A supporting sentence is a sentence that provides information that supports a main idea or claim. Supporting sentences are part of a paragraph and follow the topic sentence. They contain details that help describe or explain the main idea of the paragraph. The main characteristics of a well-written paragraph include unity, coherence, and development of a single main idea. The supporting sentences, also called the body of the paragraph, are used to support, explain, illustrate, or provide evidence for the idea expressed in the topic sentence. Supporting sentences should focus on the following:

• They should provide the main supporting points for the paragraphs main idea (topic sentence)
• There are usually 2 - 4 supporting sentences in a paragraph.
• They should be arranged in a logical order.
• They should NOT begin a new topic or introduce a new idea.

The type of supporting sentence used depends on the type of essay being written. A narrative or descriptive essay would use supporting sentences that describe and give details. An argumentative or persuasive essay would rely on using supporting sentences to give facts or evidence. An expository essay would need to use plenty of supporting sentences that provide examples.