The Body of the Paragraph

THE PARAGRAPH

Paragraph Structure

1.1The Topic Sentence

One of the basic building blocks of academic writing is aparagraph. Paragraphing is a way of making visible to the reader the stages of the writer’s

thinking. To be helpful to the reader, each paragraph must focus attention on a single topic or one part of a larger topic. The group of sentences that make a paragraph should work together to develop one main idea.

A good paragraph reflects unity of thought. It makes a definite statement, preferably at the outset, in a topic sentence and then backs up that statement with details, examples, or other kinds of supporting material that makes the topic sentence fully meaningful or understandable.

The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. The topic sentence includes the topic and a controlling idea, which gives a focus to the topic and often gives the reader information about the organization of the paragraph. Anything that fails to support the statement made in the topic sentence does not belong in the paragraph.

A topic sentence with a definite controlling idea is the first requisite of ultimate paragraph unity. Emphasis is placed on “controlling idea”. However, unless all the material you include in the paragraph supports or proves the controlling idea in terms of the rest of the topic sentence, the paragraph will not be unified.

The controlling idea is the main part of the topic sentence. It is the idea, within the frame of reference of the rest of the topic sentence, about which the paragraph is to be written. It may be stated in a single word, a phrase, or a clause, for example:

Pollution demands action.

Pollution isdestructive.

Pollution existsthroughout the world.

Pollution requiresthat everyone do something about it.

As you compose a topic sentence, guard against making a statement that is too general for development in a single paragraph.

Because the topic sentence with its controlling idea is a serviceable guide for achieving unity in the paragraph, you should place it first. Then, as you write, you should keep it clearly in mind, allowing it to control what you include and exclude. The topic sentence is your general frame of reference; the controlling idea is your specific focus.

Here is a list of topic sentence. Pay attention to the controlling idea of each sentence.

1. For young people today, modern music has a special appeal.

2. Joe, who grew up with me, has proved to be a real friend.

3. Three definite causes led to the start of the War of 1812.

4. An ordinary gas burner is a simple piece of mechanism.

5. Becoming a doctor was Mary’s primary desire.

6. History repeats itself.

7. A program of space travel involves great expense.

The Body of the Paragraph

After the topic sentence comes the bodyof the paragraph.Sentences in the body of the paragraph support or develop the main idea in the topic sentence. The topic sentence with its controlling idea must be fully developed, or explained in the body of the paragraph. The explanation takes the form of supporting statements. Some of these statements are likely to be more important than others; all of them, however, must apply to the topic sentence that has been stated. More specifically, they must convince the reader by proving the controlling idea in its relation to the rest of the topic sentence. Any statement that does not fulfill this purpose will destroy the unity of the paragraph. Each sentence in the paragraph might read as a “because statement” in support of the controlling idea.

Example: Charles Jones was a scheming politician.

because: At picnics near election time in Minisink County he distributed free to prospective voters and their children all the ice cream they could eat.

because: He created opportunities to do favors for anyone who could control votes at the polling places in the district.

because: He tailored his various business activities to suit forthcoming legislation that he could draft or promote.

Now you should notice two important things about this series of sentences. First, the whole series is unified. When you say that your controlling idea, “scheming politician”, is true “because…” and you then ж-д give support or evidence in one-two-three order, your sentences of explanation are likely to be definite supports of the central idea, or controlling idea, of your topic sentence. It follows that your series of sentences will probably be logical and unified, that your paragraph will have one dominant idea throughout, and that every sentence-idea given in support of the controlling idea will be closely related to it. But if one unrelated or irrelevant sentence-idea were to be introduced, the unity of the paragraph would be destroyed.

The second important thing is the function of because statements as support of the controlling idea. These three ideas are the major supporting statements designed to convince the reader of the validity of the controlling idea.

Of course, in composing your paragraph you do not write the word because before each sentence. You should, however, think the because before you express your sentence idea. The because is a test for unity – a means to help you fix your attention upon the specific focus you have chosen for the subject area of your topic sentence. By establishing the validity of your controlling idea you may convince your reader; by distorting your focus you will only confuse him. In most paragraphs because will serve your purposes very well. On occasion you may prefer to substitute for instance, or specifically, or namely, or some similar word test for unity of sentence-ideas with respect to the controlling idea. The important point is this: whether you use because or a substitute, test each sentence-idea to be used in the paragraph with the same test word.

Sometimes a controlling idea requires a specific number of supporting statements. In the following example, the controlling idea calls for three effects, and three must be expressed.

The Treaty of Versailles had three outstanding effects.

because: First, a League of Nations was formed.

because: Second, a reduction of German armaments relieved the whole world from threatened German aggression.

because: Third, Germany’s colonies were awarded to various nations.

Notice that each of the tree sentences serves as a because (or namely) statement in direct support of controlling idea with reference to “The Treaty of Versailles”. And since the controlling idea in this particular topic sentence, mentions three effects, the writer has given three, not two or five. A topic sentence with its controlling idea, once expressed, obligates the writer to fulfill a given task, and a paragraph is not successfully composed until that obligation is met.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 690