Creating Paragraphs (and knowing when to separate them!!!)

Do Now: What are paragraphs and how should they be used?

What is a paragraph? A paragraph is a group of sentences that all work together to express and develop the same idea. A paragraph has a MAIN IDEA. That main idea is often found in the first sentence (TOPIC SENTENCE). If it’s not in the first sentence, it’s generally found early on in the paragraph.

Once you’ve settled on the details you want to include in a paragraph, you need to arrange them in a way that makes sense. ***Let’s not forget that you always INDENT when starting a new paragraph.***

How to begin…? Every paragraph should have a main idea. This main idea is always emphasized and made clear in the TOPIC SENTENCE. In essay writing, your essay will always need an introductory paragraph. THESIS STATEMENTAn intro paragraph MUST HAVE a THESIS STATEMENT

ORGANIZATION THESIS STATEMENT- states the main idea in a work of nonfiction. It will consist of 1, no more than two(2) sentences. It will usually be found at the END of your introductory paragraph.

THESIS STATEMENT- sums up EVERYTHING you are going to say throughout your essay. Everything that follows throughout your paper must support this thesis statement. You CAN’T say anything in your essay that is not addressed in your thesis.

THESIS STATEMENT An intro paragraph MUST HAVE a THESIS STATEMENT 42_C10zw uAMVmIZ8 f_bR5aoc

Stay focused on your main idea! Remember what the focus of your paragraph is. Don’t get caught up with irrelevant details. This will only confuse the reader and take away from your main idea.

How Long…? I don’t like to put an exact number of how many sentences a well written paragraph should include. However, a paragraph should not take up an entire page. If you are going onto your 12 th sentence in a paragraph you may want to reread and make sure you’re still on topic.

Easy Ways to Remember When to Separate Paragraphs: When transitioning from one time to another. (Example: morning to afternoon) When showing a change in location. (Example: your home to school) When showing sequential order. (Example: first, second, next, …finally) Moving from one idea to the next. (Example: WHALES—communication— migration---offspring---diet---threats.) When using dialogue. For each new speaker, we will create a new paragraph.