LATTC, English 21, Mr. T. Stevens

Simply put, a paragraph is made up of several sentences that communicate something about a specific topic, such as "drinking." Drinking is the controlling thought as shown in the center of the Braining Storming chart below. The outer circles generate supporting sentences about drinking.

The "secret" to clear concise writing is to keep your sentences simple. It is better to have short sentences that make sense; then, to have longer, more mature soulding/ooking sentences that are confusing and difficult to understand. So, KISS--"Keep It Simple Silly." Yeah, I know you want your paragraph to sound and look as though you are really smart. Well, get over it. You sound and seem intelligent when the reader understands what you have written whether it is written to a friend or at work. Do not write sentences that wander off the point or ramble on-and-on-and-on-and-on. If you have a sentence that is really long, break it into two or three sentences. You can always combine them later if you feel it is necessary. On the other hand, you might be better off if you just remove longer sentences. I know it will be hard for you to delete a favorite sentence, especially if it is a sentence that you are really "fond of." Dump it any way; it will save you time, and your paper will flow more easily.

Using the brainstorming chart above, it is now possible to expand the bubbles in the outer ring into an essay. Each of the outer bubbles becomes a paragraph that supports the controlling idea in the brainstorming chart below.

And finally, in the bottom brainstorming chart it is possible to develop a comprehensive essay with a controlling topic sentence.