1. What\u2019s the Truth about Paragraphs?<\/span><\/h3>\nI\u2019ve always found that students benefit from a certain amount of clear, concrete, rigid, and simplistic paragraph instruction. But does that kind of information that we teach our students about paragraphs match the paragraphs our students read in newspapers, magazines, textbooks, letters, notes, emails, bulletins, picture books, and chapter books? No.<\/p>\n
In 1866, Alexander Bain laid down the six laws of the paragraph, and ever since, textbooks and teachers have repeated the same basic information about paragraphs. Unfortunately, few people know that many researchers have said that those rules don\u2019t exist in the real world. As an example, in the highly cited The Frequency and Placement of Topic Sentences in Expository Prose<\/em> (1974), Braddock found that only 13% of professionally written expository paragraphs began with a topic sentence, and only 55% of expository paragraphs even had one.<\/p>\nEven today, academic researchers and theorists debate what a paragraph is. Plenty of people have presented models, but none have replaced Bain\u2019s model in the minds of teachers.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\t\t\t\t2. Paragraph is a Verb: The Research Proves It<\/span><\/h3>\nWhy don\u2019t all paragraphs look the same? The answer is simple: different writers paragraph differently. In fact, researchers (Arthur A. Stern in particular) have done experiments where they remove the paragraph formatting from a text and then ask English teachers to re-paragraph the text. Few teachers end up paragraphing the text the same way as the author. The result is that a surprisingly large number of so-called correct paragraph formats emerge.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, when the researchers ask the English teachers to re-paragraph the paper a second time, many teachers fail to re-paragraph the text the same way they did the first time. Clearly, there is not just one correct way to paragraph a paper. This illustration points out the fact that paragraphing<\/em> is a verb that encompasses a variety of choices a writer makes to create an effective and logical organizational structure.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t3. The One Good Paragraph Fallacy<\/span><\/h3>\nI often hear teachers talk about wanting their students to write one good paragraph. These teachers believe that if they can get their students to write one excellent paragraph, it will serve as a building block that will make whole compositions easy to write. I don\u2019t find that this philosophy works. And the fact that English teachers can\u2019t agree on how a piece of writing should be paragraphed makes clear the fallacy. In real writing, there is no such thing as just one good paragraph<\/em>.<\/p>\nReal paragraphs and real paragraphing are dependent on the writing occasion, audience, genre, overall length of the composition\u2014and so much more. In short, students must learn how to paragraph a short note, a short answer, or a journal entry just as they must learn how to paragraph a complete essay or report. Paragraphing is an activity of making choices that will help the reader understand what is written.<\/p>\n
If a teacher desires a single good paragraph, the teacher must clarify what kind of good paragraph is desired. Does the teacher mean a good body paragraph, a good introductory paragraph, a good concluding paragraph, a good summary paragraph, a good narrative paragraph, a good expository paragraph, a good argument paragraph, a good sequence paragraph, or some other type of good paragraph?<\/p>\n
Although the goal of one good paragraph is unnatural, practice in writing stand-alone, isolated paragraphs is somewhat necessary. Just don\u2019t overdo it, as it\u2019s not a great use of time. FACT<\/em>: In 4th grade, the CCSS and most state standards require multi-paragraph writing. And in 5th grade, students are required to write complete essays. In short, who has time for JUST one good paragraph? We must help our students understand how to paragraph their writing across many different writing situations.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"pencil](\"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/teaching_writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/pencil-and-paper.jpg\")
Are you an elementary or middle school teacher? Do you need to get results teaching writing? Have you taken a look at Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage?<\/span><\/a>\n <\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t4. A Paragraph is a Whole vs. A Paragraph is a Part of a Whole Composition<\/span><\/h3>\nThere are two ways of viewing and teaching paragraphs: 1) as a whole, and 2) as a part of a whole composition. Both methods of looking at paragraphs are correct\u2014but only when a writer thinks about both viewpoints together at the same time. A natural and effective writer sees a paragraph as a whole logical unit and as a part of a whole composition\u2014both at the same time.<\/p>\n
Effective writing instruction seesaws between these two viewpoints of paragraph writing. Ineffective paragraph writing instruction focuses on One Good Paragraph at a time. Unfortunately, the weakness of the One Good Paragraph Fallacy becomes most visible at the worst possible time: on state and district writing assessments. Nearly all high scoring papers on state writing assessments give the feeling of having two levels of beginning, middle, and ending:<\/p>\n
Level 1:<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending in the whole composition.<\/p>\nLevel 2:<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending in the paragraphs.<\/p>\nThis is true even in 4th grade.<\/p>\n
As you will see, every paragraph strategy and concept listed on this page treats the paragraph as a WHOLE, and none of them treats a paragraph as a PART OF A WHOLE COMPOSITION. That\u2019s a big problem and a major roadblock in improving student writing. If you teach elementary school writing or have struggling middle school writers, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s the fastest, most effective way to move beyond just one good paragraph<\/em>!<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t5. Five Traits of Paragraphs: 1) Division, 2) Unity, 3) Coherence, 4) Emphasis, and 5) Development<\/span><\/h3>\nLong before we had the Six Traits, we had the three traits of Unity, Coherence, and Emphasis (UCE).<\/p>\n
In 1866, Alexander Bain laid down the six laws of the paragraph. Then, early in the 20th century, Bain\u2019s six paragraph rules were reduced to three paragraph traits: unity, coherence, and emphasis. These three traits explain almost everything good and bad about the structure of both a paragraph and a whole composition:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Paragraph:<\/span> Each paragraph must have unity, coherence, emphasis.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 Whole Composition:<\/span> The whole composition must have unity, coherence, emphasis, and each paragraph in the whole composition must contribute to that unity, coherence, emphasis.<\/p>\nWorth mentioning, every sentence must also have unity, coherence, and emphasis, and each sentence must contribute to the unity, coherence, and emphasis of the paragraph it is in and the whole composition.<\/p>\n
The reality is that there are not just Six Traits or these three traits (unity, coherence, emphasis). In fact, we can create a nearly-endless list of writing traits: e.g., logic, reasoning, beauty, proportion, style, elaboration, evidence, grammar, sentence structure, pronoun agreement, etc. For more on this, be sure to read Teaching Writing with the Six Traits and the Common-Core Traits<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nAs the heading indicates, we will briefly look at five paragraph traits: 1) Division, 2) Unity, 3) Coherence, 4) Emphasis, and 5) Development.<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Division:<\/span> When we look at a slice of cake, we all grasp that the slice is one part of a whole cake. We don\u2019t need to see the whole cake to know that as fact. When we see a slice of cake, we imagine the whole cake (if just for a second). It\u2019s impossible not to.<\/p>\nWe want our students to understand that a paragraph is always one slice of a whole topic. A paragraph asks and answers one question from a larger topic. If teachers want their students to understand paragraphs, they must teach their students to skillfully divide topics.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0 Unity (Oneness):<\/span> All of the ideas in a paragraph must fit together to form a single unified whole. Unity requires that we have a single clear topic that has been narrowed and reduced so that the writer can appropriately cover the main idea or main point in that paragraph. The topic sentence is a statement of the specific topic that will be covered in the paragraph. Therefore, the topic sentence is a statement that controls the paragraph unity.<\/p>\n3.\u00a0 Coherence (Understandability; Clearness; Clarity):<\/span> Ideas in a paragraph must connect through logic and order to create coherence. Although logical connection and order are at the heart of coherence, writers must use additional strategies to make that logical order and connection clear. Writers use five main tools for creating coherence: transitions, pronoun reference, keyword repetition, synonyms, and parallel structure.<\/p>\n4.\u00a0 Emphasis (Highlighting Importance):<\/span> To emphasize what is most important, writers often place the topic sentence at the beginning of their paragraphs so that the main point is immediately clear to their readers. Additionally, writers often place a concluding sentence at the end of their paragraphs so that their readers are certain of what that point was. Furthermore, writers often use various words and phrases (transitions and signal words) to highlight important information and shifts in logic: e.g., most important, on the other hand, in contrast, in particular, etc.<\/p>\n5.\u00a0 Development (The Effective Expansion or Enlargement of an Idea):<\/span> The development of an idea (topic, main idea, point, claim, assertion, or whatever you want to call it) must be adequate, appropriate, and effective. Teaching students to effectively and appropriately develop their paragraphs is extremely important.<\/p>\nTeaching paragraph development may include discussions of methods of development, elaboration, support, proof, evidence, paragraph length, logic, and many more concepts. Worth mentioning, writers should develop important ideas more fully than less important ideas. This is one reason why paragraph lengths vary.<\/p>\n
A Final Note on The Traits of the Paragraph:<\/span> Most strategies and techniques designed to teach children paragraph writing focus on one or more of these concepts. Sadly, most of these strategies and techniques are just little paragraph exercises that do not create paragraph skill or provide a takeaway understanding of paragraphs. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> is the fastest, most effective method for creating effective paragraph and multi-paragraph writers! It\u2019s got all five of these paragraph traits built into a system and method that makes sense to kids!<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you teach beginning writers or struggling writers? If you do, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage! It is the fastest, most effective way to teach students organized multi-paragraph writing\u2026 Guaranteed!<\/span><\/a>\n <\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t6. The Four Main Genres of Paragraphs: Similarities and Differences<\/span><\/h3>\nWe have four main genres of paragraphs: 1) Narrative, 2) Descriptive, 3) Expository, and 4) Argument. As the Venn diagram below illustrates, these genres of paragraphs have some things in common but not others. As you study the Venn diagram, consider A, B, and C:<\/p>\n
A.\u00a0 The Two Things That All Effective Paragraphs Have in Common:<\/span><\/p>\n(1) The sentences in all paragraphs have unity of purpose<\/em>, and (2) All paragraphs have a feeling of beginning, middle, and ending.<\/p>\nB.\u00a0 Circle #1: Narrative and Descriptive Paragraphs:<\/span> These tend to (1) SHOW, NOT TELL.<\/p>\nC.\u00a0 Circle #2: Expository and Argument Paragraphs:<\/span> These tend (1) TELL THEM what you are going to tell them, (2) TELL THEM, and (3) TELL THEM what you told them.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/wp-content\/uploads\/four-types-of-paragraphs.gif\")
<\/p>\n
If you compare the paragraphs in an encyclopedia to the paragraph in a popular story, you will find a big difference in their structure. I call this the \u201cGreat Paragraph Divide,\u201d which points to the fact that the rules that students learn about paragraphs apply more to expository and argument paragraphs than to narrative and descriptive paragraphs. Be sure to prove this to yourself: compare the paragraphs in an expository textbook to those found in a chapter book or young adult novel.<\/p>\n
This is not to say that writers can\u2019t write all four types of paragraphs in more or less the same way. In fact, with beginning writers, most of the paragraph instruction should focus on the same basic principles. But as students make progress with their paragraph writing skills, teachers need to be flexible and look for excellent writing, not formulaic paragraphs.<\/p>\n
WARNING<\/em>: Students read\u2014and they want their own writing to look like the writing that they enjoy reading. So, what do students enjoy reading? They enjoy reading stories and internet stuff. Sadly, these genres of text are different from academic writing. Let\u2019s take a quick look at two very different types of writing.<\/p>\n\u00bb Stories:<\/span> Stories contain many narrative<\/strong> and descriptive<\/strong> paragraphs. In an entertaining story, authors write paragraphs in a way that serves the story: e.g., they create suspense, etc. The paragraphs follow a certain kind of story logic, and the author is a creative artist. The heart of this kind of paragraph writing is expressed in the story maxim \u201cSHOW, DON\u2019T TELL.\u201d<\/p>\nIn stories, many (if not most) of the narrative and descriptive paragraphs don\u2019t have topic sentences. Why? Well, by definition, topic sentences telegraph or TELL what\u2019s to come. Good storytellers DON\u2019T TELL; they SHOW. Good stories reveal what\u2019s happening moment by moment; they don\u2019t telegraph what coming by using lots of topic sentences.<\/p>\n
\u00bb Academic Writing:<\/span> Academic writing uses many expository<\/strong> and argument<\/strong> paragraphs. These paragraphs are often fully-developed paragraphs that make critical main ideas and points clear and prove relevant claims using evidence. If the paragraphs are not fully developed, the reader will not be impressed. The reader may think that the writer did not know enough about the topic to develop their paragraphs. Or the reader may believe that the writer had not been willing to do the research necessary to understand the topic and to develop the important ideas.<\/p>\nTeachers need to be aware of different styles of paragraphing in various genres of text because students read fantastic books that contain many paragraphs that contradict what they learn in school. Teachers need to be able to explain what\u2019s going on in the paragraphs that their students read, even if they demand a rigid formula when their students write. In the end, all skilled writers develop an intuitive sense of effective paragraph writing.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\t\t\t\t7. Paragraph Length and Paragraph Style<\/span><\/h3>\nTeachers and students alike can learn much that is true about paragraphs by analyzing and comparing the internals of even a small number of different pieces of writing. By internals, I mean these three averages:<\/p>\n
A.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nB.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of words per paragraph.<\/p>\nC.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of words per sentence.<\/p>\nWhen teachers and students examine paragraphs and consider the averages<\/em>, it creates a certain kind of clarity and understanding. The easiest place to start is by considering #1 \u201cAverage number of sentences per paragraph.\u201d Let\u2019s take a closer look at that one.<\/p>\nAverage Number of Sentences per Paragraph:<\/span> This is the easiest average to work with. In the end, it provides a surprisingly accurate portrait of what\u2019s going on in a piece of writing. The Average Number of Sentences per Paragraph<\/em> is a reflection of both voice and style.<\/p>\nIn short, we have three styles of paragraph writing:<\/p>\n
A.\u00a0 Short Style:<\/span> This style averages 2.5 \u2013 3.5 sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nB.\u00a0 Fully-Developed Paragraph Style:<\/span> This style averages 4 \u2013 7 sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nC.\u00a0 Long Paragraph Style:<\/span> This style averages 8 or more sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nLet\u2019s take a quick look at these three styles.<\/p>\n
A.\u00a0 Short Paragraph Style:<\/span> A large percentage of excellent professional and student writing is created using a short 2.5 to 3.5 average sentences per paragraph. You will find this short style in newspapers, magazines, stories, and many high-scoring student writing samples.<\/p>\nB.\u00a0 Fully Developed Paragraph Style:<\/span> This is the style that we usually try to teach our students. This style of writing is required for high-level academic writing. It\u2019s not the writing skill that creates fully developed paragraphs\u2014it\u2019s the thinking skill.<\/p>\nC.\u00a0 Long Style:<\/span> Long style is too long for young student writers. We shouldn\u2019t waste valuable class time teaching students to write paragraphs that contain 8 or more sentences. It prevents the development of a nice and natural paragraphing style in multi-paragraph writing. Young student writers primarily write short whole compositions, and short whole compositions can\u2019t support long paragraphs.<\/p>\nI recently counted and analyzed the average-paragraph-length on all of the student-writing samples<\/a><\/strong> from this state writing assessment. You can see the results of that paragraph study<\/a><\/strong> here. You may also want to read The Ten Stages of Paragraph and Multi-Paragraph Mastery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t8. Classifying Paragraphs: The Different Types and Kinds of Paragraphs<\/span><\/h3>\nIn The History of the Paragraph<\/em> (1894), Edwin Herbert Lewis said, \u201c\u2026there may be as many types of paragraphs as there are ways of developing an idea.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat did Lewis mean by that? Well, every good paragraph has a point of some kind. Writers will use one or more<\/em> \u201cCommon Thought Patterns (CTP)\u201d to make that point clear. In short, writers don\u2019t write a cause-and-effect paragraph. They use cause-and-effect thinking to make an idea or point clear.<\/p>\nWhen we teach students about \u201ctypes of paragraphs,\u201d we are teaching them organized ways of thinking. Organized paragraphs use natural patterns of logical thought.<\/p>\n
A paragraph is never just one type of paragraph. For instance, a paragraph may be expository, contain some description, use cause-effect, and identify a problem-and-solution all at the same time. Once again, types of paragraphs<\/em> are just ways of thinking and ways of making points clear.<\/p>\nHaving said that, teachers and students alike benefit from understanding various ways to think about, analyze, and classify paragraphs. Let\u2019s take a quick look at four models that help us do this:<\/p>\n
1.<\/span>\u00a0 The Four Main Genres<\/p>\n2.<\/span>\u00a0 Methods of Paragraph Development<\/p>\n3.<\/span>\u00a0 Patterns of Paragraph Organization<\/p>\n4.<\/span>\u00a0 Types of Structural Paragraphs<\/p>\n1.\u00a0 The Four Main Genres (aka The Four Modes of Discourse or The Four Main Purposes):<\/span> The four main genres are (1) narrative, (2) descriptive, (3) expository, and (4) argument. This model is by far the most important model for classifying paragraphs. Every paragraph is PRIMARILY one of these four types of paragraphs. I say primarily<\/em> because it\u2019s not helpful to think that a paragraph can\u2019t use a combination of description, narration, explanation, and argument. Despite that fact, a reader should always be able to determine what kind of paragraph it is\u2014primarily<\/em>.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 Methods of Paragraph Development:<\/span> As Lewis pointed out over a hundred years ago, we have many ways to develop an idea. In a paragraph, we can give a definition, an overview, a summary, a reason, an example, an explanation, or a specific instance. We can also give facts and information, provide an illustration, use repetition, make an analogy, make a comparison, contrast things, give a description, describe a process, divide and classify, make a claim and provide proof, refute a claim, and more.<\/p>\n3.\u00a0 Patterns of Paragraph Organization\/Common Thought Patterns (CTP):<\/span> The most common form of paragraph organization is the traditional pattern of \u201ctopic sentence, details, concluding sentence.\u201d That pattern creates a feeling of \u201cbeginning, middle, and ending,\u201d which makes it an invaluable model and a great place to start. Of course, when we wrestle with complex ideas in writing, things get messy fast. Expressing the truth of a complex topic is not as simple as laying bricks.<\/p>\nFor the most part, patterns of organization teach common ways of thinking that humans have used for thousands of years. As an example, if hunter-gathers didn\u2019t have any food, that was a problem<\/strong><\/em>, and they considered various solutions<\/strong><\/em>. Furthermore, they probably thought about the causes<\/strong><\/em> of the problem, along with what they should do first<\/strong><\/em>. That\u2019s organized thinking.<\/p>\nPoint being: These patterns of thinking are not novel. In fact, they are an inherent part of how we think. The problem is that ideas flow out of us like a dam breaking, so we need to teach our students how to get ideas and organize ideas to communicate an organized message. These natural ways of thinking are not remarkable, but creating order from the chaos of a tsunami of ideas is. Our goal as teachers is to help our students bring control to this process.<\/p>\n
Here are a few more time-tested ways to organize information: point-by-point, block form, spatial order, chronological order, sequential order, climactic order, anticlimactic order, general-to-specific, specific-to-general, order based on importance, use deductive reasoning, use inductive reasoning, use enumeration, cause-and-effect, problem-and-solution, question-and-answer, the point patterns (PPE point, proof, explanation, etc.) and more.<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0 Types of Structural Paragraphs:<\/span> In multi-paragraph writing, every paragraph is a part of the whole. As a part of the whole, ever paragraph plays a role in a multi-paragraph composition. Here are a few roles that paragraphs play: introduction paragraph, conclusion paragraph, body paragraph, summary paragraph, transitional paragraph, isolated paragraph, amplification or elaboration paragraph, continuation paragraph, dialogue paragraph, and more.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t9. Analyzing Paragraphs: The Real Types and Kinds of Paragraphs<\/span><\/h3>\nOnce again, in 1894, Lewis said, \u201c\u2026there may be as many types of paragraphs as there are ways of developing an idea.\u201d We must not forget that important piece of wisdom.<\/p>\n
To be clear, the reason most teachers fail in teaching their students paragraph and multi-paragraph writing is that they do not have a system and methodology that works. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> works! Furthermore, it\u2019s a system and method that makes sense when we analyze and discuss writing across the curriculum.<\/p>\n\u201cWhat\u2019s going on in this paragraph?\u201d I frequently ask my students that question across the curriculum. That question opens the door to the truth of paragraph writing. Of course, because of Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong>, my students understand what\u2019s going on in paragraph and multi-paragraph writing. This means that when I ask my students, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on in this paragraph?\u201d it\u2019s both an opportunity to review what students already know and an opportunity to expand on that knowledge.<\/p>\nWhen teachers stop and examine paragraphs with their students, they will find their own reoccurring paragraph patterns. Warning: Don\u2019t try to fit what you see into a topic sentence and details model unless it\u2019s a classic example. Truthfully, the words topic sentence<\/em> and details<\/em> are so generic that they are almost meaningless. Instead, download my free Definitive List of Writing and Grammar Skills<\/a><\/strong> and check out the \u201cParagraphs and Whole Compositions\u201d section. Teach your students the truth of what\u2019s going on in paragraphs by using a whole new vocabulary.<\/p>\nHere are two examples of what I hope to hear by the end of the school year:<\/p>\n
\u00bb\u00a0 Expository Paragraph:<\/span> The student says, \u201cIt looks like the paragraph starts with a general statement of fact<\/em><\/span>, and the writer explains<\/em><\/span> what she means and why it\u2019s important and interesting<\/em><\/span>. The writer also gives another fact<\/em><\/span> and a definition<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n\u00bb\u00a0 Argument Paragraph:<\/span> The student says, \u201cThe writer begins by stating a reason<\/em><\/span>. The writer then quotes a source fact<\/em><\/span> and explains why it\u2019s important<\/em><\/span>. Finally, the writer links<\/em><\/span> to the next paragraph: the consequences<\/em><\/span> of not taking action.\u201d<\/p>\nAlthough the \u201ctypes and kinds of paragraphs\u201d are a fascinating and valuable teaching tool, teachers should address them as part of a larger conversation based on analyzing how writers write and how people communicate. After all, many students intuitively know how to argue quite well when they want something or believe that something is unfair. They give reasons, state facts, quote sources, and appeal to emotions. Therefore, include the following types of questions in your discussions on how to create effective paragraphs:<\/p>\n
How do people make points? How do people prove points? How do people explain things? How do people tell what happened? How do people give information? How to people describe things and processes? How do people instruct others? How do people tell what other people think? How do people compare things? Why do people compare things? Why do people talk about problems and then talk about solutions? Why do people talk about the cause of something and the effect it is having?<\/p>\n
The answers to these questions are \u201cnatural patterns of thought,\u201d and they are reflected in the types and kinds of paragraphs<\/em>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t10. Examples of Ten Common Thought Patterns (CTP)<\/span><\/h3>\nWe are going to look at ten little vignettes that provide the essence of ten different ways of thinking.<\/p>\n
As you will see, we could use most of the vignettes as a topic sentence for a paragraph or as a thesis statement for an entire essay. Point being: Ideas can be condensed and expanded to various sizes like an accordion: e.g., sentence size, paragraph size, whole composition size, or book size.<\/p>\n
Unless I\u2019m working with a specific paragraph formula, I never require a single paragraph. In fact, if students write a single long paragraph, I try to help them find a place where they could have indented. My goal is to create natural and organized writers across the curriculum.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look!<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 How-to Paragraph (Process Paragraph):<\/span> First step, second step, third step, final step.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 Compare and Contrast Paragraph:<\/span> Although eggplant and cantaloupe are both fruit, they are different in many ways.<\/p>\n3.\u00a0 Descriptive Paragraph<\/span>: It was a dark and stormy night, yet the moon glowed enchantingly.<\/p>\n4.\u00a0 Informational\/Explanatory Paragraph:<\/span> Doctors and nutritionists say that eggplant is healthy in many different ways.<\/p>\n5.\u00a0 Classification Paragraph:<\/span> There are two main kinds of vegetables: terrible tasting vegetables and so-so tasting vegetables.<\/p>\n6.\u00a0 Narrative Paragraph:<\/span> It was a dark and stormy night, yet Johnny was still hard at work. He had squandered the day away and now had many chores left to do.<\/p>\n7.\u00a0 Persuasive Paragraph:<\/span> There are many valid reasons why parents should let their children choose if they wish to eat their vegetables.<\/p>\n8.\u00a0 Definition Paragraph:<\/span> Some people believe that sitting around all day doing nothing is being lazy. That simply is not true. A person might be thinking deeply, and that is not being lazy.<\/p>\n9.\u00a0 Evaluation Paragraph:<\/span> Vegetables may not be as healthy for you as you think. In fact, there is some evidence that shows that vegetables are quite unhealthy. Let\u2019s examine that evidence and discover the truth about vegetables.<\/p>\n10.\u00a0 Problem and Solution Paragraph:<\/span> As much as 40% of all food in the United States is wasted. One possible solution for this problem is to enact legislation that will provide incentives for businesses to donate this food to charity instead of throwing it in the trash.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s a foundation, a framework, and a methodology for teaching writing! Check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage to learn more!<\/span>\u00a0<\/a>\n <\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t11. The Structure of a Paragraph<\/span><\/h3>\nFully-developed paragraphs often have a specific kind of structure. This is especially true for expository and argument paragraphs. The four models below all illustrate this same structure, but in different ways:<\/p>\n
