Marco Ponce Version 1 Year ?06-?07 CH 4 Paragraphs * Paragraphs help guide readers through longer pieces of writing. Some break lengthy discussions of one idea into segments of different emphasis, thus providing rest stops for readers. 4.1 Characteristics of Effective Paragraphs 4.1.1 Unity A paragraph with unity develops one, and only one, key controlling idea, to ensure unity, edit out any stray ideas that don?t belong and fight the urge to take interesting but irrelevant side trips; they only create confusion about your destination. 4.1.2 The Topic Sentence The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. Think of the topic sentence as a rallying point, with all supporting sentences developing the idea it expresses. A good