{"id":600,"date":"2016-04-05T22:59:16","date_gmt":"2016-04-05T22:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/waymaker-level1-english\/?post_type=chapter&p=600"},"modified":"2018-10-06T20:38:01","modified_gmt":"2018-10-06T20:38:01","slug":"text-components-of-an-effective-paragraph","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/waymaker-level1-english-gen\/chapter\/text-components-of-an-effective-paragraph\/","title":{"raw":"Text: Components of an Effective Paragraph","rendered":"Text: Components of an Effective Paragraph"},"content":{"raw":"Every paragraph in the body of an\u00a0essay consists of\u00a0three main parts:\u00a0a\u00a0topic sentence, some\u00a0supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence. \u00a0Transition words and phrases provide links between individual paragraphs, and so are important to consider, as well.\r\n\r\nOf these elements, the topic sentences<\/strong> are the most important to building a strong essay, and deserve the most attention.\r\n

Topic Sentences<\/h2>\r\n

A clear topic sentence<\/span>\u00a0in each paragraph will assist with essay organization. Consider writing topic sentences early in the process, while you're working on an outline. \u00a0You can return later to fill in the rest of the paragraph. \u00a0Having these single sentences figured out early makes the rest of the essay much easier to write!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Devote each body paragraph of an essay to discussing only the point of its topic sentence.\u00a0If something is interesting to you, but not directly related to the topic sentence, save it for elsewhere in the essay (or hang on to it for a future writing task!). This will help keep your essay focused and effective.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ensure that your topic sentence is directly related to your main argument or thesis.<\/p>\r\n

Make sure that your topic sentence offers a \u201cpreview\u201d of your paragraph\u2019s discussion. Many beginning writers forget to use the first sentence this way, and end up with sentences that don\u2019t give a clear direction for the paragraph.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For example, compare these two first sentences: <\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n

Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Thomas Jefferson, who was born in 1743, became one of the most important people in America by the end of the 18th century.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

    \r\n \t
  • The first sentence doesn\u2019t give a good direction for the paragraph. It states a fact but leaves the reader clueless about the fact\u2019s relevance. The second sentence contextualizes the fact and lets the reader know what the rest of the paragraph will discuss.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n

    Supporting & Concluding Sentences<\/h2>\r\nThis video walks through all three components of an effective paragraph, giving good examples of what supporting statements and concluding sentences might look like.\r\n\r\n