Definition of a Paragraph How a Paragraph look like on a Page Difference between a Paragraph and a Composition Length of a Paragraph Developing a Paragraph

1. Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

2. What
is a
PARAGRAPH
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

3. Composed of
group of sentences
expressing
one central idea.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

4. What does a
paragraph
look like on
the page?
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

5. ______________
___________________
___________________
___________________
__________________.
______________
___________________
__________________.
______________
___________________
__________________.
Indicates
where the
paragraph
begins.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

6. What is the
difference
between a
paragraph and a
composition?
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

7. • part of a
composition.
• group of
related
sentences.
• Shorter, and
less complex
• group of
related
paragraphs.
• broader, and
more
complex
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

8. Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

9. How long
is a
paragraph?
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

10. “The paragraph should be neither
so short that the subject of the
paragraph is underdeveloped and
insufficiently explained, nor so
long that it tends to break down
into too many subtopics that
would be better organized into
separate paragraphs.”
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

11. Paragraph length varies according to
place and purpose as well as idea.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

12. How is a
paragraph
Organized or
Developed?
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

13. The paragraph should…
1. contain only ONE CENTRAL
IDEA
2. have UNITY
3. have COHERENCE and
CONTINUITY
4. be ADEQUATELY DEVELOPED
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

14. 1. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD CONTAIN ONLY
ONE CENTRAL IDEA
Limiting a paragraph is
like taking a snapshot
with a small camera.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

15. 1. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD CONTAIN ONLY
ONE CENTRAL IDEA
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

16. Make your picture a
small portrait
(selfie)!
Like a small portrait,
the paragraph
should be limited
to one part of a
subject.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

17. Suppose you are asked to write
something about your house in a
paragraph. You cannot tell all about
your house. The subject is too big!
You only have to select a part of the
house (or a room) to discuss in a
paragraph.
1. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD CONTAIN ONLY
ONE CENTRAL IDEA
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

18. Example
My favorite chair is ugly, but I
love it. It is a recliner. Because it is
shapeless, heavy, and covered with
horrible material, it is an eyesore in
my living room. However, it is so
comfortable that I would not trade it
for the finest piece of furniture I
might ever hope to own. There

19. is nothing quite so delightful after a
hard day at work as sinking my weary
body into that chair. With my back
eased into it and my feet eased up
from it, I am in heaven. I notice other
people like that chair, too. Whenever
I have company, the first chair
everybody heads for is my ugly,
lovely recliner.

20. Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

21. 1. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD CONTAIN ONLY
ONE CENTRAL IDEA
Focusing the paragraph is also like
taking a good picture. Like the
picture, the paragraph must
have a center of interest that is
obvious and unmistakable.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

22. Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

23. The closer you get to the subject, the
more you see in it.
The closer you get to the subject in
the paragraph, the more you see to
discuss, and consequently the more
the subject must be narrowed if
you want to discuss in one
paragraph all that you see.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

24. My father’s face is rough. His
complexion is leathery and wrinkled. There
are large pores in the skin that covers his
nose and cheeks. His nose, broken twice in
his life, makes him look like a boxer who
has too many fights. His mouth, unless he
smiles, looks hard and threatening. His
chin is massive and angular. Shaved or not,
my father’s face is rugged.
Example

25. I want to talk about my father. He is
strict with his children, especially me. he
won’t let me out of the house unless I’ve
done all my homework. He is tall and
rather skinny man. Some people say he is
good-looking. He has a nice streak of gray
in his hair. He laughs a lot and enjoys life.
My father is interesting.
Example

26. 2. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD
HAVE UNITY
UNITY means the paragraph should
be of one piece, a distinct unit
that has one fundamental
purpose.
Remember that even though the
paragraph is a subdivision or part
of a larger unit, it should be
complete in itself.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

27. 2. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD
HAVE UNITY
should not be a fragment
It should be a whole, complete
unit, understandable whether it
stands alone or is combined with
other parts to form a larger
whole.
Stick to the subject!
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

28. My father is strict with his children,
especially me. He won’t let me out of the
house unless I’ve done all my homework.
Frankly, I don’t care whether I go to
school or not. School is such a waste of
time. There aren’t any good jobs, anyway.
My mother doesn’t agree with my father.
They quarrel a lot. Sometimes I wish they
would get a divorce, but then who would I
live in?
Example
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

29. 3. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD HAVE
COHERENCE AND CONTINUITY
COHERENCE
means that
the parts of
the paragraph
should be
logically
arranged and
connected.
A coherent
paragraph is like
a properly
assembled
motor; with all
the parts in the
right places, the
motor can run.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

30. 3. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD HAVE
COHERENCE AND CONTINUITY
CONTINUITY
means that
the
connection
of the parts
should be
smooth.
Continuity is like an
oil that lubricates
the operation,
making it smooth
and preventing the
motor from
burning out.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

31. To be coherent, one must
have order and
sequence.
The order or sequence
that is logical depends
on the nature of the
subject to be discussed.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

32. To get out of their textbooks, students should
follow several steps carefully. They should make a
survey of each book to get a general idea of what
the book contains. They should read for
understanding and formulate questions. They
should make notes of the major points of each
chapter. They should test themselves to be sure
they can answer questions likely to be raised in
class and in examinations. They should review
their notes and reread any parts of the book that
are unclear to them.
Example
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

