A paragraph has a very specific structure.

It consists of the three basic structural parts: 1 THE TOPIC SENTENCE 2 THE BODY (SUPPORTING SENTENCES) 3 THE CONCLUDING SENTENCE

 The topic sentence introduces the topic (subject) of a paragraph. It also serves to express the writer's attitude, idea or opinion about the topic. the topic and the controlling idea

THE AVERAGE CROATIAN TEENAGER HATES GOING TO SCHOOL. topic controlling idea

 TASK 2. Can you think of any other controlling ideas relevant to the abovementioned topic? The average Croatian teenager____________________________

The average Croatian teenager_____________________________

 Which of the following sentences would you consider to be a good /bad topic sentence. Why? 1 Our school trip last September was a complete disaster. 2 Only twenty tickets were sold for tonight's concert. 3 Secondary education in Croatia. 4 The legal age for driving a car should be twenty-one for several reasons. 5 A good teacher (student) has three important characteristics. 6 Playing chess is fun.

 The body (supporting sentences) develops the topic sentence the major (main) supporting sentences (providing the main arguments about the topic) and the minor supporting sentences (providing additional details and telling us more about the major supporting sentences

OWING A CAR HAS CERTAIN DISADVANTAGES. Topic - owing a car Controlling idea - certain disadvantages major (main) supporting sentences (minor supporting sentences 1 expensive 1 price of petrol constantly rising 2 regular maintenance and repairs 2 stressful 1 traffic jams 2 no parking space 3 dangerous i inexperienced drivers cause a lot of accidenT bad conditions of roads

 In a group of four, choose two of the following topic sentences and write down two to three major supporting sentences with the appropriate supporting details. i Learning classical languages is beneficial for several reasons. 2 Writing a novel requires a lot of hard work. 3 London is one of the most exciting cities in the world. 4 Christmas has become an extremely commercialised holiday.

 The concluding sentence indicates the end of a paragraph. It either restates (paraphrases) the topic sentence in different words or summarises the main points of the paragraph.
IN SHORT, A TYPICAL CROATIAN TEENAGER DISLIKES SCHOOL VERY MUCH. restatement (paraphrase) THEREFORE, FOR SEVERAL REASONS. PRIMARILY THE EXTENSIVE CURRICULUM, A GREAT NUMBER OF SUBJECTS AND CLASS PERIODS, A TYPICAL CROATIAN TEENAGER DISLIKES SCHOOL

summary

 After the concluding sentence, it is possible to add a concluding comment

 In addition to the three basic structural parts, a well-written paragraph must also have the following elements: UNITY This means that a paragraph deals with only one main idea stated in the topic sentence. Every major and/or minor supporting sentence must be directly related to the topic sentence

 Completeness

A paragraph is complete only if it consists of an adequate number of major as well as minor supporting sentences which clearly and fully explain the topic sentence.

 The word COHERENCE comes from the Latin verb cohere which means "hold together". In order to have a coherent paragraph, the sentences must "hold together" or "stick together" to give their support to the topic sentence.

One sentence must move smoothly and logically into the other.