Paragraph Development

1
Paragraph Development

• How to Support Topic Sentences

2
Types of Support Include

1. Examples or illustrations
2. Definitions of terms
3. Descriptions of people, places, things
4. Narrations or brief stories
5. Comparisons and contrasts
6. Causes and/or effects
7. Classifications of groups

3
Support by Example

• Examples make the topic sentence more believable.
• Topic Sentence A good friend is someone who
  keeps my secrets.
• My best friend Nida, for example, never shares
  my secrets with anyone.

4
Support by Definition

• Definitions help clarify the meaning of terms or
  key concepts
• To me, friendship is about trust, dependability,
  and understanding.
• My car must look good, run good, and go fast.

5
Support by Description

• Writers use descriptions to explain what they
  mean.
• My dream house must have an upstairs bedroom for
  added privacy, a kitchen big enough for at least
  two people to cook in, and a living room with a
  good view of natural scenery like a lake or a
  waterfall.

6
Narratives clarify ideas

• Tell a brief story to support your topic.
• I didnt pay much attention to my brothers
  advice until I bought my first car. He told me
  not to shift until the car was stopped, but I
  like to shift into drive while the car was
  rolling back. It made the tires sound off. Then
  I broke the transmission doing it it cost too
  much to get it fixed, so now I listen to my
  brother.

7
Comparisons clarify ideas

• Writers provide comparisons to help readers
  understand their point.
• I paid nothing for high school, so pretty much I
  just blew it off as unimportant. College, on the
  other hand, costs me about 1,000 per semester.
  Because Im paying for it, it means a lot more to
  me!

8
Results explain points

• Writers use effects to explain their points to
  readers.
• With the unnecessary war, the president is
  putting too many soldiers in danger.
• Having school year-around will help kids to
  learn a lot more information.

9
Causes also explain

• Another focus is to point to causes.
• The exit essay is so difficult that it is
  causing a lot of students to fail English.
• The cause of test anxiety is that most students
  arent secure about their knowledge of the
  information.

10
Support Thesis Sentences with a Variety
Development

1. Examples or illustrations
2. Definitions of terms
3. Descriptions of people, places, things
4. Narrations or brief stories
5. Comparisons and contrasts
6. Causes and/or effects
7. Classifications of groups

11
Which developmental style is needed?

• What kind of student are you?
• a. example, b. definition, c. cause.
• How do you make friends?
• a. description, b. contrast,
• c. classification.
• 3. Why do you come to college early?
• a. illustration, b. narration, c. cause.

12
Paragraph Development

1. Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence.
2. The topic sentence expresses your main opinion in
   the paragraph.
3. Next, support your opinion with reasonable
   detail.
4. Provide more than one support for each topic
   sentence. /end/