33. 3. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD HAVE
COHERENCE AND CONTINUITY
The previous example is
coherent, but is not as
smooth as it might be.
Let’s look at the
paragraph again, with
added continuity.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

34. To get out of their textbooks, students should
follow several steps carefully. First, they should
make a preliminary survey of each book to get a
general idea of what the book contains. Second,
they should read for deeper understanding and
formulate questions as they read. Next, they should
make notes of the major points of each chapter.
After that, they should test themselves to be sure
they can answer questions likely to be raised in class
and in examinations. Finally, they should review
their notes and reread any parts of the book that are
unclear to them.
Example
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

35. 3. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD HAVE
COHERENCE AND CONTINUITY
Continuity is added by the
underlined words, which
provide TRANSITION.
TRANSITIONAL WORDS/PHRASES
Permit easy passage throughout the
paragraph by showing the relationship
between one sentence/thought and
another.
Make the sequence of ideas within the
paragraph clearer, and they make the
paragraph clear and easy to read.

36. 4. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD BE
ADEQUATELY DEVELOPED
The paragraph should do fully
what it sets out to do. It should
not leave the job half-done.
The degree of development
depends on the aim or purpose of
the paragraph.

37. 4. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD BE
ADEQUATELY DEVELOPED
INTRODUCTION
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

38. 4. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD BE
ADEQUATELY DEVELOPED
INTRODUCTION - the topic sentence (indicate what you
will talk about the paragraph)
DISCUSSION- you have to talk about the topic
CONCLUSION- complete your discussion, often
referring to your main point stated in the
introduction.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

39. The paragraph MUST have PROPER PROPORTION
in its three main parts.
4. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD BE
ADEQUATELY DEVELOPED
INTRODUCTION
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

40. INTRODUCTION
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

41. The best way to develop a paragraph
is to be specific rather than general.
4. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD BE
ADEQUATELY DEVELOPED
GENERALIZATION
MORE SPECIFIC
MORE SPECIFIC (S)
MORE SPECIFIC (S)

42. The best way to develop a paragraph
is to be specific rather than general.
4. THE PARAPGRAPH SHOULD BE
ADEQUATELY DEVELOPED
discuss one thing in definite, exact,
precise detail
do not discuss many things vaguely
(you should develop it by becoming
more by becoming more and more
specific, narrowing down your subject,
and saying exactly what you mean)
GENERALIZATION
MORE SPECIFIC
MORE SPECIFIC
(S)
MORE SPECIFIC
(S)

43. Example…(1)
City College should have a new campus for
three major reasons. First, the present campus is
absolutely no space left for additional expansion.
Second, the campus is an ugly improvisation of old
high school buildings and flimsy, boxlike portables
that fail to create a collegiate atmosphere. Third,
the equipment in such department as science, art,
and physical education is completely inadequate
for the needs of college students. There are other
strong arguments for a new campus, but these are
three of the most outstanding

44. Example…(1)
The previews paragraph
stands back somewhat from
its subject, giving an overall
view of it. Although it gives
some specifics, it does not
go into great or fine detail.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

45. Example…(2)
City College is completely overcrowded. The
lack of space is apparent in all parts of the
campus. The classrooms are so jammed that
students feel like sardines, and some of them have
to sit in the floor. The library and study rooms are
so packed that many students must study in the
halls and stairways. The cafeteria so bulges with
bodies that students go hungry or lose their
appetites. Every inch of the campus is so
overcrowded that it looks more like a bargain
basement than a place for higher learning.

46. Example…(2)
The paragraph
moves in a little
closer to its
subject, making
more detail
possible and
necessary.
GENERALIZATION
MORE SPECIFIC
MORE SPECIFIC
(S)
MORE SPECIFIC (S)
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

47. Example…(3)
The cafeteria at crowded City College is one of the
most overworked places on the campus. The service
line is frequently so long that a student gives up the
idea of eating altogether. If she is patient enough to
wait for food, she is lucky if she can find a place to eat
it before she wears it. If she is particularly agile, she
may work her way through the masses to a spot
where she eat it before it’s cold. Once seated,
however, she is likely to find the atmosphere so
choked with other bodies, noise, and dead air, that
she loses her appetite. She cannot easy easily sip
away at that point, either. Wedging her way out of the
cafeteria, she discovers, she discovers, is a miserable
a matter as working her way in.

48. You should keep in mind that the
closer you move into or go into
a subject, the more the
paragraph should be narrowed
down or limited and that,
likewise, the more the
paragraph is narrowed down, or
limited, the more it must go
into detail.
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo

49. Your paragraph will be clear and enjoyable to read if
you follow the ff:
1. Indent the paragraph – once only!
2. The paragraph should be neither too short
nor too long; make it approximately 8-12
sentences I length.
3. Organize and develop your paragraph
carefully.
REMEMBER that the paragraph should:
• contain one central idea only
• have unity, coherence, continuity, and
adequate development.
S
U
M
M
A
R
Y
Introduction to the Paragraph
Ms. Cindy E. Amarillo