This document discusses different types of paragraphs based on their structure and content. It defines what a paragraph is and lists characteristics of a good paragraph such as unity, coherence, and language usage. It then categorizes paragraphs into different types including opening, transition, and closing paragraphs defined by their position in a text. Additional types are comparative, cause-effect, problem-solution, sequence, deductive, inductive, and conclusion paragraphs based on their logical structure. Further types include argumentative, definition, chronological, enumeration, descriptive, explanatory, expositive, and narrative paragraphs defined by their content and purpose. Examples are provided for many of the paragraph types.

1. Types of Paragraphs
Authors: Bustamante Juan
Carmona Natalia
Gil Laura
Martínez Paola

2. What is a
paragraph?

3. “It is a group of related sentences in which
one single main idea is developed...A
paragraph is most often a part of longer
composition comprising of several paragraphs”
m.n Raju, 2009

4. Characteristics of a good paragraph
Unity: The paragraph has one main idea and the other
sentences support it.
Coherence: There is a sensible connection. It uses
the linkers or connectors.
Good language: The paragraph has grammatical accuracy,
correct punctuation, and a variety of structures.
Support: The main idea is supported by the evidence,
the examples, and the details.

5. types of paragraphs by position
Opening paragraph
Paragraph of transition
Closing paragraph

6. Opening paragraph
It shows the problem or the
thesis. It can have:
A synthesis of the text.
An interrogative sentence.
Some anecdotes.
Some textual quotes.
Example: “In his essay, “The
Transformation of Everyday
Life,” Richard Florida
presents a comparative
analysis of today’s social and
economic structure with that
of the 1950’s organizational
age. At the center of this
comparison is the issue of
identity…”

7. Paragraph of transition
It is used to change of ideas or like a bridge between several
different aspects. Transitions can be made with particular words
and phrases created for that purpose--conjunctive adverbs and
transitional phrases--or they can be implied through a conceptual
link.
Example: When Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met in the parlor
of a modest house at Appomattox Court House, Virginia,...a great
chapter in American life came to a close.
These men were bringing the Civil War to its virtual finish.

8. CLOSING PARAGRAPH
It summarizes the
text. Also, it can
present the
conclusions and the
suggestions. It has
a similar structure
of the opening
paragraph.
Example: “If AIDS is natural, then there
is no message in its spread. But by all
that science has learned and all that
rationality proclaims, AIDS works by a
mechanism—and we can discover it.
Victory is not ordained by any principle
of progress, or any slogan of
technology, so we shall have to fight
like hell, and be watchful. There is no
message, but there is a mechanism. “
—Gould, "The Terrifying Normalcy of
AIDS"

9. types of paragraphs according to their logical structure
Comparative paragraph
Cause-effect paragraph
Paragraph of approach and resolution of a problem
Sequence or process paragraph
Deductive paragraph
Inductive paragraph
Completion paragraph

10. Comparative paragraph:
It consists of the expression of
the similarities or differences
that exist between two objects
or phenomenon.

11. Example comparative paragraph between vehicles:
The difference between diesel and gasoline vehicles does not only
correspond to the type of fuel, it also applies to structural
differences of the engines, their performance, power and traction
capacity, which is usually higher in diesel engines and have quite a
fuel consumption More reduced. While the gasoline engine has a greater
revolution and therefore a faster response, another aspect that
clearly differentiates the two engines is its robustness and loudness,
as the gasoline engine can be lighter and is always less audible than
the Diesel engine, although in last technologies the sonority of the
diesel engines for compact and familiar vehicles has diminished
enough.

12. Cause-effect paragraph:
Are those who pose and solve
problems within the development of a
given topic, so they present a fact
or situation and clarify the reasons
why this occurred and how it can be
resolved.

