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Sample Paragraph Jim Roth's Website PARAGRAPHS MADE
EASY A paragraph is a
collection of sentences that presents and supports one and only one idea or
opinion. Typically, one of the
sentences in the collection states our main idea or opinion (this is called
the topic sentence) and the rest of
the sentences support, give examples, offer proof—whatever it takes to get
our idea across to the reader. To be acceptable,
a paragraph requires three elements--unity,
coherence, and completeness—and we can test our
paragraphs for these three requirements even before readers read them. Unity means connection to one idea; in other
words every sentence in the paragraph needs to be about that one--and only
that one--idea presented in the topic sentence. Checking for unity is easy.
Once we have the rough paragraph written, we get our topic sentence’s
idea clearly in mind, and then we read each supporting sentence to see if it
supports that idea. When we find a
sentence that does not offer support, we either rewrite it or throw it
out. Once each of our
support sentences does, in fact, pass the unity test—supports the idea in the
topic sentence--we can be assured that our paragraph has the unity our
readers will need and expect. Once our rough
paragraph has unity, we turn to the second element--coherence. Coherence means
order—in this case, the order of
our paragraph’s support sentences.
When we check for coherence, we first determine the best or most
convincing order for our support sentences, and then we check to see if our
support sentences are, in fact, in the most effective order. Two types of coherence or order are used widely
in paragraphs: chronological order and emphatic order. Chronological order is time order. In this case, we begin
with the topic sentence and then put our support sentences in the order in
which they occurred in time. Here’s an example of chronological
order: Let’s say the idea or
opinion we want to get across to our reader is that beginning a college
career is frustrating. Our topic sentence might be “Beginning a
college degree is a frustrating experience.”
Now we need to support it. One
way we could do this is to spend the rest of the paragraph giving our reader
a chronology of those frustrations. For example, we could begin by describing the frustration of trying to
decide which program or courses to take.
Our second point of support might be relating the frustration of
securing funds to pay for the courses.
We could then follow with tackling a very frustrating registration
process. Next might be the long lines at the book store and the frustration
of rounding up all the necessary supplies.
We could end our paragraph with the last event in time—the frustration
of actually beginning the classes--sorting out the syllabi, finding the classrooms,
meeting with the instructors, and so on. The other type of coherence
commonly use is called emphatic order
or order of importance. When we use emphatic order, we make sure that we
end our paragraph with our best or most significant point of support. Think of it this way: whatever the reader
reads last, the reader will remember best. Try this example: Let’s say we are applying for a job. The application asks us to write a
paragraph briefly describing our qualifications. Let’s also say that we have three relevant
qualifications: we can read blueprints, we can survey land, and we can
understand and use a computer drafting program. Additionally, let’s say we
also know that this particular company is most interested in someone with
blueprint reading experience. Our topic sentence for this paragraph might be: “I believe I have
excellent qualifications for this position.”
Now we would apply emphatic order (order of importance) to the supporting details: We could begin our support by detailing our land surveying experience. Next we could move to our computer-assisted drafting experience. Toward the end of this paragraph, the most
emphatic location, we present the qualification most valued by this
company—our blueprint reading experience.
To accomplish this, we would include a sentence like “But most importantly, I have a wealth of
experience reading blueprints,” and then follow it with the
specifics. Emphatic and effective, and we just might
get the job. Completeness is the final requirement of a healthy
paragraph. In this case we have to get
into our reader’s mind and anticipate how much development, explanation,
support he or she will need to understand and agree with us. This brings us to
the nearly ageless question of “How many sentences does a paragraph
need?” The answer is as many as our
readers need to fully understand our point. A writer’s biggest
error concerning completeness is to assume the readers know more about the
topic than they really do. When this
happens, the writer skimps on support which will likely leave the readers
unconvinced and confused. A good general
rule on completeness is this:
assume our readers are intelligent non-specialists
in whatever topic we are presenting.
Because of this, we need to add more
support than we think the idea needs. To see sample paragraphs in action, please study the Milkshake Essay. Carefully study the structure of the paragraphs and
the essay they create. Look specifically at
paragraphs two, three, and four. Note
the placement of the topic sentences (at the beginning of the paragraph is
usually best). Please also note the
development—the sentences that follow to explain or convince the reader of
the points we presented in the topic sentences. See if all three paragraphs pass the tests
of unity, coherence, and completeness. |