Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
National Capital Region
Schools Division Office – City of Mandaluyong

PROJECT CLAID (Contextualized and Localized Activities Intended for Distance Learning)

Name: ______________________________ Date: ____________ Score: _______

ENGLISH 8
Quarter 4 – Week – 5
Competency: Compose Effective Paragraphs
Lesson: How to Write Effective Paragraphs with Topic Sentences And
Supporting Details

Objectives:

1. Identify characteristics of a good topic sentence.

2. Distinguish the parts of a developed paragraph.
3. Apply ways on how to write an effective paragraph using topic sentences and
supporting details.

CONCEPT

Writing is like constructing a building. We might not see right

away how putting two bricks together can form a wall or how this wall
will be part of a taller structure.

Outlines will serve as a blueprint to guide you in writing. A

blueprint alone does not make a building – its design needs to be
executed on the raw materials with which the building is built. Writing
effective paragraphs will also help you as you write your speech at the
end of this quarter.

As such, paragraphs are building blocks in developing effectivity in

writing. In this lesson, you will find out the parts of an effective paragraph
and how to develop your paragraph to be more effective.

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Q4 Week No. 5 Competency Code: EN8WC-IIa-2.8
Competency: Compose Effective Paragraphs
 ACTIVITY NO.1

Getting Started
Directions: Write a 7-sentence paragraph about something that you do at home during this
online distance learning setup of education. Cite some activities you like doing during the
ECQ.

Discussion
Composing an effective paragraph requires a method. You may have the finest content
or materials, but if you do not arrange them in the correct order, then the final product will
not hold together very well.

A paragraph is a group of sentences that deals with one specific idea. Paragraphs are
defined by the point that they support, the controlling idea, and not just by how long they
are. Only one idea should be discussed per paragraph.

These are several characteristics of an effective paragraph:

1. focuses on one main point or example
2. usually has a topic sentence that ties information together
3. contains sentences that all relate to or expand on a specific idea
4. presents ideas in a logical way to establish credibility
5. is well-developed with details but not overly long
6. flows smoothly and uses transitional words and phrases; and
7. avoids repetition by using pronouns and synonyms to refer to similar ideas.

An effective paragraph contains three main parts: a topic sentence, the body, and
the concluding sentence. A topic sentence is often the first sentence of a paragraph.
Sometimes they may also be in the middle of the paragraph, the ending, or both first and
last sentence of the composition. Its purpose is to express the main idea combined with the
writer’s attitude about the subject. The body of the paragraph usually follows, containing
supporting details. Supporting sentences help explain, prove, or enhance the topic sentence.
The concluding sentence is the last sentence in the paragraph. It reminds the reader of the
main point by restating it in different words.

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Q4 Week No. 5 Competency Code: EN8WC-IIa-2.8
Competency: Compose Effective Paragraphs
 Characteristics of a Good Topic Sentence

1. A good topic sentence provides an accurate indication of what will follow in the rest of
the paragraph.
2. A good topic sentence contains both a topic and a controlling idea or opinion.
3. A good topic sentence is clear and easy to follow.
4. A good topic sentence does not include supporting details.
5. A good topic sentence engages the reader by using interesting vocabulary.

Developing Paragraphs That Use Topic Sentences, Supporting Ideas, and Transitions
Effectively

Read the following paragraph. The topic sentence is underlined for you.

For many years, I suffered from severe anxiety every time I took
an exam. Hours before the exam, my heart would begin pounding, my
legs would shake, and sometimes I would become physically unable to
move. Last year, I was referred to a specialist and finally found a way to
control my anxiety—breathing exercises. It seems so simple, but by
doing just a few breathing exercises a couple of hours before an exam, I
gradually got my anxiety under control. The exercises help slow my heart
rate and make me feel less anxious. Better yet, they require no pills, no
equipment, and very little time. It is amazing how just breathing
correctly has helped me learn to manage my anxiety symptoms.

In this paragraph, the underlined sentence is the topic sentence. It expresses the main
idea—that breathing exercises can help control anxiety. The preceding sentences enable to
build up to the main point (breathing exercises can help control anxiety) by using a personal
anecdote (how he used to suffer from anxiety). The supporting sentences then expand on how
breathing exercises help the writer by providing additional information. The last sentence is
the concluding sentence and restates how breathing can help manage anxiety.

