The English Paragraph

What is a Paragraph?

A paragraph is a group of sentences that has one central idea. A paragraph is the basic unit of composition in
English. A paragraph can be complete by itself. It can also be part of an essay or a chapter in a book.

One of the characteristics of a paragraph is that it is usually indented. This means that the first line starts a few
letters to the right of the left margin.

You might think of the relationship among sentences, paragraphs and essays or chapters in this way. A sentence
is made up of related words. A paragraph is made up of related sentences. An essay or chapter is made up of related
paragraphs. A book is made up of related essays or chapters. (See the illustration in Figure1.

Figure 1. The relationship among words, sentences, paragraphs, chapters and a book.

The Parts of a Paragraph

Paragraphs are usually made up of three parts: the introduction, the discussion and the conclusion. In the
introduction, the writer tells the reader what the topic is going to be. (The topic of a paragraph is called its main idea
or central idea.) The writer makes a statement about the topic. This lets the reader know what the topic will be and
gives the reader some idea of what aspect of that topic the writer intends to deal with or how the writer plans to
approach that topic. For example, a writer writing about the topic of the Japanese education system can compare it to
the American education system or give an opinion about college entrance examination. The writer can specify, in the
former case, that the American education system differs from the Japanese system in three major ways, or, in the
latter case, that he/she feels that the college entrance examination system should be changed. This information lets
the reader know what the paragraph will be about and how it will be organized.

The discussion expands on the statement about the topic made in the introduction. The discussion might include
examples, personal opinions, or specific information about the topic. (These will be discussed in more detail in later
chapters.) Each sentence in the discussion should contribute information about the aspect of the topic that the writer
specified in the introduction.
 The conclusion completes the discussion. It may summarize what has been said in the paragraph or express
the main idea again or draw some conclusion from the discussion.

The proportion of the parts of the paragraph is important. (See Figure 2) The introduction and conclusion are
not usually more than one or two long sentences long, though there are exceptions to this. The discussion is
usually longer than the introduction and the conclusion. There is no particular rule about the number of sentences in
the discussion. However, the discussion should be long enough to develop the main idea completely without
introducing too many subtopics. A paragraph with many subtopics might be better divided in several paragraphs.
When you write a paragraph, you should be careful about its proportions.

Introduction – Statement about the topic

Discussion – expands on statement made about the topic in introduction eg. Specific
information, examples, personal opinions.

Conclusion – completes discussion: may be summary, restatement of main ideas, etc

Figure 2. Proportion of the parts of the paragraph.

Sample Paragraph

Here is an example of a paragraph.

Most American spends New Year‟s Day quietly. They sleep late and then spend the day at home or visiting
friends. They eat and talk and play games. In the morning, many people watch parades on television. In the
afternoon, there are three colleges‟ football games on television, which are also very popular. The most famous one is
the Rose Bowl. Though most workers have only one day off, it is a relaxing and pleasant day.

As described above, this paragraph has three parts. In the introduction (the first sentence), the topic - how
American spend New Year‟s Day – is specified. The writer also specifies the particular aspect of New Year‟s Day that
he/she intends to write about – the fact that it is a quiet holiday for Americans. In the discussion (the second through
six sentences), the writer expands on that topic by telling the reader some of the things Americans do on New Year‟s
Day. Each sentence is related to the topic mentioned in the introduction. Lastly, in the conclusion (the last sentence),
the writer summarizes what was said about New Year‟s Day and ties it to the statement made about New Year‟s Day
in the introduction.

You may have noticed in this example that the first sentence is the introduction and the last sentence is the
conclusion. This is a common way to organize paragraphs. It is the way we will follow in this book, for the most part.
However, keep in mind that it is not the only possible way to organize paragraphs. You should also notice that
sentences in a paragraph are written one after another. Each sentence follows the previous one, rather than starting
on a new line.
Exercise 1
Now read the following paragraphs. Identify the sentence numbers of the introduction, discussion and
conclusion.

