What unity and development mean
Paragraph unity means every sentence supports one controlling idea. Development means that idea grows through explanation, evidence, and logical steps. Topic sentence is the line that states the controlling idea. Cohesion is how sentences connect with pronouns and linking phrases. Throughline is the thread that runs from topic sentence to concluding line without breaking.

Why Band 7 cares
Examiners reward paragraphs that present a clear claim, expand it with specific support, and avoid side roads. Weak unity causes repetition or contradiction. Weak development produces lists with no depth.

A compact blueprint
Use the 5S frame:

1. Stance: topic sentence with a verb of effect.
2. Support: one reason that explains how or why.
3. Show: one concrete example with names, time, or numbers.
4. Scope: a limit or condition that adds nuance.
5. Sum: a short line tying back to the essay thesis.
   Target 90 to 120 words per paragraph in IELTS Task 2.

Evidence lines that work
Turn vague claims into evidence lines by naming one of the following: place, group, time, small number, or mechanism. Example: “In public universities in Dhaka, final year projects reduce onboarding time for firms.”

Linking without overlinking
Prefer natural signposts: for instance, as a result, in contrast, in the long term. Avoid pasting a linker at every sentence start. Use pronouns and repetition of key nouns to maintain flow.

Example 1 — Repairing unity

Weak draft
Education technology is useful. Students can learn anywhere. However, phone addiction is serious. Teachers need training. Devices are expensive for rural schools. Government should build roads first.

Problems
Two shifts of topic: addiction and infrastructure. No controlling idea about how edtech improves learning.

Revised with 5S
Stance: Education technology improves access for rural students by collapsing travel time.
Support: When lessons are recorded and downloadable, families avoid daily bus fees and long commutes.
Show: In Rangpur, a pilot course let 120 students watch lectures offline and attend one weekly clinic, which raised attendance by 18 percent.
Scope: This works only if teachers receive basic training and schools provide loaner devices.
Sum: Used this way, edtech widens access rather than widening inequality.

Why it works: one controlling idea, one reason, one specific example, one limit, one link-back.

Example 2 — Deepening development

Flat draft
Public parks are good for cities because people relax there, play sports, and meet friends.

Problems
List-like, no mechanism or scale.

Rebuilt with evidence lines
Stance: Investing in neighborhood parks improves public health.
Support: Short walks in green areas nudge inactive residents to move daily.
Show: A ward in Chattogram added shaded paths and benches; footfall counters logged 230 additional users per day within two months.
Scope: Benefits fade if maintenance stops, so budgets must include monthly cleanups.
Sum: With steady upkeep, parks lower healthcare pressure in dense districts.

Now development is visible: claim, mechanism, data, condition, consequence.

Mini case — Arif from Dhaka

Arif wrote 320-word bodies that mixed three ideas. He adopted the 5S frame and a two-minute sketch: write the stance as a cause-effect claim, pick one evidence line, add one condition, and script a 10-word sum. Over 10 essays, average paragraph length fell to 110 words, repeated points per essay dropped from 6 to 2, and his mock band rose from 6.0 to 7.0.

Measurable drills

• 90-second skeletons: For any prompt, draft Stance and Show only. Goal: 6 clean skeletons in 10 minutes.
• One-claim audit: After drafting, underline your topic sentence verb (reduces, enables, undermines). Delete any sentence that does not trace back to that verb. Aim to remove at least one off-topic line per essay.
• Evidence line quota: Require one named context per paragraph (place, group, time, small number, mechanism). Track a 100 percent hit rate for a week.
• Scope switch: Add exactly one limit in each paragraph using unless, only if, or provided that.

Common mistakes

• Theme openers instead of claims: “Education is important” has no effect verb.
• Linker overload: every sentence begins with firstly, secondly.
• Data dump: four numbers with no explanation.
• Two controlling ideas in one paragraph.
• Conclusions that introduce new ideas rather than synthesising.

Edge cases and fixes

• Discuss both views: Keep one body per view with a 5S frame each, then synthesize in the conclusion.
• Problem–solution: Use 5S but swap Support for mechanism of the problem, and Sum for a practical outcome.
• Abstract topics: Ground your Show with a small, believable example rather than national statistics you cannot justify.

Tips and tricks

• Write topic sentences with verbs of effect: increases, reduces, enables, undermines, concentrates, redistributes.
• Keep paragraph nouns consistent: choose students or learners, not both.
• Use parallel structure for paired reasons: “It saves time and reduces cost.”
• If a sentence feels like a new branch, convert it into a Scope line or move it to the next paragraph.

To avoid

• Starting bodies with quotes or questions.
• Switching lenses mid paragraph from cost to safety to fairness.
• Saying many people think without an evidence line.
• Ending bodies with a new claim that belongs in the next paragraph.

Glossary
Controlling idea: the precise claim that all sentences support.
Evidence line: a sentence that names context or data to prove a claim.
Throughline: the continuous logic from topic sentence to close.
Lens: the dimension you use to analyse, such as cost or access.
Scope line: a limit or condition that prevents overclaiming.
Synthesis: a conclusion that restates and recombines main ideas.

Next steps
Take your last essay and apply an One-claim audit. Rewrite each topic sentence with a verb of effect. Add one evidence line and one scope line per paragraph. Track two numbers for the week: average words per body and off-topic lines removed.

1. Actionable closing — How-to steps
2. Pick a lens for Body 1 and Body 2 before writing, for example cost then access.
3. Draft the Stance as a cause-effect claim using a strong verb.
4. Add one Support line that explains the mechanism.
5. Write a Show line with a named place, group, time, or small number.
6. Insert a Scope line using unless, only if, or provided that.
7. Finish with a Sum that echoes your thesis wording.
8. Run the One-claim audit: delete or relocate any sentence that does not trace back to your Stance verb.
9. Measure: keep bodies at 90 to 120 words and require one evidence line per paragraph for seven days.

CTA: Draft two body paragraphs today using the 5S frame. Add one named example and one scope line to each, then run the One-claim audit. Record paragraph length and count off-topic lines. Repeat tomorrow and cut that count by 50 percent.