METU/SFL Fall 2024

DBE
WHO 3A
201 GROUP
ACADEMIC PARAGRAPH I
(Student’s Copy)
This handout includes
- the concept of an academic paragraph and its parts: a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence in a
paragraph
- writing a topic sentence with a focus on the topic and the controlling idea
- writing a topic sentence and supporting sentences
- enumeration and use of noun clauses in paragraph writing

WRITING A PARAGRAPH
Previously you practiced writing sentences and combining them to make logical connections between them.
In this writing handout, you will learn how to write a paragraph by combining sentences in an organized way.
Writing an academic paragraph requires certain skills. These skills include sentence structure (how to arrange
words in a sentence), organization (how to arrange ideas in a paragraph), correct language, and punctuation.
What is a paragraph?
A paragraph is a basic unit of organization in writing. It consists of a group of sentences that develops one
main idea called the “topic.” Different paragraphs may include different kinds of information and serve
different purposes. For example, some paragraphs describe people or places. Some other paragraphs
explain how to do or make something, narrate a series of events, compare or contrast two things, or
describe causes and effects.
TASK 1. Read the paragraph about studying abroad, and answer the related questions.
Studying abroad offers students two advantages. First of all, studying abroad promotes personal growth
and self-confidence. While students are away from their families, they can learn to take care of
themselves. For example, they can learn how to cook, shop, and do their laundry. They will also need to
find a way to solve their problems on their own. This helps them become more mature, and it boosts their
self-confidence as well. Secondly, students get the opportunity to learn a foreign language easily. When
everyone around them speaks that language, it is easier for the students to learn that language. For
instance, a foreign student in the UK will learn to speak English fluently because he/she will hear and
speak English all the time. To conclude, studying abroad can be an exciting and enriching opportunity for
students if they want to improve themselves in different ways.
What is the paragraph about?
_______________________________________________________
Which sentence gives you the main idea of the paragraph?
_______________________________________________________ TOPIC SENTENCE
How many advantages are listed in the paragraph?
_______________________________________________________

What is the first advantage?

_______________________________________________________
SUPPORTING DETAILS
What is the second advantage?
_______________________________________________________

Which sentence concludes the paragraph?

______________________________________________________ CONCLUSION

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 PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH
A paragraph has two main parts: a topic sentence and supporting sentences. Although it is not always
necessary, some writers prefer to include a concluding sentence in their paragraphs to signal the end of
the paragraph. In DBE, as developing student writers, you are expected to write proper concluding
sentences.
Topic sentence usually (but not always) comes at the beginning of the paragraph and states the main idea
of the paragraph.

Studying abroad offers students two advantages.

Supporting sentences develop the topic sentence. They add details to the topic. Supporting details can be
facts, personal experiences, examples, or descriptions. Supporting sentences should directly connect with
the topic sentence of the paragraph.

 First of all, studying abroad promotes personal growth and self-confidence. While
students are away from their families, they can learn to take care of themselves. For
example, they can learn how to cook, shop, and do their laundry. They will also need to
find a way to solve their problems on their own. This helps them become more mature,
and it boosts their self-confidence as well.
 Secondly, students get the opportunity to learn a foreign language easily. When
everyone around them speaks that language, it is easier for the students to learn that
language. For instance, a foreign student in the UK will learn to speak English fluently
because he/she will hear and speak English all the time.

The concluding sentence signals the end of the paragraph. This sentence may summarize the main points
of the paragraph, warn the reader against something, make a prediction, or make a recommendation.

To conclude, studying abroad can be an exciting and enriching opportunity for students if
they want to improve themselves in different ways.

Here is a simple diagram of a simple paragraph with a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a
concluding sentence.

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 THE TOPIC SENTENCE
The topic sentence introduces the topic and the controlling idea. The topic sentence is the most
important sentence in a paragraph. It tells the reader what the paragraph is going to discuss. It expresses
the main idea of the paragraph.
A topic sentence is usually (but not always) the first sentence in the paragraph. There are three important
points to remember about a good topic sentence:
1. A topic sentence should be a complete sentence with its subject and verb.

Living in a big city X Living in a big city can be very difficult. √

Learning a second language X Learning a second language has two advantages. √

2. A good topic sentence should NOT be too general or too specific. If it is too general, it is impossible
to support the topic in one paragraph. If it is too specific, there is not enough to write about in the
rest of the paragraph.
e.g., Television is harmful.
This statement is too general, and it cannot be developed well enough into one paragraph. There is
too much to say about the topic.

e.g., Watching too much television affects children’s eyes negatively.

