The essentials of good paragraph construction are:
(1) Unity
(2) A good topical sentence
(3) The logical sequence of thought
(4) Variety
(5) A full and rounded final sentence in the conclusion
(1) Unity
(2) A good topical sentence
(3) The logical sequence of thought
(4) Variety
(5) A full and rounded final sentence in the conclusion
Different Types of Paragraphs:
There are four types of
paragraphs that you need to know about: descriptive, narrative, expository, and
persuasive. A quick search around the internet will yield other types, but to
keep this simple, it's a good idea to consider just these four.
The descriptive paragraph: This
type of paragraph describes something and shows the reader what a thing or a
person is like. The words chosen in the description often appeal to the five
senses of touch, smell, sight, sound, and taste. Descriptive paragraphs can be
artistic and may deviate from grammatical norms.
The narrative paragraph: This
type of paragraph tells a story. There's a sequence of action or there's a
clear beginning, middle, and end to the paragraph.
The expository paragraph: This
type of paragraph explains something or provides instruction. It could also
describe a process and move the reader step by step through a method. This type
of paragraph often requires research, but it's possible that the writer is able
to rely on his or her own knowledge and expertise.
The persuasive paragraph: This
type of paragraph tries to get the reader to accept a particular point of view
or understand the writer's position. This is the type of paragraph that many
teachers focus on because it's useful when building an argument. It often
requires the collection of facts and research.
It important to point out that
many paragraphs are a combination of these four types, but for the purpose of
instruction, let's consider some examples of each:
This is a descriptive paragraph:
The lights grow brighter as the earth
lurches away from the sun, and now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail
music, and the opera of voices pitches a key higher. Laughter is easier minute
by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word . The groups
change more swiftly, swell with new arrivals, dissolve and form in the same
breath; already there are wanderers, confident girls who weave here and there
among the stouter and more stable, become from a sharp, joyous moment the
center of a group, and then, excited with triumph, glide on through the
sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light.
This excerpt is taken from The
Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In this paragraph you can hear, see, and
feel the setting in which the story takes place. When you practice writing a
descriptive paragraph yourself, you should address all aspects of the physical
world.
This is a narrative paragraph:
It's been almost ten years since I first ran
for political office. I was thirty-five at the time, four years out of law
school, recently married, and generally impatient with life. A seat in the
Illinois legislature had opened up, and several friends suggested that I run,
thinking that my work as a civil rights lawyer, and contacts from my days as a
community organizer, would make me a viable candidate. After discussing it with
my wife, I entered the race and proceeded to do what every first-time candidate
does: I talked to anyone who would listen. I went to block club meetings and
church socials, beauty shops and barbershops. If two guys were standing on a
corner, I would cross the street to hand them campaign literature. And
everywhere I went, I'd get some version of the same two questions.
This opening paragraph from
Barack Obama's The Audacity of Hope tell and interesting story about how a man
entered the arena of politics. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end, and it
raises the reader's curiosity about what will happen next.
This is an expository paragraph:
All toilet flush tanks work about the same.
When the toilet is flushed, the trip handle lifts the tank ball, opening the
outlet and letting water flow into the bowl. When the tank is nearly empty, the
ball falls back in place over the outlet. The float falls with the water level,
opening the water-supply inlet valve just as the outlet is being closed, and
the tank is refilled through the filler tube. Water also flows through the bowl
refill tube into the overflow pipe to replenish trap-sealing water. As the
water level in the tank nears the top of the overflow pipe, the float closes
the inlet valve, completing the cycle.
This paragraph from Reader's
Digest Complete Do-it-yourself Manual gives detailed information about how how
the water moves through a toilet when it is flushed. It's instructive, and if
you like this kind of thing, it may even be interesting.
This is a persuasive paragraph:
Immigration contributes to the overall
health of the American economy. Despite recent concerns related to the costs
created by 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 town and cities are revitalized by immigrant families
who strengthen communities through civic participation the generation of new
economic activity. The United States must continue to welcome new arrivals and
help those who already here; otherwise, the country will lose the advantages it
has over other industrialized countries who compete against us in the global
marketplace and seek to recruit from a vast pool of unskilled and skilled
global workers.
This is the paragraph that appeared
on the page describing what a paragraph is. Your teacher wrote it. I have an
opinion about a particular topic, and in this paragraph I want the reader to
accept or consider my position. The persuasive paragraph is, perhaps, the most
difficult to write but there is a good method I can show you in order to be
successful in writing one.
In the next four lessons, we
will take a closer look at each of these types of paragraphs, starting with
what I consider to be the easiest: the descriptive paragraph.
Example Paragraph Writing Questions
§
The one holiday destination I ever dream
of….
§
The incident that fetched me lots of pain
and disappointment is….
§
Sunday is a day that I mostly spend my time
in……
§
Should bikes be given to college students ?
§
My unforgettable moment that gave me lot of
happiness is….
§
Government job or Private job – Which one
is promising….
§
Government schooling or private schooling –
Your take…
§
Should you become a prime minister, what
changes do you bring upon….
§
Should one get a treatment in private
hospitals or government hospitals.
§
Eating junk food in bakeries and parties
are bad because…….
§
Should eating meat be banned or promoted…….
§
Should a murderer or rapist be hanged or
punished…
§
War between countries is good or evil……
§
Are watching movies erupt psychotic
behavior in youth…
§
Do Video Games enhance our skills or
disgrace the life….
