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The development and support sentences act as the body of the paragraph. Development sentences elaborate and explain the idea with details too specific for the topic sentence, while support sentences provide evidence, opinions, or other statements that back up or confirm the paragraph’s main idea. 

Last, the conclusion wraps up the idea, sometimes summarizing what’s been presented or transitioning to the next paragraph. The content of the conclusion depends on the type of paragraph, and it’s often acceptable to end a paragraph with a final piece of support that concludes the thought instead of a summary. 

Most paragraphs contain between three and five sentences, but there are plenty of exceptions. Different types of paragraphs have different numbers of sentences, like those in narrative writing, in particular, where single-sentence paragraphs are common.

Likewise, the number of sentences in a paragraph can change based on the style of the writer. Some authors prefer longer, more descriptive paragraphs, while other authors prefer shorter, faster-paced paragraphs. 

Notice how all sentences in the paragraph relate to the same idea: That humans act emotionally more than rationally. However, each sentence makes its own unique point, and when taken together, they connect to the central topic. 

Another nonfiction paragraph example comes from Twelve Years a Slave, a memoir from freeborn African-American Solomon Northup who was kidnapped and forced into slavery for twelve years before friends and family intervened with the help of the law. 

Paragraphs in fiction are more flexible with the rules, but nonetheless, this paragraph includes both a topic sentence and a concluding summary. Notice how all the details pertain to Dracula’s face and head; Stoker begins a new paragraph when describing other parts of his appearance, like his hands, because the author treats it as a separate topic. 

Unless you’re doing narrative writing, your paragraph introduction should always be the topic sentence. The trick is to avoid overexplaining—say only what’s necessary. The goal of the topic sentence is to inform the reader what the paragraph is about; everything extra should be saved for the following sentences. 

For example, in the Twelve Years a Slave paragraph sample, the topic sentence is only four words long. Northup saves the details for the following sentences. As an added effect, the brevity of his first sentence adds both mystery and potency, piquing the reader’s interest and enticing them to continue.