Little,%20Brown

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Writing and Revising Paragraphs

• Chapter 4
• Little, Brown

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A Paragraph

• A group of related sentences set off by a
  beginning indention or, sometimes by an extra
  space.

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Paragraphs are used for these purposes

• Paragraphs are used to introduce and give
  evidence for a main point supporting your essays
  central idea (its thesis).
• Within a group of paragraphs centering on one
  point, to develop a key example or other
  important evidence.
• To shift approach- for example from pros to cons,
  from problem to solution, from questions to
  answers.

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Paragraphs used for special purposes

• To introduce or to conclude an essay.
• To emphasize an important point or to mark a
  significant transition between points.
• In a dialogue, to indicate that a new person has
  begun to speak.

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Checklists for revising paragraphs

• Is the paragraph unified? Does it talk about one
  general idea that is either stated in a topic
  sentence or otherwise apparent?
• Is the paragraph coherent? Do the sentences
  follow a clear sequence? Are they linked as
  needed by parallelism, repetition or restatement,
  pronouns, consistency, and transitional
  expressions?

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Checklists for revising paragraphs

• Is the paragraph well developed? Is the general
  idea of the paragraph well supported with
  specific evidence such as details, facts,
  examples and reasons?

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Maintaining Paragraph Unity

• Focus on a central idea.
• Place the topic sentence so that the supporting
  ideas will fall logically.
• If the topic sentence is in the beginning, it
  will help you to select the details that will
  follow.
• If the topic sentence is at the end, then the
  sentences leading up to the topic must support
  that idea.

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Achieving Paragraph Coherence

• A paragraph is unified if it all holds together.
  All of the details and examples have to support
  the main idea.
• A paragraph is coherent if readers can see how
  the paragraph holds together and how the
  sentences relate to each other without having to
  stop and reread.

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Ways to achieve paragraph coherence

• Organize effectively.
• Repeat or restate key words and word groups.
• Use parallel structures.
• Use pronouns.
• Be consistent in nouns, pronouns, and verbs.
• Use transitional expressions.

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Organizing the Paragraph

• Organize by space and time. Organize spatially
  so that the movement of the paragraph is from top
  to bottom, side to side, near to far.
• Organize chronologically, organizing the elements
  in the order of their occurrence in time.
• Organize for emphasis. The most common is
  general to specific. Another is the
  problem-solution arrangement.

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Using Parallel Structures

• Parallelism is the use of similar grammatical
  structures for similar elements of meaning within
  a sentence or among sentences.
• If you are writing in the present tense, you have
  to stay in the present tense. If you are using
  the progressive form (ing), you must continue
  using that form.

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Use transitional expressions

• To add or show sequence
• To compare
• To contrast
• To give examples or intensify
• To indicate place
• To indicate time
• To repeat, summarize or conclude
• To show cause or effect

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Paragraph Development

• How did it happen? Narration
• How does it look, sound, feel, smell, taste?
  Description
• What are some examples of it? Illustration
• What is it? What does it encompass and what does
  it exclude? Definition
• What are its parts or characteristics? Division
  or analysis

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Paragraph Development

• What categories can it be sorted into?
  Classification
• How is it like or different from other things?
  Comparison and contrast
• Is it comparable to something that is in a
  different class but more familiar to readers?
  Analogy
• How did it happen or what results did it have?
  Cause and effect analysis
• How does one do it or how does it work? Process
  Analysis

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Opening an Essay

• Ask a question
• Relate an incident
• Use a vivid quotation
• Offer a surprising statistic or other fact.
• State an opinion related to your thesis
• Outline the argument your thesis refutes.
• Provide background
• Make a historical comparison or contrast
• Define a word central to your subject.

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Openings to Avoid

• A vague generality or truth
• A flat announcement
• A reference to the essays title
• According to Websters dictionary..
• An apology

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Strategies for closing paragraphs

• Recommend a course of action.
• Summarize the paper.
• Echo the approach of the introduction.
• Restate your thesis and reflect on its
  implications.
• Strike a note of hope, or of despair.
• Give a symbolic or powerful fact or other detail.
  
• Create an image that represents your subject.
• Use a quotation.

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Closings to Avoid

• A repeat of the introduction.
• A new direction.
• A sweeping generalization.
• An apology.