A paragraph is a group of related sentences that discuss a main topic or idea. It includes a topic sentence that introduces the main idea, supporting details, and a concluding sentence. There are different types of paragraphs such as descriptive, explanatory, persuasive, and narrative paragraphs. Effective paragraphs demonstrate unity, sufficient development, coherence, and use techniques like chronological order or comparing and contrasting.

1. By ELIANA CORREA A.
FERNANDO BLANCO G.
JOSÉ A BORBÓN.

2. WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH?
 A paragraph is a group of sentences
closely related to each other.
 A paragraph must have a topic
sentence (main idea) and other
supporting sentences (secondary
ideas) which maintain a consistent flow
of information.

3. Essential elements
Paragraph
Unity
Sufficient
developmen
t
Concluding
sentence
Supportin
g details
Topic
sentenc
e
Coherence
and
cohesion

4. TYPES OF PARAGRAPHS
Descriptive.
Aimed to describe a
person, object, place
or event
Explanation.
Aimed to clarify and
give further details.
Persuasion.
Aimed to convince or
persuade.
Definition.
Aimed to give and
explain the meaning
of something.
Narration.
Aimed to tell a story.
Expository.
Aimed to objectively
explain or clarify
problems or
phenomena
Process (how-to).
Gives sequenced
instructions.
Problem & solution
Introduces a problem
and proposes
solutions.

5. WRITING TECHNIQUES.
Sequential.
Aimed to present
order and organization
of the text.
Chronological
Aimed to show an
event following a
timeline.
Cause and effect.
Analyzes causes
and effects of an
event/phenomena
Comparison and
contrast.
Compares
items/events showing
similarities and
differences.
Deductive .
Introduces a main
idea then goes to
specifics.
Inductive.
Starts from specifics
to reach the main
idea.

6. Examples.
Explanation.
How is cheese made?
The general principles of making cheese from milk have changed little for
nearly 3000 years. The aroma, texture, and taste of cheese depend on
slight variations of the process used to produce it, but all methods consist
of two to four basic steps. The first step consists of the coagulation of the
protein ‘casein’ by adding acid or enzyme to the milk. Next, the liquid,
called whey, is drained, leaving a semi-solid cheese, called curds, which
may be eaten in this form or processed further. All soft or cream cheeses
are of this type. Hard cheese undergoes two additional steps in the
process. The semi-solid cheese is matured until it reaches the required
level of acidity, at which time it is salted and pressed into forms or moulds
to give it the distinctive shape and size of a particular cheese. The final
step is the aging process during which the world’s most famous cheeses
acquire their unique flavours from the place and length of storage
http://www.une.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/14412/paragraph-explanation.pdf

7. Examples.
Sunset is the time of day when our sky meets the outer space solar
winds. There are blue, pink, and purple swirls, spinning and twisting, like
clouds of balloons caught in a blender. The sun moves slowly to hide
behind the line of horizon, while the moon races to take its place in
prominence atop the night sky. People slow to a crawl, entranced, fully
forgetting the deeds that still must be done. There is a coolness, a
calmness, when the sun does set.
Descriptive.
http://patternbasedwriting.com/elementary_writing_success/paragraph-examples/

8. Examples.
Deja vu
Deja vu is a French word meaning "already seen", it has also been described
as a feeling or experience that one has seen or done something before. For
example, you are waiting in line to check out at the grocery store and the lady
behind you asks you to hand her a pack of gum. Suddenly you get an
overwhelming feeling that you have been there in that exact same spot,
talking to the same lady, even the same brand of gum. Even though
everything seems so familiar you know there is no way that could have
happened before. There are many theories as to why and how this
phenomenon happens. One theory is that deja vu is connected with temporal-
lobe epilepsy, but people without a history of epilepsy have also experienced
deja vu. Psychiatrists believe it is something in your brain that confuses an
event that happened in the past with the present. Another theory is
parapsychologist think it is connected with past life experiences. Whether deja
vu is an experience of the paranormal or simply some confusion in the brain, it
is a perplexing feeling of having "already seen."http://english120.pbworks.com/w/page/19006850/definition%20paragraphs
Definition.

