After finding an idea, an artist begins to define

Developing 2

d
shapes and layer on colours. Like an artist, a
writer shapes ideas to create a solid paragraph Learning Objectives

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or essay.
LO 1 Define developing.
(p. 15)

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LO 2 Narrow your topic.
(p. 16)

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LO 3 Write your topic
sentence. (p. 18)

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LO 4 Generate
supporting ideas.

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(p. 23)

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LO 5 Develop a

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paragraph plan.
t (p. 28)
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LO 6 Write the first draft.
(p. 31)
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fo iv le

Lynne Gaetz
e
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LO 1  Define developing. What Is Developing?

In Chapter 1, you learned how to use exploring strategies to formulate ideas. In
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Essay Link this chapter, you will focus on the second stage of the writing process: developing.
When you develop an There are five key steps in the developing stage.
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essay, you follow

similar steps. For details
about essay writing, see ▶ DEVELOPING
Chapter 13.
STEP 1 Narrow your topic. Focus on some aspect of the topic that interests you.
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STEP 2 Express your main idea. Write a topic sentence that expresses the main
idea of the paragraph (or a thesis statement that expresses the main idea of
i

the essay).
or

STEP 3 Develop your supporting ideas. Find facts, examples, or anecdotes

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that best support your main idea.

STEP 4 Make a plan. Organize your main and supporting ideas, and place your
ideas in a plan or an outline.
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STEP 5 Write your first draft. Communicate your ideas in a single written piece.

15

M02_GAET1044_03_SE_C02.indd 15 30/11/17 9:21 AM

 16  Part I   The Writing Process

Teaching Tip Reviewing Paragraph Structure

Before you practise developing your paragraphs, review the paragraph structure. A
paragraph is a series of related sentences that develop one central idea. Because a
paragraph can stand alone or be part of a longer piece of writing, it is the essential
writing model. You can apply your paragraph writing skills to longer essays, letters, and

d
reports. A stand-alone paragraph generally has the following characteristics:

n an
 A topic sentence states the topic and introduces the idea the writer will develop.
 Body sentences support the topic sentence.
 A concluding sentence ends the paragraph.

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College student Tam Wang wrote the following paragraph. Notice how it is

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structured.

The topic sentence  ➣ Greenwashing occurs when companies misleadingly promote

lic fo
expresses the main idea. themselves as environmentally friendly. Just as whitewashing means
“to make something look better than it is,” greenwashing is an attempt to

or of ey
look greener than one really is. Some greenwashers spend more money

up w
advertising their “green” qualities than actually doing ecological practices.
Supporting sentences  For instance, an electronic device can be advertised as energy efficient even

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➣
provide details and
tthough it contains hazardous materials. Oil companies promote eco-friendly
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examples. corn ethanol even though its production is energy intensive. Finally, some
products have misleading labels with images of mountains and trees. Various
The concluding sentence household cleaners claim to be organic, but they were never tested by an
brings the paragraph  ➣ impartial organization. In short, greenwashers make use of vague and
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to a satisfying close. misleading marketing.

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ESL   Teaching Tip

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HINT Paragraph Form

ot U H

When you write a paragraph, make sure to observe the following:

• Tryto leave a margin of an inch to an inch and a half on each side of your
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paragraph.
• Always indent the first word of a paragraph. Put it about one inch, or five
n

spaces, from the left-hand margin.

Indent first
line The legal drinking age is an ineffective deterrent to underage
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drinking.
1-inch
margins
i
or
em
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LO 2  Narrow your topic. Narrow the Topic

A paragraph has one main idea. If your topic is too broad, you might find it difficult to
write only one paragraph about it. When you narrow your topic, you make it more
specific. To narrow your topic, you can use exploring strategies, such as freewriting,

M02_GAET1044_03_SE_C02.indd 16 30/11/17 9:21 AM

 Chapter 2  Developing  17

brainstorming, and questioning. These strategies are explained in more detail in Chapter 1, i
d
“Exploring.” Review the following examples of general and narrowed topics: i
e
i
d d
a
General Topic Narrowed Topic e
s
e
a a
The job interview How to dress for a job interview s General Topic s
College My misconceptions about college life

d
Rituals The high school prom

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HINT Narrowing the Topic

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One way to narrow your topic is to break it down into smaller categories.

