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Chapter 11: TYPES OF PARAGRAPHS
What are basic methods of forming a paragraph? ---
Introductory Paragraph
Concluding Paragraph
Background Paragraph
Basic Body Paragraph
Idea,
Time, or Place Shift
Dialogue Shift
Variety of Length
Emphasis Paragraph
Transition Paragraph
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NEW TOPIC SECTION:
Topic Shifts (with Multiple Paragraphs)
Topic Shifts (with Underlined Subtitles)
Starting & Concluding
Sentences in Topic Sections
Starting & Concluding
Sentences in Paragraphs
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This chapter shows the basic pattern of a paragraph
and a number of reasons, ways, or formats for developing or organizing a paragraph.
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INTRODUCTION
An important element of easy-to-read writing is the
development of paragraphs. Sometimes the easy-to-read paragraph is symbolized by
an inverted triangle:
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SUMMARY SENTENCE
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General Idea(s)
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Details
Details
Details
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A longer paragraph starts with a general statement that in some
way summarizes or announces the subject of the paragraph. Then the paragraph
develops this statement or summary by giving specifics. Writing paragraphs like
this makes them easier to read: in fact, one method of skimming books that is
taught by speed-reading courses is to read just the first sentence of each
paragraph. (This method got the author of this book through a graduate
research-writing course requiring the reading of one novel per week by Charles
Dickens (over 800 pages). If the first sentence of your paragraph summarizes
your subject well, then this lead sentence not only gives the reader a quick
idea of what the paragraph is about, but also prepares the reader for
understanding the purpose of the details in the rest of the paragraph.
One
of the most basic and simple units to revise is the paragraph, and groupings of
paragraphs. If we can create paragraphs
and paragraph groups in a number of different ways, then we know most of the
basics that are universal to organizing papers for school, for work, for
advertising, and for publication. The
unit of the paragraph works because it creates breaks in our writing--spaces--that
help readers pause, take a mental breath, and swallow what we have just
said. This chapter discusses nine
different ways--or reasons--to create paragraphs. They are basic ways used by top academic and professional
writers, and all of them will help you become a more polished, successful, and
impressive communicator both in the classroom and in your professional
jobs.
Keep in mind as you paragraph that
most of the paragraph guidelines are just that: guidelines, not rules. Here are
eleven important guidelines—eleven
important reasons for starting, using, or having a paragraph:
Introduction
Conclusion
Background
Idea Shift
Place Shift
Event or Time Shift
Dialogue Shift
Variety of Paragraph Size
Emphasis of Important Idea
Transition between Major Sections
Major Topic Shift
(and how to use topic sents.
for topics and paragraphs)
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The following diagrams illustrate, first, a
introductory, concluding, and background paragraph. Then they illustrate
a basic paragraph and eight other reasons as listed above. Finally, four
graphic boxes show how to place subtitles and topic sentences for several topic
sections (also known as body sections).
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH:
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Title
by
Your Name
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Introductory paragraph: 2
sentences to 150-200 w. summarizing your overall subject
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The
Introduction
Typically, the intro to a short or
medium-length college paper is written in one parag.
Sometimes--espec-ially if the paper is 10+ pages long--the introduction
may be two-three paragraphs.
An intro is almost never longer than one or
two paragraphs. This is because it is supposed to be, by definition,
a
brief summary of what the paper is about. Often, intros also have an
interesting quotation (perhaps the best quotation in the paper), an
anecdote, or a challenge.
For more, see Ch. 12.
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CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH:
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Title
by
Your Name
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Introductory paragraph:
2
sentences to 100-200 w. summarizing your overall subject
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Body of paper
(multiple paragraphs) |
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Concluding paragraph:
2
sentences to 150-200 w. summarizing the paper or stating its point
or result
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The Conclusion
A conclusion often is roughly similar in
length to the intro, thus providing symmetry. A conclusion provides
the ending summary, point, or result regarding the content of the paper.
And, like the intro, the conclusion often
offers something interesting. This might be a quotation (perhaps the
second best in the paper), an interesting anecdote, a twist to the point,
or possible problems and challenges resulting from the point.
For more, see
Ch. 12. |
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BACKGROUND PARAGRAPH:
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Title
by
Your Name
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Introductory paragraph:
2
sentences to 100-200 w. summarizing your overall subject
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Background paragraph:
2
sentences to 150-200 w. providing background details for the
subject: summarizing, defining, explaining, or describing what
should be understood before the paper starts.
