WRITE LIKE A PRO

Great sentences for great paragraphs

Hi guys! Before starting this guide, keep in mind this quote.

“When you abbreviate your learning, you abbreviate your growth. Expand your knowledge and
you keep growing taller and fatter than your limitations.”

― Israelmore Ayivor

From this moment, forget that you have already written more difficult things than paragraphs.
This guide is prepared so you can reflect about how well you have done it so far. Try to get and
embrace all this basic but vital information. Let’s start from scratch!

This guide is divided in two parts:

- Sentence types
- Parts of a paragraph

 Sentence types

What is an essay? A group of paragraphs. What is a paragraph? A group of sentences.

Therefore, ask yourself. Can I write effective essays without understanding what makes a
sentence great?

There are 4 categories for sentences:

 Simple Sentence
 Compound Sentence
 Complex Sentence
 Compound-Complex sentence
 1. Simple sentence

A simple sentence is a sentence with one independent clause. It only contains one verb phrase.

(Note what the definition does not say. that a simple sentence is short or easy to understand. It
doesn't say anything about phrases. A simple sentence can have forty-seven phrases, but only
one independent clause.)

Example:

I love simple sentences.

(That's easy enough. It is obviously one independent clause.)

Example 2:

In our property development and investment business overseas, Grosvenor International employs
some eighty-five people, with offices in Vancouver, San Francisco, Washington, Honolulu and
Sydney.

(This is also a simple sentence, only one verb phrase, which is in red)

2. Compound sentence

A compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses.

Example:

I love conjunctive adverbs, but my students love each other.

(The independent clauses are in red. This sentence contains no dependent clauses)

Sometimes a compound sentence contains more than two independent clauses.

Example 2 :

I love conjunctive adverbs; my students love each other, and we all love holidays.
 3. Complex sentence

A complex sentence is a sentence that contains one independent clause and one or more
dependent clauses.

Example:

Because life is complex, we need complex sentences.

(The independent clause is in red. The dependent clause is blue.)

4. Compound-complex sentence.

A compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clauses and one or more
dependent clauses.

Example:

Because I am an English teacher, some people expect me to speak perfectly, and other people
expect me to write perfectly.

(The dependent clause is in blue, and the independent clauses are in red.)

 STRUCTURE OF A PARAGRAPH

A paragraph consists of three to five sentences written about one particular topic. After
explaining the definition of a paragraph to students, show and discuss some examples.
An effective paragraph is divided in three parts:

Introduction

 Topic sentence
o Main clause
o Controlling idea

Body

 Supporting sentences

Conclusion

 Concluding sentence

Introduction:

 Topic sentence

A topic sentence reveals the focus of a paragraph. In other words, it is the sentence that
explains what a paragraph is mainly about. Although topic sentence is often the first
sentence, it can be located anywhere in a paragraph.

It is divided in two parts: Main clause and controlling idea.

Example:

Topic Sentence: To be an effective CEO requires certain characteristics.

The main clause is “To be an effective CEO” and the controlling idea is "certain characteristics."

Body:

 Supporting sentences

Gives specific details relating to the main idea.

Conclusion:

 Concluding sentence

This sentence refers to the topic sentence and sums up the main idea of the paragraph.
Example of a well-organized paragraph (Argumentative paragraph)

Are you ready? Go back to Google classroom, check

the assignment and write an incredible paragraph!