6.2 Effective Means for Writing a Paragraph

Supporting Sentences

If you consider a paragraph a hamburger, the supporting sentences are the meat inside the bun. They make up the body of the paragraph by explaining, proving, or enhancing the controlling idea in the topic sentence. Most paragraphs contain three to six supporting sentences depending on the audience and purpose for writing. A supporting sentence usually offers one of the following:

• Reason
• Sentence: The refusal of the baby boom generation to retire is contributing to the current lack of available jobs.
• Fact
• Sentence: Many families now rely on older relatives to support them financially.
• Statistic
• Sentence: Nearly 10 percent of adults are currently unemployed in the United States.
• Quotation
• Sentence: “We will not allow this situation to continue,” stated Senator Johns.
• Example
• Sentence: Last year, Bill was asked to retire at the age of fifty-five.

The type of supporting sentence you choose will depend on what you are writing and why you are writing. For example, if you are attempting to persuade your audience to take a particular position you should rely on facts, statistics, and concrete examples, rather than personal opinions. Read the following example:

There are numerous advantages to owning a hybrid car. (Topic sentence)

First, they get 20 percent to 35 percent more miles to the gallon than a fuel-efficient gas-powered vehicle. (Supporting sentence 1: statistic)

Second, they produce very few emissions during low speed city driving. (Supporting sentence 2: fact)

Because they do not require gas, hybrid cars reduce dependency on fossil fuels, which helps lower prices at the pump. (Supporting sentence 3: reason)

Alex bought a hybrid car two years ago and has been extremely impressed with its performance. (Supporting sentence 4: example)

“It’s the cheapest car I’ve ever had,” she said. “The running costs are far lower than previous gas powered vehicles I’ve owned.” (Supporting sentence 5: quotation)

Given the low running costs and environmental benefits of owning a hybrid car, it is likely that many more people will follow Alex’s example in the near future. (Concluding sentence)

To find information for your supporting sentences, you might consider using one of the following sources:

• Reference book
• Encyclopedia
• Website
• Biography/autobiography
• Map
• Dictionary
• Newspaper/magazine
• Interview
• Previous experience
• Personal research

To read more about sources and research, see Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?”.