tutorial, after each verb, write the word "verb" in brackets or parenthesis in each sentence in your writing. Then go back and write the word "subject" in brackets or parenthesis after each subject in each sentence.

 

Name:

E-mail address:

Type your writing assignment here:

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Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial! Now that you understand how topic sentences and details work in paragraphs, choose one of the following:

 

Unity eeeeeSupport eeeeeCoherence