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Body of paper
(multiple paragraphs) |
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Background
A background paragraph often is used to offer
the reader a brief glimpse or understanding of useful background
information before the body of the paper starts. This background
paragraph may define the subject, explain it, bring readers up to date
about it, or provide a general background about what happened or existed
before the present activities or information you are writing about in the
rest of the paper.
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BASIC, WELL-DEVELOPED PARAGRAPH:
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Title
by
Your Name
_______________________________________________
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General statement
of subject.
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\-----------------------------------------/
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1-3 general explanations.
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\---------------------------------/
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Details: facts,
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figures, examples,
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\quotations,
charts,/
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etc.
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\-------------/
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Final
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point.
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\ /
\ /
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The Basic Paragraph
In college writing,
a
longer paragraph starts with a general sentence stating the paragraph's subject.
There might next be 1-3 more general statements, if needed. Then most of
the rest of the paragraph has sentences that "narrow" the focus or "get to the
point" by giving specific details. The last sentence or two summarize the
paragraph's result or point.
A paragraph usually must be a min.
of two sentences long. The first line is, if printed on paper, indented
1/2". The maximum length of a paragraph is about 100-150 words in a
paper of just a few pages, but perhaps 150-200 w. in a 5-9 page paper.
In a 10+ page paper, the max. length of a paragraph can be 200-300 words. |
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TOPIC SHIFT: IDEA, TIME, or PLACE:
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Title
by Your Name
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1st idea,
event, or place
(or the first subdivision of the overall idea, event, or place).
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2nd idea,
event, or place
(or a 2nd subdiv. of overall idea, event, or place).
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3rd idea,
event, or place
(or a 3rd subdiv. of overall idea, event, or place).
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Idea Shift (or
a Shift of an Event or Time, or of a Place)
Paragraphing is more of a craft than a set of
hard and fast rules. One strong guideline for starting a new
paragraph is to explain a new idea. Or, if the idea is really long,
then you can break it into a few major subideas or parts of the idea.
The same is true for dividing a series of
events or times, or of several places. Or you may need to divide one
big event, time, or place into subdivisions.
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DIALOGUE-SHIFT PARAGRAPHS--New Paragraph for
Change of Speaker:
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"How are you?" Chris asked. |
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"Fine," said Haley.
"Are you going any- |
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where tonight?" |
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"Why 'maybe'?" Haley asked. |
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"I'm waiting for someone
to call." Chris |
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shrugged. "If
he does, then I will. If he doesn't, I won't."
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"I was thinking,"
said Haley, "about us |
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finding something to do." |
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"Maybe dinner, then a
movie, and then |
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going somewhere where
there's dancing. After- wards,
we
could go to my place.
What do you think?" |
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"Who's paying?" asked
Chris.
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Dialogue
Paragraphs
Dialogue -- talking -- is different in paragraphs.
Each time there is a change in speaker, a new paragraph starts, even
if this
results in one-sentence paragraphs.
Use double quotation marks (" ") around spoken
words. "S/he saids" usually go after (or sometimes in the middle of)
spoken words. A "s/he said" is not necessary in every paragraph, but
use them often so that readers can quickly identify who is speaking.
Don't worry about having too many "s/he saids." To readers they are,
like periods, invisible: i.e., rarely is a writer accused of making
periods too obvious.
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PARAGRAPH VARIETY--Making
Paragraphs of Different Sizes on a Page
To Maintain Easy Readability:
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Variety of
Length
A variety of paragraph lengths on each
visibile page is important because it better maintains reader attention.
a lack of variety is similar to the "white noise" of a radio tuned between
stations, or of a fan or humidifier: it tends to lull readers to sleep. Variety makes them feel more alive and alert.
Try to mix the lengths. If you make too
many short paragraphs, merge some of them. If you make too many long
or medium ones, break a few in two. You can break a paragraph by
creating separate two-sentence intros or conclusions to them (as in the
two major boxes below).
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AN EMPHASIS PARAGRAPH--Making a Short Paragraph To Emphasize an
Important Point:
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The giant inland lakes
in the Midwest of |
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North America are well
worth seeing, especially at night. At night, the wind
sometimes is calm and the full moon dances on a path of silky
wavelets brushing the shore. gulls, brilliant white in the
moonlight, sit like lighthouse sentinels on half-submerged rocks,
sleeping. |
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The human soul lives for such nights. |
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Nights like
this make life worthwhile. |
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The shores also are alive at night,
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especially in the
wilder regions of
some lakes. Owls hoot and crickets chirp. Night animals
slide through the underbrush. Even the trees creak in the
wind as their leaves whisper. Night life never is quiet
there. |
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A Short,
Single Paragraph
for Emphasis
Sometimes a short paragraph is useful to
emphasize an impor-tant or interesting idea or fact. A short,
emphatic paragraph also is useful from time to time just because of the
need for variety of paragraph lengths.
