Patterns of

Development
in Writing
 Patterns of development are
methods of organization that
writers use to organize their ideas
about a topic. The selection of
patterns of development in
writing is dependable on the
writer’s purpose.
 NARRATION

 A narrative paragraph or
essay tells a story and explains
how something happened.
 My New Career

The morning of my big job interview started like

any other. I awoke with a good night’s sleep
under my belt determined and confident in
getting a new job as a swamper for Williams
Moving and Storage. The night before the
interview, I practiced moving the furniture from
one end of the house to the other. My
roommates thought I was crazy. Arising from
bed, I felt stronger, like a rodeo bull waiting to
get out of his cage.
 CLASSIFICATION

 Explains a subject by dividing

into types or categories.
 Tattoo You

Having worked in a tattoo studio fro the past

year, I have come to recognize three types of
annoying customers that invariably stroll through
the door. The first is the Time Waster. Generally
the Time Waster is not serious about getting a
tattoo now, or probably ever, but nevertheless is
hell-bent on wasting the artist’s time with a
barrage of inane questions. The next type of
annoying client is Know-it-all. These people
usually have a friend with a tattoo, and therefore
consider themselves to be expert.
 COMPARISON AND
CONTRAST

 Explains how two subjects are

similar or different.
 Transportation Choices

When faced with the choice of driving

their own car or using the bus, the majority
of North Americans opt for cars. They are
not put off by the fact that owning a car is
expensive when compared to the cost of
monthly or annual transit passes in most
cities.
 CAUSE AND EFFECT

 Explains the reasons (causes)

why something happened and
describes the results (effects)
of an event, action, or
condition.
 How Drugs Can Destroy People’s
Lives

Drug addiction is a serious health issue

that affects addicts, their families and
society. First of all, drug addiction has
severe physical effects on the addict’s
body. Drug users can experience many
physical symptoms including sickness,
fevers, sweats and shakes, and weight
loss.
 DESCRIPTION

 Describes a person, thing,

place or situation.
 My First Apartment

My first apartment was a third floor walk-

up on a busy street in downtown
Vancouver. The building was a faded
brown characterless box. My apartment
was down a dimly-lit narrow hallway
covered in worn fifties style dark green
carpeting. When I say apartment, I really
mean a room, because there was just
one small room with a tiny bathroom.
 PERSUASION
(ARGUMENT)

 Tries to persuade the reader to

accept your point of view or
even to change his or her
point of view.
Time to Get Tough with Drunk Drivers

It’s time for the courts to crack down

on drunk drivers. Often even repeat
offenders get small fines when
caught driving with alcohol levels
above the legal limit. But, drunk
driving is a serious crime and should
be treated as such. Drunk drivers
cause most serious accidents.
 EXAMPLE
(ILLUSTRATION)

 Makes a point about a topic

by providing examples to
support it.
 Plastic People

Today, men and women of all ages

undergo surgery to achieve the looks
they desire. Cosmetic surgery is so
common that to some it is a lifestyle.
Some of the most popular procedures
are breast implants, liposuction,
facelifts and hair transplants. Even
though the risks are well known, many
still take their chances.
 DEFINITION

 Explains what something is in

comparison to other members
of its class, along with any
limitations.
 Questions

Questions can be many different things. A

question can be an inquiring sentence
which asks for a reply, as in “I have a
question for you.” The word can also refer
to whatever subject matter is at hand, as
in the sentence.
 PROBLEM-SOLUTION

 Identifies a problem and

proposes one or more
solutions.
 Kitty Door

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 first step
we took in solving this problem was
taping the kitty door open.