Types of paragraph

Literary paragraph

Literary paragraphs are paragraphs written about literature; they are part
of a genre known as "literary criticism." This does not mean they are supposed to
find fault with a piece of literature; criticism, in this sense, is an analytical
examination of a poem, story, novel, play, essay, or other literary work. The
writer of a literary paragraph must choose a specific aspect of the text to examine
and then focus on that aspect, always referring back to the literature. Literary
paragraphs do not make references to “real life” – the protagonist may be just
like the writer’s Great-aunt Gertrude, but this observation has no place in a
literary paragraph. Quotations are often used to support the observations and
evaluations made by the writer.

Example

Narrative Paragraph

Narrative paragraphs tell stories. They differ from short stories or novels in
length as well as in the amount of detail provided; they sometimes are little more
than brief vignettes. True narrative paragraphs, however, are similar to short
stories in that they feature characters, follow a plot line, include a conflict which
is resolved and are told from an identifiable point of view. They may also
establish a setting or include a moral.

Example

Learning how to ride a bike for the first time was a nerve racking
independent moment. I was about five years old when my sister informed me
that I was too old to still be riding a bike with training wheels. That was the time I
decided not to depend on them anymore. Even though I had some doubt, my
sister and I went outside and started to take the little wheels off my bike. After my
bike went through the transformation, I was now ready for the big moment. With
butterflies in my stomach, I slowly got on the bike, and with my shaky hands, I
gripped the handles tightly. Meanwhile my sister was holding on to me to help
keep my balance. I was so afraid the she would let go, yet I was determined to
ride this bike on my own. Next with a little push from her, I started to peddle. The
faster my bike went the faster my heart raced. Finally, I looked back nervously
and noticed that my sister let go of my bike a long time ago. I was so excited that I
accomplished freedom on my bike that I forgot to peddle. The next step I
remember, I was lying on the ground, yet I did not care because of the adrenaline
rush. I will never forget the exhilarating moment and growing up stage of riding a
bike without training wheels.

Descriptive Paragraph

The purpose of a descriptive paragraph is to allow the reader to experience

the item, phenomenon or event being described as vividly as possible without
physically sensing it. That is, the reader cannot see it, but knows what it looks
like; cannot taste it, but knows whether it is salty or sweet; cannot touch it, but
knows its texture. Descriptive paragraphs typically include modifiers (ex.,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases) and figurative language (ex.,
metaphors, personification, similes) to help enrich the "experience" for the
reader.

Example

As Chad Reed pulled into the pits, you could tell just by looking at him that
this had been a grueling race. His dirt bike was plastered with so much brown,
wet, sticky mud that you couldn’t even read the number plates. His boots, resting
comfortably on the foot pegs, were a mess of muddy brown dirt, bright white
plastic and black buckles. His riding pants were soaked and covered with mud on
the front, while the back remained a brilliant white and blue. His chest protector
seemed to have kept most of the mud off of his blue and white jersey, although
his sleeves had turned the same swampy brown color as his bike. His goggles
hung looped over the handlebars of his bike, dripping the ooze it had saved from
Chad’s eyes. His helmet, still on his head, was a greasy smeary brown, save for the
thin line of white and blue where his goggle strap had been. Although his body
looked beaten, his eyes, peering through the helmet, seemed relaxed and happy.
He had just won a very long and very tiring race.
Expository Paragraph

An expository paragraph explains something; its purpose is to help the

reader understand. Exposition often includes techniques such as the use of
examples or illustrations to support a point or the use of some kind of ordering
(chronological or numerical, for example) to help a reader follow a process.
Exposition needs to be clear; language is often quite direct although sometimes a
writer may use language devices to help illustrate a point.

Example

Persuasive Paragraph

The purpose of a persuasive paragraph is to convince the reader of

something, such as the writer's position on a controversial topic or a proposal for
a new project. The structure is often similar to that of an expository piece, as it is
usually helpful to explain a little bit about the subject, but rhetorical devices are
often employed to help sway the reader's opinion. The language can be highly
charged; the intent is to get a reaction.

Example

Immigration contributes to the overall health of the American economy.

