Paragraph

Ghinaa Jayanthi Putri, M.Hum

 Paragraph
• A paragraph is defined as a group of sentences or a single sentence that
forms a unit.

• A paragraph is a unit of writing that consists of one or more sentences

focusing on a single idea or topic. 

• A paragraph is composed by one or several sentences that are

coherently connected and explain a specific idea or topic. Also, a text
can contain different kinds of paragraphs depending on the necessities
of the topic.

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 Paragraph
1. Topic Sentence
This sentence outlines the main idea that will be presented in the
paragraph.

2. Supporting Sentence
This is the part of the paragraph that presents details, facts, examples,
quotes and arguments that support the main idea.

3. Concluding Sentence
This sentence summarizes the main idea of the paragraph. It may also lead
the reader to the topic of the next paragraph.
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 Types of Paragraph

1. Narrative
2. Exposition
3. Definition
4. Description
5. Comparative
6. Process analysis
7. Persuasive

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 Narrative

• A story that is written to explain what, when, and who. It reveals what
a reader should learn. Narrative paragraphs are usually written in
chronological order.
• It should make a clear point: it should bring to life a moral, lesson, or
idea.
• Usually contains characters, a setting, a conflict, and resolution. Time
and place and person are established.

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 Example
• My Favorite Family Experience
• One of my favorite family experiences was when I went to see Anne Frank’s (a Jewish victim of
the Nazi persecution during World War II) hideout in Amsterdam, Holland. I had read Anne’s
published diary when I was younger, so I was extremely thrilled to actually have the chance to
see where she and her family hid from the Germans for so many months. I walked up the stairs
of an apartment building and into a room with only a bookshelf in it. From what I remembered
from reading the diary, there was a doorknob behind the books. I found the doorknob and
turned it and there was the secret annex. When I stepped into the room behind the bookshelf,
I felt as if I had stepped back into history. I found Anne’s room still with pictures of her favorite
celebrities on her walls. The Frank family’s furniture was still placed where they had left them
in the rooms, everything just as described in the diary. I toured each room in awe of actually
seeing how they had lived, yet with sadness to know how it all ended. Anne’s diary was no
longer just a book to me, but true heart-felt, emotional life story written by a girl I felt I almost
knew.

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 Exposition
• Exposition is used to provide information, including facts, instructions,
and definitions
• Expository paragraphs are used for explanation. They can list facts,
give directions, or explain ideas. Writers also use expository paragraphs
to define terms, make comparisons, and show cause and effect. Since
information in expository writing can usually be put into categories, it
often uses logical order.
• Provide information either explaining or clarity
• The key problem with exposition is credibility. What makes your
explanation believable? Normally, writers solve this problem by citing
authorities who have good credentials and good reason to be experts
in the subject.
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 Example

• The Importance of Physical Fitness

Why is Physical Activity and Fitness Important? There are some advantages when we get fitnes.
Some of them are: Physical activity is essential to prevent and reduce risks of many diseases and
improve physical and mental health. It can even help you live longer—research from the American
Journal of Preventative Medicine indicates that regular exercise can add up to five years to your life.
Physical activity also keeps you in shape so you can enjoy leisure activities and safely perform work
and home chores. It offers great mental and social benefits as well. The Lancet released a series of
studies that attribute positive outcomes to physical activity, including “a sense of purpose and value,
a better quality of life, improved sleep, and reduced stress, as well as stronger relationships and
social connectedness.” On the other hand, lack of physical activity is associated with increased risks
of healthy problems.

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 Definition
• A definition paragraph is a “writing that explains what a term or
concept means”
• Provides the meaning, origin and functioning of things. They are usually
found on technical and scientific texts.
• Never define anything by the "according to Webster's" method.
Meaning is found in the world, not in the dictionary. Bring the world
into your story and use it to define your terms.
• Saying what something is NOT can help readers; but make a strong
effort to say what it IS.

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 Definition

• The computer is a machine used to store and manage information. Modern

computers consist of a hard drive for storing software and digital files, a central
processing unit for reading and processing the software and files, and a user interface
(usually a screen, keyboard and mouse) for allowing the user to interact with the
software and files. Modern computers have many uses, including word processing,
image and video editing, digital drawing and painting, animation and information
searching. Through the Internet, a system connecting computers all over the planet,
computers allow users to access information of all kinds in all manner of languages.
Computers increase the power of human beings to gather, generate and make use of
information.

