Steps for Writing a Paragraph

Step #1 Answer these planning questions

Topic … What or who am I writing about?

Purpose … Why am I writing about this? What is my point?

Audience … Who will be reading it? How does that affect how I write?

Type … What type of paragraph will work best, considering all these
things?

Step #2 Collect/brainstorm information and ideas

For a
paragraph You need to find/think of …
that is …

sensory details—how things look, feel, sound, smell and

Descriptive taste

details about the situation—how it began, what happened

Narrative in the middle, how it ended

facts, evidence and examples to back up or prove your

Persuasive opinion

a list of details, facts or steps to explain the idea or

Expository process

Knowledge and Employability Studio Writing/Paragraph Writing/

English Language Arts Steps for Writing a Paragraph 1/2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada (www.LearnAlberta.ca) 2006
 Step #3 Put your ideas in order/fill in a planner

Basic Paragraph
A basic paragraph of any type begins with an introductory sentence
to open the topic. It is followed by three or four supporting sentences
that explain the idea more or provide evidence for the topic, and a
concluding sentence that sums up and closes the topic.

Examples of linking words

Time Order Paragraph that show time order:

Narrative, descriptive and expository when, first, second, next,

paragraphs can all be written in time then, after, later, until, at,
order. This means that the events or finally, as soon as,
steps are told in the order that they meanwhile
happen.
Examples of linking words
that show place order:
Place Order Paragraph
Descriptive and expository paragraphs above, below, between,
on, over, near, under, by,
can be written in place order. This against, inside, through
means that the details are described in
the order that they are found (from
top to bottom, left to right, outside to
inside).

Importance Order Paragraph

Persuasive and expository paragraphs, along with narrative paragraphs
that tell news stories, can all be written in importance order. This means
that the paragraph begins with the most important or main idea and the
supporting details are organized from the most to least important.

Step #4 Write a first draft

Step #5 Revise and edit the first draft

Step #6 Write a final draft

Knowledge and Employability Studio Writing/Paragraph Writing/

English Language Arts Steps for Writing a Paragraph 2/2
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada (www.LearnAlberta.ca) 2006