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Sports

Steroids in sports Team sports Dangerous sports

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Narrowed
Topic

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Sandra’s Example of Narrowing a Topic Essay Link

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College student Sandra Ahumada practised narrowing a topic by thinking of ideas An essay contains several
about work. t paragraphs and can have
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a broader topic than a
—types of work: paid work, housework, homework paragraph.
—jobs I have done in the service industry: server, cashier
—reasons to work in a restaurant
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—how to find a job Teaching Tip

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—bad jobs that I have had

—are online job sites useful?
e
ot U H

The Writer’s Desk  Narrow the Topic

e

Topics 1 to 5 are very broad. Practise narrowing topics by writing three ideas for
each one.
n

Example:  Crime: white-collar crime

Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education Canada

why people steal

types of punishment
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1. Stress:
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2. Gossip:

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3. Nature:

M02_GAET1044_03_SE_C02.indd 17 30/11/17 4:29 PM

 18  Part I   The Writing Process

4. Sports:

5. Jobs:

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The Topic Sentence

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LO 3  Write your topic
sentence.
After you have narrowed the topic of your paragraph, your next step is to write a topic
sentence. The topic sentence has specific characteristics:

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Essay Link
Just as a topic sentence  It introduces the topic of the paragraph.
expresses the main point

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of a paragraph, the thesis
 It states the paragraph’s controlling idea.
statement expresses the  It is the most general sentence in the paragraph.

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main point of an essay.  It is followed by other sentences that provide supporting facts and examples.
Both have a controlling t
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idea. The controlling idea makes a point about the topic and expresses the writer’s opinion,
attitude, or feeling. You can express different controlling ideas about the same topic. For
example, the following topic sentences are about youth offenders, but each sentence
makes a different point about the topic.
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narrowed topic controlling idea

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Youth offenders should not receive special treatment from the correctional system.
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controlling idea narrowed topic

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Rehabilitation and education are the best ways for the province to handle youth offenders.

Teaching Tip
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Practice 1
Circle the topic and underline the controlling idea in each topic sentence.
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Example:  Repair a water heater with three simple steps.

1. Physical education is essential in public schools.

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2. There are three types of terrible bosses.

i
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3. My furnished room has everything a student could need.

4. We had many problems during our camping trip.

em

5. Carolina Bomback has a very eccentric fashion style.

6. A serious problem in high schools is cyber bullying.

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7. The Tragically Hip went through many musical phases.

8. Learning to cook well requires practice, patience, and perseverance.

M02_GAET1044_03_SE_C02.indd 18 30/11/17 9:21 AM

 Chapter 2  Developing  19

Identifying the Topic Sentence Teaching Tip

Before you write topic sentences, practise finding them in paragraphs by other writers.
To find the topic sentence of a paragraph, follow these steps:
 Read the paragraph carefully.

d
 Look for a sentence that sums up the paragraph’s subject. Professional writers may
place the topic sentence anywhere in the paragraph.

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 After you have chosen a sentence, see if the other sentences in the paragraph
provide evidence that supports that sentence.

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If you find one sentence that sums up what the paragraph is about and is supported by
other sentences in the paragraph, then you have identified the topic sentence.

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Practice 2 Teaching Tip

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Underline or highlight the topic sentences in paragraphs 1, 2, and 3. Remember that

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the topic sentence is not always the first sentence in the paragraph.
Example:

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t
Clever marketers have manipulated the public to equate diamonds with
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wedding proposals. In the 1930s, the Oppenheimer family, which controlled the
diamond trade, discovered large diamond deposits in South Africa. Before then,
diamonds were valuable because they were rare. The family faced the problem of
marketing a product that was no longer scarce. Using clever marketing techniques,
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such as the creation of the slogan “Diamonds are forever,” the family entrenched
fo iv le

the idea in people’s minds that a wedding proposal should be accompanied with
a diamond ring. Oppenheimer’s company, De Beers, also paid film companies
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to include “diamond ring” wedding proposals in film scripts. The larger the
diamond, the more love a man expressed. Today, the average bride expects to
ot U H

receive a diamond ring, unaware that a diamond company created the tradition.
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1. The idea of controlling music in society has been around for a long time.
About 2,400 years ago, the Greek philosopher Plato said that the types of music
people listened to should be controlled by the state. During the Middle Ages and
n

