Paragraph models

Paragraphs
A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized and coherent, and are
all related to a single topic.
Paragraphs can contain many different kinds of information. A paragraph could
contain a series of brief examples or a single long illustration of a general point.
It might describe a place, character, or process; narrate a series of events;
compare or contrast two or more things; classify items into categories; or
describe causes and effects. Regardless of the kind of information they contain,
all paragraphs share certain characteristics. One of the most important of these
is a topic sentence.
TOPIC SENTENCES
A well-organized paragraph supports or develops a single controlling idea,
which is expressed in a sentence called the topic sentence. A topic sentence
has several important functions: it substantiates or supports an essay’s thesis
statement; it unifies the content of a paragraph and directs the order of the
sentences; and it advises the reader of the subject to be discussed and how the
paragraph will discuss it. Readers generally look to the first few sentences in a
paragraph to determine the subject and perspective of the paragraph.
PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Most paragraphs in an essay have a three-part structure—introduction, body,
and conclusion. You can see this structure in paragraphs whether they are
narrating, describing, comparing, contrasting, or analyzing information. Each
part of the paragraph plays an important role in communicating your meaning to
your reader.
Introduction: the first section of a paragraph; should include the topic sentence
and any other sentences at the beginning of the paragraph that give
background information or provide a transition.
Body: follows the introduction; discusses the controlling idea, using facts,
arguments, analysis, examples, and other information.
Conclusion: the final section; summarizes the connections between the
information discussed in the body of the paragraph and the paragraph’s
controlling idea.
The following paragraph illustrates this pattern of organization. In this paragraph
the topic sentence and concluding sentence (CAPITALIZED) both help the
reader keep the paragraph’s main point in mind.
SCIENTISTS HAVE LEARNED TO SUPPLEMENT THE SENSE OF SIGHT IN
NUMEROUS WAYS. In front of the tiny pupil of the eye they put, on Mount
Palomar, a great monocle 200 inches in diameter, and with it see 2000 times
farther into the depths of space. Or they look through a small pair of lenses
arranged as a microscope into a drop of water or blood, and magnify by as
much as 2000 diameters the living creatures there, many of which are among
man’s most dangerous enemies. Or, if we want to see distant happenings on
earth, they use some of the previously wasted electromagnetic waves to carry
television images which they re-create as light by whipping tiny crystals on a
screen with electrons in a vacuum. Or they can bring happenings of long ago
and far away as colored motion pictures, by arranging silver atoms and color-
absorbing molecules to force light waves into the patterns of original reality. Or
if we want to see into the center of a steel casting or the chest of an injured
child, they send the information on a beam of penetrating short-wave X rays,
and then convert it back into images we can see on a screen or photograph.
THUS, ALMOST EVERY TYPE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION YET
DISCOVERED HAS BEEN USED TO EXTEND OUR SENSE OF SIGHT IN
SOME WAY.
George Harrison, “Faith and the Scientist”
COHERENCE
If a paragraph is coherent, each sentence flows smoothly into the next without
obvious shifts or jumps. A coherent paragraph also highlights the ties between
old information and new information to make the structure of ideas or
arguments clear to the reader.
Paragraph models
When considering the type of paragraph, you are about to write, you need to
consider a few different questions. What is the purpose of the paragraph?
What are you trying to communicate to your reader? The answers to these
questions will guide you as you consider both the content of your paragraph and
the effect you are trying to achieve. There are many different types of
paragraphs. Each type has a different purpose, and writers make use of
different means in achieving each purpose. The following is a list of some of
the paragraph types.

Narrative Paragraph
Narrative paragraphs tell stories. They differ from short stories or novels in
length as well as in the amount of detail provided; they sometimes are little
more than brief vignettes. True narrative paragraphs, however, are similar to
short stories in that they feature characters, follow a plot line, include a conflict
which is resolved and are told from an identifiable point of view. They may also
establish a setting or include a moral.

Descriptive Paragraph
The purpose of a descriptive paragraph is to allow the reader to experience the
item, phenomenon or event being described as vividly as possible without
physically sensing it. Descriptive paragraphs typically include modifiers (ex.,
adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases) and figurative language (ex.,
metaphors, personification, similes) to help enrich the "experience" for the
reader.

Expository Paragraph
An expository paragraph explains something; its purpose is to help the reader
understand. Exposition often includes techniques such as the use of examples
or illustrations to support a point or the use of some kind of ordering
(chronological or numerical, for example) to help a reader follow a process.
Exposition needs to be clear; language is often quite direct although sometimes
a writer may use language devices to help illustrate a point.

Persuasive Paragraph
The purpose of a persuasive paragraph is to convince the reader of something,
such as the writer's position on a controversial topic or a proposal for a new
project. The structure is often similar to that of an expository piece, as it is
usually helpful to explain a little bit about the subject, but rhetorical devices are
often employed to help sway the reader's opinion. The language can be highly
charged; the intent is to get a reaction.

Literary Paragraph
Literary paragraphs are paragraphs written about literature; they are part of a
genre known as "literary criticism." This does not mean they are supposed to
find fault with a piece of literature; criticism, in this sense, is an analytical
examination of a poem, story, novel, play, essay, or other literary work. The
writer of a literary paragraph must choose a specific aspect of the text to
examine and then focus on that aspect, always referring back to the literature.
Literary paragraphs do not make references to “real life” – the protagonist may
be just like the writer’s Great-aunt Gertrude, but this observation has no place in
a literary paragraph. Quotations are often used to support the observations and
evaluations made by the writer.