A composition  is a piece of writing about one central topic. It may consist of one or more paragraphs. If the central topic is broad and needs to be divided into several subtopics. Each of these subtopics should be developed in at least one paragraph.  For instance, if you want to discuss types of food, you may want to break your central topic down into four subtopics, meat dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and grains. You might use, then, a separate paragraph for each subtopic. A composition of more than a paragraph usually has an introduction and a conclusion that are separate paragraphs.

A paragraph is a group of related  sentences that communicates one central idea. A paragraph may be short or long according to the simplicity or complexitiy of the subject. The first line of a paragraph is indented in most kinds of writing. This means that you must leave an empty space, to show the beginning  of the paragraph.  Make sure that you capitalize the first word in each sentence and end each sentence  with a period (.), question mark (?), or explamation point (!). If your paragraph is a composition, put your title at the top of the page.                   

A paragraph usually begins with a general statement. We call this general statement the main idea sentence. The main idea sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about and limits the kind of information that should be included in a paragraph. The main idea sentence is usually the first sentence of the paragraph but experience writers sometimes place it in the middle or at the end of the paragraph. 

The main idea sentence is followed by major points (supporting sentences). The major points are the sentences that explain the main idea sentence. They give more information about it. They are expanded with additional details. Ideas in a paragraph are often connected with transitions. Transitions show the relationship between these ideas. Transitions include words and phrases such as first, finally, in addition, for example, and in contrast. Without transitions, your paragraph will not be read smoothly. Transitions are also used to connect paragraphs. The concluding sentence is the ending line of the paragraph. It should restate the main idea of the paragraph. A concluding sentence is sometimes used in longer paragraphs to sum up the ideas presented. It expresses the same idea as the topic sentence but in different words. It can start with a transition such as clearly or in conclusion.