Chapter 13 PARAGRAPH WRITING

• A paragraph is a group of sentences
• A well-structured paragraph has a beginning, a middle & an end

STRUCTURE – 3 Parts

1. Topic sentence/Introducer

• The first sentence that introduces the main idea
• Usually appears in the beginning of a paragraph
• Gives the core idea & emphasizes it
• Guides the readers to know what it is all about

Two major functions: Structural & Interpretive

1. Structural topic sentences
2. Describe the shape of the argument
3. Help to follow the argument
4. Guide the readers to anticipate & move with the rest of the paragraph
5. Interpretive topic sentences
6. Offer a conclusion/reaction/feeling
7. Acquaint the readers with the author’s perspective
8. So more valuable than structural topic sentence
9. Structural topic sentence does not tell us a lot about the topic
10. Interpretive topic sentence allows the writer to freely express his/her interpretation of the data & also tries to convince the reader
11. Both are known as introducers
12. Introducer > lays the foundation for the rest of the argument to follow
13. Raises hopes and makes promises

2. Supporting details/Developers

• Constitute the main body of the passage
• Fulfil the promise made by the introducers
• Substantiate, augment & authenticate the claims made by the introducers

3. The concluding sentences / Terminators

• Wind up the discussion
• Leave on the reader the final impression about the crux of the entire paragraph 

CONSTRUCTION OF A PARAGRAPH — TECHNIQUES 

1. Narrative Description
2. Suits the paragraphs that have an intense emotion to express
3. Sustains our interest by telling a story in an engaging manner
4. Comparisons & Contrasts
5. Two similar things are compared/two dissimilar things are contrasted
6. Make the argument forceful & emphatic
7. Prove our perspectives in an objective manner
8. Sustained Analogy
9. Analogy = comparison of things that are generally not from the same class
10. Extensive use of such comparisons = sustained analogy
11. Is figurative & literary in its impact & appeal
12. Cause and Effect
13. An important device that helps to establish a relationship b/w certain events & the reasons behind them
14. Convinces readers in a scientific & logical manner
15. Quotations & Paraphrasing
16. Quoting authorities substantiates a point of view
17. Peer testimony = when the words of common people are quoted
18. Enumeration
19. Listing a series of ideas to substantiate the topic sentence

FEATURES OF A PARAGRAPH

1. Unity
2. The togetherness of ideas
3. A paragraph should have one central idea – outlined through the topic sentence — & the subordinating ideas that help the main idea
4. Coherence
5. All the ideas fit together well
6. E.g.: arguing for an idea & arguing against it at the same time result in incoherence
7. Expansion & Emphasis
8. Properly expanding & emphasizing the idea introduced in a sentence
9. Taking the generated idea to its logical conclusion