These worksheets will teach your students about the basic building block of writing: the paragraph.

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There is no hard and fast rule about paragraph length, but three to four sentences is a good rule of thumb. The following collection of activity sheets will give your students practice in constructing and understanding paragraphs. Students will read short paragraphs and then be asked to identify topic sentences and supporting details, recognize transitional words and phrases, and define the type or organization of the paragraphs. Answer keys have been provided for the instructor.



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Topic Sentence Worksheet

Dogs, Tooth Care, and City Living

Read the paragraphs below and underline the topic sentence. (Cross out any sentence that doesn't belong)

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Transitional Writing Worksheet

Science Test and Chester Arthur

Read the paragraphs below and box or highlight transitional words and phrases.

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Paragraph Organization Worksheet

Armadillos and Tacos

Determine if the organization of the paragraph is chronological, spatial, descriptive, simple listing, cause & effect, compare/contrast

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Pairing Topic Sentence Worksheet

Topic Sentences

Pick a sentence from a pair of them. Choose the one that you feel would make a better topic sentence. Don't scrap the other sentence use it as a good supporting detail. Write TS for topic sentence and SD for supporting detail.

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How to Structure a Paragraph

Writing a coherent paragraph can sometimes be challenging. One must hone the skill to form a good piece of writing. These are just like building blocks for a passage, making it easier for a reader to divide the central concept of the piece of writing.

The layout of your thoughts determines how comprehendible it is for the reader. Here is a basic pattern to which you can add things and customize them according to your need.

How To Write A Good Paragraph

They must have:

1. A Topic Sentence

A topic sentence introduces the reader to the concepts that are found within the content. It can appear anywhere in a body of work, but it is usually structured as the first sentence. If you plan to write an informative passage, it is better to list the topic sentence for each information point you intend to provide.

2. Elaborate on the Topic

These are some sentences that follow the topic sentence. They are not necessarily required in case the topic sentence is self-explanatory. Otherwise, if the topic sentence includes many ideas, each needs an explanation, so use separate sentences.

3. Support the Claim

There are supporting sentences in a paragraph that give information about the idea which author claims- for example, arguments, examples, analysis, facts, etc.

4. Summarize the Idea

This can be the conclusion if there is no link to the next paragraph. It can be one sentence or more, to sum up all the points explained over the course of the work to give a compact look. It must be written so that if a reader doesn't read the whole paragraph and just reads this part, he must get the main idea.

5. Links Between Sections

Sometimes, if another paragraph contains something similar to the theme of the introduction, then it must be linked to the next paragraph. It makes reading more smoother. Transition words like, however, therefore, moreover, in order to, etc., are used in these sentences to give rise to another point swiftly.

Paragraph Structure Types

The structure of a paragraph keeps changing with the tone of the work, so a writer must know which tone he wants to set. According to the tone used and the information provided, there are four types of paragraphs.

Persuasive: the writer emphasizes a single point and supports it with his opinions. The focus of this work revolves in proving that point to be true. This tone is common in argumentative essays, speeches, and persuasive essays.

Expository: Just like persuasive writing, expository also explains only a single idea. However, this is supported using facts, and you can find them in all kinds of essays.

Narrative: Such paragraphs are part of a story plot. They explain an event or an action. More context is provided with details in other sentences as support.

Descriptive: All points made in a descriptive paragraph are angled in such a way that they point in one direction. Such as describing a building in a paragraph, all details like its color, texture, and height would add in supporting sentences.

In English, good paragraphs can enhance your worth as a writer. For beginners, you can start practicing by following the structure mentioned above.

Project Idea: Have your students select articles (print or online) and deconstruct selected paragraphs from them, comparing and contrasting how different types of structures affect the experience for the reader.