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Process Paragraph

A process paragraph explains a series of steps to complete a task or explain how something works. It must present the steps in chronological order and use transition words to connect each step. There are two types: directional paragraphs provide instructions for performing a task, while informational paragraphs explain how something works or worked in the past. The document provides examples of each type and emphasizes the importance of complete, correctly ordered steps and proper transitions when writing a process paragraph.

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Duong Nguyen An
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480 views

Process Paragraph

A process paragraph explains a series of steps to complete a task or explain how something works. It must present the steps in chronological order and use transition words to connect each step. There are two types: directional paragraphs provide instructions for performing a task, while informational paragraphs explain how something works or worked in the past. The document provides examples of each type and emphasizes the importance of complete, correctly ordered steps and proper transitions when writing a process paragraph.

Uploaded by

Duong Nguyen An
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Process

Paragraph
A process paragraph is a series of steps that explain how something happens or how to make
something. It can explain anything from the way to enrich vocabulary to overcoming insomnia to the
procedure of operating a machine. It may also give tips for improving pronunciation or for answering
a telephone call. Because such explanations must be clear, the process paragraph must be written
in chronological order, and it must include a topic sentence that clearly states the paragraph’s
purpose. It must also include transition words and phrases such as “first,” “next,” “finally,” that
connect each of the steps.

There are two kinds of process paragraphs: directional and informational. A directional process
paragraph explains the directions to perform a task. It provides the reader a set of instructions or a
step-by-step guidance. The following is an example of a directional process paragraph:

How to Make a Good Cup of Tea


Making a good cup of tea is exquisitely simple. First, the teapot is heated by filling it with water that has
just come to a boil. This water is then discarded, and one teaspoon of loose tea per cup is placed in the
teapot (the exact amount may vary according to taste). Fresh water that has just come to a boil is poured
into the pot. A good calculation is six ounces of water for each cup of tea. The tea must now steep for three
to five minutes; then it is poured through a strainer into a cup or mug. A pound of loose tea will yield about
two hundred cups of brewed tea. Using a tea bag eliminates the strainer, but it is still best to make the tea
in a teapot so that the water stays sufficiently hot. The typical restaurant service—a cup of hot water with
the tea bag on the side—will not produce the best cup of tea because the water is never hot enough when
it reaches the table and because the tea should not be dunked in the water; the water should be poured
over the tea. Although tea in a pot often becomes too strong, that problem can be dealt with very easily by
adding more boiling water. (From: Scarry S. and Scary J., 2011: 422)
An informational process paragraph explains how something works or how something worked in the
past. Its purpose is purely to provide information. Such writing could be found easily in history books.
For instance, if you described how General Diponegoro planned his battle strategy, this would be
informational process writing. The following example explains the developmental phases of the use
of literature in the second or foreign language teaching. In the paragraph, the transitional words that
signal the steps or stages of the process have been italicized.

The Use of Literary works in Second/Foreign Language Teaching


The use of literary works in the second/foreign language curriculum varies greatly depending on the
method dominating the practice. First, literary works were notable sources of material when the Grammar
Translation Method dominated until the end of the 19th century. But they were absent from the curriculum
until 1970s when the Grammar Translation Method was successively replaced by Structuralism Approach,
Direct Method, Audio-lingual Method, Community Language Learning, Suggestopedia, the Silent Way,
Total Physical Response, and the Natural Approach because these methods tend to regard a second and
foreign language teaching as a matter of linguistics. They emphasize more on structures and
vocabulary. Then literary works became even more divorced from language teaching with the advent of
the communicative approach which focuses on the teaching of “usable, practical” contents for enabling
students to communicate orally. In this period the second and foreign language classrooms were
dominated by dialogues. However, the situation changed quite radically since the 1980s when literature
has found its way back into the teaching of second and foreign language though not in the way it was used
with the Grammar Translation Method. Afterward, literature undergoes an extensive reconsideration
within the language teaching profession.

To write a good process paragraph, you should pay attention to three important things. First, make
sure that the steps in the process are complete. Following a procedure whose steps are incomplete
will fail to produce the expected result. Second, present the steps in the right sequence. For example,
if you are describing the process of cleaning an electric mixer, it is important to point out that you
must first unplug the appliance before you remove the blades. A person could lose a finger if this part
of the process were missing. Improperly written instructions have caused serious injuries and even
death. (Scarry S. & Scary J., 2011: 415). Finally, use correct transitional words to indicate the
sequence of the process you are writing. the followings are transitions commonly used in process
analysis.

the first step


in the beginning

first of all

to begin with

to start with

the second step

next

while you are . . .

as you are . . .

eventually

after you have . . .


then

afterward
the last step

the final step

finally

at last

References
Scarry, Sandra & Scarry, John. 2011. The Writer’s Workplace with Readings: Building College Writing
Skills (7th ed.) Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning

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