Despite recent concerns expressed about illegal and some legal immigration to
the United States, this country has largely benefited from the skills, talents, and
ambition that immigrants bring with them. American businesses gain from a good
source of affordable labor, while towns and cities are revitalized by immigrant
families who strengthen communities through civic participation and the
generation of new economic activity. The United States must continue to
welcome new arrivals and help those who are already here; otherwise, the
country will lose the advantages it has over other industrialized countries that
compete against us in the global marketplace and seek to recruit from a vast pool
of unskilled and skilled global workers.
Argumentative paragraph

An argument paragraph presents a point of view, and provides evidence to

support the position taken by the writer. Evidence to support the position can
include reasons, personal experience, statistics, confirmed facts and expert
research.

Example

Classification paragraph

In this type of paragraph, separate items are grouped together according to

shared characteristics.

Example

A first date can end up being categorized as successful, a clingy, a boastful

or awkward. Successful first dates include both parties expressing information
about what they like, who they are, and so forth. Usually, these dates will end in
tentative plans for a second one. Clingy dates end up with one of the parties
practically begging for information about the other. However, the non-clinger is
not interested. On boastful dates, one member of the duo talks about all of his or
her skills, talents, and abilities. The listening end of the pair is never asked about
his or her life. Awkward first dates generally involve lots of silence or one or both
of the partners not knowing how to act appropriately. While many dates occur
every day, they can generally fall into one of these categories.

Definition paragraph

The starting point for a definition paragraph is a simple definition in the first
sentence (the topic sentence). Support sentences then give more information
such as examples, description and explanation.

Example

An am track is not a boat; however, it is a military vehicle that moves on the

ocean as well as on land. It’s an armored vehicle that weighs twenty-six tons. An
am track’s job is to carry troops from ships off shore onto the beach in an
amphibious assault. It’s made out of aluminum, with steel suspension. It has a
tracked suspension, much like a bulldozer. Its front end slopes upward toward the
headlights in an effort to give it greater ground clearance. It’s propelled on land
by its tracked suspension; however, in the water it uses two water jets. It has a
turret that holds a fifty caliber machine gun, and a forty millimeter, fully
automatic, grenade launcher. It has a ramp on the back that can be raised or
lowered for the easy loading and unloading of troops. There is a door built into
this ramp so that when the ramp is up, people can still get in and out through the
back. It has three hatches behind the turret that can be opened to allow the
dropping of supplies into the vehicle, or to allow embarked infantry a means of
looking out. The driver looks out of a hatch on the front left side of the vehicle,
while the troop commander sits just behind him. The vehicle commander, sits in
the turret of the vehicle, and mans the machine guns. The am track is fully
amphibious.

Inductive Paragraphs

Inductive paragraphs begin generally and end more specifically with a

point, topic sentence, major idea or thesis. There are a few reasons someone
might write an inductive sentence. In an introduction when a reader needs to be
drawn into your topic before learning what your point about that topic is going to
be. The second reason someone might write an inductive paragraph is if they
believe the reader might disagree with their point. Therefore, they may begin
with a number of facts to persuade the reader to logically lead the reader to the
writer's conclusion. The other major situation in which a writer might want to use
an inductive paragraph form would be to introduce an argument or idea that they
are arguing against. That idea must be introduced first before arguing against it
and eventually leading to the writer's point.

Deductive Paragraphs

Deductive paragraphs begin with their point (topic sentence), and then go
on to support and develop that point. This is the most common type of paragraph
and the type with which you are probably most familiar. Many times body
paragraphs are deductive, and conclusions almost always are deductive
paragraphs, beginning with a more nuanced restatement of the thesis.

Summary Paragraphs

A summary shrinks a large amount of information into only the essentials. You
probably summarize events, books, and movies daily. Think about the last
blockbuster movie you saw or the last novel you read. Chances are, at some point
in a casual conversation with a friend, coworker, or classmate, you compressed all
the action in a two-hour film or in a two-hundred-page book into a brief
description of the major plot movements. While in conversation, you probably
described the major highlights, or the main points in just a few sentences, using
your own vocabulary and manner of speaking.

Illustration paragraph

In an illustration paragraph, specific examples are used to clarify and

support a general statement.

Example

In North America they are distributed along the mountain ranges of the
Pacific Coast from central California northward. They abound in the Andes range
in South America and are familiar and greatly admired spectacles in the Alps, the
Pyrenees, the Caucasus Mountains and the mountains of Scandinavia. Rivers of
ice flow down the valleys of various Asian mountain ranges, including the
Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, and the Karakoram and Kunlun ranges. They are also a
feature of the Southern Alps of New Zealand and are found in the lofty mountains
of New Guinea. The largest piedmont glaciers are the Malaspina and Bering
glaciers, both in Alaska.