PARAGRAPH WRITING

Course Instructor

• Noor Saeed
 PARAGRAPH WRITING
• A group of related sentences on a specific topic.
•
• •Part of an essay or a complete unit itself.
•
• •Focuses on a single aspect.
•
• •The smallest unit of writing.
 FEATURES OF A PARAGRAPH

•
Unity : A paragraph deals with one main thought.
•

•• Cohesion : The sentences are connected by connecting devices like conjunctions, pronouns and the
definite article ‘the’.

• Coherence: The semantic relationship between sentences. i.e the sentences are related in terms of
meaning.

•• Balance : the balance of a paragraph depends on the proper distribution of emphasis.

•• Variety: to avoid monotony in the lengths of

•the paragraphs, sentence construction

•• a judicious mixture of simple, complex and compound sentences .

 TYPES OF PARAGRAPHS

1. Narrative
There are four main types of 2. Descriptive
paragraphs: 3. Expository
4. Persuasive
 This type of paragraph
THE describes one primary topic

NARRATIVE and narrates or tells its story.

The topic usually involves
PARAGRAPH one main event, adventure,
scene, or happening.
TIPS FOR WRITING A NARRATIVE
PARAGRAPH:
1. Start with a topic sentence that grabs the reader’s
attention.
2. Write events in the order in which they occurred.
3. Use plenty of interesting details.

A narrative paragraph provides a lot of

detail but still stays on topic.
START YOUR NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH WITH A STRONG
TOPIC SENTENCE.

“This past weekend I had the time of my life. First, Friday night, I had my
best friend over and we made a delicious, mouth-watering pizza. After we ate,
we had a friendly video game competition.”

If the first sentence (topic sentence) is

strong enough, the reader look forward
to finding out what happens next.
USE TRANSITION WORDS TO MOVE FROM EVENT TO
EVENT.

“On Saturday, my dad took us out on the boat. The weather was
perfect, and the water was warm. It was a great day to go for a swim.
Later that night, we went to the movies. We saw an action-packed
thriller and ate a lot of popcorn.

Did you notice how the words (transition

words) in bold move the narrative
naturally from one thing to the next?
END YOUR DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH A GOOD
CONCLUDING SENTENCE.

“Finally, on Sunday, we rode our bikes all over town. By the end of the
day, my legs were very tired. I only hope that next weekend will be as
fun as this one.”

This narrative paragraph keeps

everything in order, adds in a lot of detail,
and ends on a strong note.
 THE When writing this type of
paragraph, you describe
DESCRIPTIV something with words that
allows your reader to almost
E “see” what you’re describing.
PARAGRAPH
USE STRONG VERBS AND COLORFUL ADJECTIVES IN A
DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH.

Verb (action word) examples : Adjective (describes noun)

examples :

• run • smelly
• leap • radiant
• shout • gorgeous
• fly • gigantic
 HERE ARE SOME SAMPLE SENTENCES WITH STRONG
VERBS AND COLORFUL ADJECTIVES.

“The petite, young girl merrily “A strong, putrid odor flowed

skipped around the blossoming, through the musty air outside the
fragrant bushes.” garbage dumpster.”

The descriptive words in each sentence

help the reader see (and smell!) what is
being described.

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 THE When writing this type of
paragraph, you provide
EXPOSITOR information. You write it in a
logical sequence so your
Y reader can follow the ideas.
PARAGRAPH
THREE PARTS OF AN EXPOSITORY
PARAGRAPH:

1. topic sentence
2. supporting sentences in a logical
sequence
3. concluding sentence
THE TOPIC SENTENCE IN AN EXPOSITORY PARAGRAPH
STATES THE MAIN IDEA, OR WHAT YOU’LL WRITE ABOUT.

Example: “Going to college can be expensive.”

When your reader reads this sentence,

he or she will know your paragraph is
going to cover the costs of attending
college.
EACH SUPPORTING SENTENCE MAY BE FOLLOWED BY ONE
OR TWO SENTENCES THAT ADD DETAILS OR GIVE MORE
EXPLANATION.

Example: “First, college tuition and room and board can

cost anywhere from $2,000 to more than $10,000 per
semester. Other expenses can add up, as well. For
example, books typically cost between $300 and $500
each term.”
 THE NEXT SUPPORTING SENTENCE AND DETAIL
SENTENCES FOLLOW IN A LOGICAL SEQUENCE.

Example: “Second, materials are also very expensive.

Paper, notebooks, writing utensils, and other required
supplies often cost more at the college bookstore than at a
discount store. For instance, a package of notepaper
costing $2 at a discount store might cost $5 at the college
bookstore.”

© 2016 Time4Writing.com. All Rights Reserved. www.time4writing.com/free-writing-resources

YOU MAY HAVE OTHER SUPPORTING SENTENCES AND
DETAIL SENTENCES, STILL IN LOGICAL SEQUENCE.

Example: “Finally, there are all kinds of special fees added

onto the bill at registration time. A college student might
have to pay a $50 insurance fee, a $20 activity fee, a $15
fee to the student government association and anywhere
from $100 to $1,000 for parking. There is another fee if a
student decides to add or drop a course after registration
ends.”
YOUR PARAGRAPH SHOULD END WITH AN APPROPRIATE
CONCLUDING SENTENCE.

Example: “The costs required to attend college never seem

to end.”

This sentence ties back to the topic

sentence, often by rephrasing it. It shows
you where the sequence of information
finally leads you.
 This type of paragraph tries to
THE change the reader's mind

PERSUASIV about something or to

persuade the reader to agree
E with the writer's point of
view.
PARAGRAPH
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PERSUASIVE
PARAGRAPHS:
1. the first sentence should lay out the writer’s
point of view on the topic at hand
2. supporting sentences should back up the
opinion with logic
3. all claims should be able to be supported with
evidence
 A SAMPLE PERSUASIVE PARAGRAPH:

Spring is the best season. First, spring is colorful. Flowers of all kinds begin to
bloom, and even some trees have colorful buds. Next, with spring comes warmer
weather. While some days are still chilly, the wind has lost its winter bite,
allowing people to get outside more often. Finally, spring has pleasant noises of
all kinds. In some places, one can hear the peeping of frogs and the song of the
whippoorwill at night. To one’s eyes, skin, and ears, the best season of the year is
spring!
THE END