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 Description

• A description paragraph is required when you are asked to write about how something looks, sound,
smells, tastes or feels. You should provide specific details of the most important features and use
appropriate adjectives to describe attributes and qualities.
• Use this paragraph structure when you need to define a concept, and demonstrate an understanding of
how it relates to a particular context or discipline.
• Description is not what you saw, but what readers need to see in order to imagine the scene, person,
object, etc.
• Description requires you to record a series of detailed observations. Be especially careful to make real
• Observations. The success of a description lies in the difference between what a reader can imagine and
what you actually saw and recorded; from that gap arises a spark of engagement.
• Use sensory language. Go light on adjectives and adverbs. Look for ways to describe action. Pay special
attention to the sound and rhythm of words; use these when you can.

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 Example
• My Classmate, Yuta
• Yuta is one of the 150 International students at the ELC of Brigham
Young University. He is from Japan. He grew up in Japan, and he is 19
years old. There are six people in his family, a father, a mother, three
sisters and himself. He is the youngest in his family. He is also the only
boy in his family, but now he is in Provo, Utah, studying English. Yuta
likes the United States very much and he thinks everything is cheap.
Yuta thinks his English classes are excellent and the teachers are
professionals. Yuta thinks someone in his class is noisy so he doesn’t
like that. In his free time he spends too much time sleeping, so it seems
that he has a sleeping sickness.
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 Comparative
• Shows the similarities and differences between two objects.

• A compare and/or contrast paragraph is required if you are asked to

examine similarities and/or differences. Compare focuses on
similarities. Contrast focuses on differences.

• Before writing a comparison, better for you to make draw up a chart

and fill it in, to make certain you have all the elements necessary to
write a comparison.

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 Example

• Watch is used to manage our time directly. In the past, the first watch
was an analog. Following days, it has been changed to digital watch in a
version. This is more futuristic. For examples are Casio, G-Shock, and
QnQ. They have a unique design in a shape. They are made of Japan
Quartz. In this paragraph, I would like to give you the information on
the contrasting Features, Price, and Quality.

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 Process Analysis
• Explains that process analysis serves two goals, namely explaining “how to do something and or
how something works”. While these are the primary uses of process analysis, it can also be used
to discuss change over time such as how your understanding of a certain issues developed.
• Process analysis essentially boils down to the following points
• “It tells readers what process you want them to know about and makes a point about it”: make
sure your topic sentence clarifies the single process and what you have to say about it
• “It explains the steps in detail”: how much detail you need depends on the topic and space
limitations
• “It presents the steps in a logical order (usually time order)”: going back to the recipe analogy, it
would not make sense to start a pizza recipe by ‘bake for 15 minutes until golden brown’, so
make sure the order you use enables your reader to follow your points

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 Example

• Five steps are necessary for writing a good paragraph. First, a writer must choose a
topic. The topic must not be two broad or too narrow. Second, she needs to draft a
topic sentence; he needs to add a controlling idea to the topic. The controlling idea
limits his writing. Third, he brainstorms and organizes supporting ideas and details.
The supporting ideas are stages or steps of how to do something or how something is
done. Next, he writes a first draft. The draft contains topic sentence sentence,
supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence. All of the sentences must be
complete sentences. Last, he needs to revises his draft. This stage requires
proofreading and editing. He may ask a friend to proofread and edit it afterwards. In
short, if you want to write a good paragraph, follow these steps.

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 Persuasive
• Persuasive is used to share opinions and convince others to agree or take action
• Persuasive paragraphs are used to share an opinion about a particular subject.
Writers of persuasive paragraphs try to convince readers to agree with the opinions
in the paragraphs and, sometimes, to take action. A persuasive paragraph often uses
order of importance
• To persuade people to change their minds or take an action, more is needed than
your opinion or sense of conviction. You need to supply them with the information,
analysis, and context they need to form their own opinions, make their own
judgments, and take action.
• Remember: Readers are interested in only one opinion--their own. If you can help
them formulate and deepen that opinion, they will be glad they read your article.

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 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.

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“
Learning never exhausts the mind

Leonardo da Vinci
”
Questions are welcomed,everyone.

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