Creating the Perfect

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Creating the Perfect
PARAGRAPH
TS/SS/CI FORMAT
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WARNING

• The powerpoint that follows provides you with a
  crutch, a system that can help you develop
  paragraphs when you are stuck.
• It should not necessarily be used by everyone and
  in all instances.
• This paragraph structure is best for expository
  (INFORMATIONAL) writing styles, not narrative or
  more creative ones.

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The PERFECT PARAGRAPH follows a pattern referred
to as TS/SS/CI. This paragraph is ALWAYS
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SENTENCES
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The first sentence is called the Topic Sentence,
or
TS
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The topic sentence (TS) of a paragraph introduces
the paragraph and tells the reader the main idea
of the paragraph.
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The second sentence in the paragraph (SS) is
called a supporting sentence. The supporting
sentence gives a detail about the main idea being
expressed in the paragraph.
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Reason 1 Supporting sentence 2
Reason 1 Supporting sentence 1
School is a great place.
Reason 3 Supporting sentence 3
Feeling Could be your topic or closing sentence
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Each paragraph will have 3 supporting sentences
which will each be followed by a concrete
illustration (CI). The concrete illustration
gives details or examples about the supporting
sentence in the paragraph. There will also be 3
concrete illustrations in a paragraph, 1 for each
SS.
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Adding Supporting Details

• Supporting sentence 1

• Supporting sentence 2

School is a great place.

• Supporting sentence 3

Closing sentence
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The FINAL sentence in a paragraph is called the
closing sentence (CS). The CS restates the main
idea of the paragraph and brings the topic to a
close.
CS!
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Sentence 1 Topic Sentence TS Sentence
2 Supporting Sentence SS Sentence 3 Concrete
Illustration CI Sentence 4 Supporting
Sentence SS Sentence 5 Concrete
Illustration CI Sentence 6 Supporting
Sentence SS Sentence 7 Concrete
Illustration CI Sentence 8 Closing Sentence CS
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TS Topic Sentence states the main
idea SS Supporting Sentence makes a point that
supports the topic sentence CI Concrete
Illustration gives an example of the point made
in the SS or explains it further by telling how
or why or adding more details or information
gives the reader a clear mental
picture SS Supporting Sentence makes a second
point that supports the topic sentence CI Concret
e Illustration for the second SS SS Supporting
Sentence makes a third point that supports the
topic sentence CI Concrete Illustration for the
third SS CS Conclusion discusses the main idea
but is a different statement from the supporting
sentence