How to Write a Support Paragraph
A support paragraph is a group of sentences that work together to explain, illustrate, or provide
evidence for a single supporting assertion (topic sentence). Several support paragraphs usually work
together to explain the main idea of a story, an essay, or a section of a business or technical report.
The best way to keep an essay focused on its main idea is to make sure your supporting assertions
are clear and your paragraphing is strong.
A strong support paragraph has
1. A topic sentence (assertion , support point) that is clearly related to the main idea of the whole
essay.
In an analytical essay, the assertion (topic sentence) of most paragraphs is stated explicitly
at or near the beginning of the paragraph. ("Explicit" means open and clear, not hidden.)
Exception 1: Occasionally, an analytical paragraph will have no topic sentence of its own but
will relate to the topic sentence of the paragraph before it. This often happens when the
support for an assertion is complicated and requires a whole series of examples or a lot of
explanation.
Exception 2: Occasionally, for dramatic effect, a paragraph will begin with details and build
up to a topic sentence at the end.
In a narrative essay, many paragraphs may have implied assertions. “Implied” means
unstated. Readers must infer the points as they read.
2. A clear relationship to the main idea of the essay through signal words and paragraph transitions.
A paragraph may relate directly to the main idea of the essay, or it may relate to the paragraph
that comes just before it (or both). We show both kinds of relationships by means of transition
words and phrases. These may include
Echo words and phrases (repetition of key words from the main idea of the essay, the topic
sentence of the previous paragraph, or the concluding sentence of the previous paragraph)
Time and space words and adverb phrases (yesterday, two weeks later, previously, directly
across the river, etc.)
Signal words and phrases (however, therefore, in contrast, on the other hand, the second
reason for. . . ., etc.). These are also adverbs.
3. A combination of general and specific detail.
General detail consists of
Abstractions (It was a beautiful day.) (It was an economic disaster.)
“Always” examples (My father often read to me after dinner.) (My cousin liked to play jokes
on us.)
Specific detail consists of
Sensory description (The sky was a clear, deep blue, and the air was warm and still.) (White
clouds towered above the mountains, and the air was brisk and cold). Both of these could
describe a “beautiful” day.
Facts (As a result, two major savings and loan institutions, XXXX Bank and YYYY Bank
failed. The news of these failures sent the stock market plunging 220 points in the first
two hours of trading.)
“Once” examples. These can be either short anecdotes or extended examples. (On my
fourth birthday, my father began reading me a real, adult book, the first volume of Kipling’s
Jungle Books.) (That night, after we were all asleep, my cousin shoved a dead porcupine into
the crawl space under the bathroom. Several days later we began to notice a peculiar smell.
On another occasion he pretended to be lost when we were out riding together.)
"Once" examples can be either short (several sentences) or extended anecdotes (several
paragraphs).
4. A clear relationship between one sentence and the next. This relationship is established through
sentence transitions.
In the bank failure example, the first sentence relates to the previous sentence through the cause
and effect transition “as a result.” The second sentence relates to the first through the echoing of
the related words “failed” and “failures.” It also expresses a cause and effect relationship through
its subject and verb “the news. . .sent. . . .”
In the porcupine example above, the second sentence relates to the first in two ways:
Through the time phrase “several days later”
Through an implied cause and effect relationship.
In the third sentence, “on another occasion” signals a new example that supports the general
statement that my cousin liked to play jokes on us.
Examples
Here are the examples from the previous section. These are useful models of the relationship
between general and specific details.
Example 1: It was a beautiful day (abstraction). White clouds towered above the mountains, and
the air was brisk and cold. The trees outside my office stirred in the wind, and a flock of crows
rode the air currents up past my window, over the building and down past the windows on the other
side (sensory detail).
Example 2: As a result, (cause and effect transition from previous sentence or paragraph), two
major savings and loan institutions, XXXX Bank and YYYY Bank failed (fact). The news of these
failures (echo word) sent the stock market plunging 220 points in the first two hours of trading
(fact). It was an economic disaster (abstraction).
Example 3: My father often read to me after dinner ("always" detail). On my fourth birthday, he
began reading me a real, adult book, the first volume of Kipling’s Jungle Books ("once" detail). By
the end of the first story, I was hooked. I felt that I, too, had joined Mother Wolf's cubs and
become a member of the wolf pack. I also wanted desperately to read this book myself, so that I
could read the stories again and again ("once" detail).
Example 4: My cousin liked to play jokes on us ("always" detail). That night (time phrase), after we
were all asleep, he shoved a dead porcupine into the crawl space under the bathroom. Several days
later (time phrase) we began to notice a peculiar smell ("once detail"). Another time (time phrase),
he pretended to be lost when we were out riding together ("once detail). (This whole example is an
anecdote.)
To evaluate a support paragraph, ask
Is its assertion clear? Is it direct (topic sentence) or implied? Is this the best strategy?
How does it relate to the main idea of the essay? Does it relate directly to the main idea?
Does it relate to the previous paragraph? Both? Do the transition words and phrases need
clarifying? Could echoing be used more effectively?
Does it have specific detail (sensory detail, specific facts, “once” examples)?
Do the sentences relate to each other through transitions and echoing?
Perspective
Good professional writers often write strong paragraphs that do not follow this advice. And these
paragraphs are often more effective than those that do follow it. The ability to deviate from the
standard patterns in creative ways is the mark of a writer who has practiced his or her craft for
many years, listening to feedback from readers and other writers and revising, revising, revising.
