writing assignment
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Paragraph Development Writers use words to compose sentences that develop ideas. A group of related sentences that develops a particular idea is organized in a unit called a paragraph. Understanding the basic concept of “paragraph” is easy enough, but applying your understanding – that is, writing strong, focused paragraphs – can pose challenges for writers of all levels of accomplishment. The discussion that follows will help you understand effective paragraphing and reinforce good writing habits. Please keep in mind that writing is a process, and to produce good writing, paragraph by paragraph, takes time. Learning to write effective paragraphs will help you communicate your ideas clearly to an audience and help you achieve the purpose of the writing.
THE PURPOSE OF THE PARAGRAPH
A strong paragraph will have a clear focus, usually at the start and in the form of a topic sentence. A topic sentence is a direct and limited statement that announces exactly what the paragraph will discuss. Using a topic sentence helps readers understand the point of a paragraph and helps writers stay focused too. While not every paragraph needs an explicit topic sentence, every paragraph needs a clear focus, and for many writers using a topic sentence is the best approach.
With the exception of introductory and concluding paragraphs, paragraphs found in the body of an essay, or body paragraphs, work to develop individual points within their respective paragraphs, and they also work to support the larger point of the essay as communicated in the thesis. Body paragraphs will have content that supports the point of the paragraph as well as language that connects the paragraph to other ideas in the essay, particularly the dominant idea of the thesis, so the content of the essay is unified around a central idea. Back to Table of Contents
THE QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPH
An effective paragraph will have unity, coherence, and development. Unity means that all of the content in the paragraph belongs; each sentence provides information that relates to the established focus of the paragraph. Coherence refers to content that is organized in a way that is easy to understand. One sentence logically leads to the next sentence, and the writer has provided transitions and guidewords to make the movement fluid for the reader and the different ideas come together cohesively. Lastly, development speaks to the idea of sustaining the writing and providing enough supporting details, so the point of the paragraph is clearly communicated to an audience.
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While paragraph length can vary, effective paragraphs contain enough substantive content that readers do not have lingering questions.
Sample Paragraph
Read the sample paragraph carefully and ask the following questions about how it’s constructed:
Is the topic sentence clear and limited in focus? Does the content of the paragraph support the idea expressed in the topic sentence? Does the paragraph make a point? Does the paragraph have language that connects it to a larger idea or previous paragraphs? Is the content unified and easy to follow? Is the idea developed sufficiently for an audience?
Sample
While abstinence may be the only sure-fire contraceptive, the effectiveness of this birth control method is questionable. The teen pregnancy rate in the United States had been steadily declining from the late 1940’s up until 2004 when there was a dramatic increase (Belanger, 2007). In fact, the United States now has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any industrialized country in the world (Marquis, 2009). Beginning in 2001, school systems only taught the federally funded “Abstinence- only” curriculum, but experts now agree and recommend that parents talk to their teens early and often not only about sex, but about all kinds of risky behavior. Behavioral psychologists report that teens have always experimented with risky behavior and will continue to do so (Belanger, 2007), which raises questions about the effectiveness of abstinence. Indeed, teens need science and fact- based education about safe sex practices in order to take the appropriate precautions when engaging in risky behavior. Abstinence works, but only if teens avoid risky behavior, which the evidence suggests is unlikely.
The topic sentence begins the paragraph and asserts that the effectiveness of abstinence as a birth control method is questionable. Notice how the content that follows all works to support the controlling idea of the topic sentence, providing evidence and commentary that create doubt about the effectiveness of abstinence? The writing is sustained and connects teenage sexual activity with the idea of risky behavior and whether or not abstinence or information will best protect teens. The content of the paragraph is substantive and relates to the idea expressed in the topic sentence and thus the paragraph has a sense of completeness. Back to Table of Contents
CONSIDERATIONS FOR WRITING AN EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPH
Limit the Focus to One Distinct Idea
A paragraph is a group of sentences that work together to develop a single idea. To maintain a tight focus, it is important that you compose an effective topic sentence. An effective topic sentence establishes a subject, asserts a controlling idea, and suggests a limited scope of development. In the example, “This class is full of aspiring writers,” what is the subject? Clearly, the subject is class.
