Major and Minor supports.

In many of the paragraphs you write, you will be able to develop your controlling idea adequately with a series of statements or examples which do not require further explanation or proof. The following paragraph about a composer Richard Wagner provides an example. It presents one limited characteristic of a very complex personality. The topic sentence is clear and to the point. The supporting sentences (major supporting statements) individually develop or establish the controlling idea, “monster of conceit.”

He was a monster of conceit. Never for one minute did he look at the world or at people, except in relation to himself. He was not only the most important person in the world, to himself; in his own eyes he was the only person who existed. He believed himself to be one of the greatest dramatists in the world, one of the greatest thinkers, and one of the greatest composers. To hear him talk, he was Shakespeare, and Beethoven, and Plato, rolled into one.

Writers can back up the statements in their topic sentences by giving specific facts in support of it. Often a man’s character can be highlighted by a story about one of his special weaknesses or strong features, or striking details of behaviour or actions.

It often happens, particularly in paragraphs dealing with complex matters, that a major support sentence will need one or more additional sentences to clarify its meaning. A sentence containing facts, examples, or other evidence that clarifies or explains the meaning of a major support sentence is called a minor supporting sentence.

Suppose, for example, that you were developing the following topic sentence:

Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics.

Your major supporting statements might be these:

because:First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion.

because:Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science.

It is evident that each of these support sentences will be more meaningful to your reader if you back it up with facts, reasons, or examples. The minor supporting sentences will directly relate to the major statement that precedes them and indirectly to the topic sentence.

The topic sentence:Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics.

Major support: First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion.

Minor supports: Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago.

Major support: Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science.

Minor supports: For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts' suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection outside spaceships.

The concluding sentence: In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.

Each of the two major statements gives a good reason for the truth of the controlling idea. In turn each major statement has three minor supporting statements. The because test has been applied to each of the major statements and it is also may be applied to each of the minor statements. Each minor statement develops its major statement in terms of the controlling idea and the purpose of the paragraph. As a result, all the sentence-ideas are closely related to the topic sentence, to the controlling idea, and to each other. If you remove the explaining phrases and write the sentences, one after the other, in paragraph form, you will have a unified paragraph. And that’s just what is wanted.

Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts' suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection outside spaceships. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.

When you prepare to write a paragraph, or even after you begin, you must decide whether the development of its central thought requires only a series of major statements or whether it requires minor supporting materials as well.

Here is a two-part rule to follow as you develop a paragraph that begins with a definite controlling idea: