2. Paragraph Structure

3. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence

4. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence

5. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence

6. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence Lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about

7. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence Lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about Supporting Sentences

8. Topic Sentence Cont. A.Topic sentence –main idea of the paragraph 1. Your first sentence should let your reader know what you will be describing. 2. Begin with a creative, attention-grabbing sentence (a hook). Examples of topic sentences: Weak: I’m going to describe my room on Saturday mornings. Better: Walking into my room on a Saturday morning can be a frightening experience. Great! “Ahhhh!” My mom screamed when she walked into my room this morning. B.Supporting details—details that elaborate, explain, or prove a paragraph’s main idea. 1. facts 2. example 3. sensory detail C.Unity—when all the sentences relate to the central focus or main idea.

9. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence Lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about Supporting Sentences Gives details in support of the main idea

10. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence Lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about Supporting Sentences Gives details in support of the main idea Facts

11. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence Lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about Supporting Sentences Gives details in support of the main idea Facts Examples

12. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence Lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about Supporting Sentences Gives details in support of the main idea Facts Examples Sensory Details

13. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence Lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about Supporting Sentences Gives details in support of the main idea Facts Examples Sensory Details sight hearing touch taste smell

14. B.Supporting details—details that elaborate, explain, or prove a paragraph’s main idea. 1. facts 2. example 3. sensory detail: see, hear, smell, taste, touch a. C.Unity—when all the sentences relate to the central focus or main idea. Stay focused. Vary the beginnings of your sentences. DO NOT begin with the words: “I hear……I can see…..I can feel…etc. Instead try: Leaves crunched beneath my feet as I walked through the graveyard. A pile of dirty jeans and jerseys were hiding underneath my bed. Mustard and onions dripped from my hotdog and landed on a Yankees cap in front of me.

15. D.Coherence---makes sense how ideas are connected and arranged. 1. organizational structure a. chronological order-events are in order as they happened b. spatial order—details arranged according to their location c. order of importance—most important to least or least important to most

16. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence Lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about Supporting Sentences Gives details in support of the main idea Facts Examples Sensory Details sight hearing touch taste smell Closing Sentence

17. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence Lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about Supporting Sentences Gives details in support of the main idea Facts Examples Sensory Details sight hearing touch taste smell Closing Sentence Last sentence of the paragraph

18. Paragraph Structure Topic Sentence First sentence Lets the reader know what the paragraph will be about Supporting Sentences Gives details in support of the main idea Facts Examples Sensory Details sight hearing touch taste smell Closing Sentence Last sentence of the paragraph

19. E.Concluding Sentence—wrap up the paragraph A. Wrap it up! End strong! B. DO NOT END with: And that’s what my room looks like on Saturday morning. Examples: Instead, try something like: Sobbing, my mom closed my bedroom door but returned shortly driving a bulldozer. The shrill bell rang as students handed in their final exams and shuffled out of the classroom. Although the Angels lost the game, I enjoyed the sights and sounds of the ballgame.