Tips for
Writing a Paragraph
Characteristics of a good paragraph:
·
Topic sentence,
which includes the topic and a controlling idea.
·
Supporting ideas
(usually 3 – 6), which support the topic sentence
·
RENNS
(reasons, examples, names, numbers,
senses), which give details for and further explain the supporting ideas.
·
Optional concluding
sentence, which leaves the
reading with something to think about and may summarize the supporting
ideas if the paragraph is long.
·
Unity,
which means that all sentences in the paragraph directly support the topic
sentence.
·
Coherenence,
which means that all the information of the paragraph is well-organized,
logically ordered and easy to follow. This is accomplished by:
o
Repetition of key
words and phrases (often from the topic sentence)
o
Parallel grammatical
structure
o
Transition words and
phrases.
Writing a Paragraph:
1.
Compose your topic
sentence. Think of a topic and a controlling idea that will narrow the topic
enough to support it well in one paragraph.
2.
Brainstorm
supporting ideas. Choose 2 – 6 supporting ideas that do a good job supporting
your topic sentence.
3.
Write your paragraph
in topic outline form as follows. Don’t actually write sentences in the outline,
except for the topic sentence.
Topic sentence:
A. Supporting idea 1.
1.2.3.
B. Supporting idea 2.
1.2.3.
C. Supporting idea 3.
1.2.3.
Concluding sentence:
4.
Put your supporting
ideas in a logical order.
5.
For each supporting
idea, think of RENNS that further explain the idea. For balance, each supporting
idea should have about the same amount of RENNS.
6.
Think of a
concluding sentence.
7.
Write your paragraph
using sentences. Use the coherence strategies to make your paragraph easy to
follow.
Here is an
example we did in class.
We came up
with a good topic sentence and supporting ideas:
Topic
sentence: Choosing a
college or university can be difficult.Supporting ideas:
1. Good Location, 2. Affordable, 3. Good preparation for major
We decided to order these
supporting ideas according to importance as shown in the outline below.
Now we put
this information iinto outline form and added some RENNS for each supporting
idea.
Topic sentence:
Choosing a college or university can be difficult.
A. Good preparation for your major
1. thorough, solid curriculum2. qualified professors
B. Affordable
1. must be able to pay tuition and living expenses2. possibility of
scholarships
C. Good Location
1. study environment2. possibilities of
parttime job in your major
Concluding sentence: You should consider these points carefully so you can choose the
most appropriate college or university for you.
Finally, we
wrote the paragraph using sentences and trying to make the paragraph coherent
using different coherence strategies.
Choosing a college or university can be difficult. The most difficult part is
finding a university that prepares you well for your future career. In order to
get a good job, the curriculum that is taught must be thorough and up-to-date.
In addition, the professors must be highly qualified and respected in their
fields. Another difficulty in choosing a university or college is affordability.
You need to be able to pay the tuition fees and living expenses. Some
institutions might be able to offer you scholarships if you cannot afford the
fees. A good location is also very important when choosing a school. The
environment should be safe and quiet to facilitate studying. Moreover, there
should be possibilities near the school for parttime or summer jobs in your
major, so you can get some practical work experience. You should consider all of
these points carefully so you can choose the most appropriate college or
university for you.
Resource: http://duke.usask.ca/~dul381/common/paragraph.html
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writing a paragraph