NOTE(4) TOPIC SENTENCES, SUPPORTING SENTENCES & CONCLUDING SENTENCES

The P.I.E. Paragraph

• P = point
• What is the point of this paragraph?
• What claim is being made?
• Often, the point is the TOPIC SENTENCE.
• I = information
• Supported with specific data, experiences, or other factual material?
• The information is the evidence used to support/develop the point.
• E = explanation/conclusion
• What does the provided information mean?
• The explanation is the writer’s analysis, elaboration, evaluation of the point and information given, connecting the information with the point (topic sentence).
• Example:

My friend

                Eun Hee and I met in high school. When I left Korea, she cried. Eun Hee works at General Hospital, and she is never absent from work. She likes to take care of the patients, but she doesn’t like the doctors. She says they don’t respect the nurses. One doctor always shouts at the nurses. On the weekends, she goes to the mountains or visits an interesting place. Eun Hee is very active. If there is something that she wants to do, she does it. She is cheerful and talkative. When I had a long face and was sad, she talked cheerfully to me. Eun Hee is tall and very thin. She has small, brown eyes and long, curly dark brown hair. She looks like Olive Oyl in the Popeye cartoons. Olive Oyl is Popeye’s girlfriend. Sometimes, when my friends and I were serious, she told jokes to us. I love her, and I want to see her again soon.

Topic Sentence/Point

• Eun Hee and I met in high school.

Supporting Sentence/Information

• When I left Korea, she cried. Eun Hee works at General Hospital, and she is never absent from work. She likes to take care of the patients, but she doesn’t like the doctors. She says they don’t respect the nurses. One doctor always shouts at the nurses. On the weekends, she goes to the mountains or visits an interesting place. Eun Hee is very active. If there is something that she wants to do, she does it. She is cheerful and talkative. When I had a long face and was sad, she talked cheerfully to me. Eun Hee is tall and very thin. She has small, brown eyes and long, curly dark brown hair. She looks like Olive Oyl in the Popeye cartoons. Olive Oyl is Popeye’s girlfriend. Sometimes, when my friends and I were serious, she told jokes to us.

Concluding Sentence/Explanation

• I love her, and I want to see her again soon.

1. Ideas for making a POINT:

• Decide what you want to say to support your topic based on your reaction to the text
• Try categorizing your ideas and make a comment on a recurring theme you’ve found.

2. Ideas for INFORMATION:

• Information from the readings or class discussions (paraphrases or, occasionally, short quotes)
• Personal experience (stories, anecdotes, examples from your life)
• Representations in mass media (newspapers, magazines, television)
• Elements from popular culture (song lyrics, movie lines, TV characters, celebrities)
• Definitions (from the dictionary, the readings, or another source)
• Statistics (polls, percentages, data from research studies)

3. Ideas for EXPLANATION:

• Interpret, analyze, explain the information, opinion or quote you’ve included
• Comment on the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the quote, fact, data, information, etc.
• Decipher the meaning or try to better your understanding of your observation, findings or experience
• Suggest to your reader how the information you’ve included relates to your TOPIC.

TRANSITIONS

• To show addition: again, and, also, besides, equally important, first (second, etc.), further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place, moreover, next, too
• To give examples: for example, for instance, in fact, specifically, that is, to illustrate
• To compare: also, in the same manner, likewise, similarly
•  To contrast: although, and yet, at the same time, but, despite, even though, however, in contrast, in spite of, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, still, though, yet
• To summarize or conclude: all in all, in conclusion, in other words, in short, in summary, on the whole, that is, therefore, to sum up
• To show time: after, afterward, as, as long as, as soon as, at last, before, during, earlier, finally, formerly, immediately, later, meanwhile, next, since, shortly, subsequently, then, thereafter, until, when, while
•  To show place or direction: above, below, beyond, close, elsewhere, farther on, here, nearby, opposite, to the left (north, etc.)
• To indicate logical relationship: accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this reason, hence, if, otherwise, since, so, then, therefore, thus