Watch this video, "Paragraph Development: Supporting Sentences", provided by your textbook.

1. What's a supporting sentence? What does it do?

2. Pick any example paragraph from the video and explain what the main idea was and what the supporting sentences covered.

Step 2:

Read the passage and answer questions.

Personal digital assistants (PDAs)are small, hand-held electronic organizers that come in a range of prices and capabilities. These lightweight computers are usually operated with a stylus, a special "pen." The most basic, inexpensive PDAs have monochromatic screens. They can be used to organize and store contact information, such as names, phone numbers, and email addresses. More expensive models have color screens and offer computer-like applications. For example, you can manage email and create documents. In addition, they include a calendar function that allows you to keep track of appointments and events. They feature the ability to play video and audio files. The most expensive PDAs also offer a phone function, including text messaging.

Which of these are supporting details in the paragraph?

• Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are small, hand-held electronic organizers that come in a range of prices and capabilities.
• They can be used to organize and store contact information, such as names, phone numbers, and email addresses.
• More expensive models have color screens and offer computer-like applications.
• The most expensive PDAs offer a phone function, including text messaging.

The purpose of the major details in this paragraph is to give:

• reasons to buy a color PDA.
• differences between inexpensive and expensive PDAs.
• the procedure for buying a PDA.

Step 3:

Experiment with how purpose affects supporting sentences. Write two short paragraphs on the same topic but with different purposes. Each paragraph should have its own topic sentence and supporting sentences for that topic sentence.

You can come up with your own two ideas (so that you can write about a topic you know a lot about), but I'll give you some examples, which you can use if you like:

• Defining what a vaccine is vs trying to convince someone to be vaccinated
• Explaining what a food is vs comparing and contrasting that food to another (similar) food.
• Informing an audience of how to prepare for an incoming hurricane vs discussing the importance of hurricane preparedness in general
• Explaining what Juneteenth is vs explaining how Juneteenth is like Independence Day. (Or Veterans Day and Memorial Day).
• Describing how a movie adaptation is energizing fans of the book series vs arguing that the movie adaptation made too many deviations from the original text.

For each of your two paragraphs, type a topic sentence. Then write supporting sentences to support your topic.

Step 4:

Reflect: Instructors often talk a lot about thesis statements and topic sentences. Do you have a lot of experience talking about and practicing with supporting sentences? Do you generally use a lot of good supporting sentences in paragraphs? How do you think the idea of supporting sentences in each paragraph is connected to organizing the entire text? What does this activity help you understand better?