Paragraph

• Paragraph


  A piece of writing that focuses on one topic or idea
• Paragraphos


  Greek word meaning "to write beside" or "written beside"
• Elements of a Paragraph

  • Coherence, Unity, Emphasis
• Composition test questions


  1. Do all the parts stick together?

  2. Do all these parts in combining say but one main thing?

  3. Are the parts so apportioned and so placed as readily to make the strongest appeal?
• Unity


  A unified paragraph makes a clear reading, sticks to the purpose for which it is written
• Types of orderly relationships of sentences

  • Time of Chronological Relationships
  • Space Relationship
  • Particular to General
  • General to Particular
  • Cause-Effect Relationship
• Cohesion


  The connection of the sentences and ideas in your text
• Coherence


  The overall understanding of what you say or write, the logic of ideas and how such ideas are presented
• Transitional words and expressions

  • Addition
  • Cause-Effect
  • Comparison
  • Place
  • Contrast
  • Emphasis
  • Example
  • Restatement
  • Time
  • Conclusion and Summary
• Emphasis

  • Repetition
  • Development of important ideas through supplying plenty of details
  • Allotment of more space to the more important ideas
  • Contrast
  • Selection of details so that the subjects related to the main idea are included and irrelevant material excluded
  • Climactic arrangement
  • Mechanical devices such as capitalization, italics, symbols, and different colors of ink
• Topic sentence


  The most important sentence in the paragraph, states the central idea being developed
• Topic sentence placement

  • Beginning
  • Middle
  • End
• Supporting details


  Details that elaborate on the topic sentence, can be descriptive, narrative, or illustrative
• Concluding statement


  The final sentence of a paragraph, summarizes the key ideas, provides comments or suggestions, and gives the paragraph proper closure
• Steps to write a paragraph


  1. Start with a topic sentence

  2. Provide details and examples that show the main idea is correct

  3. Explain how the details and examples prove the topic sentence is true

  4. Check the length (around 5 sentences)
• Good beginning


  Arouses the reader's interest and curiosity, invites the reader to read
• Ways to begin a paragraph

  • Using a quotation
  • Using an intriguing statement
  • Using an anecdote or an incident
  • Using a question
• Effective ending


  Fixes the idea of the paragraph in the reader's mind
• Ways to end a paragraph


  • Using a brief summary
  • Using a quotation
  • Using a challenge to act
  • Using a question