Mastering Effective Writing: Building Paragraphs and Sentences

1. Sentences to Paragraphs Language Network Ch. 13Pages 319-333

2. Building Effective Sentences • Before you can write an effective paragraph, you have to be able to write effective sentences. • Effective sentences don’t confuse the reader with incomplete information. • Effective sentences don’t have to be long, they can be short as well.

3. Building Effective Sentences • Use specific verbs and nouns – avoid generalities. • Add adjectives and replace generic words with more specific ones. • Add prepositional phrases. • Cut out the fluff – if the information is not necessary to understand your thoughts, it is not necessary at all.

4. Writing Effective Paragraphs • A paragraph is a group of sentences that work together to develop a single main idea. • A well-developed paragraph has the following characteristics: • Unity – each sentence supports the main idea. • Coherence – all sentences relate to one another. • There are four types of paragraphs: descriptive, narrative, informative (expository), and persuasive.

5. Descriptive Paragraphs • Begin with a sentence to introduce the setting. • Include many modifiers to “paint a picture.” • Effective word choice and detail allows you to show, not tell.

6. Narrative Paragraphs • Start with the beginning of your story. • Included transitions to progress from one point to another. • Conclude your narrative in a way that ties up all loose ends.

7. Informative Paragraphs • Informative (or expository) paragraphs present facts or examples, explain ideas, or define terms. • Start your paragraph by getting the reader’s attention. • Define any language or topics that may be unfamiliar to the reader. • Provide examples and details to support the topic sentence.

8. Persuasive Paragraphs • Persuasive paragraphs give logical reasons to support an opinion. • Begin by capturing the reader’s attention. • Clearly state your opinion in a respectful tone. • Provide facts, details, and reasons to support your opinion. • Conclude with a final, powerful reason, or a call to action.

9. Paragraph Unity • All sentences should support the topic sentence. This is called paragraph unity. • Sometimes the topic sentence clearly states the main idea of the paragraph. Other times, the topic sentence is implied, meaning it is not directly stated, but is understood. • Be sure all sentences in a given paragraph relate to the topic of that paragraph.

10. Coherence • Paragraphs are coherent when all the sentences relate to one another and flow logically from one to the next. • Types of organization: • Sequential order – events appear in the order they occurred. • Spatial order – details are arranged according to their position in space (i.e. front, back). • Cause and effect – start by stating why something happened, and then state the result of that event.

11. Coherence • Types of organization, continued: • Comparison and Contrast – discuss the similarities and differences between two or more subjects. • Order of degree – organize from least to most, or from most to least (such as least important to most important). This is very common in journalism, where stories are written in a “reverse pyramid” form, starting with the most important information, and progressing to the least important information.