A)
I really like to read.1 My favourite type of reading is science fiction.2 I usually read one or two science fiction
books each week.3 Sometimes I read other types of novels, too.4 I also read a newspaper every day and a news
magazine once a week.5 Another of my interests is computers, so I read computer books.6 I enjoy reading more than
almost anything else that I do. 7

sentence number(s) in the introduction: ………..

sentence number(s) in the discussion: …………
sentence number(s) in the conclusion……………

B)
There is a saying that “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. 1 This means that a person who is your friend
when you have a need is a true friend. 2 I had an experience that demonstrated this. 3 When I was in high school, I
was accused of stealing some money from the school office.4 A lot of my so-called friends believed that I had done it.
5 However, my friend Terry did not believe it.6 Terry told everyone that it could not be true. 7 In the end, it was proven
that the money had been taken by someone else. 8 Terry was a real friend to me, because she was a friend at a time
when I needed one.9

sentence number(s) in the introduction: …………

sentence number(s) in the discussion: ………….
sentence number(s) in the conclusion……………

C)
A friend of mine collects unusual facts about the tiny country of Liechtenstein, and he told me the following
story. 1 During the 1800‟s Liechtenstein had a mutual defense agreement with Austria. 2 When Austria went to war
with Prussia (a country that became part of modern Germany), Liechtenstein went to war against Prussia, too. 3
When the time came for the peace conference to end the war, no one thought to invite a representative from
Liechtenstein, so Liechtenstein has never signed a peace treaty with Prussia. 4 Therefore, Liechtenstein is still at war
with Prussia – and probably always will be since Prussia no longer exists! 5

sentence number(s) in the introduction: ………

sentence number(s) in the discussion: …………
sentence number(s) in the conclusion: …………

D) In our first evening in Santiago, Chile, we went to a restaurant on the town square. 1 The meal that we had
turned out to be one of the most memorable meals we had in South America. Since we had heard that the seafood
was good, we decided to order seafood. 2 However, the menu was in Spanish, the waiter didn‟t speak English, and
we couldn‟t find the names of the seafood dishes in our book of Spanish phrases. 3 One of the dishes was for two
people, and the price was listed as about $7 (in Chilean pesos).4 We assumed that it cost $7 per person.5 We also
ordered wine, which was about $3. 6 When our dinner came, it was a huge metal plate, set about hot coals.7 It had
many different kinds of seafood, including shrimp, oysters, and different types of fish.8 There was so much that we
could hardly eat it all. 9 And it was delicious.10 Not a bad meal at all for a total of only $17, we thought. 11 The bill
came, and we found that the total was only $10-$7 for the entire meal. 12 We were surprised that we had eaten such
a big, delicious meal and for less than two servings of domburi would have cost in a restaurant in Japan. 13

sentence number(s) in the introduction: ………

sentence number(s) in the discussion: …………
sentence number(s) in the conclusion: …………
Exercise 2
Now read the following paragraphs. Identify the sentence numbers of the introduction, discussion
and conclusion.

Gone with the wind is one of my favorite movies.1 Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable give particularly good performances.
2 The story is interesting one. 3 These things have brought me back to this movie over and over again. 4

sentence number(s) in the introduction: ………

sentence number(s) in the discussion: …………
sentence number(s) in the conclusion: ………… Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh

Do you see anything wrong with this paragraph?

The problem with this paragraph is the proportion. The discussion is much too short. The writer only gives
two reasons for linking the movie. Surely for a favorite movie, a person would have more than two reasons for liking it.
Also, it would be a good idea to discuss the reasons in more detail, for example, describing what is particularly good
about the performances and the story. Therefore, it seems that the idea of the discussion is not as well developed as
it could be.
It is possible that some topics could adequately be discussed in two sentences, but in this case, it does not
seem to be enough. The writer only mentions two reasons and does not discuss them in any detail at all. As
mentioned above, there is not necessarily a rule about how many sentences there should be in the discussion.
However, the topic should be discussed adequately.

