ACADEMIC AND PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATION

DEPARTMENT

PARAGRAPH WRITING
GUIDELINES

ACADEMIC COORDINATION
2013
 WHEN TO TEACH PARAGRAPH WRITING IN
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL (ADULTS)

INTENSIVE NORMAL DESCRIPTION
INA01 DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH
IIA01
INA02 DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH
INA03 DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH
IIA02
INA04 DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH
INA05 NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH
IIA03
INA06 NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH
INA07 PARAGRAPH WRITING COURSE
IIA04
INA08 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH
INA09 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH
IIA05
INA10 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH
INA11 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH
IIA06
INA12 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL (TEENAGERS)

INTENSIVE NORMAL DESCRIPTION
INT01 DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH
IIT01
INT02 DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH
INT03 DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH
IIT02
INT04 NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH
INT05 NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH
IIT03
INT06 NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH
INT07 PARAGRAPH WRITING COURSE
IIT04
INT08 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH
INT09 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH
IIT05
INT10 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH
INT11 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH
IIT06
INT12 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH
INT13 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH
 DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

 Descriptive writing is writing that describes a person, a place, an idea, an

organization, or an activity. In descriptive writing you draw a picture in words for
your reader to see. Details are usually arranged spatially; the most commonly
used spatial organization begins with a general statement about the subject to be
described and then goes on to describe the various parts as they relate to each
other in space. Descriptive writing often combines the general and the specific;
you begin with a general impression and develop it with specific details. The
sentence that conveys this general impression in any paragraph is called the topic
sentence.

 A descriptive paragraph tells the reader how something looks. It can talk about a
person’s or a place’s physical appearance what really matters here is space and
not time. Therefore, you should arrange your sentences and details according to
where the objects being described are located. This kind of organization is called
spatial organization.

In summary, the following are the most common characteristics of descriptive

writing:

1. It tends to move between general and specific; the more common direction is
from general to specific.
2. Its main purpose is to enable the reader to see what the writer is describing.
3. It organizes details in a spatial arrangement.

ELEMENTS OF A PARAGRAPH

1. Introduction: It is usually expressed as your topic sentence and opinion. It introduces

the topic to be talk about.

 Topic Sentence: It tells the reader what you think of something.

2. Body: It is all about the information that helps you describe your subject.

 Supporting sentences: These sentences tell the reader how is it that you think
in that way. You address those features that complete or make whole of
something. These features are arranged in a special order and their exact
location is crucial when illustrating the whole thing.

3. Conclusion: It shows the reader how important what you think or feel about the
subject is.

DAIP 1
  Concluding Sentence: Here you restate your opinion about the topic. You
can use other words that mean or reflect exactly the same thing you said in
your Topic Sentence. The reader must agree with you.

DESCRIBING A PERSON

When you try to describe a person to someone who doesn’t know that person, what you
often do first is to say something very general about that person, something that will
convey the kind of impression that the person makes on others: ―Omar has the most
amazing luck!‖, and if the person you are talking to happens to ask, ―What do you mean,
the most amazing luck?‖. Then you often find yourself supporting the general statement
with specific examples: ― Why, only last Tuesday he was walking down the street when a
twenty-dollar bill blew right into his hand…‖. In conversation, you often use specific
examples to support general statements.
When you write a description of a person, you often use the same technique. You begin
with a topic sentence that gives the reader a general impression of the person you are
describing. The topic sentence can then be developed by other sentences that provide an
example or examples to support the point you are making.

“BEAUTY IN THE WORLD”

TOPIC
SENTENCE Marie is as beautiful as a Hollywood star. Her thick, wavy long black
hair gracefully falls down to her shoulders and surrounds her exquisite,
diamond-shaped face. A golden suntan usually highlights her smooth clear
complexion. Her slightly arched chestnut brown eyebrows draw attention to
her deep blue eyes, which remind me of a lake on a stormy day. Her eyes are
SUPPORTING large, but not too large, with thick eyelashes. Her nose is straight and neither
SENTENCES
too long nor too short. A small black mole on the left side of her mouth adds
her beauty. And her mouth! Her mouth is small, delicate, and feminine. Her
lips are rather thin, but not too thin; her light pink lipstick adds another touch
of beauty. When she smiles, which is often her well-formed and even, white
teeth brighten up her whole face. There is nothing but extraordinary beauty in
CONCLUDING
SENTENCE the face of Marie.

