structure of an idea topic sentences body paragraphs

8/8/2019 Structure of an Idea Topic Sentences Body Paragraphs

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/structure-of-an-idea-topic-sentences-body-paragraphs 1/3

Structure of an Idea, Topic Sentences & Body Paragraphs 1Ideas have Structure

Ideas are not linear whereas communication using language is linear.

sub-ideas(subpredication)

1 2 3 4 5



Structure of an Idea, Topic Sentences & Body Paragraphs 2

A Man And His Wife

A man came home from work late and couldn't find his key. He rang the doorbell and his wife

answered. The man started an argument with another man and there was a fight. The police

were called but arrived too late.

Read this short story once and then look at the 12 statements below. Based on the information given in the story:

• If you think a statement is true, mark it with a tick.

• If you think it is false, mark it with a cross.

• If you are not sure or think that there is not enough information in the story to decide, mark it with a

question mark.

• Mark all the statements before checking your results.

Possible statements about the story:

1. The man had forgotten his key.

2. The man had been working.3. It was dark when the man came home.

4. His wife was expecting him.

5. The man was angry with his wife.6. His wife would not let him into the house*

7. At one stage there were three people in the house, the man, his wife and another man.

8. The man was arguing with another man about his wife.

9. The wife was having an affair.10. Two men had a fight.

11. Someone in the house called the police.

12. The argument ended before the police arrived.

Don't look at the answers until you have thought about the questions!

Answers:

1. False. He may not have had his key in the first place.

2. True (probably).

3. False. The man may have been on night shift.

4. Not necessarily at that time.5. Not enough information.

6. False. It is not specified whether the man entered the house or not.

7. False. There were at least three people as described, but there may have been more. Also, it does not say thatthey were in the house.

8. Not necessarily. The story does not say that,

9. Not necessarily.10. Not necessarily. It does not say who fought. It may have been the two men, but the wife may have been

involved too.

11. Maybe not. A neighbor may have called the police on hearing the noise.

12. Not necessarily. lt. does not say what the police were too late to do.



Structure of an Idea, Topic Sentences & Body Paragraphs 3Topic Sentences & Body Paragraphs

Keys to the Door of Success (Title)

(HOOK) Some students who go to UCO will end up as drunken losers. (TRANSITION

SENTENCE(S)) But others will complete their studies with the acclaim and praise of their parents and friends.

The difference between the two is that some student have the attributes of success. (TRANSITION

SENTENCE(S)) A winning student must be punctual, hard-working and have a curious mind.. (THESIS

STATEMENT)

Body Paragraph 1: punctuality

The student who is always on time has a better chance to succeed. (Topic Sentence) If

someone is ready for class, he is ready to learn. (support 1) Punctual students always turn in

their assignments on time so their grades do not suffer.. (support 2) 90% of students who

seldom or never miss class receive a B or A.. (support 3) It is said that a stitch in time saves

nine. (support 4) A punctual person is in control and not tossed around like a leaf on the wind.

(support 5...n)Body Paragraph 2: hard-working

Body Paragraph 3: curiosity

Conclusion

Positive behaviors are always found wherever there are successful students. (Back reference) So if astudent does not want to end up as a homeless drunk, the student need to act like a winner. (Final though)

Topic Sentences (framework):A topic sentence should contain the main idea of the paragraph.

1. Description: One of the hottest and most comfortable trends in decorating today is called country.

2.

Process: The choice of the architectural style of a home is crucial to the future comfort of the owner.3. Illustration: When building a house or purchasing a home from a builder, the new owner often has

several more decisions to make and tasks to accomplish.

4. Narration: Many tasks in finishing a new home seem simple, but they turn out to be more difficult than

one would think.

5. Compare/Contrast: When deciding on the wood trim of a new house, many people choose between oak

and pine.

6. Classification/Division: When people walk through a hardware store or home improvement center,

they will notice how many kinds of paint are available.

7. Cause/Effect: Choosing inexpensive building materials can lead to problems in the future.

Supporting Details, Supporting Sentences (walls):The supporting sentences consist of examples, quotes, transitions, descriptive details, facts, statistics,etc.

• Examples: Even people who live in suburban homes can recreate the comfortable ambiance of a countryhome by adding treasures such as braided rugs, handmade furniture, dolls, samplers, dried flower arrangements,

and various kinds of collectibles.

• Quotes: Risa Palazzo says in Country Decorating Ideas magazine that "Everyone knows that what makes

country decorating so special is the amount of love put into it. More than any other style of home decor, countryseems to come straight from the heart."

• Descriptive Details: On the maple desk in the corner was a blue and pink Tiffany-styled lamp featuringcopper foil construction and stained-glass chips cut and inserted by hand.

structure of an idea topic sentences body paragraphs

Documents