9. Examples.
Homework is an important part of the learning process in middle school. One
reason is that homework gives students additional practice of skills covered in
class. Middle school classes are too short to teach a new concept and practice it
sufficiently for students to master. Students need both guided practice in class and
independent practice at home. Another reason for homework is that it provides time
to complete longer assignments. For example, the ideal composition process
allows time for students to think and to reflect on their ideas, as well as time to
revise and to proofread their writing. Also, reports and special projects often require
research that can not always be done at school. In addition, since all students do
not work at the same speed, giving students time at home to finish work keeps
them from falling behind. Finally, the most important reason for homework is that it
ensures review. New material and old material are practiced in daily assignments.
Students who do their homework daily are prepared for tests and make better
grades. In conclusion, not only is homework essential to mastering new skills and
maintaining previously learned skills, but it also guarantees constant review and
provides time for longer assignments, as well as additional time for students who
need it. Students, do your daily homework, make better grades, and learn more!http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/documents/307_01.pdf
Persuasion.

10. Examples.
Last week we installed a kitty door so that our cat could come and go as she
pleases. Unfortunately, we ran into a problem. Our cat was afraid to use the kitty
door. We tried pushing her through, and that caused her to be even more afraid.
The kitty door was dark, and she couldn’t see what was on the other side. The first
step we took in solving this problem was taping the kitty door open. After a couple
of days, she was confidently coming and going through the open door. However,
when we removed the tape and closed the door, once again, she would not go
through. They say you catch more bees with honey, so we decided to use food as
bait. We would sit next to the kitty door with a can of wet food and click the top of
the can. When kitty came through the closed door, we would open the can and
feed her. It took five days of doing this to make her unafraid of using the kitty door.
Now we have just one last problem; our kitty controls our lives!
http://patternbasedwriting.com/elementary_writing_success/paragraph-examples/
Narration.

11. Examples.
School uniforms are good for the development of children. First of all, everyone is
dressed unified. So no one has "better" clothes than others and no one can
threaten others only because of their clothes. In many schools ganging up on
others because of what they are wearing is already normal and uniforms are a way
to protect the children from such acts. School uniforms also keep everyone from
having to buy expensive brands of clothes to be part of the society, which relieves
especially the parents and takes the pressure of being "cool" away from the
children. School uniforms also helps to put off children being overly concerned
about keeping up with the latest fashions. This gives young children more time to
concentrate on more important developmental things. Of course, there are also
critics, who say that school uniforms make the children lose their own individuality
but in general it is possible to say, that school uniforms have a good influence on
most children.
http://www.uni-koeln.de/owc/expository.htm
Expository.

12. Examples.
Astronauts face many problems in space caused by weightlessness. One of these
problems is floating around the cabin. To solve this problem, astronauts wear wear
shoes that are coated with a special adhesive. This adhesive sticks to the floor of
the cabin. Serving food is another problem. It won't stay put on the table! Experts
solved this problem by putting food and drinks in pouches and tubes. It only needs
to be mixed with water. Weightlessness also causes problems when an astronaut
tries to work. The simple task of turning a wrench or a doorknob can be difficult.
Since there is no gravity to keep him down, when he exerts a force in one direction,
the opposite force may flip him over completely. To solve this problem, he must be
very careful about how much force he uses to do these simple tasks. Here on
earth, life is much simpler, thanks to gravity..
https://e-writing.wikispaces.com/Problem+and+Solution+Paragraph
Problem &
solution.

13. Examples.
Here is the perfect system for cleaning your room. First, move all of the items that
do not have a proper place to the center of the room. Get rid of at least five things
that you have not used within the last year. Take out all of the trash, and place all of
the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. Now find a location for each of the items you
had placed in the center of the room. For any remaining items, see if you can
squeeze them in under your bed or stuff them into the back of your closet. See,
that was easy!
http://patternbasedwriting.com/elementary_writing_success/paragraph-examples/
Process (how-
to).