1. A paragraph and its features
- A paragraph is a group of sentences about one topic or one idea.
- Features of a paragraph:
+ A paragraph has a topic sentence that states the main idea.
+ All of the sentences in a paragraph are about one topic.
+ The first line of a paragraph is indented.
+ The last sentence, or concluding sentence, brings the paragraph to a logical end.
(Folse et al., 2014, p. 12)
Structure of a paragraph
:
2. A topic sentence
- A topic sentence tells about the main idea of a paragraph. It is usually found at the beginning of a paragraph (Folse et al., 2014, p. 48).
- Features of a good topic sentence:
+ A good topic sentence controls or guides a paragraph.
+ A good topic sentence has a controlling idea.
+ A good topic sentence should not be a fact that everyone accepts as true.
+ A good topic sentence is specific, but not too narrow.
3. Supporting sentences
Supporting sentences give information that explains and expands the topic of the paragraph, including:
- Supporting ideas: giving the important points about the main idea. For example, supporting ideas can give reasons, describe events, or tell the steps in a process.
- Supporting details: giving more information about the supporting ideas. Details include facts, statistics, examples, or explanations. (Vargo et. al., 2025, p.77)
Writers can use questions to find supporting sentences.
4. Concluding sentence
The concluding sentence is the last sentence of a paragraph. It concludes, or wraps up, a paragraph.
A conclusion often has one of the four important purposes, including: (1) it restates the main ideas, (2) it offers a suggestion, (3) it gives an option, (4) it makes a prediction.
Model paragraph:
Advertisement is a powerful tool to influence people’s buying behavior due to their appealing design and persuasive techniques. First, they have attractive designs that evoke a sense of desire for their products, often associating them with happiness, success, or beauty. For example, a smartphone ad may suggest that owning the newest model will make someone more popular or successful. Second, advertisements employ persuasive techniques, such as discounts, limited-time offers, and celebrity endorsements, to prompt people to make impulsive spending decisions. As a result, people are influenced to purchase items not out of necessity, but because of the image or feeling the advertisement creates. Therefore, advertisements play a strong role in driving consumerism in modern society.
- What is the paragraph mainly about? Which sentence introduces this?
- How many reasons are presented? What are they?
- Which sentence wraps up the paragraph?
- Do all the sentences relate to one controlling idea?
- How are the sentences connected?
Activity 1. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions
Tourism to the countryside has become increasingly popular in recent years as people search for new ways to spend their holidays. One important reason is that rural areas provide a peaceful escape from city life. In the countryside, people can enjoy clean air, natural scenery, and a slower pace of living. These features help tourists reduce stress and improve their overall well-being. Another reason is that countryside tourism offers unique cultural experiences. Visitors can try traditional food, learn about local crafts, or even take part in farming activities. Such experiences allow travelers to understand authentic rural lifestyles that they cannot find in modern cities. For these reasons, many people today prefer to spend their holidays in the countryside.
- What is the paragraph mainly about? Which one is the topic sentence?
- What are the supporting ideas? What are the details for each supporting idea?
- Which sentence(s) do not relate to the main idea of this paragraph?
- Which one is the concluding sentence?
How are the supporting ideas connected?
Activity 2.Read the following paragraph and answer the questions
Last summer, I had a wonderful trip to Hoi An City with my best friends to relax after a stressful exam period. At first, I expected the trip to be peaceful and slow-paced, but it turned out to be much livelier and more exciting than I had imagined. We took a long bus ride to reach Hoi An, and when we arrived, the colorful lanterns and well-preserved old houses immediately caught our attention. One of the highlights was visiting the Japanese Covered Bridge and exploring the night market, where we tried local dishes like Cao Lau and Banh Mi. The most memorable moment was watching the city light up at night, with hundreds of glowing lanterns reflecting on the river. However, the hot weather was more intense than we expected, making it difficult to walk around during the day. Overall, despite the weather challenge, the trip was unforgettable, and I realized how much I love experiencing new cultures and histories.
- What is the paragraph mainly about? Which one is the topic sentence?
- Reorder the key ideas presented in the paragraph
- The writer’s first impressions on arrival.
- The purpose of the trip
- The writer’s feelings about the trip.
- What activities the writer did during the trip.
- The writer’s initial expectations.
- The problems that the writer faced.
- The noticeable activities of the trip.
