A paragraph is a group of sentences that talks about one idea. Paragraphs are made up of a topic sentence and supporting sentences . Topic sentences are usually at the beginning of the paragraph and they show the main idea of the paragraph. They tell the reader what the paragraph will be about. The supporting sentences give more detail about the main idea.

Look at this example from the article "It's a wrap!"

Topic sentences

The topic sentence is the most general sentence of the paragraph. It gives us the subject of the paragraph and often the writer's opinion or idea. The topic sentence helps define what the writer will say in the paragraph. Topic sentences are made up of a subject, a verb and a controlling idea.

The subject tells us generally what the paragraph is about - hand-held food. The controlling idea tells us the main point or opinion the writer is trying to make. It restricts what will be discussed in the paragraph. In this paragraph we will read about the role hand-held food had in society, historically. We will not read about different types of hand-held food or future trends.

It is very important to write a detailed topic sentence, because it narrows down what a writer can talk about in the paragraph.

Here are some examples of good and bad topic sentences.

Cigarette advertising is bad.
This topic sentence is too general. It doesn't have a controlling idea.

Cigarette advertising at sporting venues can have a bad influence on young people.
This topic sentence narrows down the topic a lot more.

Diet is important.

Eating fruit and vegetables is important for several reasons.

Supporting sentences

The supporting sentences expand on the idea developed in the topic sentence. They give more detail about the topic. A good way to decide which details to include in the supporting sentences is to make the topic sentence into a question. The supporting sentences answer the question.

All information included in the supporting sentences must support the topic sentence.