Supporting Sentences

If you think of a paragraph as a hamburger, the supporting sentences are the meat
and garnishes inside the bun. They make up the body of the paragraph by explaining,
proving, or enhancing the controlling idea in the topic sentence. Most paragraphs contain
three to six supporting sentences depending on the audience and purpose for writing. A
supporting sentence usually offers one of the following:
1. Reason
Sentence: The refusal of some people to get vaccinated is contributing to the current
economic Philippine problem.
2. Fact
Sentence: Many families now rely on older relatives to support them financially.
3. Statistics
Sentence: Nearly 10 percent of adults are currently unemployed in Mandaluyong alone.
4. Quotation

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Q4 Week No. 5 Competency Code: EN8WC-IIa-2.8
Competency: Compose Effective Paragraphs
 Sentence: “What is the meaning of life? This meaning is not for you to find, but for you to
define. The meaning of life is found in the purposes that we pursue as we grow older,”
stated Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
5. Example
Sentence: Fatigue, pain in the injected area, and chills are just some of the side effects of
the COVID vaccine.

To find information for your supporting sentences, you might consider using one of the
following sources:

Reference book, encyclopedia, websites, biography/autobiography, map, dictionary,

newspaper, magazine, interviews, the writer’s experiences, personal research

Concluding Sentences

An effective concluding sentence puts together all the ideas you have raised in your
paragraph. It reminds readers of the main point—the topic sentence—without restating it in
the same words. Using the hamburger example, the top bun (the topic sentence) and the
bottom bun (the concluding sentence) are very similar. They frame the “meat” or body of the
paragraph. Look at this example:

Topic sentence: There are numerous advantages to get vaccinated during this
pandemic.
Concluding sentence: Given the rise of cases of COVID and the health protection
benefits of being vaccinated, it is likely that many more people will undergo
vaccination.

Notice the use of the synonyms: advantages and benefits. The concluding sentence
repeats the idea that getting vaccinated is advantageous without using the exact same words.
It also summarizes two examples of the advantages covered in the supporting sentences: the
rise of cases of COVID and health protection.

An effective concluding paragraph:

- Reminds readers of your topic in an emphatic way
- Does not simply restate the topic from the introduction
- Stays focused on your topic and main ideas
- Provides satisfaction to readers and a sense of closure

Transitions

A strong paragraph moves seamlessly from the topic sentence into the supporting
sentences and on to the concluding sentence. To help organize a paragraph and ensure that
ideas logically connect to one another, writers use transitional words and phrases. A
transition is a connecting word that describes a relationship between ideas.

Useful Transitional Words and Phrases

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Q4 Week No. 5 Competency Code: EN8WC-IIa-2.8
Competency: Compose Effective Paragraphs
 For Supporting Sentences
above all but for instance in particular moreover subsequently
also conversely furthermore later on nevertheless therefore
aside from correspondingly however likewise on one hand to begin with
at the same
for example in addition meanwhile on the contrary
time
For Concluding Sentences
all things
after all in brief in summary on the whole to sum up
considered

all in all finally in conclusion on balance thus

ACTIVITY NO. 2
Getting it Right
DIRECTIONS: Read each paragraph and choose the best topic sentence for each group of
supporting sentences and write the letter of your choice on your paper.

1. Before the ECQ, I usually go jogging every weekend at the park even though it is quite
tiring. I love the feeling of sweating. The views at the park are breathtaking. Even the
danger of falling and getting hurt cannot keep me away from this activity.
a) Jogging is expensive.
b) Jogging is my favorite activity.
c) Jogging is dangerous.

2. We need money to do maintenance on our old roads and build new ones. We also need
more to pay teachers’ salaries and to pay for services such as trash collection. Finally,
more tax money is needed to aid financially the poor citizens of the city. The city will
encounter serious problems if taxes are not raised soon.
a) We should raise city taxes.
b) City taxes are too high.
c) City taxes pay for new roads.

3. During summer, I enjoy summer sports like diving and surfing. The weather is usually
sunny and hot, so I can go to the beach almost every day. These days since there is a
pandemic, gardening became a hobby and I spend many summer days working in my
garden. Unfortunately, the days pass too quickly in summer.
a) I like to garden in summer.
b) Summer is my favorite season.
c) Summer is too short.

