In order to make statements with paragraphs, a writer must be able to construct good ones. The paragraph must have unity, and for unity,
heshe often requires a topic sentence. The paragraph must have coherence within itself, and a series of paragraphs must cohere to form the essay. So
once a writer understands precisely what a paragraph does and how it does it, heshe will be able to check and revise the writing for smoothness.
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Finally, a writer must learn to develop the paragraph until it is adequate in its fullness and in its length, and until it presents its material in
the best possible order.
2. The Basic Parts of Paragraph
A paragraph generally is a group of sentences, which consist of only one central idea and are developed with some supporting details, each
other has unity and coherence as well. Further, in his book Coffey states that “A paragraph has three basic parts: the topic sentence, the developing
sentences, and the conclusion. Each part plays a role in writing a good paragraph”.
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a. Topic Sentence
Topic sentence mostly talk about what the writer is interested in to write. Lorc says that the most important of topic sentence should
catch the reader’s interest. She adds to get the interesting one writer should use a vivid language, be controversial, and humanize connect
to the topic with people. Therefore, when a writer feels interested and necessary to write
about something, he at least firstly must have a definite purpose or point of view.
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Therefore, he must have a strong reason for stressing
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Cowan, Writing Brief..., p. 119.
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Coffey, Communication Through..., p. 3.
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Joseph P Canavan, Paragraph and the Short Theme London: D.C. Heat and Company, 1969, p. 32.
a particular aspect of his thought about the subject. In contrast, the topic would probably weak, if there just only has a simply facts.
The important of topic sentence existences bring many writing experts feel necessary in giving enforcement of it. Frank J.D Angelo in
his books titled process and taught in composition states, “The thought of such a paragraph can usually be expressed in a single, coincide
statement called the topic sentence, which is ordinary stated at the beginning of paragraph”.
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He adds it also introduces the term to be defined.
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It means that topic sentence has important plays in a paragraph because it will give any description about the whole of
paragraph to the reader. So that, the topic sentence needs appoint in giving idea that is worth to develop a paragraph further.
Some reader may feel confused at that time they did not find the topic sentence at the beginning of paragraph. It just because that
they do not know how the writer develops his paragraph. Therefore, the position of the topic sentence depends on the methods that the
writer will develop it. The topic sentence is mostly placed at the beginning of
paragraph, but it can be played in the middle or even at the end of it. Coffey says “Although the topic sentence can be located in the middle
or at the end of a paragraph, it is most commonly found at the beginning.
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The writer who begins his paragraph with the topic sentence actually has advantage, at least the reader immediately can sign the
main idea that writer will develop in his paragraph. MacCrimmon says,
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Frank J.D Angelo, Process and Taught in Composition, Boston: Winthrop, 1977, p. 228.
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Angelo, Process and…, p. 228.
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Coffey, Communication through..., p. 23.
“The reader can then follow the movement of paragraph easily for he or she will expect and expand the idea.
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b. Supporting Details
Overall, everybody knows that supporting details is one of the contents in building a paragraph. The task of the detail is to cover
completely the idea that is presented in the topic sentence.
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No one can say exactly how many sentences that the details will take. As mentioned above in the requirement of paragraph,
completeness in a paragraph is relative. However, the important rule is to present all the information or details that necessary to express an
idea and does not make any unnecessary points. In other words, it is an error to give too much information or not to give it enough.
c. Conclusion
Some writers build up their paragraphs with only two kinds of sentences; topic sentence and a number of supporting sentences,
whereas, others add their paragraph with the clincher as the closing sentence. The clincher shows the main idea topic sentence that is
stated again at the end of a paragraphs s conclusion. Martin says, “The clincher sentence is a concluding sentences
that summery what a paragraph has said.
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It means that the clincher entice restates the main idea or summarize the detail that develop in
the main idea. So far, besides to end a paragraph, a clincher sentence is also
needed to sign the reader that the writer has finished discussing the idea. As Coffey states, “Conclusion of a paragraph is generally one
sentence that brings the development of your idea to close”.
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James MacCrimmon, Writing with a Purpose , Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984, p. 22
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Coffey, Communication through…, p. 24.
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Jerome Martin, Heath English, New York: D.C. Heat and Company, 1984, p. 33
3. The Characteristic of Paragraph