DAIP 2
 DESCRIBING A PLACE

When describing a place, the description must be organized so that the reader can vividly
imagine the scene being described. Imagine that you are describing a scene for an artist to
paint. It is as if you were describing a picture, a painting, or a postcard. The arrangement
of the details depends on the subject of the paragraph.
Spatial is also very important here. If you are going to describe a place you can start
from right to left or vice versa. You can also begin by focusing the reader’s attention in
the center of your view on a specific object and then take turns to describe what you see
on the side of it. Another way to make your description possible is to begin from the
bottom of your view to the top of it or vice versa.

“Living in a box”

TOPIC My dormitory room, on the second floor of Bienville, is small and

SENTENCE
crowded. The dark green walls and dirty white ceiling make the room seem
dark, and thus even smaller that it is. As you walk into the room, you are
stopped short by my bed, which fills half of the room. The two large windows
that are over the bed are hidden by heavy gold drapes. Against the wall on your
left, pushed into a corner behind the head of the bed, is a large bookcase that is
crammed with papers, books, and knickknacks. Wedged in between the
SUPPORTING
SENTENCES bookcase and the wall opposite the bed is a small gray metal desk. It has a
brown wooden chair that seems to fill the left end of the room. Stuffed under
the desk is a woven wastepaper basket overflowing with papers and debris.
The wall above the bookcase and desk is completely taken up with two small
posters. On the right-hand side of the room is a narrow closet with clothes,
shoes, hats, tennis racquets, and boxes building out of its sliding doors. Every
time I walk out of the room, I think, ―Now I know what it is like to live in a
CONCLUDING
SENTENCE closet‖.

DAIP 3
Paragraph Analysis
A. Introduction

Topic Sentence: ……………………………………………………..

B. Body

Supporting Sentences:

1. ………………………………………………………………….
2. ………………………………………………………………….
3. ………………………………………………………………….
4. ………………………………………………………………….
5. ………………………………………………………………….
6. ………………………………………………………………….

C. Conclusion

Concluding Sentence: ……………………………………………………...

DAIP 4
 NARRATIVE WRITING

 A narrative is a story. Thus, narrative writing is writing that tells a story. You
are using a narrative when you tell a friend about something interesting that
happened to you at work or in school, when you tell someone a joke, or when
you try to explain to a policeman why you were going fifty miles an hour in a
twenty mile-an-hour-zone. You have already written narratives if you write
letters back home to your relatives and friends, or if you write about the
events of the day in the privacy of a diary or journal.

 When telling someone about an activity or experience which can be a present

or a past one, you must organize your ideas according to the time in which
they occur. Narrative style is also used to explain a process (how to do
something) what to do first and last. The way your ideas are presented is
called Chronological development.
Ordering of ideas isn’t a hard thing to do, but it can be difficult to make your
paragraph unified- in order words, to decide what to include or omit, and to
select a controlling idea for your paragraph. It is important that you bear in
mind that your paragraph will have three specific sections and that they must
show unity. There must be a before, during, and an after in your paragraph.

Most narrative writing has the following characteristics:

1. It tells the story of an event or events.

2. The events are usually arranged in chronological order, that is, in the order
in which they occurred in time.
3. The narrator has a purpose in mind in telling the story. There is some
point which the narrator wishes to make, or some impression he or she
wishes to convey to the reader. Therefore, the details of the narrative are
carefully selected for that purpose.

ELEMENTS OF A PARAGRAPH

1. Introduction: It is usually expressed as your topic sentence and opinion. It

introduces the topic to be talk about.

 Topic Sentence: It tells the reader what you think of something.

2. Body: It is the event itself which is told in three parts that keep coherence and
unity at the same time.

DAIP 5
  Supporting sentences: These sentences tell the reader how things happen
in a chronological order.

 You talk about the things that happen firstly which are the
introduction to the story –in other words they are the background
of the story.

 You also talk about things that happen secondly which are
actually the details of the climax of your story –in other words
the most important things.

 And thirdly, you talk about things that are the result, the out
come of the situation.

3. Conclusion: It shows how you think or feel about the subject.

 Concluding Sentence: Here you restate your opinion about the topic.
You can use other words that mean or reflect exactly the same thing you
said in your Topic Sentence.

DAIP 6
 “A celebration like no other”
When people talk of Mardi Grass, they say that Mardi Grass is the
liberating key to madness. This delightful madness begins for many on St.
Charles Avenue with the Rex Parade. By nine o’clock the avenue is line with
people all ages in colorful costumes, from Cavemen to Supermen. They stroll
among the crowd and chat with friends and strangers alike. Some dance and
some drink. At around ten o’clock, the excitement mounts as the parade
begins. First there is the welcome sound of sirens. The police on motorcycles
always lead the parade to make a path through the jubilant crowd. Then a band
usually marches by, playing a popular tune such as the theme from Star Wars.
At this time, people start clapping and dancing to the music. Next, the masked
men come on horseback. They wave at the crowd and the crowd waves back.
Sometimes a girl goes up and kisses one of the riders! Finally someone usually
shouts, ―There it is!‖ It is the first float carrying men in costumes and masks.
Immediately, everyone rushes toward the float. They wave their hand and yell,
―Throw me something, Mister!‖ The men throw beads and souvenir coins to
the excited crowd. Usually they catch the coins, but sometimes one hits the
ground. Then several people rush to retrieve it pushing and shoving if
necessary. Then the float passes, but soon another one comes and the madness
continues in the same way. After about an hour, the parade passes by and the
first part of Mardi Grass day ends. To sum up, this American Holiday brings
out all those restrained feelings that people keep during the year and let them
loose to manifest in the craziest ways possible.

DAIP 7
Paragraph Analysis
A. Introduction:

Topic Sentence: ……………………………………………………………………..

B. Body:

Supporting Sentences:

1. Before:……………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………..………………………………………………………
…………..

2. During:……………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………….……………………………………………………
……………

3. After ……………………………………………………………………...
....................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................

C. Conclusion:

Restatement Sentence:
………………………………………………………………...

DAIP 8
 “A celebration like no other”
When people talk of Mardi Grass, they say that Mardi Grass is the
TOPIC
SENTENCE
liberating key to madness. This delightful madness begins for many on St.
Charles Avenue with the Rex Parade. By nine o’clock the avenue is line with
BEFORE
people all ages in colorful costumes, from Cavemen to Supermen. They stroll
among the crowd and chat with friends and strangers alike. Some dance and
some drink. At around ten o’clock, the excitement mounts as the parade
begins. First there is the welcome sound of sirens. The police on motorcycles
always lead the parade to make a path through the jubilant crowd. Then a band
usually marches by, playing a popular tune such as the theme from Star Wars.
At this time, people start clapping and dancing to the music. Next, the masked
DURING
men come on horseback. They wave at the crowd and the crowd waves back.
SUPPORTING
SENTENCES
Sometimes a girl goes up and kisses one of the riders! Finally someone usually
shouts, ―There it is!‖ It is the first float carrying men in costumes and masks.
Immediately, everyone rushes toward the float. They wave their hand and yell,
―Throw me something, Mister!‖ The men throw beads and souvenir coins to
the excited crowd. Usually they catch the coins, but sometimes one hits the
ground. Then several people rush to retrieve it pushing and shoving if
necessary. Then the float passes, but soon another one comes and the madness AFTER

continues in the same way. After about an hour, the parade passes by and the
first part of Mardi Gras day ends. To sum up, this American Holiday brigs out
CONCLUDING
SENTENCE
all those restrained feelings that people keep during the year and let them loose
to manifest in the craziest ways possible.

DAIP 9
 ARGUMENTATIVE PARAGRAPH

Argumentative paragraph is writing that sets forth an argument. That is to say, it

advances a writer’s opinion or belief about an issue, and it attempts to persuade an
audience that this opinion is correct. It does so by supporting the opinion with
information given in the form of reasons and examples. The information is often arranged
in terms of its importance as evidence. It either begins with the least important
information and builds up to the most important, or works the other way around, from the
most important to the least.

In summary, the following are the most important characteristics of argumentative

writing:

1. It gives the writer’s opinion about an issue.

2. It attempts to persuade an audience by means of information in the form of
reasons and evidences.
3. The information is arranged in terms of its importance to the argument, either
from least to most important, or from most to least.

Elements of a paragraph.-

A) Introduction: It introduces the topic to be talk about and presents the topic sentence
in the form of an opinion.

Topic Sentence: It tells the reader what you think of something.

B) Body: It is the event itself which is told in three parts that keep coherence and unity at
the same time.

Supporting sentences: These sentences tell the reader why and how is that you think
in that way. You will need 3 reasons accompanied and 3 pieces of evidence. Each
reason must be accompanied by its respective piece of evidence.

 1st Reason and piece of evidence.

 2nd Reason and piece of evidence.

 3rd Reason and piece of evidence.

DAIP 10
C) Conclusion: It restates and confirm your thought or feeling about the topic.

Concluding Sentence: Here you restate your opinion about the topic. You can use
other words that mean or reflect exactly the same thing you said in your Topic
Sentence.

