Session 6 Methods Of Paragraph Development · Session 6 – Methods Of Paragraph Development Lecturer: Dr. David Odoi, LANGUAGE CENTRE Contact Information: [email protected] . Session

College of Education

School of Continuing and Distance Education 2014/2015 – 2016/2017

UGRC 110

Academic Writing

Session 6 – Methods Of Paragraph Development

Lecturer: Dr. David Odoi, LANGUAGE CENTRE Contact Information: [email protected]

Session Overview

To help readers understand a piece of writing, authors try to present their details in a clearly organized way. Ideas are built up from sentence to paragraph to whole text. Authors might use any of several common patterns to arrange their details.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this session, you should be able to

• recognize different methods of development

• develop the ability to write using different methods of development

Dr. Richard Boateng, UGBS Slide 2

Session Outline

The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Illustrations

• Process analysis

• Definitions

• Comparison and contrast

• Cause & effect/ problem & solution

• Classification and division patterns of development


Reading List

• Unit 11 of Meyers (2005) Gateways To Academic Writing pp. 51-116


ILLUSTRATIONS Topic One


What are illustrations?

• An illustration is a means of using specific situations and examples to reveal the essential points about a topic or to reinforce your topic sentence.

• Examples are an effective way to support general statements. • Examples are used to explain or clarify: Unfamiliar topics • These are topics that your audience has little or no knowledge of. Difficult concepts • Many concept are difficult for readers to understand b definition

alone. But giving examples would make the concept immediately understandable.

Abstract terms • Abstract terms refer to ideas rather than to people or to concrete

things. Abstract terms mean different things to different people hence providing examples would make your meaning clearer.


Sample Question

• The following words are abstract words and difficult concepts. Write examples that illustrate their meaning.

1. Phobia

2. Influence

3. Gender role

4. Sexual harassment

PROCESS ANALYSIS Topic Two


What is process analysis?

In this pattern, the information explains the steps in a particular procedure.

The steps or stages show how a phenomenon functions or how a goal or end is achieved.

This method is used in developing expository essays.

The transitional devices used are usually the devices that show time – order relation.


Guidelines for developing process analysis paragraphs

Here are important points you need to keep in mind

• List all the necessary steps in the order in which they appear

• Explain the steps thoroughly giving reasons and warnings

• Define all technical terms

• Describe all necessary equipment


DEFINITIONS

Topic Three


What is a definition

• A definition is a way of explaining what a term means or which meaning is intended if a word has a number of different meanings.

• A definition is often but not always intended for someone who is unfamiliar with the thing or idea sometimes just a standard definition may not be adequate to explain the meaning of an idea or concept. You may need to write a paragraph or an entire essay to define a term

• Lengthy definitions are referred to as extended definitions


How extended definitions are written

• First of all you will need a brief definition of the term.

• Using synonyms and other words which are similar in meaning may be helpful.

• You should also include enough distinguishing features so that your readers will not mistake the term as part of your definition.

• Extended definitions are particularly useful in exploring a topic.


Activity

Write a paragraph definition on the following topics:

• Democracy

• Culture


COMPARISON AND CONTRAST Topic Four


Features of comparison and contrast

• You cannot compare or contrast two things unless they have something in common. When making comparisons therefore, you need to identify the basis for comparison.

Highlight the relevance of the comparison/contrast

• There should be a relevant point for making comparison or contrast. Your topic sentence should therefore have the following functions:

• It should identify the subject being compared and contrasted.

• It should state whether the focus is on similarities, differences or both

• It should state the main point of the comparison


Features of comparison and contrast

The comparison and contrast paragraph can be written in two ways:

• You can arrange your details in a point by point fashion by discussing one point at a time, giving an illustration from each of the subjects you comparing.

• Secondly you can arrange your details subject by subject where you give all information about one subject first and then follow it with information about the other subject

• You need to consider a sufficient number of important characteristics and details

• These details should be significant and relevant to the basis of the comparison.


CAUSE AND EFFECT/PROBLEM AND SOLUTION

Topic five


How to write an effective cause and effect paragraph

• The paragraph must have a clear purpose which must be stated in the topic sentence.

• The topic sentence should also state clearly whether the paragraph focuses on causes, effects or both.

• It is also important to arrange your information in a logical order. You may arrange the causes chronologically to highlight their order of occurrence or you may arrange them in order of importance.

• You may often have to provide details about each cause and effect in a way that will make your reader understand your train of thought.


Problem and solution

• The problem and solution type of paragraph is somehow linked to the cause-effect type of paragraph.

• Each problem has a cause and each solution, an effect.

Dr. Richard Boateng, UGBS

Slide 20

CLASSIFICATION AND DIVISION PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT

Topic six


What are “classification” and “division”?

• Classification is a process of sorting ideas, things or people into groups or categories to make them easier for people to understand.

• Division is similar to classification but instead of grouping items into categories, division begins with one item and breaks it down into parts.

• A classification or division text explains a topic by describing types or parts respectively.


Documents

Session 6 Methods Of Paragraph Development · Session 6 – Methods Of Paragraph Development Lecturer: Dr. David Odoi, LANGUAGE CENTRE Contact Information: [email protected] . Session