1.<\/span>\u00a0 Topic sentence, details, and concluding sentence.<\/p>\n2.<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending.<\/p>\n3.<\/span>\u00a0 The Hamburger: bun, tomatoes, lettuce, meat, and bun.<\/p>\n4.<\/span>\u00a0 Tell them; tell them; tell them. Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them.<\/p>\n5.<\/span>\u00a0 Check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> to discover a model that actually works!<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t12. A Paragraph Defined: What is a Paragraph?<\/span><\/h3>\nOver two-thousand years ago in Ancient Greece, the paragraph mark<\/em> became the first-ever form of punctuation. What was it? The paragraph mark was a mark that was placed in the margins of a text to divide groups of ideas.<\/p>\nEver since then, people have tried to grasp the true nature of the paragraph. To this day, academic theorists still debate what a paragraph is. Some academics say that a paragraph is a mini-essay, while others say that a paragraph is an extended sentence.<\/p>\n
In 1866, two-thousand years after the Greeks invented the paragraph mark, Alexander Bain decided it was time to take the next step in addressing the paragraph. He thought deeply and spent many sleepless nights. But finally, he created the first-ever set of paragraph rules, which remain the foundation for everything we teach students about paragraphs today. Bain also defined the paragraph this way:<\/p>\n
Paragraph Definition:<\/span>\u00a0 A paragraph is a group of sentences with unity of purpose.<\/p>\nIf we compare the Short-and-Lively Paragraph Style<\/a><\/strong> used by many professional writers to the
Even today, academic researchers and theorists debate what a paragraph is. Plenty of people have presented models, but none have replaced Bain\u2019s model in the minds of teachers.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
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2. Paragraph is a Verb: The Research Proves It<\/span><\/h3>\nWhy don\u2019t all paragraphs look the same? The answer is simple: different writers paragraph differently. In fact, researchers (Arthur A. Stern in particular) have done experiments where they remove the paragraph formatting from a text and then ask English teachers to re-paragraph the text. Few teachers end up paragraphing the text the same way as the author. The result is that a surprisingly large number of so-called correct paragraph formats emerge.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, when the researchers ask the English teachers to re-paragraph the paper a second time, many teachers fail to re-paragraph the text the same way they did the first time. Clearly, there is not just one correct way to paragraph a paper. This illustration points out the fact that paragraphing<\/em> is a verb that encompasses a variety of choices a writer makes to create an effective and logical organizational structure.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t3. The One Good Paragraph Fallacy<\/span><\/h3>\nI often hear teachers talk about wanting their students to write one good paragraph. These teachers believe that if they can get their students to write one excellent paragraph, it will serve as a building block that will make whole compositions easy to write. I don\u2019t find that this philosophy works. And the fact that English teachers can\u2019t agree on how a piece of writing should be paragraphed makes clear the fallacy. In real writing, there is no such thing as just one good paragraph<\/em>.<\/p>\nReal paragraphs and real paragraphing are dependent on the writing occasion, audience, genre, overall length of the composition\u2014and so much more. In short, students must learn how to paragraph a short note, a short answer, or a journal entry just as they must learn how to paragraph a complete essay or report. Paragraphing is an activity of making choices that will help the reader understand what is written.<\/p>\n
If a teacher desires a single good paragraph, the teacher must clarify what kind of good paragraph is desired. Does the teacher mean a good body paragraph, a good introductory paragraph, a good concluding paragraph, a good summary paragraph, a good narrative paragraph, a good expository paragraph, a good argument paragraph, a good sequence paragraph, or some other type of good paragraph?<\/p>\n
Although the goal of one good paragraph is unnatural, practice in writing stand-alone, isolated paragraphs is somewhat necessary. Just don\u2019t overdo it, as it\u2019s not a great use of time. FACT<\/em>: In 4th grade, the CCSS and most state standards require multi-paragraph writing. And in 5th grade, students are required to write complete essays. In short, who has time for JUST one good paragraph? We must help our students understand how to paragraph their writing across many different writing situations.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are you an elementary or middle school teacher? Do you need to get results teaching writing? Have you taken a look at Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage?<\/span><\/a>\n <\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t4. A Paragraph is a Whole vs. A Paragraph is a Part of a Whole Composition<\/span><\/h3>\nThere are two ways of viewing and teaching paragraphs: 1) as a whole, and 2) as a part of a whole composition. Both methods of looking at paragraphs are correct\u2014but only when a writer thinks about both viewpoints together at the same time. A natural and effective writer sees a paragraph as a whole logical unit and as a part of a whole composition\u2014both at the same time.<\/p>\n
Effective writing instruction seesaws between these two viewpoints of paragraph writing. Ineffective paragraph writing instruction focuses on One Good Paragraph at a time. Unfortunately, the weakness of the One Good Paragraph Fallacy becomes most visible at the worst possible time: on state and district writing assessments. Nearly all high scoring papers on state writing assessments give the feeling of having two levels of beginning, middle, and ending:<\/p>\n
Level 1:<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending in the whole composition.<\/p>\nLevel 2:<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending in the paragraphs.<\/p>\nThis is true even in 4th grade.<\/p>\n
As you will see, every paragraph strategy and concept listed on this page treats the paragraph as a WHOLE, and none of them treats a paragraph as a PART OF A WHOLE COMPOSITION. That\u2019s a big problem and a major roadblock in improving student writing. If you teach elementary school writing or have struggling middle school writers, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s the fastest, most effective way to move beyond just one good paragraph<\/em>!<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t5. Five Traits of Paragraphs: 1) Division, 2) Unity, 3) Coherence, 4) Emphasis, and 5) Development<\/span><\/h3>\nLong before we had the Six Traits, we had the three traits of Unity, Coherence, and Emphasis (UCE).<\/p>\n
In 1866, Alexander Bain laid down the six laws of the paragraph. Then, early in the 20th century, Bain\u2019s six paragraph rules were reduced to three paragraph traits: unity, coherence, and emphasis. These three traits explain almost everything good and bad about the structure of both a paragraph and a whole composition:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Paragraph:<\/span> Each paragraph must have unity, coherence, emphasis.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 Whole Composition:<\/span> The whole composition must have unity, coherence, emphasis, and each paragraph in the whole composition must contribute to that unity, coherence, emphasis.<\/p>\nWorth mentioning, every sentence must also have unity, coherence, and emphasis, and each sentence must contribute to the unity, coherence, and emphasis of the paragraph it is in and the whole composition.<\/p>\n
The reality is that there are not just Six Traits or these three traits (unity, coherence, emphasis). In fact, we can create a nearly-endless list of writing traits: e.g., logic, reasoning, beauty, proportion, style, elaboration, evidence, grammar, sentence structure, pronoun agreement, etc. For more on this, be sure to read Teaching Writing with the Six Traits and the Common-Core Traits<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nAs the heading indicates, we will briefly look at five paragraph traits: 1) Division, 2) Unity, 3) Coherence, 4) Emphasis, and 5) Development.<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Division:<\/span> When we look at a slice of cake, we all grasp that the slice is one part of a whole cake. We don\u2019t need to see the whole cake to know that as fact. When we see a slice of cake, we imagine the whole cake (if just for a second). It\u2019s impossible not to.<\/p>\nWe want our students to understand that a paragraph is always one slice of a whole topic. A paragraph asks and answers one question from a larger topic. If teachers want their students to understand paragraphs, they must teach their students to skillfully divide topics.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0 Unity (Oneness):<\/span> All of the ideas in a paragraph must fit together to form a single unified whole. Unity requires that we have a single clear topic that has been narrowed and reduced so that the writer can appropriately cover the main idea or main point in that paragraph. The topic sentence is a statement of the specific topic that will be covered in the paragraph. Therefore, the topic sentence is a statement that controls the paragraph unity.<\/p>\n3.\u00a0 Coherence (Understandability; Clearness; Clarity):<\/span> Ideas in a paragraph must connect through logic and order to create coherence. Although logical connection and order are at the heart of coherence, writers must use additional strategies to make that logical order and connection clear. Writers use five main tools for creating coherence: transitions, pronoun reference, keyword repetition, synonyms, and parallel structure.<\/p>\n4.\u00a0 Emphasis (Highlighting Importance):<\/span> To emphasize what is most important, writers often place the topic sentence at the beginning of their paragraphs so that the main point is immediately clear to their readers. Additionally, writers often place a concluding sentence at the end of their paragraphs so that their readers are certain of what that point was. Furthermore, writers often use various words and phrases (transitions and signal words) to highlight important information and shifts in logic: e.g., most important, on the other hand, in contrast, in particular, etc.<\/p>\n5.\u00a0 Development (The Effective Expansion or Enlargement of an Idea):<\/span> The development of an idea (topic, main idea, point, claim, assertion, or whatever you want to call it) must be adequate, appropriate, and effective. Teaching students to effectively and appropriately develop their paragraphs is extremely important.<\/p>\nTeaching paragraph development may include discussions of methods of development, elaboration, support, proof, evidence, paragraph length, logic, and many more concepts. Worth mentioning, writers should develop important ideas more fully than less important ideas. This is one reason why paragraph lengths vary.<\/p>\n
A Final Note on The Traits of the Paragraph:<\/span> Most strategies and techniques designed to teach children paragraph writing focus on one or more of these concepts. Sadly, most of these strategies and techniques are just little paragraph exercises that do not create paragraph skill or provide a takeaway understanding of paragraphs. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> is the fastest, most effective method for creating effective paragraph and multi-paragraph writers! It\u2019s got all five of these paragraph traits built into a system and method that makes sense to kids!<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you teach beginning writers or struggling writers? If you do, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage! It is the fastest, most effective way to teach students organized multi-paragraph writing\u2026 Guaranteed!<\/span><\/a>\n <\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t6. The Four Main Genres of Paragraphs: Similarities and Differences<\/span><\/h3>\nWe have four main genres of paragraphs: 1) Narrative, 2) Descriptive, 3) Expository, and 4) Argument. As the Venn diagram below illustrates, these genres of paragraphs have some things in common but not others. As you study the Venn diagram, consider A, B, and C:<\/p>\n
A.\u00a0 The Two Things That All Effective Paragraphs Have in Common:<\/span><\/p>\n(1) The sentences in all paragraphs have unity of purpose<\/em>, and (2) All paragraphs have a feeling of beginning, middle, and ending.<\/p>\nB.\u00a0 Circle #1: Narrative and Descriptive Paragraphs:<\/span> These tend to (1) SHOW, NOT TELL.<\/p>\nC.\u00a0 Circle #2: Expository and Argument Paragraphs:<\/span> These tend (1) TELL THEM what you are going to tell them, (2) TELL THEM, and (3) TELL THEM what you told them.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
If you compare the paragraphs in an encyclopedia to the paragraph in a popular story, you will find a big difference in their structure. I call this the \u201cGreat Paragraph Divide,\u201d which points to the fact that the rules that students learn about paragraphs apply more to expository and argument paragraphs than to narrative and descriptive paragraphs. Be sure to prove this to yourself: compare the paragraphs in an expository textbook to those found in a chapter book or young adult novel.<\/p>\n
This is not to say that writers can\u2019t write all four types of paragraphs in more or less the same way. In fact, with beginning writers, most of the paragraph instruction should focus on the same basic principles. But as students make progress with their paragraph writing skills, teachers need to be flexible and look for excellent writing, not formulaic paragraphs.<\/p>\n
WARNING<\/em>: Students read\u2014and they want their own writing to look like the writing that they enjoy reading. So, what do students enjoy reading? They enjoy reading stories and internet stuff. Sadly, these genres of text are different from academic writing. Let\u2019s take a quick look at two very different types of writing.<\/p>\n\u00bb Stories:<\/span> Stories contain many narrative<\/strong> and descriptive<\/strong> paragraphs. In an entertaining story, authors write paragraphs in a way that serves the story: e.g., they create suspense, etc. The paragraphs follow a certain kind of story logic, and the author is a creative artist. The heart of this kind of paragraph writing is expressed in the story maxim \u201cSHOW, DON\u2019T TELL.\u201d<\/p>\nIn stories, many (if not most) of the narrative and descriptive paragraphs don\u2019t have topic sentences. Why? Well, by definition, topic sentences telegraph or TELL what\u2019s to come. Good storytellers DON\u2019T TELL; they SHOW. Good stories reveal what\u2019s happening moment by moment; they don\u2019t telegraph what coming by using lots of topic sentences.<\/p>\n