13. Example cause-effect paragraph
The birth:
The birth of a child is a natural process that is produced in the body of the
woman and it is after the man and the woman are united, thus is created a new
being by the union of the male and female gametes.
This union produces a phenomenon in the woman where the new being is formed,
and according to the genetic information that has been transmitted by the
parents are forming the physical characteristics of the new individual,
characteristics that delimit their gender, skin color, stature, robustness,
etc.
Finally, the birth occurs in which the physical processes already mentioned
are reflected and result in the new living being, a child who will have a
life ahead, grow and finally have the possibility of perpetuating the
species.

14. Paragraph of approach and resolution of a problem:
Is a writing or text in which a theme, idea or concept is
completely expressed, clearly encompassing from its initial
expression to its conclusion.
It is widely used in research articles, or scientific texts
and although generally found at the beginning of the text,
it is possible to locate them in any part of the writing.
The parts that form it are the premise, the question or
problem and the solution, although often the question is
omitted and understood in the context of the paragraph,
seeking to make it less cumbersome and more readable.

15. Example of paragraph of approach and resolution of a problem.
Review:
One of the problems facing the current government is the
high rate of school failure, the students attend several
times the same degree or drop out of school. One of the
causes of this phenomenon is the economic need of the family
that forces young people to work leaving little or no time
for study. School scholarships are a possible solution to
the problem, but their granting can not be indiscriminate,
nor used as an electoral weapon, but in order to support the
studies and to make the following generations of young
people better prepared.

16. Sequence or process paragraph:
Is one where ideas are expressed
chronologically. It has the main
statement and the other secondary
ideas are supporting.

17. Example of sequence or process paragraph
A young man with high alcohol consumption
(CAUSE) decided to drive his father's car,
but he lost control of the vehicle in a curve
and hit a tree (EFFECT)

18. Deductive paragraph:
The main idea at the
beginning, its
construction
initiates with a
generalization and
then presented
specific cases.

19. Example of deductive paragraph:
Most teens have ever tried alcoholic beverages,
although the frequency of drinking varies with age,
sex, religion, social class, place of residence, and
country of origin. In non-Muslim countries, alcohol is
the most widely consumed psychoactive narcotic, above
marijuana. A phenomenon of the seventies has been the
leveling in the index of alcohol consumption among
adolescents of both sexes; thus, while each one shows
a continuous increase, in the last twenty years the
growth corresponding to the girls is much more
accelerated.

20. Inductive paragraph:
The inductive paragraph, unlike the deductive
paragraph, elaborates a sentence at the
beginning of the paragraph which expresses a
particular data and then extracts from it a
more general principle. This means that the
inductive paragraph starts from the
particular to advance to a universal
conclusion.

21. Inductive paragraph example.
The human being is by nature proud, we mock that we can do
and accomplish things that other human beings can not. As
if it were some special power or ability that distinguishes
us from the rest and that is why we are worthy of
admiration. Nothing further from reality: from dust we are
and to dust we will return. Everyone equally.

22. Completion paragraph:
As its name indicates, these are
those paragraphs by which the
author intends to close a topic or
a section. These paragraphs will be
found at the end of a book,
chapter, article or section. It is
easy to detect them because they
start with expressions like the
following: in conclusion, in
summary, of all the above we can
conclude that, consequently and
others like.
Some of its functions are:
Recapitulate
Summarize in a few words everything
in development.
Formulate generalizations on the
subject.
Add new information.
Communicate a message, express a
wish or proposal.

