
Writing is a synthesis of information, and paragraphs are how we categorize the information. The most important thing to remember is that all your supporting sentences must relate back to your topic sentence. If opinions are appropriate for your topic, they can go here, too. Your supporting sentences should also include some more in-depth analysis and evaluation. You can give specific examples or make comparisons. You can extend your point by offering further explanation and description. But evidence alone isn’t very compelling. What sort of things can you include in supporting sentences? First, you can present evidence or facts that support both your topic sentence and your overall paper topic. In any sort of academic or technical writing, this is where most of your argument is presented. The supporting sentences are the meat of your paragraph. They may introduce what a character is doing or feeling before you go into more detail, or they may introduce a specific setting that you plan to elaborate on. Your topic sentence keeps you “on topic.” It makes sure that all of the information that follows fits in that paragraph.įor fiction writers, topic sentences still give an overview of the paragraph. This is important for your readers, but it’s also important for you as a writer. They present the main idea of that paragraph and give a sample of what the paragraph is going to be about. Topic sentences also serve other functions. It should somehow tie into the overall topic of the essay. Each topic sentence should support your overarching thesis statement. This is a helpful way to think of it when you’re writing an essay.

The DBQ Project calls topic sentences “mini thesis” statements. It serves as the glue for the entire paragraph. The first sentence is the topic sentence, and it tells your readers what the paragraph is about. Just like with time, you can change paragraphs whenever you talk about a new person or use a new point-of-view.Ī paragraph has three basic parts: a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence. Depending on how much detail you are going into, you can leave these instances in the same paragraph. This is the same topic but different times. For instance, in an essay about the electoral college, you might reference two different elections where the popular vote winner lost the election. Sometimes, this rule might overrule the others.

If you are talking about a new location, hit that “enter” button. This applies to fiction, nonfiction, and essays alike. Whenever there is a setting shift, switch paragraphs. Time can also refer to different historical periods if you’re writing an essay. Whenever there has been a change in time, it’s probably a good time to start a new paragraph. This also works for technical reports or studies. Each time you do this, you can start a new paragraph. In a work of fiction, memoir, or personal story, the time may shift by minutes, hours, days, or longer. Let’s take a look at each of these in detail. One helpful tip for constructing paragraphs is the acronym TiPToP.
