IELTS Writing Skills: How to Write a Paragraph
What is a paragraph?
A paragraph is a group of connected sentences on one idea. It has a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence. If linkers are used to connect different supporting sentences, it becomes cohesive; if the sentences have a proper order giving good clarity of the topic or the idea, it becomes coherent.
Why do you need a topic sentence in your paragraph?
You give your thesis statement in the first paragraph of your essay. The Topic Sentence of each consecutive paragraph supports the thesis statement. In addition, it gives direction for developing the content of a paragraph. You include other sentences to substantiate the point given the topic sentence. To develop it, you may draw comparisons, give examples, and describe it by giving definitions. But, sometimes it becomes essential to have another sentence before the topic sentence if the paragraph is to be linked with the previous paragraph or if it is necessary to give a shocking statement or to draw attention to some information. However, this is not the only benefit of a good diet. A good diet is wholesome. It helps to improve the overall health of a person. It includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein-rich foods. It includes all the nutrients and reduces the risk of various life-threatening diseases. Physical exercise helps you to maintain good physical fitness. Your bones, muscles, and joints remain healthy with regular exercise and you have good flexibility even in old age. In addition, your cardiovascular endurance increases by walking and running regularly. Also, along with physical fitness, exercise in any form keeps you mentally fit. Thus, the key to a healthy life is regular physical exercise.
Introduction: Physical exercise helps you to maintain good physical fitness.
Body: Your bones, muscles, and joints remain healthy with regular exercise and you have good flexibility even in old age. In addition, your cardiovascular endurance increases by walking and running regularly. Also, along with physical fitness, exercise in any form keeps you mentally fit.
Conclusion: Thus, the key to a healthy life is regular physical exercise.
Different types of paragraphs
Example – The service industry in the U.S. has witnessed manifold growth. Only 30% of those working in the U.S. were employed in the service industry in the early part of the 2oth century. However, by 1950, half of the Americans were employed in the service industry and by 1956, the number of white-collar workers had exceeded the number of blue-collar workers. The trend of moving away from manufacturing to service continued in the second half of the century and by 1999, the service industry employed almost twice as many people as employed in manufacturing. By the beginning of the 21st century, 80% of the jobs were in the service industry.
Example – A service industry provides services to businesses as well as final consumers. It creates services rather than manufacturing tangible goods. It is the hallmark of a developed economy.
Example: An active lifestyle gives you a productive life in every sense whereas a sedentary lifestyle makes you physically inactive in the long run. In a sedentary lifestyle, you become susceptible to all kinds of diseases. You can be afflicted by diseases even when you lead an active life, but the intensity will be less. So, to have fewer health-related issues, you should exercise regularly.
Example: A service industry provides services to businesses as well as final consumers. Such services include accounting, tradesmanship (like mechanic or plumber services), computers, restaurants, tourism, etc. In the U.S., the service industry accounts for more than 70% of its economy.
Tips to write good coherent and cohesive paragraphs in IELTS essays:
- Maintain parallelism through sentence structure and phrases.
- Use transition words or linkers.
- Be consistent – if you use ‘one’, use it throughout; if you use ‘you’, use ‘you’ throughout.
- Create some key phrases and repeat them.