Paragraph Structure

Bears have traits that make them good hunters.

Which of these details supports this main idea?

• Bears have big paws that help them catch fish.

• Bear cubs are born during hibernation in the winter.

• Polar bear fur is mostly clear, but it looks white.

• Bears love to eat honey and have to avoid bee stings.

Which of these is a support detail?

• It has yummy pieces of real strawberries in it.

• Strawberry ice cream is the best ice cream flavor

• I actually prefer chocolate ice cream.

• To sum up, I would choose strawberry ice cream for dessert every day.

What is the controlling idea in the topic sentence?

My friend, Adam, is very generous. He gives his lunch to schoolmates that don't have anything to eat. He enjoys eating chicken. When classmates need paper, he gives them without hesitating. Once, he bought me ice cream when I didn't have enough money. Adam is the kindest person I know.

• friend

• Adam

• kindest

• very generous

A group of sentences with a single idea is ....

• a topic sentence

• a paragraph

• an essay

• supporting details

How many parts does a typical paragraph have?

• 3

• 5

• 4

• 6

What is the usual order of a paragraph

• topic sentence, concluding sentence, clincher

• topic sentence, clincher, concluding sentence

• topic sentence, supporting details, concluding sentence

• clincher, supporting sentences, topic sentence

Dogs are the best kind of pet. First, they are cute and cuddly. They always wag their tails when they see you. Plus, they help you get exercise when you take them on walks.

Which of these would be the best closing sentence for this paragraph?

• I love to give my dog peanut butter as a treat.

• In conclusion, I like cats almost as much as dogs.

• Finally, they love belly rubs.

• For these reasons, dogs make excellent pets.

Which is a good/reasonable topic sentence for this paragraph:

______________________________________. She normally carries a bottle of Sriracha sauce in her bag. If her food is not hot enough, she will eat hot peppers as a side dish. Whenever she eats Thai food, she orders the highest level of spiciness. People won't dare to touch her food because they won't be able to enjoy it.

• Sasa grows hot peppers in her garden.

• Sasa loves Thai foods.

• Sasa enjoys spicy food.

• Nobody can enjoy Sasa's foods.

What is the irrelevant sentence in this paragraph:

My friend, Adam, is very generous. He gives his lunch to schoolmates that don't have anything to eat. He enjoys eating chicken. When classmates need paper, he gives them without hesitating. Once, he bought me ice cream when I didn't have enough money. Adam is the kindest person I know.

• He gives his lunch to schoolmates that don't have anything to eat.

• When classmates need paper, he gives them without hesitating.

• He enjoys eating chicken.

• Once, he bought me ice cream when I didn't have enough money.

What is a concluding sentence?

A sentence that...

• ...tells what the paragraph is about; helps focus the paragraph

• ...supports or gives more detailed information about the topic sentence

• ...repeats an idea that has already been said

• ...summarizes the paragraph and/or leaves the reader with a strong impression