Do you see anything wrong with the following paragraphs?

A. For fewer tourists, lower prices, and more beautiful scenery, head for the Sagres Peninsula. The regional
museum has a rich collection of costumes, weapons, and handicrafts. Buses will get you to most places, but for long
trips, trains are cheaper and more comfortable. The Portuguese economy has expanded very rapidly in recent years,
but it still has many problems. In the 15th century, Lisbon was a worldwide center of political power, religion, and
culture.

B. Watching television is one of the best ways to learn English. You can easily practice by listening to
Americans on TV. Also, you can learn about American culture and news events by watching different programs. This
will help you to understand and keep up with conversations. Your listening and conversational skill will improve a lot if
you watch TV every day.
Academic Writing from paragraph to essay
Unit 2 The Structure of a Paragraph (Page: 11)

The Topic Sentence

What is a topic sentence?

The topic sentence is an important part of the paragraph. The topic sentence is the sentence that states the
main idea of the paragraph.

Often the topic sentence is the first sentence of the paragraph. As mentioned in the last chapter, the topic of
a paragraph is usually indicated in the introduction. Therefore, the topic sentence is often the same as the
introduction.

There are a variety of types of topic sentences. For example, a topic sentence might be a proverb or a
quotation, a statement of an opinion, a statement of fact or a question.

Examples of topic sentences

The following are some sample topic sentences, along with a description of the type of information that
would be in a paragraph with that topic sentence.

1. I said that „Good fences make good neighbours.‟ (In this paragraph, writer would probably go on to relate and
experience that illustrated the truth of this proverb.)
2. The Japanese government should offer more opportunities to foreign students. (This is a paragraph expressing
a personal opinion. The writer would go on to give reasons for this opinion.)
3. There are two types of people – those who plan for the future and those who don‟t. (This is a classification
paragraph. The writer would discuss the characteristics of people who fit in each group.)

Exercise 2

Each of the paragraphs below is followed by three sentences. Choose the one that makes the best topic
sentence for the paragraph.

Paragraph A
(Topic sentence_______________________________________________________________

She has a good job with a publisher of children‟s books. She also belongs to several clubs, and she has
made many friends through her club activities. Last year, she made a trip to Europe with a group of her
friends and had a wonderful time. Her life is evidence that a person in a wheelchair can lead a full
interesting life.

1. Mary is in a wheelchair.
2. Though she is in a wheelchair, Mary is an active person.
3. Mary has an interesting life.

Paragraph B

For many years, Japan had a reputation in the United State of producing cheap foods of poor quality.
However, that perception has changed over the past several years.

(Topic Sentence)______________________________________________________________
 Japanese cameras are considered among the best. Japanese cars are in great demand. Japanese
televisions are considered better and reliable than American ones. Now “Made in Japan” has come to mean
good quality.

1. This has led to problems in trade between Japan and the United States.
2. In fact, “Made in Japan” meant the same as poor quality goods.
3. Now the perception of Japanese goods is that they are well made for a reasonable price.

Paragraph C

Prague is famous as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Its bridges, which cross the Vltava,
are especially famous.

(Topic Sentence_______________________________________________________________

It was built of stone in 1357 by King Charles IV. It is one of the oldest bridges in Europe. The unusual
characteristic of this bridge is that it is lined by thirty black statues, which were mostly added in the early
1700‟s. The statues are of saints, kings, and famous people from the history of Czechoslovakia. As you
cross the bridge, you can pause and study each of the statues or have your picture taken in front of one of
them.

1. Tourist who come to Prague like to view Prague‟s bridges from Prague Castle.
2. The Charles Bridge, however, is Prague‟s most interesting and memorable bridge.
3. One of these bridges is the Charles Bridge.