the Renaissance, it was the Church that specified how music should be composed
and performed. And in later centuries, secular rulers held a virtual monopoly over
Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education Canada

the music that was allowed in their realm. Often, composers had to submit a work
to a committee before it was allowed to be published or performed.
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—Jeremy Yudkin, Understanding Music

i
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2. A ring, a ceremony, and a joyful notice in the newspaper once demonstrated

the highlights of a romance, and the bitter lowlights were usually endured in the
em

tearful intimacy of close friends. These days, however, in a culture permeated

by social networking sites like Facebook, a simple click of a button can mark
the beginning and end of a relationship. For instance, about a year ago, as Jamie
Barone’s relationship became serious, he had a discussion with his girlfriend
M

about changing their relationship status from “single” to “in a relationship” on

their Facebook profiles. Barone describes Facebook as a “billboard.” The nega-
tive side of romance is also publicized. When Spencer Raymond, twenty-six,
changed his Facebook status to single, he inadvertently hurt his ex-girlfriend.

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 20  Part I   The Writing Process

She was barraged with phone calls from several of his four hundred online
friends, an experience he says was uncomfortable for both of them. “Rela-
tionships are hard as it is,” says Raymond. Facebook just “adds to the pain of a
sensitive situation.”
—Love and Heartbreak on Facebook by ZUNAIRA ZAKI, ABCNews.com May 20,2008.

d
Used with permission. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=4865303&page.

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Teaching Tip 3. Imagine a society without laws. People would not know what to expect from
one another (an area controlled by the law of contracts), nor would they be able to
plan for the future with any degree of certainty (administrative law); they wouldn’t

io dl
feel safe knowing that the more powerful or better armed could take what they
wanted from the less powerful (criminal law); and they might not be able to exer-

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cise basic rights which would otherwise be available to them as citizens of a free
nation (constitutional law).

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—Frank Schmalleger, Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the
Twenty-first Century, 6th Ed., (c) 2001. Reprinted and electronically reproduced
by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

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Writing an Effective Topic Sentence

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t
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When you develop your topic sentence, avoid some common errors by asking yourself
Technology Link
If you write your paragraph
these three questions:
on a computer, make your 1. Is my topic sentence a complete sentence that has a controlling idea?
topic sentence bold
You might state the topic in one word or phrase, but your topic sentence should
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(ctrl B). Then you and

your instructor can easily always reveal a complete thought and have a controlling idea. It should not sim-
fo iv le

identify it. ply announce the topic.

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Incomplete Working in a restaurant.

(This item gives a topic but is not a topic sentence. It
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does not contain both a subject and a verb, and it does

not express a complete thought.)
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Announcement I will write about part-time jobs.

(This sentence announces the topic but says nothing rel-
n

evant about it. Do not use expressions such as My topic

is … or I will write about….)
Topic sentence Part-time jobs help college students build self-esteem.
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ESL  Teaching Tip 2. Does my topic sentence make a valid and supportable point?
Your topic sentence should express a valid point that you can support with your
i
or

evidence. It should not be a vaguely worded statement, and it should not be a

highly questionable generalization.
em

Vague Beauty is becoming more important in our culture.

(Beauty is more important than what?)
Invalid point Beauty is more important than it was in the past.
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(Is this really true? Cultures throughout history have been

concerned with notions of beauty.)
Topic sentence Fashion magazines do not provide readers with enough
varied examples of beauty.

M02_GAET1044_03_SE_C02.indd 20 30/11/17 9:21 AM

 Chapter 2  Developing  21

3. Can I support my topic sentence in a single paragraph?

Essay Link
Your topic sentence should express an idea that you can support in a paragraph. It If you find that your topic is
should be neither too broad nor too narrow. too broad for a paragraph,
you might want to save it
Too broad Love is important. so you can try using it for
(It would be difficult to write a paragraph about this topic. an essay.

d
There are too many things to say.)

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Too narrow My girlfriend was born on March 2.
(What more is there to say?)

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Topic sentence During my first relationship, I learned a lot about being
honest.

