Paragraphs reflect the development of a single idea .
Since the main idea is contained in the topic sentence of a paragraph, where that topic sentence appears determines the paragraph's classification by type. Pattern 1 Paragraphs Pattern 1 paragraphs place the topic sentence at or near the beginning of the paragraph. Usually, the topic sentence will be the very first sentence. Occasionally, a Pattern 1 paragraph may begin with one or two sub-thesis sentences if the paragraph is the first in a section of a longer discussion or essay. An Example of a Pattern 1 Paragraph Topic sentence .