\u00bb Academic Writing:<\/span> Academic writing uses many expository<\/strong> and argument<\/strong> paragraphs. These paragraphs are often fully-developed paragraphs that make critical main ideas and points clear and prove relevant claims using evidence. If the paragraphs are not fully developed, the reader will not be impressed. The reader may think that the writer did not know enough about the topic to develop their paragraphs. Or the reader may believe that the writer had not been willing to do the research necessary to understand the topic and to develop the important ideas.<\/p>\nTeachers need to be aware of different styles of paragraphing in various genres of text because students read fantastic books that contain many paragraphs that contradict what they learn in school. Teachers need to be able to explain what\u2019s going on in the paragraphs that their students read, even if they demand a rigid formula when their students write. In the end, all skilled writers develop an intuitive sense of effective paragraph writing.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
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\n\t\t\t\t\t7. Paragraph Length and Paragraph Style<\/span><\/h3>\nTeachers and students alike can learn much that is true about paragraphs by analyzing and comparing the internals of even a small number of different pieces of writing. By internals, I mean these three averages:<\/p>\n
A.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nB.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of words per paragraph.<\/p>\nC.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of words per sentence.<\/p>\nWhen teachers and students examine paragraphs and consider the averages<\/em>, it creates a certain kind of clarity and understanding. The easiest place to start is by considering #1 \u201cAverage number of sentences per paragraph.\u201d Let\u2019s take a closer look at that one.<\/p>\nAverage Number of Sentences per Paragraph:<\/span> This is the easiest average to work with. In the end, it provides a surprisingly accurate portrait of what\u2019s going on in a piece of writing. The Average Number of Sentences per Paragraph<\/em> is a reflection of both voice and style.<\/p>\nIn short, we have three styles of paragraph writing:<\/p>\n
A.\u00a0 Short Style:<\/span> This style averages 2.5 \u2013 3.5 sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nB.\u00a0 Fully-Developed Paragraph Style:<\/span> This style averages 4 \u2013 7 sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nC.\u00a0 Long Paragraph Style:<\/span> This style averages 8 or more sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nLet\u2019s take a quick look at these three styles.<\/p>\n
A.\u00a0 Short Paragraph Style:<\/span> A large percentage of excellent professional and student writing is created using a short 2.5 to 3.5 average sentences per paragraph. You will find this short style in newspapers, magazines, stories, and many high-scoring student writing samples.<\/p>\nB.\u00a0 Fully Developed Paragraph Style:<\/span> This is the style that we usually try to teach our students. This style of writing is required for high-level academic writing. It\u2019s not the writing skill that creates fully developed paragraphs\u2014it\u2019s the thinking skill.<\/p>\nC.\u00a0 Long Style:<\/span> Long style is too long for young student writers. We shouldn\u2019t waste valuable class time teaching students to write paragraphs that contain 8 or more sentences. It prevents the development of a nice and natural paragraphing style in multi-paragraph writing. Young student writers primarily write short whole compositions, and short whole compositions can\u2019t support long paragraphs.<\/p>\nI recently counted and analyzed the average-paragraph-length on all of the student-writing samples<\/a><\/strong> from this state writing assessment. You can see the results of that paragraph study<\/a><\/strong> here. You may also want to read The Ten Stages of Paragraph and Multi-Paragraph Mastery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t8. Classifying Paragraphs: The Different Types and Kinds of Paragraphs<\/span><\/h3>\nIn The History of the Paragraph<\/em> (1894), Edwin Herbert Lewis said, \u201c\u2026there may be as many types of paragraphs as there are ways of developing an idea.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat did Lewis mean by that? Well, every good paragraph has a point of some kind. Writers will use one or more<\/em> \u201cCommon Thought Patterns (CTP)\u201d to make that point clear. In short, writers don\u2019t write a cause-and-effect paragraph. They use cause-and-effect thinking to make an idea or point clear.<\/p>\nWhen we teach students about \u201ctypes of paragraphs,\u201d we are teaching them organized ways of thinking. Organized paragraphs use natural patterns of logical thought.<\/p>\n
A paragraph is never just one type of paragraph. For instance, a paragraph may be expository, contain some description, use cause-effect, and identify a problem-and-solution all at the same time. Once again, types of paragraphs<\/em> are just ways of thinking and ways of making points clear.<\/p>\nHaving said that, teachers and students alike benefit from understanding various ways to think about, analyze, and classify paragraphs. Let\u2019s take a quick look at four models that help us do this:<\/p>\n
1.<\/span>\u00a0 The Four Main Genres<\/p>\n2.<\/span>\u00a0 Methods of Paragraph Development<\/p>\n3.<\/span>\u00a0 Patterns of Paragraph Organization<\/p>\n4.<\/span>\u00a0 Types of Structural Paragraphs<\/p>\n1.\u00a0 The Four Main Genres (aka The Four Modes of Discourse or The Four Main Purposes):<\/span> The four main genres are (1) narrative, (2) descriptive, (3) expository, and (4) argument. This model is by far the most important model for classifying paragraphs. Every paragraph is PRIMARILY one of these four types of paragraphs. I say primarily<\/em> because it\u2019s not helpful to think that a paragraph can\u2019t use a combination of description, narration, explanation, and argument. Despite that fact, a reader should always be able to determine what kind of paragraph it is\u2014primarily<\/em>.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 Methods of Paragraph Development:<\/span> As Lewis pointed out over a hundred years ago, we have many ways to develop an idea. In a paragraph, we can give a definition, an overview, a summary, a reason, an example, an explanation, or a specific instance. We can also give facts and information, provide an illustration, use repetition, make an analogy, make a comparison, contrast things, give a description, describe a process, divide and classify, make a claim and provide proof, refute a claim, and more.<\/p>\n3.\u00a0 Patterns of Paragraph Organization\/Common Thought Patterns (CTP):<\/span> The most common form of paragraph organization is the traditional pattern of \u201ctopic sentence, details, concluding sentence.\u201d That pattern creates a feeling of \u201cbeginning, middle, and ending,\u201d which makes it an invaluable model and a great place to start. Of course, when we wrestle with complex ideas in writing, things get messy fast. Expressing the truth of a complex topic is not as simple as laying bricks.<\/p>\nFor the most part, patterns of organization teach common ways of thinking that humans have used for thousands of years. As an example, if hunter-gathers didn\u2019t have any food, that was a problem<\/strong><\/em>, and they considered various solutions<\/strong><\/em>. Furthermore, they probably thought about the causes<\/strong><\/em> of the problem, along with what they should do first<\/strong><\/em>. That\u2019s organized thinking.<\/p>\nPoint being: These patterns of thinking are not novel. In fact, they are an inherent part of how we think. The problem is that ideas flow out of us like a dam breaking, so we need to teach our students how to get ideas and organize ideas to communicate an organized message. These natural ways of thinking are not remarkable, but creating order from the chaos of a tsunami of ideas is. Our goal as teachers is to help our students bring control to this process.<\/p>\n
Here are a few more time-tested ways to organize information: point-by-point, block form, spatial order, chronological order, sequential order, climactic order, anticlimactic order, general-to-specific, specific-to-general, order based on importance, use deductive reasoning, use inductive reasoning, use enumeration, cause-and-effect, problem-and-solution, question-and-answer, the point patterns (PPE point, proof, explanation, etc.) and more.<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0 Types of Structural Paragraphs:<\/span> In multi-paragraph writing, every paragraph is a part of the whole. As a part of the whole, ever paragraph plays a role in a multi-paragraph composition. Here are a few roles that paragraphs play: introduction paragraph, conclusion paragraph, body paragraph, summary paragraph, transitional paragraph, isolated paragraph, amplification or elaboration paragraph, continuation paragraph, dialogue paragraph, and more.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t9. Analyzing Paragraphs: The Real Types and Kinds of Paragraphs<\/span><\/h3>\nOnce again, in 1894, Lewis said, \u201c\u2026there may be as many types of paragraphs as there are ways of developing an idea.\u201d We must not forget that important piece of wisdom.<\/p>\n
To be clear, the reason most teachers fail in teaching their students paragraph and multi-paragraph writing is that they do not have a system and methodology that works. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> works! Furthermore, it\u2019s a system and method that makes sense when we analyze and discuss writing across the curriculum.<\/p>\n\u201cWhat\u2019s going on in this paragraph?\u201d I frequently ask my students that question across the curriculum. That question opens the door to the truth of paragraph writing. Of course, because of Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong>, my students understand what\u2019s going on in paragraph and multi-paragraph writing. This means that when I ask my students, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on in this paragraph?\u201d it\u2019s both an opportunity to review what students already know and an opportunity to expand on that knowledge.<\/p>\nWhen teachers stop and examine paragraphs with their students, they will find their own reoccurring paragraph patterns. Warning: Don\u2019t try to fit what you see into a topic sentence and details model unless it\u2019s a classic example. Truthfully, the words topic sentence<\/em> and details<\/em> are so generic that they are almost meaningless. Instead, download my free Definitive List of Writing and Grammar Skills<\/a><\/strong> and check out the \u201cParagraphs and Whole Compositions\u201d section. Teach your students the truth of what\u2019s going on in paragraphs by using a whole new vocabulary.<\/p>\nHere are two examples of what I hope to hear by the end of the school year:<\/p>\n
\u00bb\u00a0 Expository Paragraph:<\/span> The student says, \u201cIt looks like the paragraph starts with a general statement of fact<\/em><\/span>, and the writer explains<\/em><\/span> what she means and why it\u2019s important and interesting<\/em><\/span>. The writer also gives another fact<\/em><\/span> and a definition<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n\u00bb\u00a0 Argument Paragraph:<\/span> The student says, \u201cThe writer begins by stating a reason<\/em><\/span>. The writer then quotes a source fact<\/em><\/span> and explains why it\u2019s important<\/em><\/span>. Finally, the writer links<\/em><\/span> to the next paragraph: the consequences<\/em><\/span> of not taking action.\u201d<\/p>\nAlthough the \u201ctypes and kinds of paragraphs\u201d are a fascinating and valuable teaching tool, teachers should address them as part of a larger conversation based on analyzing how writers write and how people communicate. After all, many students intuitively know how to argue quite well when they want something or believe that something is unfair. They give reasons, state facts, quote sources, and appeal to emotions. Therefore, include the following types of questions in your discussions on how to create effective paragraphs:<\/p>\n
How do people make points? How do people prove points? How do people explain things? How do people tell what happened? How do people give information? How to people describe things and processes? How do people instruct others? How do people tell what other people think? How do people compare things? Why do people compare things? Why do people talk about problems and then talk about solutions? Why do people talk about the cause of something and the effect it is having?<\/p>\n
The answers to these questions are \u201cnatural patterns of thought,\u201d and they are reflected in the types and kinds of paragraphs<\/em>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t10. Examples of Ten Common Thought Patterns (CTP)<\/span><\/h3>\nWe are going to look at ten little vignettes that provide the essence of ten different ways of thinking.<\/p>\n
As you will see, we could use most of the vignettes as a topic sentence for a paragraph or as a thesis statement for an entire essay. Point being: Ideas can be condensed and expanded to various sizes like an accordion: e.g., sentence size, paragraph size, whole composition size, or book size.<\/p>\n
Unless I\u2019m working with a specific paragraph formula, I never require a single paragraph. In fact, if students write a single long paragraph, I try to help them find a place where they could have indented. My goal is to create natural and organized writers across the curriculum.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look!<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 How-to Paragraph (Process Paragraph):<\/span> First step, second step, third step, final step.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 Compare and Contrast Paragraph:<\/span> Although eggplant and cantaloupe are both fruit, they are different in many ways.<\/p>\n3.\u00a0 Descriptive Paragraph<\/span>: It was a dark and stormy night, yet the moon glowed enchantingly.<\/p>\n4.\u00a0 Informational\/Explanatory Paragraph:<\/span> Doctors and nutritionists say that eggplant is healthy in many different ways.<\/p>\n5.\u00a0 Classification Paragraph:<\/span> There are two main kinds of vegetables: terrible tasting vegetables and so-so tasting vegetables.<\/p>\n6.\u00a0 Narrative Paragraph:<\/span> It was a dark and stormy night, yet Johnny was still hard at work. He had squandered the day away and now had many chores left to do.<\/p>\n7.\u00a0 Persuasive Paragraph:<\/span> There are many valid reasons why parents should let their children choose if they wish to eat their vegetables.<\/p>\n8.\u00a0 Definition Paragraph:<\/span> Some people believe that sitting around all day doing nothing is being lazy. That simply is not true. A person might be thinking deeply, and that is not being lazy.<\/p>\n9.\u00a0 Evaluation Paragraph:<\/span> Vegetables may not be as healthy for you as you think. In fact, there is some evidence that shows that vegetables are quite unhealthy. Let\u2019s examine that evidence and discover the truth about vegetables.<\/p>\n10.\u00a0 Problem and Solution Paragraph:<\/span> As much as 40% of all food in the United States is wasted. One possible solution for this problem is to enact legislation that will provide incentives for businesses to donate this food to charity instead of throwing it in the trash.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s a foundation, a framework, and a methodology for teaching writing! Check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage to learn more!<\/span>\u00a0<\/a>\n <\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t11. The Structure of a Paragraph<\/span><\/h3>\nFully-developed paragraphs often have a specific kind of structure. This is especially true for expository and argument paragraphs. The four models below all illustrate this same structure, but in different ways:<\/p>\n
