Elements of A Good Paragraph

There are four elements:

1. Completeness
2. Logical or sensible order
3. Unity
4. Coherence
 Completeness
A paragraph must have enough information
in it to give the reader a clear picture or a
full discussion of its main idea (the topic
sentence).
A paragraph without details or examples will
be vague and unconvincing. The
paragraph is called incomplete or
underdeveloped.
• Dancing can be good exercise. It can be
entertaining. It can be lots of fun as well.
Dancing can be very beneficial for everyone.
• Dancing can be good exercise. The constant
arm and leg movements are like aerobics. They
can be a really good workout if the dance lasts
long enough. If the dance requires lots of quick
movements, many calories can be used up, and
more fat will be burned. Some dances require
movements that are like stretching, so flexibility
and muscle tone will be increased. Dancing can
help maintain weight and can be beneficial
exercise for everyone.
• Adding details to paragraphs
• Many paragraphs can be made better by adding details. Look at the
example below.
• Asking and answering the kinds of questions shown will help you
strengthen your paragraphs.
• On your own paper, rewrite the "weak" paragraphs shown on
the next page using the questions as a guide for adding details.

• Although seat belts have been shown to save lives, people give a
number of reasons for not using them. First, many people think they
are a nuisance. Second, many people are lazy. Third, some people
don't believe they will have an accident. Finally, some people are
afraid the seat belt will trap them in their car. All of these reasons
seem inadequate since statistics show that wearing seat belts saves
lives and prevents serious injuries.
• The paragraph can be improved by adding details to answer the
following questions:
• . Why don't people like seat belts?
• . In what way are people lazy?
• . Why do people think they won't have an accident?
• . Under what circumstances might people get trapped?.
• Now read the paragraph with added details. Notice how adding
answers to these questions has improved it.
• Although seat belts have been shown to save lives, people give a
number of reasons for not using them. First, many people think they
are a nuisance. They say the belt is uncomfortable and inhibits
freedom of movement. Second, many people are lazy. For them, it
is too much trouble to put on and adjust a seat belt, especially if
they are only going a short distance. Third, some people don't
believe they will have an accident because they are careful and
experienced drivers. They think they will be able to respond quickly
to avoid a crash. Finally, some people are afraid the seat belt will
trap them in their car. They feel that if they have an accident, they
might not be able to get out of a car that is burning, or they might be
unconscious and another person won't be able to get them out. All
of these reasons seem inadequate since statistics show that
wearing seat belts saves lives and prevents serious injuries
• 1. When you plant a tree, you are helping your
environment in many ways. Your tree will
provide a home and food for other creatures. It
will hold the soil in place. It will provide shade in
the summer. You can watch it grow and
someday show your children, or even
grandchildren, the tree you planted.
• What kind of home would the tree provide?
• What kind of food would the tree provide?
• What kind of creatures might use the tree?
• Why is holding the soil in place important?
• Why is shade important?
• 2. Airplanes and helicopters can be used to save
people's lives. Helicopters can be used for
rescuing people in trouble. Planes can transport
food and supplies when disasters strike. Both
types of aircraft can transport people to hospitals
in emergencies. Helicopters and airplanes can
be used to provide medical services to people
who live in remote areas.
• In what situations do people need rescuing by
helicopters?
• What kinds of disasters might happen?
• What kinds of emergencies may require people
to be transported to hospitals?
• How can helicopters and airplanes be used to
provide medical services for people in remote
areas?
• Further practice in adding details to paragraphs
• The following paragraphs are weak. They could be improved by
adding details. On your own paper, write questions about
details that could be added. Then rewrite the paragraphs,
making them stronger by inserting the answers to your
questions.
• 1. Even though airplanes are fast and comfortable, I prefer to travel
by car. When traveling by car, I can look at the scenery. Also, I can
stop along the road. Sometimes I meet interesting people from the
area I am traveling through. I can carry as much luggage as I want,
and I don't worry about missing flights.
• 2. Wild animals should not be kept in captivity for many reasons.
First, animals are often kept in poor and inhumane conditions. In
addition, many suffer poor health from lack of exercise and exhibit
frustration and stress through their neurotic behavior. Also, some
animals will not breed in captivity. Those animals that mate often do
so with a close relative. In conclusion, money spent in the upkeep of
zoos would be better spent in protecting natural habitats.
• 3. Good teachers should have the following qualities. First, they
must know the material that they are teaching very well. Second,
they should be able to explain their knowledge. Third, they must be
patient and understanding. Last, they must be able to make the
subject matter interesting to the students.
• Adding details to your developmental paragraphs ­
• On your own paper, write detail questions about the
supporting ideas.
• I. One reason a student must work hard is the number of
assignments that must be completed.
• A. reading lots of assignments
• B. writing papers
• C. doing lab experiments
• What kinds of reading assignments are there?
• How will these readings be different from reading for
fun?
• What kinds of papers might have to be written?
• How long will the papers have to be?
• What kind of job work needs to be done?
Revise the following paragraph for
completeness
Customer service is very important in
building successful business. Customers
who are treated well often return to the
store. One way to keep the customers
back to the store is the customer service
hold an interesting competition or door-
prizes that satisfy the customers. Another
way is by improving our quality of
products.
 Logical order
All the support sentences should be in
clear, logical order. If the sentences are
not in logical order, the reader misses the
main point of the paragraph.
Example:
I opened the front door of my house and
went inside.
I walked up the front steps to my front door.
Decide what their logical order
would be in a paragraph
1. Ali attended the class.
Ali paid his registration fees for two classes
in the semester.
Ali took money from his savings for the fees
2. Harry deposited his paycheck in the bank.
Harry walked to the personnel office to pick up
his paycheck.
Harry cleared the desk for the day at 4:30
Harry filled out the deposit slip on the way to
the bank.
3. Ali and his mother bought dog food at
the store.
Ali put the food down for his puppies at
three o’clock.
Ali got the food ready with his mom’s
help.
4. Ani removed the old filter and put in the
new one.
Ani bought oil and an oil filter from the
automotive store.
Ani drained the oil from her car.
Ani put the new oil in her car.
Ani decided to change the oil in her car.
 Unified Paragraphs
 A paragraph is unified when every
sentence develops the point made in
the topic sentence. It must have a
single focus and it must contain no
irrelevant facts. When any idea
doesn’t relate to the topic sentence,
then that paragraph lacks unity or is
not unified.
In order to determine whether a
paragraph is well developed or not,
ask yourself: ``What main point am I
trying to convey here?'' (topic
sentence) and then ``Does every
sentence clearly relate to this
idea?''
 There are several ways in which you can
build good, clear paragraphs. They are
developed by:
• detail (expand on a general topic
sentence using specific examples or
illustrations)
• comparison and contrast
• cause and effect
• process (step-by-step description)
• a combination of development
strategies (may begin with a brief
comparison, for example, and move on to
provide detailed descriptions of the
subjects being compared) .
Study each group of sentences. Identify
the sentences as follows.
TS : Topic Sentence
SS : Support Sentence
US : Unrelated Sentence
1. Ami bought a Ford.
Ami admires American cars.
She needs a new lawn mower.
2. Raising children can be a wonderful
experience.
Cathy has three children
Clothes for babies can be costly
3. John wrote a research paper for Biology
101
The Biology class required several lab and
writing assignments.
John missed two biology lectures.
4. John wants to run for public office.
Two or three hours a day can be spent
giving speeches.
Running for public office can be
demanding.