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HINT Write a Clear Topic Sentence Teaching Tip

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Your topic sentence should not express an obvious or well-known fact. When
you clearly indicate your point of view, your topic sentence will capture your

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readers’ attention and make them want to continue reading.

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Obvious Money is important in our world.
t
(Everybody knows this.)
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Better There are several effective ways to save money.
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Practice 3
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Choose the word from the list that best describes the problem with each topic sentence.
Correct the problem by revising each sentence.
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Announces Incomplete Narrow

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Broad Invalid Vague Teaching Tip

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Example:  This paragraph is about television advertisements. 

Problem:   Announces
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Revision:   Television advertisements should be banned

Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education Canada

  during children’s programming.

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1. I will write about negative political campaigns.

Problem:         Revision: 
i
or

2. Pollution is a big problem. Teaching Tip

em

Problem:   Revision:    

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3. Deciding to go to college.
Problem:   Revision:


M02_GAET1044_03_SE_C02.indd 21 30/11/17 9:21 AM

 22  Part I   The Writing Process

4. The subject of this paragraph is cyber bullying.

Problem:   Revision:


5. Politicians are all liars.

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Problem:   Revision:

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6. The campus coffee shop has red doors.

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Problem:   Revision:


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Practice 4
The following paragraphs do not contain topic sentences. Read the paragraphs carefully,

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and write an appropriate topic sentence for each.

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1.
t
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First, take shorter showers. Five minutes is enough time to get clean. Also, do
the laundry only when there is a full load. When brushing your teeth, don’t
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leave the water running. Just turn the water off and on as needed. Finally, ask
your landlord to install toilets that use very little water. Remember that water is
fo iv le

a precious resource.
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2.
ot U H


First, art education teaches children to be creative thinkers. Early exposure to
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art promotes right-brain thinking. Also, art classes help children have a greater
appreciation for the beauty that surrounds them daily. It helps them slow down
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and appreciate life. Above all, making art is fun. It provides a stress-free moment
in a child’s day.
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Teaching Tip
The Writer’s Desk  Write Topic Sentences
i
or

Narrow each of the topics in this exercise. Then write a topic sentence that
contains a controlling idea. You could look at the Writer’s Desk on page 17 for
ideas.
em

Example: Crime
Narrowed topic: Why people steal
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Topic sentence: People steal for several reasons.



M02_GAET1044_03_SE_C02.indd 22 30/11/17 9:21 AM

 Chapter 2  Developing  23

1. Stress
Narrowed topic: 
Topic sentence: 


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2. Gossip

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Narrowed topic: 
Topic sentence: 

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3. Nature
Narrowed topic: 
Topic sentence: 

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4. Sports
Narrowed topic: 

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Topic sentence:  t
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5. Jobs
Narrowed topic: 
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Topic sentence: 
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e
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The Supporting Ideas

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LO 4  Generate supporting
ideas.
Once you have written a clear topic sentence, you can focus on the supporting
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details—the facts and examples that provide the reader with interesting information
about the subject matter. Essay Link
Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education Canada

When writing an essay,

Generating Supporting Ideas place the thesis statement
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in the introduction.
You can try an exploring strategy, such as brainstorming or freewriting, to generate Then each supporting
idea becomes a distinct
i

ideas. Then you can choose the best ideas.

or

paragraph with its own

An effective paragraph has unity when all of its sentences directly relate to and topic sentence.
support the topic sentence. Create a unified paragraph by selecting three or four ideas
em

that are the most compelling and that clearly support your topic sentence. You may
notice that several items on your list are similar; therefore, you can group them together.
If some items do not support the topic sentence, remove them.
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Mahan’s Supporting Ideas

College student Mahan Zahir narrowed his topic and brainstormed a list of supporting
ideas. Then he grouped similar ideas together and crossed out two items.

M02_GAET1044_03_SE_C02.indd 23 30/11/17 9:21 AM

 24  Part I   The Writing Process

Teaching Tip People steal for many reasons.

