English paragraphs have a regular structure. Grasping the flow from topic sentence to supporting sentences to conclusion dramatically improves reading speed.
Basic Rules
Typical structure of an English paragraph:
1. Topic Sentence（Topic Sentence）: Usually the first sentence of the paragraph. It summarizes the paragraph's main claim.
2. Supporting Sentences（Supporting Sentences）: Specific examples, reasons, and data that support the topic sentence.
3. Concluding Sentence（Concluding Sentence）: Restates the claim at the end of the paragraph（it may be omitted）.
Example:
“Exercise has many benefits for mental health.（topic sentence）First, it reduces stress by releasing endorphins. Second, it improves sleep quality. Third, regular exercise builds self-confidence.（supporting sentences）Therefore, exercise is essential not just for the body but also for the mind.（concluding sentence）”
Variations:
- Inductive structure: specific examples → abstract conclusion（the topic sentence comes last）
- Opening question: The paragraph begins with a question such as “Why do people read fiction?” and the body provides the answer
- Contrast structure: “Although ~, in fact ~”
Topic: Social media affects teenagers in complex ways.
Support 1: On the positive side, it allows them to connect with friends.
Support 2: However, excessive use can lead to anxiety and depression.
Conclusion: Thus, parents must guide their children's social media use carefully.
Points to Note
① The first sentence is not always the topic sentence: A question such as “Have you ever wondered why ...?” is answered later in the paragraph.
② Use discourse markers: First/Second/Third（addition）, However（contrast）, Therefore（result）, For example（example）, In contrast（comparison）show logical relationships within a paragraph.
③ Position of conjunctions: When the first word of a paragraph is However or Therefore, it shows the relationship with the preceding paragraph.
④ Paraphrasing: The concluding sentence is often a paraphrase of the topic sentence. For example, “Topic: Exercise improves mental health → Conclusion: A healthy mind comes from a healthy body” expresses the same idea in different words.
- Typical structure: Topic Sentence → Supporting Sentences → Concluding Sentence
- The topic sentence is usually first（but last in an inductive structure）
- Discourse markers（First/However/Therefore）show logical relationships
- The concluding sentence is a paraphrase of the topic sentence
Practice
- Identify the topic sentence of the following paragraph: “Many people think learning a language is only about memorizing words. However, true language learning involves understanding culture, building confidence to speak, and developing the ability to think in that language. Vocabulary is just one piece of a much larger puzzle.”
- Name the three elements of paragraph structure: topic sentence, supporting sentences, ___
- Explain in Japanese what relationship a paragraph beginning with “First, Second, Third” has with its topic sentence.