Writing Effective Paragraphs

Writing effective paragraphs is easy once you know what to do. Use the “Point-Proof-Explanation-Summary” method to paragraph writing and watch how quickly your writing improves! 

An effective paragraph includes:

• a topic sentence that expresses the main point of the paragraph.
• a piece of proof, evidence, details, or examples to support your topic sentence. 
• an explanation where you explain how the proof reinforces the point you are trying to make
• another piece of  proof, evidence, details, or examples to support your original topic sentence. 
• another explanation where you explain how the second proof reinforces the original point you are trying to make
• A summary sentence that sums up the main point found in the topic sentence.

A well written paragraph consists of 5 to 7 sentences and contains three parts: a topic sentence, a body, and a closing sentence. 

I) The Topic Sentence

A topic sentence tells what a paragraph is going to be about. A good topic sentence 1) names the subject and 2) states your feelings about it.  Here is a simple formula for writing good topic sentences:

Formula:

An interesting subject + your specific feeling about it = a good topic sentence.

Example:

Sony’s Playstation 4 (interesting subject) has taken home videogame systems into the future and beyond (specific feeling).

II) The Body

The sentences in the body of a paragraph must give readers all of the information they need to understand the topic.

Hint

• Use a lot of specific details
• Organize your sentences in the best possible order. There are three main ways to organize your sentences: chronological order, order of location, and order of importance.

Example:

The Playstation 4 offers the best games with thrilling next generation graphics thanks to a brand new super-charged processor. Next, it also allows users to begin playing a game even as it is being downloaded from the Playstation Network.Lastly, the Playstation 4 allows users to use a smart-phones or a tablet as a second screen for enhanced game-play.

III) The Closing Sentence

The closing sentence comes after all of the details have been included in the body. This sentence should remind readers about the paragraph topic.

Example: 

The Sony PS4 gaming platform is the future of video-gaming but available today for serious home gamers.