1. BBI2421 General Writing Skills
Week 5
Topic Sentence
Supporting Sentences
Concluding Sentence

2. Paragraph a series of sentences that are organised coherent (logical)
related to a single topic

3. Paragraph contains many different kinds of information
provides brief or long example/s of a general point
describes a place, character, or process
narrates a series of events
compares or contrasts two or more things
classifies items into categories
describes causes and effects

4. Three Parts of a Paragraph
is divided into three parts (just like a burger!!!)
1. Topic Sentence
2. Supporting Sentences
3. Concluding Sentence

5. Topic Sentence is the most important sentence in a paragraph
has two parts:
1) topic
2) controlling idea

6. Topic Sentence is divided into 2 parts: topic
states the subject of the paragraph
e.g.: beautiful Malaysia
controlling idea
states what the paragraph will say about the topic
controls or limits the topic to a very specific point or points
(the precautions for, the advantages of, the reasons for, the causes/effects of, the steps for, the ways/methods for, the different types/parts/kinds, the qualities/characteristics of)
e.g.: reasons (*why I claim so)

7. Topic Sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph
is neither too general nor too specific
Malaysia is a beautiful country located in the South East Asia region.  too general!
Malaysia, which recorded 24,714,324 tourist arrivals in 2011, is a beautiful country of white sandy beaches and cool refreshing hill resorts.
 too specific!
Malaysia is a beautiful country in many ways.  good!

8. Writing a topic sentence involves three easy steps.

9. Topic Sentence Think of a topic avoid burglaries effective leadership
growing up in a small town
fixing a flat tire on a bicycle is easy
air pollution in Mexico City is the worst in the world
(Taken from

10. Topic Sentence Think about what you want to say about the topic
by taking certain precautions
specific qualities that anyone can develop
several advantages
follow these steps
a number of reasons
(Taken from

11. Topic Sentence 3) Write it down!
People can avoid burglaries by taking certain precautions.
Effective leadership requires specific qualities that anyone can develop.
There are several advantages to growing up in a small town.
Fixing a flat tire on a bicycle is easy if you follow these steps.
Air pollution in Mexico City is the worst in the world for a number of reasons. 
(Taken from

12. Supporting Sentences
What are supporting sentences? They come after the topic sentence, making up the body of a paragraph.
(Taken from

13. Supporting Sentences
What do they do? They give details to develop and support the main idea of the paragraph.
(Taken from

14. Supporting Sentences
How do I write them? You should give supporting facts, details, and examples.
(Taken from

15. Supporting Sentences Topic Sentence:
Example
Topic Sentence:
Malaysia is a beautiful country in many ways.
Supporting Sentences:
It has white sandy beaches and cool refreshing hill resorts.
Modern cities with beautiful architecture in an exotic combination of eastern and western influence also add to its charm .
This physical beauty is further enhanced by the colourful
and harmonious blend of its various culture.

16. Concluding Sentence signals the end of the paragraph
reminds the reader of the main idea
how to?
begin with a conclusion signal
All in all,
In brief,
In summary,
To conclude,
To summarize
To sum up,
Indeed,

17. Concluding Sentence 2. remind your reader of the main idea by:
repeat the idea in the topic sentence in different words
All in all, Malaysia’s beauty is evident in many aspects.
summarize the main point or points of the paragraph
To summarize, Malaysia has a potential to become the world’s top 10 travel destinations due to its many attractions.
never end a paragraph by introducing a new idea
In conclusion, the warmth and friendliness of the Malaysian people, too, is another of its beauty.