How to write a paragraph

When we tell stories to our friends, there is a beginning, a middle, and an end to the story. I went out with Joe for the last time last night. He acted like a jerk at the movies. We broke up and I went home. The same is true of a paragraph. The beginning is the topic sentence or what the paragraph is going to be about.  I went out with Joe for the last time. The middle gives examples and details to explain and prove the topic sentence. Joe yelled at the usher because he told Joe to take his feet off the seat back. I mean, the guy was just doing his job! Then, he threw popcorn at the girl behind the counter because she put too much butter on his popcorn and she cried! No one should make another person feel bad, right? And the end, makes a final summing up of what was said in the paragraph. Obviously, I had to break up with him. I’m not going to settle for a jerk like that.

We can see in this paragraph that each example is followed by a comment that tells why the example is relevant to the final outcome. Joe yelled at the usher, the example, the guy was just doing his job, the comment that tells why the example is relevant to the outcome. Joe threw the popcorn, the example, no one should make another person feel bad, the comment that tells why the example is relevant to the outcome.

Remember that a paragraph focuses on one and only one assertion or idea at a time, even though you use multiple examples to prove the assertion. In fact, the biggest mistake you can make is to go off on a tangent in a paragraph and include new details that don’t pertain to the topic sentence. Stick to the topic, use plenty of examples, explain your examples, and conclude with what it all means. Do this for a few examples and you’ve got yourself an essay!

If you need help with your paragraph structure, or would just like me to take a look at something you’re working on, schedule a Free 30 minute consultation with me we’ll find the answer together!