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IELTS and TOEFL writing · Lesson 2 of 6

Building a paragraph

Each paragraph develops one idea. The topic sentence, usually the first, states that idea. The next sentences support it with reasons, facts or examples, and the last sentence closes it or leads to the next paragraph.

A good topic sentence is specific: is better than . Every other sentence in the paragraph must support it, so cut any sentence that does not.

Signal support with , , and . In IELTS and TOEFL essays, aim for four or five paragraphs of three to five sentences each.

Examples

  • Cycling to work saves money.
  • For example, a monthly bus pass costs more than a year of bike repairs.
  • In fact, many cyclists never pay for parking.
  • This means that the bike pays for itself within a few months.