A short emphasis paragraph also works well as
a transition or break when a paper shifts from one ideas, place, or event
to another. The example at the left shows this.
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A
TRANSITION PARAGRAPH--To Transit Smoothly from One Main Section
to the Next:
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In human affairs,
sometimes a person |
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finds he or she must
choose between two evils. For example, should someone lie to
comfort a dying friend if the friend will be miserable from
hearing the truth? Should parents be punished for stealing
food if their children are starving? |
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Such
choices aren't always easy. Some |
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people argue
that occasionally, our ethics must be "relative." |
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"Relative
ethics" means that in some
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situations,
especially difficult ones, a person must consider all sides, then
choose the least worst. Most religions accept this, up to a
point. Many people often use a relative system of ethics.
For example, most people will tell a small lie if it helps someone
avoid being beaten in a meaningless fight with, say, a drunk.
And most moral authorities--such as pastors and teachers--forgive
such lies. In other words, a small wrong to avoid a big one
is acceptable.
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Brief
Transition
An important way to make short paragraphs is
transition paragraphs like the short one to the left. Such paragraphs sum
up what came before and/or what comes next. Cover the small paragraph and
see how the other two read without it. Then read them again with the short
paragraph. You should notice how much the middle makes the long ones flow
more logically.
In the short paragraph, the first sentence
summarizes the paragraph before it; the second sentence summarizes the
paragraph after it.
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TOPIC SHIFTS (with Multiple
Paragraphs):
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Title
by Your Name
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2+ Paragraphs
per Topic Section
College papers often have 3-5 body sections
known as "topic sections" with several paragraphs in each. The left
diagram shows a short paper with 3 sects. and 2-3 paragraphs per sect.
The number of paragraphs per sect. may vary a
little, but dramatic differences require different organization: e.g., in
this diagram, if sect. 2 had 10 paragraphs, it should be divided into more
sections; if it had just 1 paragraph, more should be added, or that
paragraph should be added to another section.
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TOPIC SHIFTS (with Underlined
Subtitles):
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Title
by Your Name
Introduction
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This paper is |
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about X, Y, and Z. |
Xxx
Yyy
Zzz
Conclusion
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This paper was |
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about X, Y, and Z. |
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Section
Subtitles
Many disciplines require or allow a subtitle
(or an extra space or marker as
above) for a new body section. A
subtitle stands on a line of its own, and usually is just one or a few
underlined words.
Its content usually is a required word (like "Conclusion"),
or it is a key phrase or word from the entire section. Note: It
does not summarize the first paragraph, but rather the entire
section.
If subtitles are used, an "Introduction"
subtitle may or may not be required. However, a "Conclusion"
subtitle almost always is used.
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STARTING & CONCLUDING SENTENCES
IN TOPIC SECTIONS:
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Title
by Your Name
Introduction
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This paper is |
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about X, Y, and Z. |
Xxx
Yyy
Zzz
Conclusion
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This paper was |
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about X, Y, and Z. |
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Body Section
Topic Sentences
Each topic section needs an introductory
"topic sentence." This sent. states the subject of the entire
section (not just the 1st para-graph). The topic sent. is the first
sentence of the first paragraph in the topic section, as shown on the
left.
Each section also needs a concluding sent.
showing the point, purpose, or result of the entire section (not just of
the final paragraph.)
These intro and concluding sentences are
powerful organizational tools: they tell readers what you are going to say
and what you have said.
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STARTING
& CONCLUDING SENTENCES IN PARAGRAPHS:
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Title
by Your Name
Introduction
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This paper is |
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about X, Y, and Z. |
Xxx
Yyy
Zzz
Conclusion
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This paper was |
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about X, Y, and Z. |
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Paragraph-Level
Topic Sentences
Each major paragraph also needs its own topic
sentence at its start, and a concluding sentence at its end. The
starting topic sent. for the paragraph should
summarize or state what is in just the paragraph. The concluding
sent. for the paragraph should state the final point or result of
just the paragraph.
This pattern -- two different sets of starting
and ending sents. -- may seem repetitious. However, it gives your
readers an easy-to-follow flow of ideas. Learn this pattern with a
light and efficient touch, without repetition.
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Conclusion
This chapter has shown you how to organize paragraphs for strong,
purposeful expression of your writing ideas.
Remember that you do not at all need to write your initial paragraphs
like this. You can, instead, simply use this paragraphing knowledge in the REVISING
stage--the third step of writing--to strongly change how your readers hear your
flow of ideas and details.
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