1.<\/span>\u00a0 Topic sentence, details, and concluding sentence.<\/p>\n2.<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending.<\/p>\n3.<\/span>\u00a0 The Hamburger: bun, tomatoes, lettuce, meat, and bun.<\/p>\n4.<\/span>\u00a0 Tell them; tell them; tell them. Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them.<\/p>\n5.<\/span>\u00a0 Check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> to discover a model that actually works!<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t12. A Paragraph Defined: What is a Paragraph?<\/span><\/h3>\nOver two-thousand years ago in Ancient Greece, the paragraph mark<\/em> became the first-ever form of punctuation. What was it? The paragraph mark was a mark that was placed in the margins of a text to divide groups of ideas.<\/p>\nEver since then, people have tried to grasp the true nature of the paragraph. To this day, academic theorists still debate what a paragraph is. Some academics say that a paragraph is a mini-essay, while others say that a paragraph is an extended sentence.<\/p>\n
In 1866, two-thousand years after the Greeks invented the paragraph mark, Alexander Bain decided it was time to take the next step in addressing the paragraph. He thought deeply and spent many sleepless nights. But finally, he created the first-ever set of paragraph rules, which remain the foundation for everything we teach students about paragraphs today. Bain also defined the paragraph this way:<\/p>\n
Paragraph Definition:<\/span>\u00a0 A paragraph is a group of sentences with unity of purpose.<\/p>\nIf we compare the Short-and-Lively Paragraph Style<\/a><\/strong> used by many professional writers to the
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3. The One Good Paragraph Fallacy<\/span><\/h3>\nI often hear teachers talk about wanting their students to write one good paragraph. These teachers believe that if they can get their students to write one excellent paragraph, it will serve as a building block that will make whole compositions easy to write. I don\u2019t find that this philosophy works. And the fact that English teachers can\u2019t agree on how a piece of writing should be paragraphed makes clear the fallacy. In real writing, there is no such thing as just one good paragraph<\/em>.<\/p>\nReal paragraphs and real paragraphing are dependent on the writing occasion, audience, genre, overall length of the composition\u2014and so much more. In short, students must learn how to paragraph a short note, a short answer, or a journal entry just as they must learn how to paragraph a complete essay or report. Paragraphing is an activity of making choices that will help the reader understand what is written.<\/p>\n
If a teacher desires a single good paragraph, the teacher must clarify what kind of good paragraph is desired. Does the teacher mean a good body paragraph, a good introductory paragraph, a good concluding paragraph, a good summary paragraph, a good narrative paragraph, a good expository paragraph, a good argument paragraph, a good sequence paragraph, or some other type of good paragraph?<\/p>\n
Although the goal of one good paragraph is unnatural, practice in writing stand-alone, isolated paragraphs is somewhat necessary. Just don\u2019t overdo it, as it\u2019s not a great use of time. FACT<\/em>: In 4th grade, the CCSS and most state standards require multi-paragraph writing. And in 5th grade, students are required to write complete essays. In short, who has time for JUST one good paragraph? We must help our students understand how to paragraph their writing across many different writing situations.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are you an elementary or middle school teacher? Do you need to get results teaching writing? Have you taken a look at Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage?<\/span><\/a>\n <\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t4. A Paragraph is a Whole vs. A Paragraph is a Part of a Whole Composition<\/span><\/h3>\nThere are two ways of viewing and teaching paragraphs: 1) as a whole, and 2) as a part of a whole composition. Both methods of looking at paragraphs are correct\u2014but only when a writer thinks about both viewpoints together at the same time. A natural and effective writer sees a paragraph as a whole logical unit and as a part of a whole composition\u2014both at the same time.<\/p>\n
Effective writing instruction seesaws between these two viewpoints of paragraph writing. Ineffective paragraph writing instruction focuses on One Good Paragraph at a time. Unfortunately, the weakness of the One Good Paragraph Fallacy becomes most visible at the worst possible time: on state and district writing assessments. Nearly all high scoring papers on state writing assessments give the feeling of having two levels of beginning, middle, and ending:<\/p>\n
Level 1:<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending in the whole composition.<\/p>\nLevel 2:<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending in the paragraphs.<\/p>\nThis is true even in 4th grade.<\/p>\n
As you will see, every paragraph strategy and concept listed on this page treats the paragraph as a WHOLE, and none of them treats a paragraph as a PART OF A WHOLE COMPOSITION. That\u2019s a big problem and a major roadblock in improving student writing. If you teach elementary school writing or have struggling middle school writers, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s the fastest, most effective way to move beyond just one good paragraph<\/em>!<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t5. Five Traits of Paragraphs: 1) Division, 2) Unity, 3) Coherence, 4) Emphasis, and 5) Development<\/span><\/h3>\nLong before we had the Six Traits, we had the three traits of Unity, Coherence, and Emphasis (UCE).<\/p>\n
In 1866, Alexander Bain laid down the six laws of the paragraph. Then, early in the 20th century, Bain\u2019s six paragraph rules were reduced to three paragraph traits: unity, coherence, and emphasis. These three traits explain almost everything good and bad about the structure of both a paragraph and a whole composition:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Paragraph:<\/span> Each paragraph must have unity, coherence, emphasis.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 Whole Composition:<\/span> The whole composition must have unity, coherence, emphasis, and each paragraph in the whole composition must contribute to that unity, coherence, emphasis.<\/p>\nWorth mentioning, every sentence must also have unity, coherence, and emphasis, and each sentence must contribute to the unity, coherence, and emphasis of the paragraph it is in and the whole composition.<\/p>\n
The reality is that there are not just Six Traits or these three traits (unity, coherence, emphasis). In fact, we can create a nearly-endless list of writing traits: e.g., logic, reasoning, beauty, proportion, style, elaboration, evidence, grammar, sentence structure, pronoun agreement, etc. For more on this, be sure to read Teaching Writing with the Six Traits and the Common-Core Traits<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nAs the heading indicates, we will briefly look at five paragraph traits: 1) Division, 2) Unity, 3) Coherence, 4) Emphasis, and 5) Development.<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 Division:<\/span> When we look at a slice of cake, we all grasp that the slice is one part of a whole cake. We don\u2019t need to see the whole cake to know that as fact. When we see a slice of cake, we imagine the whole cake (if just for a second). It\u2019s impossible not to.<\/p>\nWe want our students to understand that a paragraph is always one slice of a whole topic. A paragraph asks and answers one question from a larger topic. If teachers want their students to understand paragraphs, they must teach their students to skillfully divide topics.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0 Unity (Oneness):<\/span> All of the ideas in a paragraph must fit together to form a single unified whole. Unity requires that we have a single clear topic that has been narrowed and reduced so that the writer can appropriately cover the main idea or main point in that paragraph. The topic sentence is a statement of the specific topic that will be covered in the paragraph. Therefore, the topic sentence is a statement that controls the paragraph unity.<\/p>\n3.\u00a0 Coherence (Understandability; Clearness; Clarity):<\/span> Ideas in a paragraph must connect through logic and order to create coherence. Although logical connection and order are at the heart of coherence, writers must use additional strategies to make that logical order and connection clear. Writers use five main tools for creating coherence: transitions, pronoun reference, keyword repetition, synonyms, and parallel structure.<\/p>\n4.\u00a0 Emphasis (Highlighting Importance):<\/span> To emphasize what is most important, writers often place the topic sentence at the beginning of their paragraphs so that the main point is immediately clear to their readers. Additionally, writers often place a concluding sentence at the end of their paragraphs so that their readers are certain of what that point was. Furthermore, writers often use various words and phrases (transitions and signal words) to highlight important information and shifts in logic: e.g., most important, on the other hand, in contrast, in particular, etc.<\/p>\n5.\u00a0 Development (The Effective Expansion or Enlargement of an Idea):<\/span> The development of an idea (topic, main idea, point, claim, assertion, or whatever you want to call it) must be adequate, appropriate, and effective. Teaching students to effectively and appropriately develop their paragraphs is extremely important.<\/p>\nTeaching paragraph development may include discussions of methods of development, elaboration, support, proof, evidence, paragraph length, logic, and many more concepts. Worth mentioning, writers should develop important ideas more fully than less important ideas. This is one reason why paragraph lengths vary.<\/p>\n
A Final Note on The Traits of the Paragraph:<\/span> Most strategies and techniques designed to teach children paragraph writing focus on one or more of these concepts. Sadly, most of these strategies and techniques are just little paragraph exercises that do not create paragraph skill or provide a takeaway understanding of paragraphs. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> is the fastest, most effective method for creating effective paragraph and multi-paragraph writers! It\u2019s got all five of these paragraph traits built into a system and method that makes sense to kids!<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you teach beginning writers or struggling writers? If you do, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage! It is the fastest, most effective way to teach students organized multi-paragraph writing\u2026 Guaranteed!<\/span><\/a>\n <\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t6. The Four Main Genres of Paragraphs: Similarities and Differences<\/span><\/h3>\nWe have four main genres of paragraphs: 1) Narrative, 2) Descriptive, 3) Expository, and 4) Argument. As the Venn diagram below illustrates, these genres of paragraphs have some things in common but not others. As you study the Venn diagram, consider A, B, and C:<\/p>\n
A.\u00a0 The Two Things That All Effective Paragraphs Have in Common:<\/span><\/p>\n(1) The sentences in all paragraphs have unity of purpose<\/em>, and (2) All paragraphs have a feeling of beginning, middle, and ending.<\/p>\nB.\u00a0 Circle #1: Narrative and Descriptive Paragraphs:<\/span> These tend to (1) SHOW, NOT TELL.<\/p>\nC.\u00a0 Circle #2: Expository and Argument Paragraphs:<\/span> These tend (1) TELL THEM what you are going to tell them, (2) TELL THEM, and (3) TELL THEM what you told them.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
If you compare the paragraphs in an encyclopedia to the paragraph in a popular story, you will find a big difference in their structure. I call this the \u201cGreat Paragraph Divide,\u201d which points to the fact that the rules that students learn about paragraphs apply more to expository and argument paragraphs than to narrative and descriptive paragraphs. Be sure to prove this to yourself: compare the paragraphs in an expository textbook to those found in a chapter book or young adult novel.<\/p>\n
This is not to say that writers can\u2019t write all four types of paragraphs in more or less the same way. In fact, with beginning writers, most of the paragraph instruction should focus on the same basic principles. But as students make progress with their paragraph writing skills, teachers need to be flexible and look for excellent writing, not formulaic paragraphs.<\/p>\n
WARNING<\/em>: Students read\u2014and they want their own writing to look like the writing that they enjoy reading. So, what do students enjoy reading? They enjoy reading stories and internet stuff. Sadly, these genres of text are different from academic writing. Let\u2019s take a quick look at two very different types of writing.<\/p>\n\u00bb Stories:<\/span> Stories contain many narrative<\/strong> and descriptive<\/strong> paragraphs. In an entertaining story, authors write paragraphs in a way that serves the story: e.g., they create suspense, etc. The paragraphs follow a certain kind of story logic, and the author is a creative artist. The heart of this kind of paragraph writing is expressed in the story maxim \u201cSHOW, DON\u2019T TELL.\u201d<\/p>\nIn stories, many (if not most) of the narrative and descriptive paragraphs don\u2019t have topic sentences. Why? Well, by definition, topic sentences telegraph or TELL what\u2019s to come. Good storytellers DON\u2019T TELL; they SHOW. Good stories reveal what\u2019s happening moment by moment; they don\u2019t telegraph what coming by using lots of topic sentences.<\/p>\n
\u00bb Academic Writing:<\/span> Academic writing uses many expository<\/strong> and argument<\/strong> paragraphs. These paragraphs are often fully-developed paragraphs that make critical main ideas and points clear and prove relevant claims using evidence. If the paragraphs are not fully developed, the reader will not be impressed. The reader may think that the writer did not know enough about the topic to develop their paragraphs. Or the reader may believe that the writer had not been willing to do the research necessary to understand the topic and to develop the important ideas.<\/p>\nTeachers need to be aware of different styles of paragraphing in various genres of text because students read fantastic books that contain many paragraphs that contradict what they learn in school. Teachers need to be able to explain what\u2019s going on in the paragraphs that their students read, even if they demand a rigid formula when their students write. In the end, all skilled writers develop an intuitive sense of effective paragraph writing.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t7. Paragraph Length and Paragraph Style<\/span><\/h3>\nTeachers and students alike can learn much that is true about paragraphs by analyzing and comparing the internals of even a small number of different pieces of writing. By internals, I mean these three averages:<\/p>\n