– need money for food
– want luxury items
– for thrills
– addiction

d
– for drugs

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– minimum wage not enough to buy groceries
– alcohol-related crimes

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– unemployment
– want to consume

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– lack of moral code
– think they deserve something for nothing

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– too lazy
– adrenaline rush

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HINT

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Technology Link Identifying the Best Ideas
On a computer, you can t
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cut (ctrl X) and paste There are many ways to highlight your best ideas. You can circle the best
(ctrl V) similar ideas supporting points and then use arrows to link them with secondary ideas. You
together. can also use highlighter pens or asterisks (*) to identify the best supporting
points.
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fo iv le

Practice 5
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College student Romina Herrera brainstormed ideas about compulsory volunteer

work. Her purpose was to persuade, so she created a topic sentence that expressed her
ot U H

opinion about the issue.

Underline the three ideas from her list that you think are the most compelling and
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that most clearly illustrate the point she is making in her topic sentence. Then group
together any related ideas under each of the main subheadings. If any ideas do not relate
n

to her topic sentence, cross them out.

Topic Sentence: Freshman high school students should be forced to do

community service on weekends. 
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—in Haiti, youths helped rebuild houses after the earthquake

—during last year’s floods, student volunteers could have helped in shelters
i

—can provide assistance in times of crisis

or

—some students are too lazy and don’t want to help anyone else
—Miguel stopped littering after he cleared roadside garbage
em

—provides a chance to learn about real-world issues, such as the environment,

poverty, etc.
—can gather food and clothing for the homeless
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—some students need to earn money on weekends

—provides a character-building opportunity
—Kelsey developed empathy when she worked at the women’s shelter
—need more shelters for battered women
—Ivan became more generous after working with the homeless

M02_GAET1044_03_SE_C02.indd 24 30/11/17 9:21 AM

 Chapter 2  Developing  25

The Writer’s Desk  Generate Supporting Ideas

Choose two of your topic sentences from the Writer’s Desk on pages 22 and 23. Essay Link
For each topic sentence, develop a list of supporting ideas. In an essay, you can use
After you have two complete lists, choose the one that you find most time, space, or emphatic
order to organize your

d
interesting. Then group ideas together and cross out any ideas that are not useful.
ideas.

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Organizing Your Ideas Teaching Tip

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To make your ideas easy for your readers to follow, organize your ideas in a logical
manner. You can use one of three common organizational methods: (1) time order, (2)

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emphatic order, or (3) space order.
Transitional expressions help guide the reader from one idea to another. A
complete list of transitional expressions appears on pages 38–39 in Chapter 3.

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Time Order

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When you organize a paragraph using time order (chronological order), you

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arrange the details according to the sequence in which they have occurred. When
t
you narrate a story, explain how to do something, or describe a historical event, you
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generally use time order.
first then after that
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fo iv le e
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Here are some transitional expressions you can use in time-order paragraphs:
after that first later next
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eventually in the beginning meanwhile suddenly

finally immediately months after then
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ESL  Teaching Tip

The next paragraph is structured using time order.
Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education Canada

One day, some gentlemen called on my mother, and I felt the shutting of
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the front door and other sounds that indicated their arrival. Immediately, I ran
upstairs before anyone could stop me to put on my idea of formal clothing.
i

Standing before the mirror, as I had seen others do, I anointed my head with oil
or

and covered my face thickly with powder. Then I pinned a veil over my head so
that it covered my face and fell in folds down to my shoulders. Finally, I tied an
em

enormous bustle round my small waist, so that it dangled behind, almost meeting
the hem of my skirt. Thus attired, I went down to help entertain the company.

—Helen Keller, The Story of My Life, edited by Roger Shattuck. © 2003

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W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Emphatic Order
When you organize the supporting details of a paragraph using emphatic order, you
arrange them in a logical sequence. For example, you can arrange details from least to
most important, from least appealing to most appealing, and so on.

M02_GAET1044_03_SE_C02.indd 25 30/11/17 9:21 AM

 26  Part I   The Writing Process

Teaching Tip
most likely
least
important
likely
important

d
least
likely most

n an
important

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Here are some transitional expressions you can use in emphatic-order paragraphs:

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above all first moreover principally
clearly in particular most importantly the least important
especially last of course the most important

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The following paragraph uses emphatic order. The writer presents the conditions from

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bad ones to the worst ones.

