the kettle with shaking hands and filled it. Hardly aware of what I was doing, I plugged it in and took a mug out of the cupboard. Still in a daze, I made the coffee and took some scalding sips. Then gingerly I picked up the envelope and slit it open. 

There follows a short paragraph with the topic sentence underlined. The brevity of the paragraph emphasises Cathy’s amazement at the wedding invitation. In the final paragraph the topic sentence is at the end as the narrator’s amaze- ment reaches a climax when she gives a reason for her astonishment. 

It was a wedding invitation! ‘Mr and Mrs Collins’ requested ‘the pleasure of the company of Miss Cathy Singleton at the wedding of their daughter, Lydia . . . ’ 

I dropped the card in amazement. Was my niece really old enough to be married? Had my sister at last decided to bury the hatchet or had Lydia forced her to send the invitation? I couldn’t believe that I, the black sheep of the family, had actually been invited to the wedding of my estranged sister’s daughter. 

## Using single sentence paragraphs 

Most paragraphs contain a number of sentences but it is possible to use a one-sentence paragraph for effect. Look at the following example: 

He heard the ominous sound of footsteps but suddenly he realised he had a chance. There was a key in the door. Swiftly he turned it in the lock before his captors could reach him. While the door handle rattled, 