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Q4 Week No. 5 Competency Code: EN8WC-IIa-2.8
Competency: Compose Effective Paragraphs
4. It has been a custom for us to send cards for many occasions. We send cards to family
and friends on birthdays and holidays. We also send thank-you cards, get well cards,
graduation cards, and congratulation cards. It is very common to buy cards in stores and
send them through the mail but turning on the computer and sending cards over the
Internet is also popular.
a) Sending cards have become part of our culture.
b) Birthday cards are the most popular kind of card.
c) It is important to send thank-you cards.

ACTIVITY NO. 3
Sparking
ACTIVITY 3A
Directions: Read each question and write the correct answer on your paper.

1. Which sentence would be BEST to put at the start of the paragraph below? Mark likes to
play basketball. His sister plays volleyball.
His brother is on a basketball team. His parents like to swim.

A. Mark has a large family.

B. Mark's family enjoys sports.
C. Playing sports is good exercise.
2. Which would be the BEST topic sentence for this paragraph? My school has its recess
every day. I like to dance in the room and sing with my friends. We like to laugh and run.
Recess is my favorite time of the day.
A. Recess is when I can have fun with my friends.
B. Some kids bring their toys from home for recess.
C. Parents sometimes bring their small children.

3. Which is the BEST topic sentence that could be put at the beginning of this paragraph?
Before the ECQ took place, I played basketball every weekend. My friends and I played it
at the covered court near us. My mom took me to a basketball game. I got to see Kiefer
Ravena play. That was the greatest because basketball is my favorite game.
A. Basketball is my favorite game.
B. Kiefer Ravena was a great basketball player.
C. Some people play both basketball and volleyball.

4. Which would make the BEST topic sentence for the paragraph below? Joan likes dogs
and playing computer games. Claire likes cats and reading books. Joan like to eat pizza.
Claire's favorite food is spaghetti.
A. Joan and Claire like animals.
B. Pizza and spaghetti taste good.
C. Joan and Claire like different things.

ACTIVITY 3B.
Directions: Choose from: also, although, because, but, even, first, however, in addition, and
moreover to complete the meaning of the paragraph below.

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Q4 Week No. 5 Competency Code: EN8WC-IIa-2.8
Competency: Compose Effective Paragraphs
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE LEARNING

__________ online learning has both advantages and disadvantages; the benefits far
outweigh the drawbacks. __________ most of the disadvantages can be reduced through
careful planning.
_______________, the most obvious disadvantage of online classes is the lack of face-
to-face interaction. Teachers cannot gauge their students’ nonverbal reactions. ___________,
students miss the teacher’s non-verbal cues: tone of voice, pauses, and gestures. They cannot
spontaneously ask a question or volunteer an answer. They __________ have less opportunity
to get acquainted with their fellow students.

WEEK 5 WRITTEN PERFORMANCE OUTPUT

DIRECTIONS: Write a 20-sentence paragraph on the topic, “Being a student in this New
Normal Education” on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure you have the following:
❖ Topic Sentence
❖ Supporting Sentences NOTE: USE
❖ Concluding Sentences TRANSITIONS

Please be guided by the rubrics for your written output:

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Q4 Week No. 5 Competency Code: EN8WC-IIa-2.8
Competency: Compose Effective Paragraphs
 https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/433401164125107837/?autologin=true

REFERENCES

● Failano, A. (2015, June 3). Web. Retrieved from

https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_writing-for-success/s10-02-
effective-means-for-writing-a-.html on March 23, 2021.

● Gunther, K. (2019). Web. Retrieved from

https://dhs.dearbornschools.org/wpcontent/uploads/sites/259/201
3/12/Topic-Sentences-Multiple-Choice-Questions.pdf on March 23,
2021.

Prepared by:

CATHERINE C. MALLARI
Ilaya Barangka Integrated School
SDO Mandaluyong

Editors:

LEA M. YUMANG AUREA G. NACIONALES JOESON MEJICA

Head Teacher III, ILIS Head Teacher I, ERIS Master Teacher I,
BJNHS
Content Language Layout

Approved:

RAMON M. BELARDO JR.

Education Program Supervisor, English

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Q4 Week No. 5 Competency Code: EN8WC-IIa-2.8
Competency: Compose Effective Paragraphs