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The conditions experienced by the eager young volunteers of the Union
tand Confederate armies included massive, terrifying, and bloody battles, appar-
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ently unending, with no sign of victory in sight. First, soldiers suffered from
the uncertainty of supply, which left troops, especially in the South, without
uniforms, tents, and sometimes even food. They also endured long marches
over muddy, rutted roads while carrying packs weighing fifty or sixty pounds.
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Most importantly, disease was rampant in their dirty, verminous, and unsanitary
fo iv le

camps, and hospitals were so dreadful that more men left them dead than alive.
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—Adapted from John Mack Faragher; Mari Jo Buhle; Daniel Czitrom; Susan H Armitage,
Out of Many: A History of the American People, Pearson Education.
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HINT Using Emphatic Order

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When you organize details using emphatic order, use your own values and
opinions to determine what is most or least important, upsetting, remarkable,
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and so on. Another writer might organize the same ideas in a different way.

Space Order
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When you organize ideas using space order, you help the reader visualize what you
are describing in a specific space. For example, you can describe something or someone
i

from top to bottom or bottom to top, from left to right or right to left, or from far to
or

near or near to far.

behind
em

on top
M

beside
in

in front on the bottom

M02_GAET1044_03_SE_C02.indd 26 30/11/17 9:21 AM

 Chapter 2  Developing  27

Here are some transitional expressions you can use in space-order paragraphs:
above beneath nearby on top
behind closer in on the bottom toward
below farther out on the left under

d
In the next paragraph, the writer describes a location beginning at the beach and ending
at the front of the house.

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Their house was even more elaborate than I expected. It was a cheerful red-

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and-white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay. The lawn started
at the beach and ran toward the front door for a quarter of a mile, jumping
over sundials and brick walks and burning gardens. Finally, when it reached the

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house, it drifted up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of
its run. The front was broken by a line of French windows.

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—F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Copyright by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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Practice 6

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Read each paragraph and underline the topic sentence. Then decide what order the
t
writer used: time, emphatic, or space order. Circle any words or phrases that help you
al sity Pa
make your choice.
1. After two months of work, I realized that my job selling a health drink was
actually a pyramid scheme. In the beginning, I answered an online ad promis-
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ing great money in sales. I went to the initiation meeting, and there were about
fo iv le

twenty job seekers. Enthusiastic speakers spoke to us about the enormous amounts
of money we would soon be earning. The next day, after a screening process,
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the recruiter claimed to choose the best candidates. I now realize that she chose
everybody. Then, a week later, we were asked to invest $200 in our initial sam-
ot U H

ples. “Sell your drinks and the money will start rolling in,” the recruiter promised.
We could also earn income by recruiting more salespeople. I was nervous, but I
e

really needed the job, so I put almost all of my savings into those power drinks.
After two months of unsuccessful sales, I understood that the only people making
money were those at the top of the scheme.
n

—Latonza Hines, student

Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education Canada

Order: 
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2. Many factors contribute to racist attitudes. First, there are often higher levels
of racist incidents in societies that have historically had very little contact with
i
or

different ethnic groups. According to the writer and political analyst Gwynne
Dyer, such isolated societies may feel threatened when there is an influx of
immigrants. Moreover, racist attitudes become more prevalent when various
em

ethnic communities do not intermingle. If different cultural communities do not

work and study together, stereotypes about other groups become entrenched.
Most importantly, high levels of poverty contribute to racist reactions; immi-
M

grants become easy and available scapegoats when there is competition for
limited jobs.
—Eliot Mandel, student

Order: 

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 28  Part I   The Writing Process

3. Samuel Spade’s jaw was long and bony, his chin a jutting v under the more
flexible v of his mouth. His nostrils curved back to make another, smaller, v. His
yellow-grey eyes were horizontal. The v motif was picked up again by thickish
brows rising outward from twin creases above a hooked nose, and his pale brown
hair grew down—from high flat temples—in a point on his forehead. He looked
rather pleasantly like a blond satan.

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—Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon. Copyright by Vintage Books

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Order: 

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Teaching Tip Practice 7

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Read the following topic sentences. Decide what type of order you can use to develop
the paragraph details. Choose time, emphatic, or space order. (There may be more than
one correct organizational method.)

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Example:  Repair a water heater with three simple steps.  time

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1. Physical education is essential in public schools.
2. There are three types of terrible bosses.

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3. My furnished room has everything a student could need.

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4. We had many problems during our camping trip.

