Welcome to your B1 writing framework. At the elementary level, you successfully learned to construct compound sentences. However, stringing sentences together randomly does not create a cohesive text.
To advance your fluency, you must learn paragraph architecture. Today, we will explore how to build a strong paragraph using a clear topic sentence, relevant supporting details, and a solid concluding sentence.
1. The Paragraph Architecture
A well-written paragraph in English is like a hamburger. It requires three specific structural layers to hold it together logically.
The first sentence. It introduces the main idea of the entire paragraph.
The middle sentences. These provide facts, examples, or reasons that prove the main idea.
The final sentence. It restates the main idea in different words or summarizes the paragraph.
2. Writing the Topic Sentence
A strong topic sentence contains two specific elements: The Topic (what you are writing about) and the Controlling Idea (what you want to say about the topic).
Topic: Smartphones
Controlling Idea: They changed communication. (The rest of the paragraph MUST be about communication changes, not battery life or gaming).
A major error for B1 writers is losing focus. Every single supporting sentence must connect directly back to the controlling idea. If a sentence introduces a new topic, it destroys the paragraph's structure.
Topic Sentence: Siem Reap is a great place to visit because of its history.
3. Supporting & Concluding
Once your topic sentence is set, use Supporting Details (reasons, examples) to prove your point. Finally, close the paragraph with a Concluding Sentence that reminds the reader of your main idea without simply copying the first sentence.
Structure Evaluation Module
Which supporting sentence is OFF-TOPIC?