A paragraph should be unified, coherent, and well developed. Paragraphs are unified around a main point and all sentences in the paragraph should clearly relate to that point in some way. The paragraph's main idea should be supported with specific information that develops or discusses the main idea in greater detail.
The topic sentence expresses the main point in a paragraph. You may create your topic sentence by considering the details or examples you will discuss. What unifies these examples? What do your examples have in common? Reach a conclusion and write that "conclusion" first. If it helps, think of writing backwards--from generalization to support instead of from examples to a conclusion.
If you know what your main point will be, write it as clearly as possible. Then, focus on key words in your topic sentence and try to explain them more fully. Keep asking yourself "How?" or "Why?" or "What examples can I provide to convince a reader?". After you have added your supporting information, review the topic sentence to see if it still indicates the direction of your writing.
To state the main point of a paragraph: "The Apollo program cost an enormous amount of money, for a peacetime project."
To give the reader a sense of direction (indicate what information will follow): "After the triumph of Apollo 11, however, public interest and support in future Moon landings quickly waned, as several contemporary sources demonstrate."
To link to earlier big claims: "Unlike Soviet efforts to reach the Moon, NASA employed a public-private partnership to get otherwise competing firms to work together."
Often appear as the first or second sentences of a paragraph
Rarely appear at the end of the paragraph
Several strategies exist for deepening the ideas set out in the topic sentence. Include sentences in the paragraph that do one or more of these:
Add examples
Tell a story that illustrates the point you're making
Discuss a process ("here we see how X proceeds from what happened when Y...)
Compare and contrast ("unlike X, Y develops more rapidly because...)
Use analogies ("X is similar to Y because. . . ")
Discuss cause and effect ("In Consequence, X managed to...)
Define your terms
To show you're switching to a new idea
To highlight an important point by putting it at the beginning or end of your paragraph
To show a change in time or place
To emphasize a contrast
To indicate changing speakers in a dialogue
To give readers an opportunity to pause
To break up a dense text
Order of time (chronology)
Order of space (descriptions of a location or scene)
Order of climax (building toward a conclusion)
Order of importance (from least to most important or from most to least important)
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