ELT365 · Day 196 — Paragraph Structure: Topic Sentence First

Idea — A paragraph works when its topic sentence signals what follows and every subsequent sentence develops that one idea. Teaching this explicitly reduces the “list of sentences” problem in B1–B2 writing.

Example — Topic sentence: “Exercise improves sleep quality.” Development: evidence, mechanism, personal relevance — all serving that one claim, not switching to a new topic.

Try — Give learners a paragraph with the topic sentence removed. Can they write it? Compare their version to the original. What differs?

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