Lecture 3: Paragraphs

The outline for today's class:

Introduction to Paragraphs
“The Missing Piece to the Gang-Violence Debate” in Essay Writing
Paragraph Review
Paragraph Activity
Paragraph Activity
Paragraph Test
Homework

Paragraphs:

A paragraph is a collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic
One idea per paragraph
If you begin to transition into a new idea, it belongs in a new paragraph
You can have one idea with several examples of support in one paragraph, but always only ONE idea


Supporting Details:

• Use examples and illustrations
• Cite data (facts, statistics, evidence, details, and others)
• Examine testimony (what other people say such as quotes and paraphrases)
• Use an anecdote or story
• Define terms in the paragraph
• Compare and contrast
• Evaluate causes and reasons
• Examine effects and consequences
• Analyse the topic
• Describe the topic
• Offer a chronology of an event (time segments)

A New Paragraph:

• Must link with the previous paragraph
• Use transitional words such as:
• Meanwhile
• Furthermore
• Contrastingly
• Consequently

See page 459-460 in Essay Writing for more examples


Recap:

Beginning - Introduce your idea
Middle - Explain your idea, support with examples, statistics
Conclusion - Make your point again, summarise, transition to next paragraph



Homework:

For Next Class: Read “Kiddy Thinks” 269 and Chapter 6 in Essay Writing


Note: image from North Coast Institute.