§
Is self affliction a solution for escaping
adversities…
§
Borrowing money is a good practice or a bad
practice…
§
Caging animals and birds in a zoo without
freedom……..
§
Which season do you prefer rainy cold or summer?
Why?
§
Is there a way to stop bribery…. Justify.
§
Should one do job abroad or ones own
country…
§
Can artificial intelligence make human
vulnerable and lazy…..
§
Do you prefer to live in a town or village
or a city….
§
Pollution causes serious consequences in
the future…Justify….
§
If you were given a chance to land on
moon………..
§
If your teacher scolds you badly…..What is
your experience..
§
The moment when teacher slapped you and
why…..
§
The moment you thought of quitting school
or college……
§
Earning money from internet; fake or real….
§
CCTV camera is a threat to privacy of an
individual…
§
Online learning or Classroom learning;
support your thought…
§
Should teachers allow smart phones to
colleges and schools….
§
If I want to share a dream to all of you……
§
Online shopping or showroom shopping which
is better…..
§
Will there be a cure ever for human not
dying ….
§
The best gadget that I prefer to have
always is…
§
Formals dress in schools and colleges are
taking freedom away….
§
Public toilet or private toilet.. the
menace….
§
The festival that brings in me goose
bumps…..
§
The moment when I lost a precious thing or
object….
§
Is ragging still a menace in a developed
world…..
§
Getting an engineering degree or arts
degree?
§
The 3 colors that I prefer to have on my
shirt… Why…
§
Is there a fate or karma for human being…..
§
Gems and Rings give luck….do you agree…..
§
When 2 people are fighting; what will you
do to stop….
§
If there is a fire burning out around; how
do you respond ?
§
If I were to become an IAS what would I
do…….
§
Are devils existing; Is it a superstition
or real……
§
Should street dogs be taken away or keep
them…..
§
Children should not watch Television
because…
§
My goal in life is to become …..
§
Youth nowadays are taking to junk food…
§
I consider my mother/father as my role
model because…
§
I think sharing things with others is good
because…….however there are certain things I don’t like to share like……
§
I like eating out at restaurants now and
then because……
§
I admire my brother/sister as……
§
I like/don’t like getting up early
because….
§
These days many people are growing their
own food because…
§
I like summer /winter/rainy season
because….
§
For Swacch Bharat to be successful, we
should all ….
§
I enjoy travelling to my university by bus
because…
§
On my first day in the university I felt
somewhat/very/quite…..
§
Discipline is not a dirty word….
§
Colour affects the way people feel…
§
Team sports are good because …
§
After completing my studies I want to….
§
Global warming/Environment pollution is my
biggest concern because…
§
Technology can enable us to do a lot of
things like….
§
Social media wastes a lot of ….
§
We cannot believe everything we read in the
media because….
§
I lie sometimes to my friends/parents
because….
§
The person who has been most influential in
my life is….
§
It’s good to keep pets because….
§
Bad behaviour /manners in children should
not be encouraged because….
§
Many people don’t like the idea of wearing
a uniform because….
§
I don’t like/hate crowded places because….
§
I like to be around people who are happy
and smiling because…
§
My favourite food is……
§
The historical buildings in our town/city
should be maintained because….
§
I prefer street markets to supermarkets
because…
§
I like travelling to new places because….
§
The things I do for maintaining physical
fitness are….
§
I can’t understand why people throw rubbish
in public places…
§
I feel senior citizens should be provided
with special facilities for ….
§
The turning phase in my life came when I
met/read/saw/learned …..
§
Diwali/Sankranti/Holi/Christmas/Ramzan is
my favourite festival because….
§
The one place I would love to go as a
tourist to is ….
§
I think reading/gardening/listening to
music is a good hobby because….
§
I like to groom myself and dress
smartly/fashionably because…..
§
A party I went to and enjoyed immensely
was……
§
I like watching the night sky because……
§
My favourite movie star is…../I am a huge
fan of ……because
§
I love to play /watch cricket because…..
§
I usually spend my weekends……..
§
Bike or Car or Train or Flight…Which journey
is safest……
§
Should soft drinks be banned or kept………
§
The best teacher from whom I acquired a lot
of knowledge is…
§
Whatsapp and Tiktok should be allowed only
for elders…
§
Are using mobile apps good or bad….
§
If you are given 1 million; how do you
spend….
§
Buying lotteries should be restricted and
banned….
§
Get a free lunch or get a free travel… Why…
§
Should you put alone in an Island.. how
would you live…
§
If God comes to you and ask for a wish,
What would you wish…
§
What did experience teach you over all in
your life….
§
If you are an author of a book. What would
be a book name….
§
Usage of plastic and alluminium shoule be
banned….
§
Cutting trees and damaging environment is a
future menace….
§
Three things that I never want to do in my
life…..
§
5 things that I wanted to do in my life…..
§
Should poor remain poorer and rich remain
richer ?
§
Same family members entering into politics
– good or bad…
§
Same family members getting movie chances –
Right or wrong…
§
My desired sport and game is …….
§
Are ambulances coming in time to save
victims….
§
What annoys you mostly about the present
politics and government…
§
When did you get wet in rain the last
time…..
§
When did you feel to fight with someone the
last time…
§
Will technology do harm in the form of
global warming…….
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