APPENDIX:
SELF-CHECKLIST OF THE PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
| Aspect | Criterion | ✓ |
| Paragraph as a Whole | The paragraph focuses on one main topic/idea. | |
| The first line is indented. | ||
| All sentences relate to the main idea (unity). | ||
| The paragraph ends logically with a concluding sentence. | ||
| Topic Sentence | There is a topic sentence at or near the beginning. | |
| The topic sentence includes a controlling idea. | ||
| The topic sentence is specific but not too narrow. | ||
| The topic sentence is an opinion/idea, not just a fact everyone knows. | ||
| Supporting Sentences | There are enough supporting ideas. | |
| The supporting ideas are clearly different and not repetitive. | ||
| Each supporting idea includes details (facts, examples, explanations). | ||
| All supporting sentences stay on topic. | ||
| Concluding Sentence | There is a concluding sentence at the end. | |
| The concluding sentence logically wraps up the paragraph. | ||
| The concluding sentence does one of these: restates the idea / suggests / opines / predicts. |
SELF-CHECKLIST OF THE PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
| Aspect | Criterion | ✓ |
| Paragraph as a Whole | The paragraph focuses on one main topic/idea. | |
| The first line is indented. | ||
| All sentences relate to the main idea (unity). | ||
| The paragraph ends logically with a concluding sentence. | ||
| Topic Sentence | There is a topic sentence at or near the beginning. | |
| The topic sentence includes a controlling idea. | ||
| The topic sentence is specific but not too narrow. | ||
| The topic sentence is an opinion/idea, not just a fact everyone knows. | ||
| Supporting Sentences | There are enough supporting ideas. | |
| The supporting ideas are clearly different and not repetitive. | ||
| Each supporting idea includes details (facts, examples, explanations). | ||
| All supporting sentences stay on topic. | ||
| Concluding Sentence | There is a concluding sentence at the end. | |
| The concluding sentence logically wraps up the paragraph. | ||
| The concluding sentence does one of these: restates the idea / suggests / opines / predicts. |
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1: SENTENCES TO EXPRESS REASONS
| Structure | Example |
| The main reason why + [subject/phenomenon] + is that + [reason]. | The main reason why online shopping is popular is that it saves time and effort. |
| One reason for + [noun/gerund] + is that + [reason]. | One reason for the decline in biodiversity is that forests are being destroyed. |
| A major reason behind + [noun/gerund] + is + [noun phrase]. | A major reason behind climate change is greenhouse gas emissions. |
| The reason for + [noun] + is closely linked to + [noun/gerund]. | The reason for the increase in housing prices is closely linked to rapid urbanisation. |
| One key factor that leads to + [result] + is + [reason]. | One key factor that leads to academic success is consistent study habits. |
| A contributing factor to + [noun/gerund] + is + [reason]. | A contributing factor to poor public health is a lack of exercise. |
| [Phenomenon] is largely caused by + [reason]. | Water pollution is largely caused by industrial waste. |
| [Phenomenon] can be attributed to + [reason]. | The rise in energy costs can be attributed to global oil shortages. |
| The rapid growth of + [something] + has resulted in + [result]. | The rapid growth of tourism has resulted in environmental damage in many areas. |
| At the root of + [problem/phenomenon] + lies + [reason]. | At the root of high unemployment lies a mismatch between skills and market demand. |
| [Reason] is at the heart of + [phenomenon]. | Inadequate infrastructure is at the heart of poor rural development. |
| A combination of factors has led to + [result]. | A combination of factors has led to the decline of traditional farming. |
Topic sentence templates:
- Several key factors contribute to + [result].
- There are a number of reasons why the + clause.
- A variety of factors help explain why the + clause.
- Multiple causes lie behind + [phenomenon].
- [Phenomenon] can be explained by several underlying factors.
- There are several contributing factors to + [result].
- A number of factors have led to + [result].
- At the core of + [phenomenon] + are several key reasons.
- The success/failure of + [phenomenon] + depends on several factors.
- The popularity of + [phenomenon] + can be attributed to multiple causes.
- A combination of factors is responsible for + [result].
APPENDIX 2: DISCOURSE MARKERS
| To add ideas | To contrast ideas | |
| Moreover, … Furthermore, … In addition, … What is more, … On top of that, … Another point worth mentioning is that … | However, … On the other hand, … In contrast, … By comparison, … Nevertheless, … Nonetheless, … Although this is true, … Even so, … While it may seem otherwise, … |
| To give examples | To clarify/ explain | |
| For example, … For instance, … In particular, … To illustrate, … As an illustration of this, … An illustration of this is that … A good example of this is that … | In other words, … In fact, … To put it simply, … What this means is that … This shows that … This means that … |
| To show cause and effect | To emphasize | |
| Therefore, … As a result, … Consequently, … Thus, … For this reason, … Hence, … Because of this, … One consequence of this is that … | Indeed, … In particular, … Especially, … Above all, … Importantly, … Significantly, … Without a doubt, … It should be noted that … What is especially important is that … |
| To conclude/summarize | |
| In conclusion, … To sum up, … In short, … In summary, … Overall, … | All in all, … On the whole, … To conclude, … From this, it can be concluded that … All things considered, … |