5. Carolina Bomback has a very eccentric fashion style.

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6. A serious problem in high schools is cyberbullying.

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7. The Tragically Hip went through many musical phases.

8. Learning to cook well requires practice, patience,

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and perseverance.
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LO 5  Develop a paragraph The Paragraph Plan

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plan.
A plan (or outline) of a paragraph is a map showing the paragraph’s main and
supporting ideas. To make a plan, write your topic sentence and then list supporting
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points and details. Remember to use time, emphatic, or space order to organize the
supporting points. In a more formal outline, you can use letters and numbers to indicate
primary and secondary ideas.
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Mahan’s Paragraph Plan

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Mahan completed his paragraph plan. He narrowed his topic, wrote a topic sentence,
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and thought of several supporting details. Here is his paragraph plan:

Topic Sentence: People steal for many reasons.
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Support 1: Poverty is a primary motivation for people to steal.

Essay Link
Details: —some people are unemployed
Make a plan when you
write an essay. In essay —others work at low-paying jobs
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plans, each supporting —need money for food, rent, clothing

idea becomes a separate
paragraph. Support 2: Some criminals are greedy.
Details: —want to live a life of luxury
—crave jewels and nice cars
—wish for a larger yacht or faster jet

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 Chapter 2  Developing  29

Support 3: Some people steal due to drug or alcohol addictions. Teaching Tip
Details: —addicts steal to buy drugs
—alcohol ruins good judgment
Support 4: Some people steal for the kicks.
Details: —experience the thrill

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—receive an adrenaline rush when stealing

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HINT Adding Specific Details

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When you prepare your paragraph plan, ask yourself if the details clearly support
your topic sentence. If not, then you could add details to make your points

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stronger. For example, when Mahan first brainstormed a list of supporting details
(page 24 ), he did not think of specific details to support his point about greed.
In his paragraph plan, however, he added a few more details (larger yacht, faster

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jet) to make that point stronger and more complete.

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The Writer’s Desk  t Write a Paragraph Plan
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Look at the topic sentence and the organized list of supporting ideas that you Teaching Tip
created for the previous Writer’s Desk exercises. Now, in the space provided,
make a paragraph plan. Remember to include details for each supporting idea.
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Topic sentence: 
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Support 1: 
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Details: 

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Support 2: 
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Details: 
Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education Canada


Support 3: 
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Details: 
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Writing the Concluding Sentence Essay Link

Essays end with a
A stand-alone paragraph may have a concluding sentence that brings it to a satisfactory
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concluding paragraph.
close. There are several ways to write a concluding sentence: For more information,
 Restate the topic sentence in a new, refreshing way. see pages 179–180.

 Make an interesting final observation.

 End with a prediction, suggestion, or quotation.

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 30  Part I   The Writing Process

HINT Problems with Concluding Sentences

Teaching Tip To make an effective conclusion, remember the following:

• Do not contradict your main point or introduce new or irrelevant information.
• Do not apologize or back down from your main points.

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• Do not end with a rhetorical question. (A rhetorical question is a question that
won’t be answered, such as, “When will people stop texting while driving?”)

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For example, in Mahan’s paragraph about crime, he should not end with a
statement that questions or contradicts his main point.

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Weak But nobody really understands why people break the law.
(This concluding sentence undermines the main point, which is

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that people steal for many reasons.)

Better Knowing why people steal may help social services and

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lawmakers deal with criminals more effectively.
(This prediction brings the paragraph to a satisfactory close.)

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Practice 8
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The topic sentences in paragraphs 1 and 2 are underlined. For each paragraph, circle
the letter of the most effective concluding sentence, and then explain why the other
choice is not as effective.
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Example:
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Games are not just for children. Adults should exercise their brains by playing
games. Puzzles and games help keep a person’s mind sharp, especially as the aging
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process occurs. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, seniors who play
cards, do board games, and solve crossword puzzles can reduce their risks of developing
ot U H

dementia. Marcia Wilkins, a senior living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, plays the addictive
number game Sudoku and credits the game with helping her concentration skills.
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a. However, do all adults have the time or energy to play games?

