在掌握如何撰寫essay之前，先來掌握基本的paragraphs（段落）寫法吧！
paragraph應包含topic sentence + supporting sentences + concluding sentence。
topic sentence是每個段落的靈魂，位於每段的首要位置，具有明點出段落主旨、與主題做連結、承接段落等功能，而supporting sentences則接於topic sentence後面，用於補充說明段落內容，段落最後再由concluding sentence結尾。
結構如下圖表示：
✍Topic Sentence 主題句
主題句功能：
✅ 點出每一段落主旨、摘要段落
✅ 承接上一段落
✅ 段落間的緩衝
英文作文的寫作方式與中文作文差異很大，必須在段落開頭就點明主旨、論點，讓讀者在看完第一句話後，便能對於這個段落有些大概的想法，這種句子叫做topic sentence，用一句話摘要整段的內容。
Sample Paragraph A
Thinking about the 1990s brings back a lot of memories for me about fashion and popular culture. During the 1990s, I really enjoyed watching Friends on television every Thursday night. I really wanted Rachel’s haircut—I think every girl wanted Rachel’s haircut back then! Rachel’s haircut went really well with the Guess Jeans that were so popular in the 1990s. I remember all the advertisements for Guess and Calvin Klein Jeans that were in each month’s Sassy magazine. I don’t think Sassy magazine exists anymore, but it was one of the most popular magazines for young women in the 1990s.
本段主題句 “Thinking about the 1990s brings back a lot of memories for me about fashion and popular culture.” 根據這段文字，讀者大概能預測整段內容是關於作者對於1990年代流行的一些回憶。
一個良好的主題句必須包含：
✅ 通常是段落第一句
✅ 完整句構與主題論述(controlling idea)的完整句子
✅ 清楚說明整個段落的重點，不過於狹義、偏頗、籠統
✍Supporting Sentences 支撐句
Supporting sentences為支持topic sentence的支撐句，接於topic sentence後方，可以舉出一些親身例子、科學數據、事實、專家建議、名言佳句等來豐富內容。
✍Concluding Sentence 結尾句
結尾具表示段落的完結，可稍微概述整個段落的重點，並與首句做呼應。
(取自https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/paragraphs/)
