1. Topic Sentence and Supporting sentence

2. Paragraph
A group of sentence that share a main idea. A paragraph can stand alone as a composition or may be one part of a longer piece of writing such as essay or report
Basic structure of a paragraph:
topic : The main idea
supporting : develop the main idea
concluding : give closure upon the main idea

3. Topic sentence
the sentence that clearly identifies the main idea in each paragraph. it controls the focus of the paragraph. it is usually, but not always, the first or second sentence within a paragraph
Topic sentence = main idea

4. common mistakes too narrow too broad incomplete sentence
announce the topic

5. it is a strong topic sentence:
Example : Taking too many courses at once can have potentially serious consequences
it is a strong topic sentence:
clear topic: taking too many courses at once
main idea: potentially serious consequences
it gives what kind of paragraph that the reader will be reading (causes and effect)

6. decide whether is it strong topic sentence
Four out of five teenagers in Canada have cell phone.
Driving is very stressful
How I learned to be more patient
In this paragraph, I would like to discuss the importance of food in Italian culture

7. Four out of five teenagers in Canada have cell phone.
too narrow/ specific
it is a fact (it is not good for topic sentence but it is good for supporting sentence; it gives details)
no idea that can be developed in the supporting sentence
Cell phone should be banned from classrooms for several reasons

8. Driving is very stressful
too broad
it will have a lot of things to be discussed
Driving when
driving what
Driving in highway in heavy traffic is stressful for many motorist

9. How I learned to be more patient
it is not a topic sentence
the sentence is incomplete
Having a child taught me the important of being patient

10. Food is an essential part of Italian Cultures
In this paragraph, I would like to discuss the importance of food in Italian culture
do not announce your topic simply state your opinion or main idea
Food is an essential part of Italian Cultures

11. Good Topic sentences Clearly introduce the topic of the paragraph
Make point about that topic (main idea)
It makes a statement which neither too broad nor too narrow (right in the middle)
It should also give the reader an idea of what type of paragraph he or she will be reading (narrative, descriptive, opinion, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, process, classification, etc)

12. Exercise Communication is important
One of my wonderful childhood memory
This paragraph is about increasing divorce rate
Parents do not need to spend money in order to show they love their children
Three reasons to study a language abroad.
Difficult experience while travelling taught me the importance of family
Technology is changing so fast
My daughter was born in the summer 2010
I would like to discuss how poverty affect educators
In some way friend can be more important than family.

13. Communication is important : too broad
Communication is important for marriage couple
One of my wonderful childhood memory : incomplete
Summer vacation was one of my wonderful childhood memory
This paragraph is about increasing divorce rate : state the topic
Increasing divorce rate has many effects in the society
Parents do not need to spend money in order to show they love their children : good
Three reasons to study a language abroad. : incomplete
Three reasons why you should study language abroad

14. Technology is changing so fast : too broad
Difficult experience while travelling taught me the importance of family : good (narrative)
Technology is changing so fast : too broad
Technology is changing so fast that the older generation has trouble keeping up with the advancement.
My daughter was born in the summer 2010 : too narrow
My daughter's birth was the best day of my life
I would like to discuss how poverty affect educators : state the topic
There are many ways how poverty affects educators
In some way friend can be more important than family. : Good

15. Supporting sentence
It develops the main idea presented into the topic sentence. This development can come in the form of examples, reasons, description etc depending on the purpose of your paragraph
If for example you are writing an opinion based paragraph your supporting sentences, will consist of reasons and details.
If, on the other hand, you are writing, description your supporting statement will contain specific details to help the reader form mental image
It is essential that your supporting statement stay on topic and clearly related to the main idea of the topic sentence.

16. Topic sentence: Taking too many courses at once can have potentially serious consequences
Students can become overwhelmed with the workload, and their GPA can suffer as a result.
Some students can get so stressed that they burn out and are unable to finish their degree.
Other students can be tempted by the use of illegal prescription drugs to help them focus and keep them awake into the night.
Taking more than the average number of courses at the same time can be beneficial for students who want to graduate early.
The pressure of an overly busy schedule can tempt a student into committing academic fraud, which can lead to expulsion.
Taking on too many responsibilities at work can have similar negative effects

17. In the small town where I grew up I had many interesting and creative friends. one of my friends, Mark, was talented musician. When a group of us would all hang out on the weekends, he would entertain us by playing songs that he had written on his acoustic guitar. Another one of my friends, Andrew, was a gifted artist; he could paint, draw, and sculpt. He was able to draw really funny cartoons to make us laugh, but he could also create really dark oil paintings that looked like the landscape of a creepy dream. Sometimes, the three of us would take Andrew’s car go on a road trip together to Montreal which is an amazing city. My friend, Rob, was interested in photography and was always carrying his camera around, taking really unique pictures whenever we want. He could take a snapshot of an old garbage can and it would somehow beautiful and a little sad. After high school, Rob and I moved away to a big city to go to college together. Having such friends definitely made small town life much more interesting for me and I enjoy thinking about the time we spend together.