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b. Ultimately, people need to exercise their brains as much as they exercise their
bodies.
Why is the other choice not as effective?
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Answer “a” is a rhetorical question that sends the paragraph

in a different direction.
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1. Our province should insist that daycare centres provide more flexible hours
for families. Today, in many families, both parents work outside the home. These
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parents do not necessarily work from nine to five. For example, nurses and factory
employees work in shifts. It is important for these parents to have flexible daycare.
Also, many parents who are in the service and retail industries work on weekends.
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For these parents, it is important to have adequate childcare facilities during their
work hours.
a.
The current hours of most daycare centres do not meet the needs of a great
number of families.

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 Chapter 2  Developing  31

b. However, maybe daycare owners do not want to open on nights and weekends. Teaching Tip
Why is the other choice not as effective?

2. College students should find part-time jobs that require them to exercise

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different muscles. If a business student spends hours sitting in front of a com-

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puter screen, then he should try to find a job that requires physical activity. If an
engineering student has to do advanced calculus, then maybe her part-time job
should allow her to rest her brain. Students who do a lot of solitary study could

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try to find jobs that allow them to interact socially.
a. Some college students should not take part-time jobs because they need to

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concentrate on their studies.
b. Humans need to do a variety of activities to be mentally and physically

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strong, so college students should keep that in mind when they look for
work.

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Why is the other choice not as effective?

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The First Draft LO 6  Write the first draft.
After making a paragraph plan, you are ready to write your first draft, which is a very
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important step in the writing process. Your first draft includes your topic sentence, some
supporting details, and a concluding sentence. It is okay if your first draft is incomplete
fo iv le

or messy. Later, during the revising and editing stages, you can clarify your ideas and
modify the organization of your paragraph.
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Mahan’s First Draft Teaching Tip

Here is Mahan Zahir’s first draft. You may notice that his paragraph has errors. He will
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correct these when he gets to the revising and editing stage of the process.
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People steal for many reasons. Poverty is a primary motivation for

people to steal. Because some people are unemployed and others
Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education Canada

may be underemployed. They may not have enough money for food,
clothing rent. Stealing money or food may be very tempting. As a
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means of survival. Criminals do fraud because they are greedy. In

fact, some extremely wealthy people steal simply because they want
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to acquire a larger yacht or a more better jet. Another important

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reason that people engage in stealing is to pay for their addictions.

Finally, people also steal for kicks. Criminals get an adrenaline rush
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when you outwit the cops.

The Writer’s Desk 

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Write Your First Draft

In the previous Writer’s Desk on page 29 , you made a paragraph plan. Now use
the plan’s information to type or write your first draft paragraph.

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 32  Part I   The Writing Process

Teaching Tip Reflect on It

Think about what you have learned in this chapter. If you do not know an answer,
review that topic.
1. What is a topic sentence?

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2. What is time order?


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3. What is emphatic order?

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4. What is space order?

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Are the following sentences true or false? Circle the best answer.

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5. A paragraph has more than one main idea. True False

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6. A paragraph’s details support its topic sentence. True False
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7. A paragraph can have several supporting ideas. True False
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fo iv le e
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| MyLab | Writing
| MyLab | Writing The Writer’s Room
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Complete these
writing assignments Writing Activity 1
at www.pearson.com/mylab
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In the Writer’s Room in Chapter 1, “Exploring,” you used various strategies

to find ideas about the following topics. Select one of the topics and write a
Teaching Tip paragraph. Remember to follow the writing process.

General Topics College- and Work-Related Topics

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1. a childhood memory 5. a comfortable work environment

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2. anger 6. study or work habits

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3. music 7. college life

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4. online addictions 8. types of customers

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 Chapter 2  Developing  33

Writing Activity 2
Choose a topic that you feel passionate about, and write a paragraph. Your
topic could be an activity (painting, swimming, basketball) or an interest
(music, politics). Your topic sentence should make a point about the topic.

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Olga Khoroshunova/Fotolia
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Developing Checklist
fo iv le

As you develop your paragraph, ask yourself the following questions:

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• Have I narrowed my topic?

Teaching Tip
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• Does my topic sentence make a valid and supportable point about the topic?
• Is my topic sentence interesting?
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• Does my paragraph focus on one main idea?

• Do the details support the topic sentence?
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• Do the supporting details follow a logical order?

Copyright © 2019 by Pearson Education Canada

• Does my paragraph end in a satisfactory way?

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