1. SENTENCE STRUCTURES & FORMS
Paragraph elements
SENTENCE STRUCTURES & FORMS

2. 1. TOPIC SENTENCE (TS)
FUNCTION: FIRST SENTENCE OF BODY PARAGRAPH; INTRODUCING YOUR TOPIC, OPINION AND SUBJECT THAT YOU WILL PROVE.

3. 1. MUST HAVE A SUBJECT AND OPINION
REMINDERS
1. MUST HAVE A SUBJECT AND OPINION
EXAMPLE
NAME IT
VERB IT
MAIN IDEA
THE TOPIC (SUBJECT)
ACTION
YOUR OPINION
NAME IT (SUBJECT)
VERB IT (ACTION)
MAIN IDEA (OPINION)
IN THE BOOK, FREDERICK DOUGLASS
ILLUSTRATES
THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION.

4. 2. MAIN IDEA (MI)
FUNCTION: THE SPECIFIC REASON WHY YOU BELIEVE YOUR OPINION IN THE TOPIC SENTENCE.

5. REMINDERS
1. DO NOT REPEAT TOPIC SENTENCE.
2. GIVE A SPECIFIC REASON.
3. MUST BE RELATED TO YOUR TOPIC SENTENCE.
EXAMPLE
DESPITE BEING A SLAVE, FREDERICK DOUGLASS UNDERSTOOD THAT HIS OPPRESSION WOULD REMAIN UNLESS HE ACHIEVED AN EDUCATION.

6. 3. SUPPORTIVE DETAIL/ EVIDENCE/ CONCRETE DETAIL/ TEXTUAL CITATION (SD/E)
FUNCTION: A DIRECT CITATION FROM TEXT SOURCE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR TS & MI.
MAY INCLUDE PARAPHRASING OR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES DEPENDING ON SUBJECT & PROMPT.

7. 1. IT MUST RELATE TO THE SUBJECT YOU ARE DISCUSSING!
REMINDERS
1. IT MUST RELATE TO THE SUBJECT YOU ARE DISCUSSING!
2. INTRODUCE QUOTE BY GIVING BACKGROUND INFORMATION OR CONTEXT
3. DIRECT QUOTES MUST BE IN QUOTATIONS “…”
4. CITE YOUR SOURCE
“…………..” (AUTHOR’S LAST NAME + PAGE #) EX: “………...” (DOUGLASS 32).
PERIOD ON THE OUTSIDE
EXAMPLE
FOR EXAMPLE, DOUGLASS ONCE SAID, “… TO MAKE A CONTENTED SLAVE, IT IS NECESSARY TO MAKE A THOUGHTLESS ONE… HE MUST BE ABLE TO DETECT NO INCONSISTENCIES IN SLAVERY” (DOUGLASS 32).

8. 4. COMMENTARY (CM)***
FUNCTION: YOUR OPINION AND EXPLANATION OF HOW THE SD/E PROVES YOUR TS/MI CORRECT  WHY THE READER SHOULD FIND IT IMPORTANT.

9. REMINDERS
1. SIMPLY DO NOT REPEAT WHAT THE SD/E SAYS
2. EXPLAIN WHY THE READER SHOULD CARE
3. PASS THE “SO WHAT!?” TEST
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
HOW DID IT CHANGE THE OUTCOME?
WHAT DID IT CAUSE?
EXAMPLE
THIS SHOWS THAT HE KNEW SLAVEHOLDERS DENIED SLAVES AN EDUCATION IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM IGNORANT AND HAPPY WITH THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS.

10. 5. CONCLUDING SENTENCE (CS)
FUNCTION: YOU “WRAP UP” YOUR IDEAS, PROVE WHY YOUR OPINIONS OR TOPIC SENTENCE HAS BEEN PROVEN BY YOUR MI, SD/E, AND CM. GIVES A FINISHED FEELING AND CLOSURE TO PARAGRAPH.

11. REMINDERS
1. THE READER SHOULD HAVE NO UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
2. DO NOT BRING UP NEW TOPICS NOT DISCUSSED ALREADY IN THE PARAGRAPH
3. DO NOT COPY AND PASTE TS OR MI
EXAMPLE
THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT FREDERICK DOUGLASS TRULY BELIEVED EDUCATION WAS BEING USED AS A TOOL OF OPPRESSION AND HIS FIRST STEP TO FREEDOM WOULD BE TAKEN BY GAINING LITERACY.

12. COMPLETED PARAGRAPH
IN THE BOOK, FREDERICK DOUGLASS ILLUSTRATES THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION. DESPITE BEING A SLAVE, FREDERICK DOUGLASS UNDERSTOOD THAT HIS OPPRESSION WOULD REMAIN UNLESS HE ACHIEVED AN EDUCATION. FOR EXAMPLE, DOUGLASS ONCE SAID, “… TO MAKE A CONTENTED SLAVE, IT IS NECESSARY TO MAKE A THOUGHTLESS ONE… HE MUST BE ABLE TO DETECT NO INCONSISTENCIES IN SLAVERY” (DOUGLASS 32). THIS SHOWS THAT HE KNEW SLAVEHOLDERS DENIED SLAVES AN EDUCATION IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM IGNORANT AND HAPPY WITH THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS. THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT FREDERICK DOUGLASS TRULY BELIEVED EDUCATION WAS BEING USED AS A TOOL OF OPPRESSION AND HIS FIRST STEP TO FREEDOM WOULD BE TAKEN BY GAINING AN EDUCATION.