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So what statement does the sentence make about its subject? The sentence asserts that the class is full of aspiring writers. This part of the topic sentence is your controlling idea – it is what gets developed in the paragraph. Is the scope of the controlling idea limited enough for a single paragraph? Yes, since the controlling idea is limited to a particular class and a specific characteristic of that class, it seems reasonable to develop that idea in a single paragraph.
Develop Paragraphs With Your Aud ience and Point in Mind
A paragraph has no set length requirement. A paragraph can range from one sentence (even one word!) to half a page or more. What you need to be concerned with is developing your ideas thoroughly and specifically so that your audience fully understands what you are trying to say. When the point is sufficiently developed, end the paragraph. In this way, some paragraphs may require less development and other paragraphs more depending on the point and the purpose of the writing (to persuade, for example, may require more development than a paper that informs). As a way to understand the idea of developing your thoughts fully, think about this:
Imagine it is late July in New Orleans. If I were to state that it is snowing outside, would you believe me? Probably not. After all, it is July in New Orleans, and the likelihood of snow is nil. But even beyond this fact, a statement with no proof, no development, is just an assertion. And an assertion is incomplete in the sense that it lacks sustained development. But what if after I said it’s snowing out (remember, it’s July in New Orleans!), I said, “I can see my next door neighbor, Mr. Hibble, a slight man in his 70s, out in his driveway right now, shoveling. He’s wearing a light yellow hat and tan gloves. And here comes the snow plow – will you listen to that clatter!” if I said all of that, you would be convinced, right? How could you not be?
The key to the success of this content is that the writer has established his credibility as an authority on the subject by using concrete information that supports the claim that it is snowing in New Orleans in July. Readers see an elderly man wearing a yellow hat and tan gloves, shoveling snow in his driveway as the plow truck clangs along the street. Without such specific information, the writer’s credibility would be in question and readers would be less convinced by the claim.
While the above example is an exaggeration, the point should be clear: You need to take your time and develop your points so that they make sense to someone else, an audience. You need to sustain the writing and expand upon the controlling idea expressed in the topic sentence; depending on your purpose, you will need to use examples, details, facts, quotes, statistics, and testimony to give meaning to your ideas.
Another Example
Let’s examine a paragraph from a persuasive research-based paper. A paper with this purpose will have a primary audience that does not share the view the paper espouses, so the writer will need to tailor the message to this particular group of readers. As you read the paragraph, think about the limited scope of the paragraph and the ways in which the writer presents information with the audience and purpose in mind.
Some parents are losing sight of why their children play sports—and that, to the children, is what they are doing: “playing.” Many parents come to their child’s practice or game with their own
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agenda of win, win, win at all costs. The team winning, the points scored, who is the big scorer: these issues have replaced fun and sportsmanship for these parents. According to Sachs (2000), “These parents expect perfection from their children, the coaches and the referees” (p. 62). Playing sports is no longer for the kids. Maybe Mom or Dad were promising athletes in their youth and for one reason or another were robbed of their hopes and are pinning all of their own wants, needs, wishes, and “what ifs” on their child or children (Kehe, 2000). The major problem seems to be that these parents are not considering what the children want. According to a “Kidthink” survey conducted by Jerry Kirshenbaum (1993) for Sports Illustrated, the kids want things like “unlimited free throws until they miss in basketball, everyone having a turn to play, less violence in hockey, using their hands in soccer, and to have fun” (p. 12). Perhaps the parents should listen to the children on this issue.
What you should notice initially is the limited focus of the paragraph (see above) established with the first sentence. The topic sentence states the paragraph will develop the idea that parents have lost sight of why their children play sports. Since the writer’s purpose is to persuade readers, evidence will need to be used to support the writer’s contention. To this end, the writer has used a variety of content: a direct quote, a paraphrase, and another direct quote. In addition, the writer includes personal thoughts on the issue in between the evidence presented. What the writer is trying to accomplish in the paragraph is clear as the language and evidence reflect a persuasive purpose. Lastly, the writer sustains the writing and offers enough compelling development to get readers thinking and to take what the writer has to say seriously.
