Locate the topic sentence. tell which paragraph shape and pattern type this paragraph is. 1the art of letter writing seems to have declined sharply in recent years. 2perhaps the rising cost of stationery and postage is a factor. 3most people today are so busy with their jobs, their families, and their hobbies that they do not feel they have time to write letters. 4to a certain extent, television and personal computers have replaced communicating with friends as a form of entertainment. 5the advent of the telephone and the use of e-mail, however, are probably the most significant factor in the decrease of letter writing, because they give instant access to friends and loved ones.