subject: The Most Beautiful Body! [print this page] Before you get your knickers in a bunch, I am referring to article writing. Now that you have learned how to write Amazing Introductions, You need to learn how to format the body of you article, and continue to capture the reader's attention; only this time, with a focus to your product!
Every paragraph needs three basic elements for the paragraph to work.
1. A topic sentence
2. Support/Details
3. A clincher or Closer Sentence
Here is a brief definition of paragraph:
A group of sentences that presents and develops one MAIN IDEA about a topic; these sentences work together to communicate one main idea.
Each paragraph will have a separate idea. This allows you to remain focused and provides clarity for the reader.
The overall point of the paragraph is outlined in the first sentence of the paragraph and includes one focused topic, hence a topic sentence. This first sentence tells the reader what what the paragraph is about. The topic sentence helps you, the WRITER, focus on the main idea and not stray from the topic. THe topic sentence is more general or generic than the supporting details that follow.
Other sentences in the paragraph give information that supports the main idea or topic sentence. A paragraph with only 1-2 supporting details is not effective and can lead to further confusin on the reader's end. At least 5 details are needed to provide STRONG SUPPORT for the main idea. Some of these sentences can be fashioned in the following manner:
a. Descriptions
b. Definitions
c. Examples
d. Elaboration
e. Exploration
Remember: Sentences that DO NOT SUPPORT THE TOPIC SENTENCE DESTROY THE UNITY OF THE PARAGRAPH.
Now that you have a bunch of sentences ready to put together in our paragraph, you must be able to make those sentences flow and make it easy for the reader to follow what you wrote. You need smoothe transitions.
Transitions take on many forms but the one thing all transitions have in common is the ability to allow you to string thoughts and ideas together that make absolute sense to the reader. Transitions can be one word at the beginning of the paragraph or sentence. You are familiar with these. You use them like this: First, next, finally. Sometimes transitions are phrase like in addition to, or with reference to, with regard to, and many more.
Finally, (did you catch that) The last sentence of each paragraph is called the clincher or closer sentence and simply put, it wraps everything into a nice bow for the reader. A clincher should reflect What you have just discussed in the paragraph, and Signal the change into the next paragraph.
