Academic writing
Paragraph structure
Unit 1
What is a paragraph?
It is a group of related sentences that discuss one main
idea.
A paragraph can consist of a sentence or more.
The number of sentences isn't important as long as the
main idea is discussed thoroughly.
Parts of the paragraph:
A paragraph consists of THREE main parts which are:
.1 Topic sentence
.2 Supporting sentences
.3 Concluding sentence
1.Topic
sentence:
It is an essential part of any well written paragraph as it briefly
discusses the main idea of the paragraph.
There are THREE important points to remember
about the topic sentence:
a. A topic sentence is a complete sentence:
It consists of at least one subject and a verb
b .It consists of TWO parts:
It mainly consists of the topic and the
controlling idea being discussed in the
paragraph
c .It needs to be a general sentence:
It needs to be a general statement as it should only tell the
topic and the controlling idea.
Example:
The Arabic origin of many English words is not always obvious
Note that the Topic sentence can't be either too
specific or too general.
A general topic sentence:
English has been influenced by other languages.
A very specific Topic sentence:
The slang expression so long (meaning “good-bye”) is
probably a corruption of the Arabic salaam.
Opinions VS Facts Note: The writer's Opinion is
not expressed in academic
writing.
An Opinion is a
subjective
statement based
on a person's
belief or attitude
Example:
Water boils at 100
degrees.
PS. Even Facts need proof, as your
reader may not believe your words
without enough evidence. So providing
examples is essential.
.3Concluding sentence:
Note: Never introduce
It serves TWO purposes: a new idea in the
1. It signals the end of the paragraph. concluding sentence
2. It reminds the reader of the main idea.
Thank you!