Paragraph Development Well developed paragraphs dont happen by
accident, or because the author is talented. Well developed
paragraphs are the result of hard work and planning on the part of
the writer. No one is born a good writer.
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Slide 3
Paragraph Development A paragraph is a group of related
sentences which may be complete in itself or part of a longer piece
of writing. Most good paragraphs are built around a central idea.
The exception being a paragraph that describes a person or scene.
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Slide 4
Paragraph Development Paragraphs break the writing into pieces
the reader can easily digest. Long paragraphs become difficult to
understand because the reader becomes lost. Short paragraphs are
usually under developed. www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com4
Slide 5
Paragraph Development In order for a paragraph to be effective,
it must be concise, coherent, and unified. The easiest way to
achieve coherence and unity is to outline the essay before writing
a draft. If the outline is done properly, unity and coherence will
take care of themselves. www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com5
Slide 6
Paragraph Development A paragraph is unified when it supports a
single central idea. An Essay is unified when all its paragraphs
support the thesis. The best way to achieve unity in an essay is by
completing an outline before writing the first draft.
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Slide 7
Paragraph Development A paragraph is coherent when all its
sentences are logically related to each other. An essay is coherent
when the paragraphs and individual sentences all relate logically
to each other. Coherence is also being able to go from a topic
sentence (general) to a supporting detail (specific) in a seamless
manner. www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com7
Slide 8
Paragraph Development A well developed paragraph has at least
two supporting sentences for each topic sentence. A well developed
paragraph is one that includes adequate support for each of the
topic sentences in the paragraph. Such support may be facts,
examples, statistics, expert opinion, or any other evidence the
writer wants to present. www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com8
Slide 9
Paragraph Development Examine the following paragraph about
dogs. Does the paragraph contain coherence and unity? Is it
concise? www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com9
Slide 10
Paragraph Development Dogs are loyal and faithful companions.
No matter what, dogs stay by their owners side. Dogs are
intelligent, friendly, and can perform tricks upon command. Dogs
can also be used in police work, as herd dogs, or as service dogs.
Cats are evil. Dogs were domesticated thousands of years ago. Dogs
can be taught tricks. How many things are wrong with this
paragraph? www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com10
Slide 11
Paragraph Development No Support for Topic Sentences No
Paragraph Unity. Cats are evil. Repeats the same information No
organization or coherence Lacks specific details
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Slide 12
Paragraph Development Examine the following paragraph
describing why cats are evil. Does the paragraph contain coherence
and unity? Is it concise? www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com12
Slide 13
Paragraph Development If evil is defined as placing your own
needs ahead of the needs of your social unit, then cats are evil
because they only care about themselves. Cats, being solitary
creatures, do not possess the altruistic nature of people or dogs.
If a cat perceives danger to its owner, it wont fight to protect
its owner. It runs away. A cat is loyal only as long as it is well
fed. Stop feeding a cat for a week, and its goodbye Mr. Kitty.
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Slide 14
Paragraph Development Contains support for topic sentence
Contains unity Contains coherence Contains organization Does not
repeat information www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com14
Slide 15
Paragraph Development The formula for good paragraph
development is quite simple. For every topic sentence there must be
at least two supporting details. (1TS 2SD) A topic sentence is a
general statement, for example, Dogs make good pets. A supporting
detail gives specific examples as to why the topic sentence is
true. www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com15
Slide 16
Paragraph Development An outline for the paragraph on cats
would look something like this: I) Cats are Evil A) Solitary
Creatures a) danger b) food www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com16
Slide 17
Paragraph Development The outline serves as a guide for
constructing the paragraph. The Roman numerical is the paragraph
controlling idea. For each Roman numeral in the essay, there should
be from 0-1 sentences in the essay. For each capital letter, there
should be from 1-2 sentences in the essay, and for each little
letter, there should be from 2-4 sentences in the essay.
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Slide 18
Paragraph Development A well developed paragraph has a least
two topic sentences. I)Paragraph Controlling idea 0-1 A) Topic
Sentence 1-2 a) supporting detail 2-4 b) supporting detail 2-4 B)
Topic Sentence 1-2 a) supporting detail 2-4 b) supporting detail
2-4 www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com18
Slide 19
Paragraph Development An essay requires three types of
paragraphs: introductory, body, and concluding. The introductory
paragraph contains the thesis statement for the essay and provides
an idea of the essays content. A body paragraph contains the essays
content information. The conclusion is a summary of the essays
information or content. www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com19
Slide 20
Paragraph Development An introductory paragraph introduces the
subject, narrows it down, and states the essays thesis. Dont
outline the introduction. It focuses the readers attention and
arouses their interest in the topic. It sets the tone for the rest
of the essay by stating the topic and implies the writers attitude
toward that topic. www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com20
Slide 21
Paragraph Development An essays thesis statement goes at the
end of the introductory paragraph. It is not necessary to outline
the introduction of an essay; however, an outline is essential to
developing a good thesis statement. Utilize the main points of the
outline to help create the thesis.
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Slide 22
Paragraph Development A thesis statement must contain three
parts: It must be concise. One sentence in length. It must have an
assertion. Something it is trying to prove. It must have a preview.
Clauses that give the reader an idea of the essays direction and
scope. www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com22
Slide 23
Paragraph Development Which of these sentences is a good
thesis? Pepsi is a wonderful beverage. Dogs work harder than cats.
Cats may be considered to be evil because they are lazy, selfish,
and cowardly. www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com23
Slide 24
Paragraph Development A concluding paragraph summarizes all of
the important points of the essay for the reader. Do not outline
the conclusion. The concluding paragraph is the part of the essay
the reader is most likely to remember, so it must be concise and
well developed. www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com24
Slide 25
Paragraph Development Writers arent born with talent or
ability. The secret to good writing is remembering these principles
of paragraph organization and unity and applying them. With a
little work and practice, these principles will become second
nature. www.booksbyalfredtaylor.com25
Slide 26
Paragraph Development The End
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