23. Example of conclusion paragraph:
In short, the biographies of the next future will change in the sense of
adapting to their continuous transformation. Acquiring and changing knowledge
will not end with youth but will continue to develop throughout the life
cycle, which will be transformed into a continuous process of (re) continuing
education. And that will explode into a thousand pieces the frontier of
youth: adults will become late youth and young people will become early
adults. But this process of continuous re-education can not stop there.
Sooner or later it will affect old age, because if the border between adults
and old people is clear, abrupt and insurmountable, it will soon become
permeable, becoming increasingly blurred as the older ones become versatile
and learn to juvenile

24. Paragraph types according to their content
Argumentative Paragraph
Conceptual or Definition paragraph
Chronological paragraph
Enumeration paragraph
Descriptive paragraph
Explanatory paragraph
Expositive paragraph
Narrative paragraph

25. Argumentative paragraph
* Present an idea with the purpose
of convincing the reader of what is
denied or affirmed
* Consists of a series of sentences
that develop an issue.
* The idea is expressed in a single
sentence. It is called the main
sentence.
* The rest of the paragraph
consists of phrases that develop or
explain the main idea.
In a statement on recent global warming studies,
James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute
for Space Studies, said emissions from greenhouse
gases are causing the oceans to warm up and are
thus changing dynamics Of global climate energy.
James Hansen mentions that this reveals that the
planet is out of balance, since there is more
energy coming in than going out. And so it is
possible to predict with certainty that the next
decade will be warmer than the previous one, said
the director of Goddard. NASA and NOAA reports
average global temperature in 2012 at about 14.6
degrees Celsius, six tenths of a degree warmer
than in the mid-20th century. Global temperature
has increased by eight tenths of 1 degree Celsius
since 1880 according to new reports.
URL of the article: http://www.ejemplode.com/12-
class_of_espanol/2640-example_of_parrafo_argumentativo.html
Complete Note: Example of Argumentative Paragraph

26. Conceptual or Definition paragraph
* It is the one that gives the
definition of something.
* This text is found in the
concepts that are found in
dictionaries.
* It is essential in scientific and
technical texts.
* When the author wants to explain
some terms that he develops in his
work, for a better understanding of
the reader.
Example:
● Curtain: Large canvas that is placed on the stage of a theater so
that it can be lowered and climbed.
● The Solar System is the gravitationally bound system comprising
the Sun and the objects that orbit it, either directly or indirectly.[b]
Of those objects that orbit the Sun directly, the largest eight are
the planets,[c] with the remainder being significantly smaller
objects, such as dwarf planets and small Solar System bodies. Of
the objects that orbit the Sun indirectly, the moons, two are larger
than the smallest planet, Mercury
Solar System. (2017, May 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Retrieved 20:15, May 23, 2017, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Solar_System&oldid=781719480.

27. Chronological paragraph
● The order in which a series of events occur is
expressed.
● Must be independent of the context, assuring the
times about the ideas, allowing a story attached to the
order of events.
● This order is only made in one paragraph and is
independent of other paragraphs, even if it is related.
http://www.ejemplode.com/12-clases_de_espanol/364-
example_de_orden_cronologico_de_narracion_del_parrafo.html.Source: Example chronological order of
paragraph narration
Application of injections:
The drugs must be injected
every four hours, first we
must place the vitamin
injection, then the antibiotic
medicine is injected and
finally the next day the
antibiotic is injected at the
same time, until the seven
days. Do not expose to
infections and extreme
climates for 15 days to avoid
complications.

28. Enumeration paragraph
● Focuses on the hierarchy of
information. Its basic function
is to expose the list of
information with which it is
linked to each other.
● Main and basic parts that every
paragraph of enumeration must
have: The Organizing Phrase and
the elements that make up the
numbering of the text
● I ordered my room this morning: in a corner
I placed my bed covered with new sheets, in
front of her I put the glasses with my
personal articles of beauty and clothing,
next to the closet I placed the table of
study along with my guitar and my laptop ,
Next to the bed I placed the mini bookcase
and decorated it with a pot of flowers
above.
● From major to minor: President, vice
president, manager, administrator, secretary
/ assistant, employee, volunteer.
● From minor to major: student, teacher,
director, zone manager, minister of
education.
http://www.mastiposde.com/parrafo_de_enumeracion.html:

29. Descriptive paragraph
This is intended to represent an
object, animal, person, place or
feeling, exposing its particular
characteristics.
The author uses the senses to
describe the attributes of who or
what he speaks in the text, so that
the recipient gets a clearer
picture of what is described.
The leafy oak stands erect and
proud in the middle of the park
where every afternoon children play
around. Mothers rest on wooden
benches watching their children
play while the imposing tree
provides them with good shade,
which helps them cool off on hot
spring afternoons.
Http://www.ejemplode.com/12-class_of_espanol/2653-
example_of_description.html Full Note: Examples of
Descriptive Paragraph

30. Explanatory paragraph
-Give a broad explanation of the
main idea of the text.
-It is used to give a more detailed
and detailed information on the
subject that is exposed, this to be
able to give a greater base to the
fact to which the sender refers.
-Is usually placed after the
introductory paragraph and in the
middle of the text.
The harmful effects of smoking are many, since it
is proven that smoking is inhaled various
substances that damage the body, among which is
the tar that destroys thousands of alveoli that
has the lung and that serve to extract oxygen from
the air . This causes a progressive disease to
develop to incurable which is pulmonary emphysema
and causes death by drowning. This has been proven
by various studies, in addition to autopsies where
the lungs of people who die from this disease can
be completely black because they are covered by
this chemical.
(A. 2013,02. Ejemplo de Párrafo Explicativo. Revista Ejemplode.com.
Obtenido http://www.ejemplode.com/12-clases_de_espanol/2642-
ejemplo_de_parrafo_explicativo.html)

31. Expositive paragraph
They are responsible for providing
information on various events
without including subjective
comments
Its purpose is the disclosure of
events, and not convince the
reader.
Is used to give a broader
explanation on the subject being
treated.
A heart attack arises when the flow of blood
to the heart is obstructed for a time, which
causes this organ to suffer damage, or the
cardiac cells die. The obstruction of blood
flow to the heart that causes a heart attack
usually occurs because a clot forms in one of
the coronary arteries. Cholesterol is one of
the main causes of coronary arteries
blocking, which happens slowly, but at some
point can prevent blood flow or trap a clot
between these walls, causing a heart attack.
URL of the article: http://www.ejemplode.com/12-classes/2646-
example_of_parrafo_expositivo.htmlSource: Example of Expositive
Paragraph

32. Narrative paragraph
-It is responsible for explaining
something from a chronological point of
view.
-Within the paragraph, an entire idea or
series of ideas is expressed in a clear
and progressive way.
-It uses orthographic signs to separate
the texts and give them their correct
placement.
-It focuses on telling a story or story.
-They have historical progress
● This was a beautiful castle where every
night parties were celebrated full of
splendor, until one night when the king
visited us and took the food a huge rat
fell from the ceiling right in his
soup, staining all the face, then all
panicked , And since then no one comes.
● That night something strange was
happening in the city, the children
behaved very strange, and to their
surprise the cat began to speak asking
him to help her to stop the evil, so
she gave a beautiful pin with which she
became a plump heroin.
URL of the article: http://www.ejemplode.com/12-
clases_de_espanol/1885-example_of_parrafo_narrativo.html Full
Note: Examples of Narrative Paragraph

33. references
Universidad EAN. (2017). Ambiente virtual de aprendizaje. From https://virtual.universidadean.edu.co/bbcswebdav/pid-
416760-dt-content-rid-4607972_1/courses/PADREITDFEAV/2017-C2-AVA/g04_a03_o01.html
Raju, m. n. (2009, October 15). Paragraph Writing. From SlideShare: https://www.slideshare.net/lionnagaraju/paragraph-
writing-2226904
Compañias educativas privadas. (2013, September 27). Tipos de parrafos. From SlideShare:
https://www.slideshare.net/c_perez/tipos-de-parrafos-26634772?qid=da857502-92df-42d5-9f3e-
44a2000ea4ac&v=qf1&b=&from_search=3
Solar System. (2017, May 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:15, May 23, 2017, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Solar_System&oldid=781719480.