This statement is too specific to develop into a paragraph. There is not enough to say about the topic.

e.g., Watching too much television has negative effects on children.

It will be easy to support this sentence in one paragraph. It is not too general or too specific.

3. A topic sentence should have two main parts: a topic and a controlling idea.
 The topic is what the paragraph is about, i.e., the subject.
 The controlling idea limits the topic to a specific area.

THE TOPIC THE CONTROLLING IDEA

1. Soccer is a difficult sport to play for two reasons.

2. Soccer and American football have two similarities.

3. Soccer is a popular sport for two reasons.

4. Soccer is dangerous for two main reasons.

In the examples above, the topic comes first, and the controlling idea comes second in the topic sentence,
but sometimes the controlling idea may come first.
e.g. Being overweight has several negative effects on the body.
Topic Controlling Idea
e.g. There are several negative effects of being overweight on the body.
Controlling Idea Topic

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TASK 2. For each topic sentence below, draw a circle around the topic and underline the controlling idea.

e.g. Living in a big city has several advantages.

1. There are several causes of traffic accidents.

2. Sesame Street is the most popular children’s television program in the world for some reasons.

3. There are several ways to deal with stress.

4. The METU campus offers many facilities to the students.

5. Shopping malls have various economic benefits to our community.

6. It is difficult to be a good teacher for some reasons.

7. Running has many positive effects on our body.

TASK 3. Choose the best topic sentence for each paragraph below.
1. _____________________________________________. To begin with, the transportation in Toronto
is not a problem. When tourists want to go from one place to another, there are always buses,
underground trains, and ferries, so the transportation is quick and easy. Secondly, there are a lot of
interesting places to see in Toronto. Famous tourist attractions are the CN Tower and Niagara Falls. A
lot of tourists visit these places because of their scenery. In conclusion, tourists can always find
something to do in Toronto.
a) Toronto is the best city to live in
b) Toronto is a good city for tourists to visit
c) In Toronto, there are many activities for people

2. _____________________________________________. First of all, life in Toronto is not expensive.

There are many cheap restaurants in the city, and students can find a variety of food at reasonable
prices at these restaurants. Also, the rents in Toronto are not high. There are various housing
alternatives with low rents, so students do not have to pay a lot of money for accommodation.
Secondly, education in Toronto is of high quality. There are world famous universities as well as good
language schools. All of them offer students high quality education with experienced staff.
a) Toronto is the most beautiful city in Canada
b) Toronto has the best universities in the world
c) Toronto is an ideal city for students to study in

3. _____________________________________________. For one thing, they are an important natural

resource. They provide people with useful things, such as wood pulp — it is used in paper
manufacturing. Also, they supply people with lumber— it is used for making furniture. For another,
forests are essential for maintaining the ecological balance. They prevent erosion because they
stabilize the soil. They also clean the air by using the carbon dioxide. Finally, forests provide shelter for
animals. They serve as a natural habitat for wild animals.

a) There are several reasons why people cut down trees

b) Forests are important for life on our planet
c) Trees are necessary for keeping the ecological balance

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TASK 4. Write a topic sentence for each paragraph. Remember to include both a topic and a controlling
idea.

1. __________________________________________________________________________________.
The first reason is that people can find a job easily when they know English. Because English has
become an international language, and most international companies use English for business
communication, they prefer to employ people who can speak English. The second reason why people
learn English is that they want to travel or move to English-speaking countries. For these people,
language is the most important barrier. They think that if they speak English fluently, it becomes
easier for them to visit or move to countries, such as Canada or Australia. In summary, people want to
learn English as it makes it possible to find a good job and to go to English-speaking countries.

2. __________________________________________________________________________________.
Firstly, doing sports contributes to both physical and mental health. Regular exercise makes bones
and muscles stronger, decreases the excessive fat in the body, and improves the immune system.
Also, doing sports increases the level of serotonin in the body. Serotonin is the happiness hormone,
so it decreases stress. Secondly, you can live longer when you have a healthy diet. Eating enough
meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables provides you with necessary nutrients. These are necessary to
prevent illnesses. In addition, eating them moderately reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
As a result, you are healthier and can live longer. In short, doing sports and having a healthy diet may
help you to live a long life.