Evidence Classification:

 Example.- It is an event that takes place in your immediate vicinity.

 Incident.- It is an event that takes place in a society, a country, a continent,

etc.

 Fact.- It is a universally true event. No one can refuted or say the opposite.

 Statistic.- It is a figure , a number expressed in percentage amounts.

 Quotation.- It is the literally citing of the words, opinion of an expert

regarding the topic.

Sentence Connectors:

 Supporting connectors: They glue sentences that complement each other and
make your idea stand stronger.

* Furthermore, * What’s more,

* Moreover, * Besides, * In addition,

 Contras Connectors: They glue sentences together that are actually opposite to
each other.

* But, * Nonetheless,
* However, * Even so,
* On the other Hand * Even though,
* Nevertheless, * In spite of,
* Although, * Despite,

 Concluding Connectors: They summarize ideas taking you to draw a conclusion.

* Therefore, * As a result,
* Hence, * To sum up,
* Thus, * In conclusion,
* In summary,

DAIP 11
 PARAGRAPH PLANNING SHEET

Paragraph Topic: ______________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
Support one: __________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Example: _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Support two: __________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Example: _____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Support three: _________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Example: _____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Closing: _________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

DAIP 12
MODEL PARAGRAPH:

In my opinion, _____________________________________________________
_______. One reason for this is ______________________________________________
_________________________________________. For example, __________________
________________________________________________________________________
A second reason for this is __________________________________________________
__________________________________________. For instance, _________________
________________________________________________________________________
The most important reason for this is _________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
For example, ____________________________________________________________
____________________________. In conclusion, _______________________________
_____________________________________.

PARAGRAPH OUTLINE:

 TOPIC SENTENCE
 REASON 1
o Evidence 1
 REASON 2
o Evidence 1
 REASON 3
o Evidence 1
 CONCLUDING SENTECE

DAIP 13
 Everyone Should Vote

Topic In my opinion, every eligible voter should vote in every

Sentence
election. The first reason is that every vote counts. Many
Reason 1
important elections have won by just a few votes. For instance,
in 1980 mayoral race in Chickapee was won by just ten votes,
Evidence 1
and in the 1982 senatorial race in Tennessee was undecided until
the final ten percent of the votes were counted. A second reason
for this is that voting is the right that was guaranteed by the
Reason 2 founder fathers of the nation. It is not something to be taken for
granted. The possibility always exists that a right can be lost if
people do not exercise it. For example, history is filled with
instances of people losing their rights and freedoms because they Evidence 2

either abused them or did not use them. The most important
reason is that voting usually leads to the election of the best man.
Reason 3
There are those who argue that all candidates are the same,
promising before Election Day and forgetting after it. But in my
city, for example, there really are differences between the
Evidence 3
Concluding candidates. Thus, voting is a right that every citizen must
sentence
exercise in democratic society.

DAIP 14
 STANDARD PROOFREADING MARKS

Mark Meaning Example

Begin a new paragraph
Do not begin a new "Hi," said Marie. No ¶
No ¶
paragraph "I hear you went to Tommy's last night."
Put a period here
Capitalize this letter

/ Make this letter

lowercase
Insert something
| Separate It happened at the subwaylstation.

Delete something

___ Delete this word (these

John came to the party and Matt came to the party.
words)
# Add space

Delete the extra space

Spelling error

Word choice (this isn't

the correct word)

Run-on sentence

Sentence Fragment

// Faulty Parallelism My income is bigger than my wife

mm Misplaced Modifier I went last night to school. mm/

DAIP 15
 indent; make
paragraph
indentation

Take over and start

new paragraph

Reverse Order

Run in
No new paragraph.

“Stet” Leave the

text as it was and
ignore any marks The cat sat on the mat. or Stet.
------- that have been ----
made
hyphen
multi-colored

DAIP 16
 en dash (shorter
than the em dash
1965 – 1972 (result)
but longer than a
hyphen)

em dash (or long

dash)
Now—at last!—we know. (result)

The pharmacist gave the prescription to the

awk awkward phrasing customer, explained the medication, and then he
paid for it. awk
Correction has Used to separate two or more marks and often as
/
concluded a concluding stroke at then end of an insertion.
Subject-verb The problem with these cities are leadership.
sva
agreement sva
Verb Tense
vt He comes into the room, and he pulled his gun
problem
Paragraph not
¶ dev
developed
Paragraph not
¶ coh
coherent
log Faulty Logic

DAIP 17