A.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nB.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of words per paragraph.<\/p>\nC.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of words per sentence.<\/p>\nWhen teachers and students examine paragraphs and consider the averages<\/em>, it creates a certain kind of clarity and understanding. The easiest place to start is by considering #1 \u201cAverage number of sentences per paragraph.\u201d Let\u2019s take a closer look at that one.<\/p>\nAverage Number of Sentences per Paragraph:<\/span> This is the easiest average to work with. In the end, it provides a surprisingly accurate portrait of what\u2019s going on in a piece of writing. The Average Number of Sentences per Paragraph<\/em> is a reflection of both voice and style.<\/p>\nIn short, we have three styles of paragraph writing:<\/p>\n
A.\u00a0 Short Style:<\/span> This style averages 2.5 \u2013 3.5 sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nB.\u00a0 Fully-Developed Paragraph Style:<\/span> This style averages 4 \u2013 7 sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nC.\u00a0 Long Paragraph Style:<\/span> This style averages 8 or more sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\nLet\u2019s take a quick look at these three styles.<\/p>\n
A.\u00a0 Short Paragraph Style:<\/span> A large percentage of excellent professional and student writing is created using a short 2.5 to 3.5 average sentences per paragraph. You will find this short style in newspapers, magazines, stories, and many high-scoring student writing samples.<\/p>\nB.\u00a0 Fully Developed Paragraph Style:<\/span> This is the style that we usually try to teach our students. This style of writing is required for high-level academic writing. It\u2019s not the writing skill that creates fully developed paragraphs\u2014it\u2019s the thinking skill.<\/p>\nC.\u00a0 Long Style:<\/span> Long style is too long for young student writers. We shouldn\u2019t waste valuable class time teaching students to write paragraphs that contain 8 or more sentences. It prevents the development of a nice and natural paragraphing style in multi-paragraph writing. Young student writers primarily write short whole compositions, and short whole compositions can\u2019t support long paragraphs.<\/p>\nI recently counted and analyzed the average-paragraph-length on all of the student-writing samples<\/a><\/strong> from this state writing assessment. You can see the results of that paragraph study<\/a><\/strong> here. You may also want to read The Ten Stages of Paragraph and Multi-Paragraph Mastery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t8. Classifying Paragraphs: The Different Types and Kinds of Paragraphs<\/span><\/h3>\nIn The History of the Paragraph<\/em> (1894), Edwin Herbert Lewis said, \u201c\u2026there may be as many types of paragraphs as there are ways of developing an idea.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat did Lewis mean by that? Well, every good paragraph has a point of some kind. Writers will use one or more<\/em> \u201cCommon Thought Patterns (CTP)\u201d to make that point clear. In short, writers don\u2019t write a cause-and-effect paragraph. They use cause-and-effect thinking to make an idea or point clear.<\/p>\nWhen we teach students about \u201ctypes of paragraphs,\u201d we are teaching them organized ways of thinking. Organized paragraphs use natural patterns of logical thought.<\/p>\n
A paragraph is never just one type of paragraph. For instance, a paragraph may be expository, contain some description, use cause-effect, and identify a problem-and-solution all at the same time. Once again, types of paragraphs<\/em> are just ways of thinking and ways of making points clear.<\/p>\nHaving said that, teachers and students alike benefit from understanding various ways to think about, analyze, and classify paragraphs. Let\u2019s take a quick look at four models that help us do this:<\/p>\n
1.<\/span>\u00a0 The Four Main Genres<\/p>\n2.<\/span>\u00a0 Methods of Paragraph Development<\/p>\n3.<\/span>\u00a0 Patterns of Paragraph Organization<\/p>\n4.<\/span>\u00a0 Types of Structural Paragraphs<\/p>\n1.\u00a0 The Four Main Genres (aka The Four Modes of Discourse or The Four Main Purposes):<\/span> The four main genres are (1) narrative, (2) descriptive, (3) expository, and (4) argument. This model is by far the most important model for classifying paragraphs. Every paragraph is PRIMARILY one of these four types of paragraphs. I say primarily<\/em> because it\u2019s not helpful to think that a paragraph can\u2019t use a combination of description, narration, explanation, and argument. Despite that fact, a reader should always be able to determine what kind of paragraph it is\u2014primarily<\/em>.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 Methods of Paragraph Development:<\/span> As Lewis pointed out over a hundred years ago, we have many ways to develop an idea. In a paragraph, we can give a definition, an overview, a summary, a reason, an example, an explanation, or a specific instance. We can also give facts and information, provide an illustration, use repetition, make an analogy, make a comparison, contrast things, give a description, describe a process, divide and classify, make a claim and provide proof, refute a claim, and more.<\/p>\n3.\u00a0 Patterns of Paragraph Organization\/Common Thought Patterns (CTP):<\/span> The most common form of paragraph organization is the traditional pattern of \u201ctopic sentence, details, concluding sentence.\u201d That pattern creates a feeling of \u201cbeginning, middle, and ending,\u201d which makes it an invaluable model and a great place to start. Of course, when we wrestle with complex ideas in writing, things get messy fast. Expressing the truth of a complex topic is not as simple as laying bricks.<\/p>\nFor the most part, patterns of organization teach common ways of thinking that humans have used for thousands of years. As an example, if hunter-gathers didn\u2019t have any food, that was a problem<\/strong><\/em>, and they considered various solutions<\/strong><\/em>. Furthermore, they probably thought about the causes<\/strong><\/em> of the problem, along with what they should do first<\/strong><\/em>. That\u2019s organized thinking.<\/p>\nPoint being: These patterns of thinking are not novel. In fact, they are an inherent part of how we think. The problem is that ideas flow out of us like a dam breaking, so we need to teach our students how to get ideas and organize ideas to communicate an organized message. These natural ways of thinking are not remarkable, but creating order from the chaos of a tsunami of ideas is. Our goal as teachers is to help our students bring control to this process.<\/p>\n
Here are a few more time-tested ways to organize information: point-by-point, block form, spatial order, chronological order, sequential order, climactic order, anticlimactic order, general-to-specific, specific-to-general, order based on importance, use deductive reasoning, use inductive reasoning, use enumeration, cause-and-effect, problem-and-solution, question-and-answer, the point patterns (PPE point, proof, explanation, etc.) and more.<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0 Types of Structural Paragraphs:<\/span> In multi-paragraph writing, every paragraph is a part of the whole. As a part of the whole, ever paragraph plays a role in a multi-paragraph composition. Here are a few roles that paragraphs play: introduction paragraph, conclusion paragraph, body paragraph, summary paragraph, transitional paragraph, isolated paragraph, amplification or elaboration paragraph, continuation paragraph, dialogue paragraph, and more.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t9. Analyzing Paragraphs: The Real Types and Kinds of Paragraphs<\/span><\/h3>\nOnce again, in 1894, Lewis said, \u201c\u2026there may be as many types of paragraphs as there are ways of developing an idea.\u201d We must not forget that important piece of wisdom.<\/p>\n
To be clear, the reason most teachers fail in teaching their students paragraph and multi-paragraph writing is that they do not have a system and methodology that works. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> works! Furthermore, it\u2019s a system and method that makes sense when we analyze and discuss writing across the curriculum.<\/p>\n\u201cWhat\u2019s going on in this paragraph?\u201d I frequently ask my students that question across the curriculum. That question opens the door to the truth of paragraph writing. Of course, because of Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong>, my students understand what\u2019s going on in paragraph and multi-paragraph writing. This means that when I ask my students, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on in this paragraph?\u201d it\u2019s both an opportunity to review what students already know and an opportunity to expand on that knowledge.<\/p>\nWhen teachers stop and examine paragraphs with their students, they will find their own reoccurring paragraph patterns. Warning: Don\u2019t try to fit what you see into a topic sentence and details model unless it\u2019s a classic example. Truthfully, the words topic sentence<\/em> and details<\/em> are so generic that they are almost meaningless. Instead, download my free Definitive List of Writing and Grammar Skills<\/a><\/strong> and check out the \u201cParagraphs and Whole Compositions\u201d section. Teach your students the truth of what\u2019s going on in paragraphs by using a whole new vocabulary.<\/p>\nHere are two examples of what I hope to hear by the end of the school year:<\/p>\n
\u00bb\u00a0 Expository Paragraph:<\/span> The student says, \u201cIt looks like the paragraph starts with a general statement of fact<\/em><\/span>, and the writer explains<\/em><\/span> what she means and why it\u2019s important and interesting<\/em><\/span>. The writer also gives another fact<\/em><\/span> and a definition<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n\u00bb\u00a0 Argument Paragraph:<\/span> The student says, \u201cThe writer begins by stating a reason<\/em><\/span>. The writer then quotes a source fact<\/em><\/span> and explains why it\u2019s important<\/em><\/span>. Finally, the writer links<\/em><\/span> to the next paragraph: the consequences<\/em><\/span> of not taking action.\u201d<\/p>\nAlthough the \u201ctypes and kinds of paragraphs\u201d are a fascinating and valuable teaching tool, teachers should address them as part of a larger conversation based on analyzing how writers write and how people communicate. After all, many students intuitively know how to argue quite well when they want something or believe that something is unfair. They give reasons, state facts, quote sources, and appeal to emotions. Therefore, include the following types of questions in your discussions on how to create effective paragraphs:<\/p>\n
How do people make points? How do people prove points? How do people explain things? How do people tell what happened? How do people give information? How to people describe things and processes? How do people instruct others? How do people tell what other people think? How do people compare things? Why do people compare things? Why do people talk about problems and then talk about solutions? Why do people talk about the cause of something and the effect it is having?<\/p>\n
The answers to these questions are \u201cnatural patterns of thought,\u201d and they are reflected in the types and kinds of paragraphs<\/em>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t10. Examples of Ten Common Thought Patterns (CTP)<\/span><\/h3>\nWe are going to look at ten little vignettes that provide the essence of ten different ways of thinking.<\/p>\n
As you will see, we could use most of the vignettes as a topic sentence for a paragraph or as a thesis statement for an entire essay. Point being: Ideas can be condensed and expanded to various sizes like an accordion: e.g., sentence size, paragraph size, whole composition size, or book size.<\/p>\n
Unless I\u2019m working with a specific paragraph formula, I never require a single paragraph. In fact, if students write a single long paragraph, I try to help them find a place where they could have indented. My goal is to create natural and organized writers across the curriculum.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look!<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0 How-to Paragraph (Process Paragraph):<\/span> First step, second step, third step, final step.<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 Compare and Contrast Paragraph:<\/span> Although eggplant and cantaloupe are both fruit, they are different in many ways.<\/p>\n3.\u00a0 Descriptive Paragraph<\/span>: It was a dark and stormy night, yet the moon glowed enchantingly.<\/p>\n4.\u00a0 Informational\/Explanatory Paragraph:<\/span> Doctors and nutritionists say that eggplant is healthy in many different ways.<\/p>\n5.\u00a0 Classification Paragraph:<\/span> There are two main kinds of vegetables: terrible tasting vegetables and so-so tasting vegetables.<\/p>\n6.\u00a0 Narrative Paragraph:<\/span> It was a dark and stormy night, yet Johnny was still hard at work. He had squandered the day away and now had many chores left to do.<\/p>\n7.\u00a0 Persuasive Paragraph:<\/span> There are many valid reasons why parents should let their children choose if they wish to eat their vegetables.<\/p>\n8.\u00a0 Definition Paragraph:<\/span> Some people believe that sitting around all day doing nothing is being lazy. That simply is not true. A person might be thinking deeply, and that is not being lazy.<\/p>\n9.\u00a0 Evaluation Paragraph:<\/span> Vegetables may not be as healthy for you as you think. In fact, there is some evidence that shows that vegetables are quite unhealthy. Let\u2019s examine that evidence and discover the truth about vegetables.<\/p>\n10.\u00a0 Problem and Solution Paragraph:<\/span> As much as 40% of all food in the United States is wasted. One possible solution for this problem is to enact legislation that will provide incentives for businesses to donate this food to charity instead of throwing it in the trash.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s a foundation, a framework, and a methodology for teaching writing! Check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage to learn more!<\/span>\u00a0<\/a>\n <\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t11. The Structure of a Paragraph<\/span><\/h3>\nFully-developed paragraphs often have a specific kind of structure. This is especially true for expository and argument paragraphs. The four models below all illustrate this same structure, but in different ways:<\/p>\n
1.<\/span>\u00a0 Topic sentence, details, and concluding sentence.<\/p>\n2.<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending.<\/p>\n3.<\/span>\u00a0 The Hamburger: bun, tomatoes, lettuce, meat, and bun.<\/p>\n4.<\/span>\u00a0 Tell them; tell them; tell them. Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them.<\/p>\n5.<\/span>\u00a0 Check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> to discover a model that actually works!<\/p><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t12. A Paragraph Defined: What is a Paragraph?<\/span><\/h3>\nOver two-thousand years ago in Ancient Greece, the paragraph mark<\/em> became the first-ever form of punctuation. What was it? The paragraph mark was a mark that was placed in the margins of a text to divide groups of ideas.<\/p>\nEver since then, people have tried to grasp the true nature of the paragraph. To this day, academic theorists still debate what a paragraph is. Some academics say that a paragraph is a mini-essay, while others say that a paragraph is an extended sentence.<\/p>\n
In 1866, two-thousand years after the Greeks invented the paragraph mark, Alexander Bain decided it was time to take the next step in addressing the paragraph. He thought deeply and spent many sleepless nights. But finally, he created the first-ever set of paragraph rules, which remain the foundation for everything we teach students about paragraphs today. Bain also defined the paragraph this way:<\/p>\n
Paragraph Definition:<\/span>\u00a0 A paragraph is a group of sentences with unity of purpose.<\/p>\nIf we compare the Short-and-Lively Paragraph Style<\/a><\/strong> used by many professional writers to the
Real paragraphs and real paragraphing are dependent on the writing occasion, audience, genre, overall length of the composition\u2014and so much more. In short, students must learn how to paragraph a short note, a short answer, or a journal entry just as they must learn how to paragraph a complete essay or report. Paragraphing is an activity of making choices that will help the reader understand what is written.<\/p>\n
If a teacher desires a single good paragraph, the teacher must clarify what kind of good paragraph is desired. Does the teacher mean a good body paragraph, a good introductory paragraph, a good concluding paragraph, a good summary paragraph, a good narrative paragraph, a good expository paragraph, a good argument paragraph, a good sequence paragraph, or some other type of good paragraph?<\/p>\n
Although the goal of one good paragraph is unnatural, practice in writing stand-alone, isolated paragraphs is somewhat necessary. Just don\u2019t overdo it, as it\u2019s not a great use of time. FACT<\/em>: In 4th grade, the CCSS and most state standards require multi-paragraph writing. And in 5th grade, students are required to write complete essays. In short, who has time for JUST one good paragraph? We must help our students understand how to paragraph their writing across many different writing situations.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are two ways of viewing and teaching paragraphs: 1) as a whole, and 2) as a part of a whole composition. Both methods of looking at paragraphs are correct\u2014but only when a writer thinks about both viewpoints together at the same time. A natural and effective writer sees a paragraph as a whole logical unit and as a part of a whole composition\u2014both at the same time.<\/p>\n Effective writing instruction seesaws between these two viewpoints of paragraph writing. Ineffective paragraph writing instruction focuses on One Good Paragraph at a time. Unfortunately, the weakness of the One Good Paragraph Fallacy becomes most visible at the worst possible time: on state and district writing assessments. Nearly all high scoring papers on state writing assessments give the feeling of having two levels of beginning, middle, and ending:<\/p>\n Level 1:<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending in the whole composition.<\/p>\n Level 2:<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending in the paragraphs.<\/p>\n This is true even in 4th grade.<\/p>\n As you will see, every paragraph strategy and concept listed on this page treats the paragraph as a WHOLE, and none of them treats a paragraph as a PART OF A WHOLE COMPOSITION. That\u2019s a big problem and a major roadblock in improving student writing. If you teach elementary school writing or have struggling middle school writers, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s the fastest, most effective way to move beyond just one good paragraph<\/em>!<\/p><\/div><\/div> Long before we had the Six Traits, we had the three traits of Unity, Coherence, and Emphasis (UCE).<\/p>\n In 1866, Alexander Bain laid down the six laws of the paragraph. Then, early in the 20th century, Bain\u2019s six paragraph rules were reduced to three paragraph traits: unity, coherence, and emphasis. These three traits explain almost everything good and bad about the structure of both a paragraph and a whole composition:<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 Paragraph:<\/span> Each paragraph must have unity, coherence, emphasis.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 Whole Composition:<\/span> The whole composition must have unity, coherence, emphasis, and each paragraph in the whole composition must contribute to that unity, coherence, emphasis.<\/p>\n Worth mentioning, every sentence must also have unity, coherence, and emphasis, and each sentence must contribute to the unity, coherence, and emphasis of the paragraph it is in and the whole composition.<\/p>\n The reality is that there are not just Six Traits or these three traits (unity, coherence, emphasis). In fact, we can create a nearly-endless list of writing traits: e.g., logic, reasoning, beauty, proportion, style, elaboration, evidence, grammar, sentence structure, pronoun agreement, etc. For more on this, be sure to read Teaching Writing with the Six Traits and the Common-Core Traits<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n As the heading indicates, we will briefly look at five paragraph traits: 1) Division, 2) Unity, 3) Coherence, 4) Emphasis, and 5) Development.<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 Division:<\/span> When we look at a slice of cake, we all grasp that the slice is one part of a whole cake. We don\u2019t need to see the whole cake to know that as fact. When we see a slice of cake, we imagine the whole cake (if just for a second). It\u2019s impossible not to.<\/p>\n We want our students to understand that a paragraph is always one slice of a whole topic. A paragraph asks and answers one question from a larger topic. If teachers want their students to understand paragraphs, they must teach their students to skillfully divide topics.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 Unity (Oneness):<\/span> All of the ideas in a paragraph must fit together to form a single unified whole. Unity requires that we have a single clear topic that has been narrowed and reduced so that the writer can appropriately cover the main idea or main point in that paragraph. The topic sentence is a statement of the specific topic that will be covered in the paragraph. Therefore, the topic sentence is a statement that controls the paragraph unity.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0 Coherence (Understandability; Clearness; Clarity):<\/span> Ideas in a paragraph must connect through logic and order to create coherence. Although logical connection and order are at the heart of coherence, writers must use additional strategies to make that logical order and connection clear. Writers use five main tools for creating coherence: transitions, pronoun reference, keyword repetition, synonyms, and parallel structure.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0 Emphasis (Highlighting Importance):<\/span> To emphasize what is most important, writers often place the topic sentence at the beginning of their paragraphs so that the main point is immediately clear to their readers. Additionally, writers often place a concluding sentence at the end of their paragraphs so that their readers are certain of what that point was. Furthermore, writers often use various words and phrases (transitions and signal words) to highlight important information and shifts in logic: e.g., most important, on the other hand, in contrast, in particular, etc.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0 Development (The Effective Expansion or Enlargement of an Idea):<\/span> The development of an idea (topic, main idea, point, claim, assertion, or whatever you want to call it) must be adequate, appropriate, and effective. Teaching students to effectively and appropriately develop their paragraphs is extremely important.<\/p>\n Teaching paragraph development may include discussions of methods of development, elaboration, support, proof, evidence, paragraph length, logic, and many more concepts. Worth mentioning, writers should develop important ideas more fully than less important ideas. This is one reason why paragraph lengths vary.<\/p>\n A Final Note on The Traits of the Paragraph:<\/span> Most strategies and techniques designed to teach children paragraph writing focus on one or more of these concepts. Sadly, most of these strategies and techniques are just little paragraph exercises that do not create paragraph skill or provide a takeaway understanding of paragraphs. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> is the fastest, most effective method for creating effective paragraph and multi-paragraph writers! It\u2019s got all five of these paragraph traits built into a system and method that makes sense to kids!<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We have four main genres of paragraphs: 1) Narrative, 2) Descriptive, 3) Expository, and 4) Argument. As the Venn diagram below illustrates, these genres of paragraphs have some things in common but not others. As you study the Venn diagram, consider A, B, and C:<\/p>\n A.\u00a0 The Two Things That All Effective Paragraphs Have in Common:<\/span><\/p>\n (1) The sentences in all paragraphs have unity of purpose<\/em>, and (2) All paragraphs have a feeling of beginning, middle, and ending.<\/p>\n B.\u00a0 Circle #1: Narrative and Descriptive Paragraphs:<\/span> These tend to (1) SHOW, NOT TELL.<\/p>\n C.\u00a0 Circle #2: Expository and Argument Paragraphs:<\/span> These tend (1) TELL THEM what you are going to tell them, (2) TELL THEM, and (3) TELL THEM what you told them.<\/p>\n If you compare the paragraphs in an encyclopedia to the paragraph in a popular story, you will find a big difference in their structure. I call this the \u201cGreat Paragraph Divide,\u201d which points to the fact that the rules that students learn about paragraphs apply more to expository and argument paragraphs than to narrative and descriptive paragraphs. Be sure to prove this to yourself: compare the paragraphs in an expository textbook to those found in a chapter book or young adult novel.<\/p>\n This is not to say that writers can\u2019t write all four types of paragraphs in more or less the same way. In fact, with beginning writers, most of the paragraph instruction should focus on the same basic principles. But as students make progress with their paragraph writing skills, teachers need to be flexible and look for excellent writing, not formulaic paragraphs.<\/p>\n WARNING<\/em>: Students read\u2014and they want their own writing to look like the writing that they enjoy reading. So, what do students enjoy reading? They enjoy reading stories and internet stuff. Sadly, these genres of text are different from academic writing. Let\u2019s take a quick look at two very different types of writing.<\/p>\n \u00bb Stories:<\/span> Stories contain many narrative<\/strong> and descriptive<\/strong> paragraphs. In an entertaining story, authors write paragraphs in a way that serves the story: e.g., they create suspense, etc. The paragraphs follow a certain kind of story logic, and the author is a creative artist. The heart of this kind of paragraph writing is expressed in the story maxim \u201cSHOW, DON\u2019T TELL.\u201d<\/p>\n In stories, many (if not most) of the narrative and descriptive paragraphs don\u2019t have topic sentences. Why? Well, by definition, topic sentences telegraph or TELL what\u2019s to come. Good storytellers DON\u2019T TELL; they SHOW. Good stories reveal what\u2019s happening moment by moment; they don\u2019t telegraph what coming by using lots of topic sentences.<\/p>\n \u00bb Academic Writing:<\/span> Academic writing uses many expository<\/strong> and argument<\/strong> paragraphs. These paragraphs are often fully-developed paragraphs that make critical main ideas and points clear and prove relevant claims using evidence. If the paragraphs are not fully developed, the reader will not be impressed. The reader may think that the writer did not know enough about the topic to develop their paragraphs. Or the reader may believe that the writer had not been willing to do the research necessary to understand the topic and to develop the important ideas.<\/p>\n Teachers need to be aware of different styles of paragraphing in various genres of text because students read fantastic books that contain many paragraphs that contradict what they learn in school. Teachers need to be able to explain what\u2019s going on in the paragraphs that their students read, even if they demand a rigid formula when their students write. In the end, all skilled writers develop an intuitive sense of effective paragraph writing.<\/p><\/div><\/div> Teachers and students alike can learn much that is true about paragraphs by analyzing and comparing the internals of even a small number of different pieces of writing. By internals, I mean these three averages:<\/p>\n A.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\n B.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of words per paragraph.<\/p>\n C.<\/span>\u00a0 Average number of words per sentence.<\/p>\n When teachers and students examine paragraphs and consider the averages<\/em>, it creates a certain kind of clarity and understanding. The easiest place to start is by considering #1 \u201cAverage number of sentences per paragraph.\u201d Let\u2019s take a closer look at that one.<\/p>\n Average Number of Sentences per Paragraph:<\/span> This is the easiest average to work with. In the end, it provides a surprisingly accurate portrait of what\u2019s going on in a piece of writing. The Average Number of Sentences per Paragraph<\/em> is a reflection of both voice and style.<\/p>\n In short, we have three styles of paragraph writing:<\/p>\n A.\u00a0 Short Style:<\/span> This style averages 2.5 \u2013 3.5 sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\n B.\u00a0 Fully-Developed Paragraph Style:<\/span> This style averages 4 \u2013 7 sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\n C.\u00a0 Long Paragraph Style:<\/span> This style averages 8 or more sentences per paragraph.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a quick look at these three styles.<\/p>\n A.\u00a0 Short Paragraph Style:<\/span> A large percentage of excellent professional and student writing is created using a short 2.5 to 3.5 average sentences per paragraph. You will find this short style in newspapers, magazines, stories, and many high-scoring student writing samples.<\/p>\n B.\u00a0 Fully Developed Paragraph Style:<\/span> This is the style that we usually try to teach our students. This style of writing is required for high-level academic writing. It\u2019s not the writing skill that creates fully developed paragraphs\u2014it\u2019s the thinking skill.<\/p>\n C.\u00a0 Long Style:<\/span> Long style is too long for young student writers. We shouldn\u2019t waste valuable class time teaching students to write paragraphs that contain 8 or more sentences. It prevents the development of a nice and natural paragraphing style in multi-paragraph writing. Young student writers primarily write short whole compositions, and short whole compositions can\u2019t support long paragraphs.