3. What are the characteristics of a good roommate?

Write the topic sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________________
.

SUPPORTING SENTENCES
The supporting sentences develop or support the controlling idea in the topic sentence. They explain the
topic sentence by giving reasons, facts, statistics, or examples.
There are two types of supporting sentences:

a) Major supporting sentences: They are the main details that tell us about the topic sentence. They
need more detail and explanation in the form of minor supports.
b) Minor supporting sentences: They tell us about the major supporting sentences. They are
explanations, reasons, results, facts, statistics, and examples about the major supporting
sentences.

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 ENUMERATION & THE USE OF NOUN CLAUSES IN PARAGRAPH WRITING
While you are writing a paragraph, you can also use enumeration to introduce the major supporting ideas.
Enumeration is a useful tool in arranging supporting sentences in a logical manner. The topic sentence
usually contains the enumerator which shows a general class, and in the rest of the paragraph, this general
class is broken down into its parts by listing. To list new supports, i.e., enumerators, you use listing signals.
Example:
There are two kinds of materials that can be found in a good library. The first kind of material is books
on all subjects in English and in many other languages. These books are … The second kind is
reference books including encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, and atlases. These can only be
used in the library and …

In this paragraph, ‘kind’ is the enumerator, and the listing signals are ‘The first,’ and ‘The second’.
Enumerators are useful tools that help the reader to follow your flow of ideas more easily. You can use
the following enumerators with the listing signals in your writing:

Listing Enumerators
Signals
The first kind (of X)
The second characteristic (of X)
reason (for X)
cause (of X)
One effect (of X) noun (social activities)
Another advantage (of X) is that + clause (that METU offers a variety of social activities)
disadvantage (of X) (noun clause)
difference (between X and Y)
similarity (between X and Y)
solution (to X)
Some other listing signals are as follows. Note that you do not need enumerators with these listing
signals.

First, / Firstly, / First of all, / To begin with, S + V.

Second, / Secondly,

TASK 5. Write appropriate enumerators in the paragraph below.

There are two causes of climate change. (1) ________________________ is that gases like carbon dioxide
from factories and cars trap heat in the air. This makes the Earth warmer over time.
(2)________________________ is deforestation. Cutting down trees for farms or buildings affects the
climate. Trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, so fewer trees mean more of CO 2 stays in the
air, making it warmer. All in all, it's important to understand and fix these problems to protect the
environment.

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TASK 6. Write an appropriate topic sentence in the paragraph below. Underline the enumerators.
___________________________________________________________________________________.
The first solution is keeping a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same times every
day makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up. The second one is creating a good sleep environment. The
bedroom should be quiet, dark, and cool. Avoiding caffeine and heavy meals before bed can make
sleeping easier too. To conclude, these two solutions can lead to better sleep and make people feel more
rested.

TASK 7. Read the following paragraph, and study the analysis.

Canada is a desirable place to live in for two reasons. First, Canada
has an excellent healthcare system. The number of health workers
per citizen in Canada is higher than the one in most developed
countries — there are about 180 health workers, i.e., doctors,
nurses, and midwives, for every 10,000 citizens. Therefore, Canadians do not have any difficulty in
accessing medical services, and more importantly, they can do this at reasonable prices. Second, Canada
has a high standard of education. Well-trained teachers work in state high schools, and basic public
education is free for the residents of Canada until the 11th or 12th grade, depending on the province. In
addition, teachers strongly encourage learners to continue their studies at university. In short, life in
Canada is good.

Topic Sentence: Canada is a desirable place to live in for two reasons.

Major Support 1:  First, Canada has an excellent health care system.
Minor Support: The number of health workers per citizen in Canada is higher than the one in
most developed countries — there are about 180 health workers, i.e.,
doctors, nurses, and midwives, for every 10,000 citizens. Therefore,
Canadians do not have any difficulty in accessing medical services, and more
importantly, they can do this at reasonable prices.
Major Support 2:  Second, Canada has a high standard of education.
Minor Support: Well-trained teachers work in state high schools, and basic public education
is free for the residents of Canada until the 11th or 12th grade, depending
on the province. In addition, teachers strongly encourage learners to
continue their studies at university.
Concluding In short, life in Canada is good.
Sentence: