level IIi

This page updated:  07/22/2019

Welcome to Paragraph & Sentence Parts

Introduction:  To create great paragraphs, you need to know how they are made up.  This is the same for creating great sentences.  In this unit, we will review both. Be sure to check out the printables for more explanation.

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We will explore:  Topic sentences, supporting details, transitions, conclusion sentences, the hamburger paragraph, subjects, predicates, simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, independent clauses, and dependent clauses.

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The Details: Nearly everyone has played with Legos, right?  Using a simple 2 x 4 interlocking block, you can create any structure you want.  Well, writing great sentences, paragraphs, and eventually essays, is built on the same idea.  There are simple interlocking parts that, when put together, will help you create the writing format you need.

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The great thing about these parts is that they are similar in what they do.  For example, a main idea, a complete thought, a topic sentence, a thesis statement, and an intro paragraph all do similar things:  they introduce an idea that will be discussed in the writing. 

Take a look at this chart.  As you go from a little idea to a big piece of writing, like an essay, you can see there are parts that play a role in introducing an idea.  As you go from bottom to top, the idea becomes bigger because it is more developed.

Conclusion:  Whether you are constructing a sentence, paragraph, or entire essay, there are parts to each that play special roles in the construction.  In this unit, we will start with the two smaller writing formats:  paragraphs and sentences.