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Paragraphs

Paragraphs. What is a paragraph?. A paragraph is a group of sentences that explains a main thought. Paragraphs can be very long or very short, but normally are about 5-7 sentences. Paragraphs should be indented. Why write paragraphs?. Paragraphs are a small unit of a larger piece of writing.

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Paragraphs

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  1. Paragraphs

  2. What is a paragraph? • A paragraph is a group of sentences that explains a main thought. • Paragraphs can be very long or very short, but normally are about 5-7 sentences. • Paragraphs should be indented.

  3. Why write paragraphs? • Paragraphs are a small unit of a larger piece of writing. • Paragraphs let you group your information logically. • Good paragraphs help your reader understand your general and specific points. • Visually, it is easier for readers if writing is grouped into paragraphs.

  4. What is in a paragraph? • Topic sentence: Gives the main idea of the paragraph—it is general. • Sometimes the topic sentence is the first sentence, but sometimes it comes later. • Body: Gives the minor details that explain the main idea. • Conclusion sentence: Reminds the reader of the main idea.

  5. What makes an ineffective paragraph? • Too short • doesn’t fully explain its main idea. • Maybe the main idea should be a minor detail if there is not enough information about it. • Unfocused • Has information that doesn’t connect to the main idea. • Lacks a main idea.

  6. What makes an ineffective paragraph? • No structure • Told out of order, or with no connection between points. • Wrong position • In longer papers, a paragraph should be connected clearly with the paragraph before it and the paragraph after it.

  7. How do you plan a paragraph? • The writing process has four steps. These steps can overlap. • Brainstorming. • Planning/organizing. • Drafting. • Revising.

  8. Brainstorming • First, come up with lots of ideas. • When you brainstorm, NO idea is bad! • Some people make lists or maps.

  9. Planning/Organizing • After you brainstorm, organize. • Decide on your main idea. • Decide which of your brainstormed ideas fit best with your main idea. Get rid of the rest. • Decide what order you should tell your ideas in. • Some people use lists or maps for this step also.

  10. Drafting • Begin by writing your main idea. • Write your paragraph using the ideas you decided on. • Transition smoothly between points, using repetition and transition words. • Finish it by re-stating your main idea.

  11. Revising • When you revise, you check your paragraph for several things: • Content: Is there ONE main idea for the paragraph? Does it have all the information that it should? If not, what needs to be added or taken out? • Organization: Are the topic sentence and conclusion sentence clear? Does each sentence lead smoothly into the next one?

  12. Revising • Effectiveness • Are the examples interesting? Is the logic clear? Have I used appropriate vocabulary? • Correctness • Grammar, spelling, vocabulary

  13. How to revise: Distance • The most important thing in revising is to get some distance. • It’s hard to find mistakes in your own writing. • It’s easy to be attached to the words you have already put down.

  14. How to get distance when revising • Have someone else look at your writing. Ask them if it is clear. If not, work to identify why. Is it a problem with content, organization, effectiveness, or correctness? • If no one is available, put the paragraph away for a couple days, and read it over yourself later, pretending you haven’t read it before. Look at it as if it were someone else’s.

  15. How to get distance when revising • Read your paragraph out loud, making sure you read exactly what is there. This can help you hear missing words, awkward phrases, or incorrect grammar. • When you’re revising for correctness, read the paragraph backwards, one sentence at a time.

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