Use Various Rhetorical Modes for Developing and Organizing Paragraphs
Rhetorical modes refer to the patterns of development available to the writer. In other words, modes are the particular manner in which we develop our thoughts, and quite typically the mode comes to us naturally depending on what we are trying to accomplish. If you are talking to an auto mechanic about a problem with your car, you are describing. If you are telling a story about your seven-year-old daughter, you are narrating. If you are talking about the types of books you like to read, you use examples. Whatever it is you are trying to convey, you will do so with one or more patterns of development, or rhetorical modes.
Types of modes include description, narration, compare and contrast, example, definition, cause and effect, analogy, and analysis. Usually the focus of the paragraph lends itself to the use of one primary mode, but even so, most paragraphs utilize more than one pattern of development. For example, if you are taking a United States history course, you may be asked to compare and contrast the South before and after the Civil War. While the predominant rhetorical mode used in paragraphs will be compare and contrast, you will also probably use examples, include description, and offer analysis as you compare the old South to the new South.
Rhetorical modes help writers think about their topic and organize their ideas. These rhetorical modes also show writers the options available to them when composing paragraphs.
When to Begin a New Paragraph
Paragraph length is dictated first by content and purpose. A new paragraph signals a pause in
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thought and a change in topic, directing readers to anticipate what is to follow or allowing them a moment to digest the material in the preceding paragraph. Reasons to begin a new paragraph include
beginning a new idea, emphasizing a particular point, changing speakers in dialogue, allowing readers to pause, and breaking up lengthy text, usually moving to a subtopic.
Use Transitions and Signal Words
A paragraph needs to be developed in a logical manner, and readers need to be guided through that development. As a writer, you need to help your readers by using transitional expressions and other appropriate words to guide them through the development of the paragraph. Transitional expressions function like glue: They hold a piece of writing together and give it order. Without such expressions, a paragraph would be a jumbled mess.
Paragraph Length
Paragraphs as long as a page or more and often lack a well-defined focus, and more often, they do not allow readers an opportunity to assimilate one point before another point is made. Long paragraphs can either be divided at a natural break or reorganized into two or more separate but more focused paragraphs.
By contrast, short paragraphs make it appear as if ideas are not fully developed and often leave the reader craving more information. Think carefully of the needs of your audience and the purpose for the writing, and develop each point accordingly For example, a paper with a persuasive purpose written for an audience that does not share the writer’s view, may need more development in each paragraph in order to present a convincing case. Depending on your audience and purpose, you may need to include more or less information. Ideally, paragraph lengths should invite readers in, neither seeming too daunting to read through nor appearing incomplete.
PIE METHOD OF PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT
One good way to go about developing paragraphs is to use the PIE method: Make a strong point as expressed in the topic sentence or claim statement; illustrate the point with supporting details and evidence; then explain how the evidence supports the point of the paragraph and relates to the thesis. Take a look at the example below and use this color code to understand the organization:
P - Point I - Illustrate E – Explain
Despite preservation efforts, more and more barns are in jeopardy, a reflection not only of economics but also of the fading family farm. To make matters worse, razing an old barn
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is often easier than trying to save it. *Many people who own property with an unused barn are reluctant to spend money to keep the building standing, and if the barn is already in rough shape, it is usually neglected until it either falls down or is taken down permanently. Preservationists, however, say that in the majority of cases, most ailing barns simply need to be stabilized by replacing the sills around the perimeter of the structure. But even this is too costly for something that barn owners consider functionally obsolete. *Despite the many practical uses of the space such as using them as big garages, barns tend to be taken down rather than repaired, and even when a barn owner looks into the cost of repairs, most carpenters who make a livelihood in construction would not have the skills nor the tools and equipment to complete barn preservation work.
Take-Aways for Writing an E!ective Paragraph
Limit the focus to one distinct idea Develop paragraphs with your audience and point in mind Consider various rhetorical modes for developing and organizing paragraphs Use transitions and guidewords Use the PIE method of paragraph development
When Revising Paragraphs, Consider the Following Questions
What is the point? What should readers understand after reading the paragraph? Is the topic sentence clear and limited? Do all of the supporting details belong? Will readers understand the relationship of the supporting details to the point of the paragraph and the larger point of the essay? Is the content organized in a logical, easy-to-understand manner? Is the development sufficient for the audience and purpose? Does anything need to be added or deleted?