<\/p>\n I recently counted and analyzed the average-paragraph-length on all of the student-writing samples<\/a><\/strong> from this state writing assessment. You can see the results of that paragraph study<\/a><\/strong> here. You may also want to read The Ten Stages of Paragraph and Multi-Paragraph Mastery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p><\/div><\/div> In The History of the Paragraph<\/em> (1894), Edwin Herbert Lewis said, \u201c\u2026there may be as many types of paragraphs as there are ways of developing an idea.\u201d<\/p>\n What did Lewis mean by that? Well, every good paragraph has a point of some kind. Writers will use one or more<\/em> \u201cCommon Thought Patterns (CTP)\u201d to make that point clear. In short, writers don\u2019t write a cause-and-effect paragraph. They use cause-and-effect thinking to make an idea or point clear.<\/p>\n When we teach students about \u201ctypes of paragraphs,\u201d we are teaching them organized ways of thinking. Organized paragraphs use natural patterns of logical thought.<\/p>\n A paragraph is never just one type of paragraph. For instance, a paragraph may be expository, contain some description, use cause-effect, and identify a problem-and-solution all at the same time. Once again, types of paragraphs<\/em> are just ways of thinking and ways of making points clear.<\/p>\n Having said that, teachers and students alike benefit from understanding various ways to think about, analyze, and classify paragraphs. Let\u2019s take a quick look at four models that help us do this:<\/p>\n 1.<\/span>\u00a0 The Four Main Genres<\/p>\n 2.<\/span>\u00a0 Methods of Paragraph Development<\/p>\n 3.<\/span>\u00a0 Patterns of Paragraph Organization<\/p>\n 4.<\/span>\u00a0 Types of Structural Paragraphs<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 The Four Main Genres (aka The Four Modes of Discourse or The Four Main Purposes):<\/span> The four main genres are (1) narrative, (2) descriptive, (3) expository, and (4) argument. This model is by far the most important model for classifying paragraphs. Every paragraph is PRIMARILY one of these four types of paragraphs. I say primarily<\/em> because it\u2019s not helpful to think that a paragraph can\u2019t use a combination of description, narration, explanation, and argument. Despite that fact, a reader should always be able to determine what kind of paragraph it is\u2014primarily<\/em>.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 Methods of Paragraph Development:<\/span> As Lewis pointed out over a hundred years ago, we have many ways to develop an idea. In a paragraph, we can give a definition, an overview, a summary, a reason, an example, an explanation, or a specific instance. We can also give facts and information, provide an illustration, use repetition, make an analogy, make a comparison, contrast things, give a description, describe a process, divide and classify, make a claim and provide proof, refute a claim, and more.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0 Patterns of Paragraph Organization\/Common Thought Patterns (CTP):<\/span> The most common form of paragraph organization is the traditional pattern of \u201ctopic sentence, details, concluding sentence.\u201d That pattern creates a feeling of \u201cbeginning, middle, and ending,\u201d which makes it an invaluable model and a great place to start. Of course, when we wrestle with complex ideas in writing, things get messy fast. Expressing the truth of a complex topic is not as simple as laying bricks.<\/p>\n For the most part, patterns of organization teach common ways of thinking that humans have used for thousands of years. As an example, if hunter-gathers didn\u2019t have any food, that was a problem<\/strong><\/em>, and they considered various solutions<\/strong><\/em>. Furthermore, they probably thought about the causes<\/strong><\/em> of the problem, along with what they should do first<\/strong><\/em>. That\u2019s organized thinking.<\/p>\n Point being: These patterns of thinking are not novel. In fact, they are an inherent part of how we think. The problem is that ideas flow out of us like a dam breaking, so we need to teach our students how to get ideas and organize ideas to communicate an organized message. These natural ways of thinking are not remarkable, but creating order from the chaos of a tsunami of ideas is. Our goal as teachers is to help our students bring control to this process.<\/p>\n Here are a few more time-tested ways to organize information: point-by-point, block form, spatial order, chronological order, sequential order, climactic order, anticlimactic order, general-to-specific, specific-to-general, order based on importance, use deductive reasoning, use inductive reasoning, use enumeration, cause-and-effect, problem-and-solution, question-and-answer, the point patterns (PPE point, proof, explanation, etc.) and more.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0 Types of Structural Paragraphs:<\/span> In multi-paragraph writing, every paragraph is a part of the whole. As a part of the whole, ever paragraph plays a role in a multi-paragraph composition. Here are a few roles that paragraphs play: introduction paragraph, conclusion paragraph, body paragraph, summary paragraph, transitional paragraph, isolated paragraph, amplification or elaboration paragraph, continuation paragraph, dialogue paragraph, and more.<\/p><\/div><\/div> Once again, in 1894, Lewis said, \u201c\u2026there may be as many types of paragraphs as there are ways of developing an idea.\u201d We must not forget that important piece of wisdom.<\/p>\n To be clear, the reason most teachers fail in teaching their students paragraph and multi-paragraph writing is that they do not have a system and methodology that works. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> works! Furthermore, it\u2019s a system and method that makes sense when we analyze and discuss writing across the curriculum.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on in this paragraph?\u201d I frequently ask my students that question across the curriculum. That question opens the door to the truth of paragraph writing. Of course, because of Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong>, my students understand what\u2019s going on in paragraph and multi-paragraph writing. This means that when I ask my students, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on in this paragraph?\u201d it\u2019s both an opportunity to review what students already know and an opportunity to expand on that knowledge.<\/p>\n When teachers stop and examine paragraphs with their students, they will find their own reoccurring paragraph patterns. Warning: Don\u2019t try to fit what you see into a topic sentence and details model unless it\u2019s a classic example. Truthfully, the words topic sentence<\/em> and details<\/em> are so generic that they are almost meaningless. Instead, download my free Definitive List of Writing and Grammar Skills<\/a><\/strong> and check out the \u201cParagraphs and Whole Compositions\u201d section. Teach your students the truth of what\u2019s going on in paragraphs by using a whole new vocabulary.<\/p>\n Here are two examples of what I hope to hear by the end of the school year:<\/p>\n \u00bb\u00a0 Expository Paragraph:<\/span> The student says, \u201cIt looks like the paragraph starts with a general statement of fact<\/em><\/span>, and the writer explains<\/em><\/span> what she means and why it\u2019s important and interesting<\/em><\/span>. The writer also gives another fact<\/em><\/span> and a definition<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00bb\u00a0 Argument Paragraph:<\/span> The student says, \u201cThe writer begins by stating a reason<\/em><\/span>. The writer then quotes a source fact<\/em><\/span> and explains why it\u2019s important<\/em><\/span>. Finally, the writer links<\/em><\/span> to the next paragraph: the consequences<\/em><\/span> of not taking action.\u201d<\/p>\n Although the \u201ctypes and kinds of paragraphs\u201d are a fascinating and valuable teaching tool, teachers should address them as part of a larger conversation based on analyzing how writers write and how people communicate. After all, many students intuitively know how to argue quite well when they want something or believe that something is unfair. They give reasons, state facts, quote sources, and appeal to emotions. Therefore, include the following types of questions in your discussions on how to create effective paragraphs:<\/p>\n How do people make points? How do people prove points? How do people explain things? How do people tell what happened? How do people give information? How to people describe things and processes? How do people instruct others? How do people tell what other people think? How do people compare things? Why do people compare things? Why do people talk about problems and then talk about solutions? Why do people talk about the cause of something and the effect it is having?<\/p>\n The answers to these questions are \u201cnatural patterns of thought,\u201d and they are reflected in the types and kinds of paragraphs<\/em>.<\/p><\/div><\/div> We are going to look at ten little vignettes that provide the essence of ten different ways of thinking.<\/p>\n As you will see, we could use most of the vignettes as a topic sentence for a paragraph or as a thesis statement for an entire essay. Point being: Ideas can be condensed and expanded to various sizes like an accordion: e.g., sentence size, paragraph size, whole composition size, or book size.<\/p>\n Unless I\u2019m working with a specific paragraph formula, I never require a single paragraph. In fact, if students write a single long paragraph, I try to help them find a place where they could have indented. My goal is to create natural and organized writers across the curriculum.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look!<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 How-to Paragraph (Process Paragraph):<\/span> First step, second step, third step, final step.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 Compare and Contrast Paragraph:<\/span> Although eggplant and cantaloupe are both fruit, they are different in many ways.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0 Descriptive Paragraph<\/span>: It was a dark and stormy night, yet the moon glowed enchantingly.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0 Informational\/Explanatory Paragraph:<\/span> Doctors and nutritionists say that eggplant is healthy in many different ways.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0 Classification Paragraph:<\/span> There are two main kinds of vegetables: terrible tasting vegetables and so-so tasting vegetables.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0 Narrative Paragraph:<\/span> It was a dark and stormy night, yet Johnny was still hard at work. He had squandered the day away and now had many chores left to do.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0 Persuasive Paragraph:<\/span> There are many valid reasons why parents should let their children choose if they wish to eat their vegetables.<\/p>\n 8.\u00a0 Definition Paragraph:<\/span> Some people believe that sitting around all day doing nothing is being lazy. That simply is not true. A person might be thinking deeply, and that is not being lazy.<\/p>\n 9.\u00a0 Evaluation Paragraph:<\/span> Vegetables may not be as healthy for you as you think. In fact, there is some evidence that shows that vegetables are quite unhealthy. Let\u2019s examine that evidence and discover the truth about vegetables.<\/p>\n 10.\u00a0 Problem and Solution Paragraph:<\/span> As much as 40% of all food in the United States is wasted. One possible solution for this problem is to enact legislation that will provide incentives for businesses to donate this food to charity instead of throwing it in the trash.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fully-developed paragraphs often have a specific kind of structure. This is especially true for expository and argument paragraphs. The four models below all illustrate this same structure, but in different ways:<\/p>\n 1.<\/span>\u00a0 Topic sentence, details, and concluding sentence.<\/p>\n 2.<\/span>\u00a0 Beginning, middle, and ending.<\/p>\n 3.<\/span>\u00a0 The Hamburger: bun, tomatoes, lettuce, meat, and bun.<\/p>\n 4.<\/span>\u00a0 Tell them; tell them; tell them. Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them.<\/p>\n 5.<\/span>\u00a0 Check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/strong> to discover a model that actually works!<\/p><\/div><\/div> Over two-thousand years ago in Ancient Greece, the paragraph mark<\/em> became the first-ever form of punctuation. What was it? The paragraph mark was a mark that was placed in the margins of a text to divide groups of ideas.<\/p>\n Ever since then, people have tried to grasp the true nature of the paragraph. To this day, academic theorists still debate what a paragraph is. Some academics say that a paragraph is a mini-essay, while others say that a paragraph is an extended sentence.<\/p>\n In 1866, two-thousand years after the Greeks invented the paragraph mark, Alexander Bain decided it was time to take the next step in addressing the paragraph. He thought deeply and spent many sleepless nights. But finally, he created the first-ever set of paragraph rules, which remain the foundation for everything we teach students about paragraphs today. Bain also defined the paragraph this way:<\/p>\n Paragraph Definition:<\/span>\u00a0 A paragraph is a group of sentences with unity of purpose.<\/p>\n If we compare the Short-and-Lively Paragraph Style<\/a><\/strong> used by many professional writers to the Are you an elementary or middle school teacher? Do you need to get results teaching writing? Have you taken a look at Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage?<\/span><\/a>\n4. A Paragraph is a Whole vs. A Paragraph is a Part of a Whole Composition<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n5. Five Traits of Paragraphs: 1) Division, 2) Unity, 3) Coherence, 4) Emphasis, and 5) Development<\/span><\/h3>\n
Do you teach beginning writers or struggling writers? If you do, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage! It is the fastest, most effective way to teach students organized multi-paragraph writing\u2026 Guaranteed!<\/span><\/a>\n6. The Four Main Genres of Paragraphs: Similarities and Differences<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\n7. Paragraph Length and Paragraph Style<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n8. Classifying Paragraphs: The Different Types and Kinds of Paragraphs<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n9. Analyzing Paragraphs: The Real Types and Kinds of Paragraphs<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n10. Examples of Ten Common Thought Patterns (CTP)<\/span><\/h3>\n
It\u2019s a foundation, a framework, and a methodology for teaching writing! Check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage to learn more!<\/span>\u00a0<\/a>\n11. The Structure of a Paragraph<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n12. A Paragraph Defined: What is a Paragraph?<\/span><\/h3>\n