The Arrangement of Paragraph

The arrangement of sentence after a topic sentence depends opn paragraph function. The pattern can not simply go in any direction the writer wants it to go. Instead, the topic sentence determines the pattern. It sets up the reader's expectations, and those expectations must be met.

1. Subordination
Some paragraphs focus on one idea and develop it into more and more spesific terms. The follo0wing is typical of this form.
Lead acid batteries, which can be used to power electric cars, are simple comnstructed. Topic sentence, the rest of the paragraph must describe the constructions., that kinds of battery is a box, ususally an oblong one of less than one cubic foot in volume, made of plastic or some other synthetic material. Inside the box are "plates" or flat sheet of lead, which are surrounded by acid. The number of plates determines the strength of the battery. Each plate is made of lead because of the cheapness and stability of the metal.

2. Coordination
Obviously, you can't write subordinated paragraph all the time; sometimes you will write paragraph which simply list a series of ideas about the same level of abstraction. The following is typical of this form:
The advantages of the electric car make it the most desirable kind of vehicle for urban transportation in the future.
Since electric motors are quiet by gas engine standards, noise pollution will be reduced.
Electric Motors produce to toxic gases which cannot be cleaned up; the ozone they emit can be controlled.
Because the limitations of battery power, electric cars will be small, allowing more room in narrow city streets
Finally, The energy shortage will be drastically improved , since electruic motors are on the average twice as efficient as internal combustion engines.

Organizing Paragraph

 1. Paragraph Function

Paragraph has different lenghts and different patterns because they have different functions. No list of uses can be complete, but in general, paragraph fullfill the following functions:

a. Introduce ideas (establish topic and thesis)

b. Develop ideas (make ideas subordinated)

c. List ideas (make ideas coordinated)

d. Related ideas between paragraphs (provide transitions)

e. Conclude ideas (summarize)

Each of these finctions has its own system of organization, although you must remember that there is great flexibility and overlap, so you must expect to see system used interchangeably or several systems used in one paragraph. If the outline of a paper is its skeleton, and then the introduction is the head, the conclusion the tails, and those paragraphs, which comprise the central part of any, papers the body.

2. Patterns of Paragraph Development

The body of a paper must conform to the patterns established in the thesis sentence or introduction. This means that the body follows an overall logic. However, within each unit of development, that is, within each paragraph, the logic and patterns may vary. A common way to discuss the logic paragraph is by method or technique of development. Remember that these are only a sampling of possible patterns and that many more are acceptable and likely.

a. Definition

A statement of the general category to which a term belongs and the unique characteristics or properties that separate it from others in that category.

b. Example

Specific illustrations often introduced by phrases like "for example", "for instance", "to illustrate"; the purpose is to describe some particular in order to make a general concept more concrete.

c. Division into Categories or Part

An analytical method that involves breaking something into parts in order to understand it more clearly; usually characterized by reference to am number of items; for example two main parts, five sections, three categories.

d. Comparison

A focus on the similarities between two-or more-things; what they share or have in common.

e. Contrast

A focus on the differences between two or more things; how they unlike, unshared qualities.

f. Methapor or Analogy

A Comparison of two dissimilar things; a metaphor calls attention to unexpected underlying similarities: it explains an unknown in terms of a known.

g. Time Sequence

Chronological order: the order in which events occur, one after the other as time progesses.

h. Proccess

A time order description, step by step, of how to do something or how something works; the focus is on an explanation of events, activities, or actions in the order in which they occur.

i. Cause and Effect

A statement of what happens and/or has why it happens.

j. Spatial.

A description of where things are located; placement in a locale

k. Facts

The U.S Audience expects the use of factual evidence in academic writing. Any piece of information that can be easily verified can serve as factual support. Included are numbers (percentages, number of miles, etc) and statistics as well as facts that can be found in books, and magazines.

l. Physical Description

Still another way to support a topic sentence is by using physical description, that is, words and phrases that appeal to the five sentences: sight, hearing, touch, and taste. Physical description support is often used to explain or describe controlling ideas in the topic sentence.

m. Personal experience

The final technique of support is personal experience. While personal experience is not often used in formal academic papers, it can serve as valueable support tool in paragraphs, particularly when an ESL student can connect personal experience about an academic topic from her/his own country. Sometimes a paragraph will contain a series of small personal experiences. Other times a paragraph will have a single extended personal experience to support the controlling ideas in the topic sentence.

Paragraph Defined

Paragraph is a group of sentences usually two or more, which tries to communicate at least one main idea but perhaps more through a certain pattern, order, or framework. It has unifying central idea or a topic idea, an organizing pattern that develops that idea with concentrate details, connecting words that interrelate ideas, and a final sentence that brings the paragraph to a cleared end. However, unlike the composition, the paragraph does this in a single unit, which indented only once. The most common paragraph pattern is a movement from a general organizing concept to more specific development details.

The "grammar" of paragraph in English may be quite different from the "grammar" of paragraph in your first language. In fact, to some extent, probably every language uses patterns of ideas somewhat differently. In some languages, of course the paragraph as it is known in English doesn't even exist, although most languages seem to have some way of indicating a single unit of thought. Sometimes the difference between languages is slight, sometimes great, but the contrast is enough to cause trouble for writers accustomed to thinking in one pattern who now have to write another. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to bridge these differences by paying attention to the pattern to be mastered in the target language. In papers written in English for English speakers, the key ideas must be developed in well-defined paragraph patterns (Andrew Macdonald and Gina Macdonald, Mastering Writing Essentials, 1996:71)

How long should a paragraph be? As long as it takes to serve its funtions. An introductury or concluding paragraph may be only  a sentence or two long while a body paragraph trying to communicate a complex idea or explore a complicated relationshipmay take a full page. In other wors, degree of development depends on purpose. The amount of development should be enough to cover the expectations created in the topic sentence.

Here is the example of paragraph

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