PARAGRAPH

DEVELOPMENT
Arjay Bayla Arcena, MEAL
Paragraph
 is a group of closely related sentences that connect
from one idea to the other. Student writers are
taught to use at least three sentences for a
paragraph, but there are many examples of these
which show a single sentence paragraph. Ideally, a
paragraph must contain one main thought or idea,
and the first sentence is usually indented.
 The three elements of a paragraph must be
observed for effective writing. There must be unity,
coherence, and emphasis for it to become
complete.
UNITY
Unity in paragraph should be contained itself
with one focus of discussion. It may begin with
general points of presentation of ideas and end up
with specific examples or either way around. Unity
in sentences may be achieved through knowing
what is the topic to be developed and should not be
included with other unrelated ideas.
COHERENCE
Coherence in the paragraph shows a logical
relationship with the sentences by allowing the ideas to
flow with continuity. Tiempo & Tiempo (1980)
suggested several ways of achieving coherence:
1. by arranging the details in a logical order;
2. by using transitional connectives to link the thought of
one sentence to the next one;
3. by repeating some latter sentences certain relevant
terms used in the preceding sentences, thus using those
terms to link the latter sentences to the preceding ones.
Transitory Devices Used to Achieve Coherence in the
Paragraph:

Addition:
1. I would like to thank all of you for your kindness and respect.
Also, I am thankful for the love you extended.
2. Christian was expelled from school due to cheating during exam.
In addition, he needed to pay Php 10,000 for calling his teacher
stupid.
3. Arjay gave up his feelings to Joshua. Besides, Joshua does not
like him from the beginning.
4. The researchers need to do another study about SNS to affirm the
relevance of the results. Moreover, the researchers need to have
another variables to focus on, in order to check the effect of SNS
on it.
Comparison
1. Ahah Arcena and Pia Wurtzbach are both sexy and
brainy. Also, they are both confidently beautiful with
a heart.
2. Pia walks like a pro model in the same way that Ahah
does.
3. Similar to Ahah’s bikini, Pia also had hers during the
pageant.
4. Pia believes that there is nothing wrong with the
Americans putting bases here in the Philippines.
Likewise, Ahah believes in that same idea.
Contrast
1. Although Rica does not like the Durian’s smell,
she likes still its taste.
2. The beauty pageant contestant remains a beauty
queen regardless of the age, years passed, and
experiences she has undergone.
3. A student may get a perfect grade from his
professor; however, he needs to prove his worth.
4. Michael was announced as the X-Factor winner.
On the other hand, Samantha placed first.
Emphasis
1. I certainly know the names of my crushes.
2. It was remarkably a prestigious event of beauties
and brains. The organizers should be commended
– an event of the year, indeed.
3. I paid for all of my bills last year. In fact, I still
have here the receipts.
4. She asked me if I could go to Pamela’s wedding.
Of course, I could! I would.
Example
1. Filipino is just one of the many languages we have here in
the Philippines. In fact, Visayan, Ilonggo, Ilokano,
Surigaonon, and Bicolano are also considered as Philippine
languages.
2. Science is a very broad subject, for it has a lot of branches to
be studied, namely: biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy,
botany, and a lot more.
3. P and F are called minimal pair, since both share a place of
articulation. More so, both could have an interchanging
pronunciation. To illustrate, a /P/ may have an /F/ sound if it
is preceded with an /H/.
Summary
1. As has been said, we all need to work together to have at
hand the peace and success we have been dreaming of
getting.
2. There are 1,078 female students in San Pedro College
enrolled in the second semester of this school year, while
there are only 893 males. All in all, there are 1,971 students
this semester in SPC.
3. He is always giving you bouquets of flowers, chocolates,
and stuffed toys; calling and texting you; saying ‘I love
you’ to you. He can not even sleep early at night for he is
thinking of you. In other words, he is so in love with you.
Time Sequence
1. Before the world had come into its present form, it
was just simply a place of nothingness. Then came
from nowhere Gaea who bore a son named Uranus,
the sky-god. They agreed to make love and created
the hundred-handed giants; next the
hecatoncheires; afterward, the cyclopes; and
finally, the Titans.
Repetition of Key Words and Phrases

Key words and phrases in the sentences can be a

way to connect ideas. Writers need to be skillful in
repeating words and phrases in the sentences. This
can be done by making use of assonance or
alliteration that makes sense.
Repetition of Key Words and Phrases

Ex.
In giving an intelligence test, a teacher may tell
a timid child he is doing well in order to instill
confidence in him, so that he may put forth his
best effort; and yet the teacher may know all the
time that the child is doing poorly. The motivating
ruse may work, and if it does, it is true in so far as
the child scores higher as a result of it.
Repetition of Key Words and Phrases

Ex. But of course, the learner should not stop with his
morphology of knowledge. From a knowledge of things
he should go on to an understanding of the relation of
one known thing to another. The true scholar, thus, is the
one who seeks to know the totality of all things defined
and organized in their proper and hierarchical
relationship to one another. It is too note here that the
learner is not empty handed as he starts the process of
learning or acquiring knowledge. He comes to his tasks
already possessed for certain potentialities for knowledge
beyond sense data.
Pronoun Reference
A pronoun must agree in the number and word
or words it replaces. If the word a pronoun refers to
is singular, the pronoun must be singular; if the
word is plural, the pronoun must be plural.
Pronouns should not shift their point of view.
(Langan, 2001) There should be a consistency of
pronouns used in the paragraph in order to achieve
coherence.
Example of Pronoun Consistency
Inconsistent : Learners should study hard in
achieving good grades. For sure, you will be
rewarded at the right time.

Consistent : Learners should study hard in achieving

good grades. For sure, they will be rewarded at the
right time.
Example of Pronoun Consistency
Inconsistent : The students were asked to bring
papers and pens during the retreat. They will use it
in their activities.

Consistent : The students were asked to bring papers

and pens during the retreat. They will use them in
their activities.
Stay safe!