TEACHER

"Sarah?"

SARAH

"Here, Mrs/Mr ____"

TEACHER

"Ned, James, Ralf?"

NED, JAMES, and RALF stop their horseplay and quickly mumble affirmatives to their teacher.

TEACHER

"Walters, Valerie?"

etc

Basically just be careful not to overdo it. You don't want the audience to get bored. They won't care about the names until they have a big character or action to connect it to. You can choose, however, if you want Last,First or vice versa or even just a First name. It's all up to you.

A paragraph is a collection of sentences that deal with one subject. This is a paragraph - all of these sentences talk about what a paragraph is. An effective paragraph consists of a topic sentence, sentences that support this topic (the body of the paragraph), and a conclusion. The topic sentence in this paragraph is the first one, where the word is defined. Everything after that sentence is the body of this paragraph. The conclusion of this paragraph is the last sentence. When you change the topic, you start a new paragraph - I will change to a new paragraph next, to discuss different types of paragraphs and how to write an effective paragraph. A paragraph can contain as many sentences and words as you need - just be sure that you have said everything you need to say before you conclude the paragraph. Each paragraph should tell your reader about one subject, and should leave them with a good idea of whatever you are talking about.

There are seven or eight different types of paragraph. After each definition, you will find a short example paragraph.

• Narrative Paragraphs - these are the paragraphs that tell you what is going on in a story, and move things along.

• Descriptive Paragraphs - these paragraphs give descriptions of something so that you can form a mental image of what is going on.

• Explanatory Paragraphs - this is sometimes divided into "Explaining With Examples" and "Explaining a Process" - either way, these paragraphs provide an explanation for something, so that you can understand it better. This whole paragraph is an explanatory one!

• Compare and Contrast Paragraphs - these are the paragraphs that give similarities and differences between things.

• Defining Paragraphs - these paragraphs give you a definition for some term.

• Classifying Paragraphs - these are paragraphs which divide something into groups or categories. This entire section is a classifying paragraph which tells you the different kinds of paragraph that you can use!
• Persuasive or Argumentative Paragraphs - these are paragraphs that try to convince the reader to agree with something.

The way that you write paragraphs is simply to pretend that you are talking to someone. Instead of telling them whatever you want to say, you write it down instead. Here are some good tips for writing efffective paragraphs:

• "Tell Them What You Are Going To Tell Them" - writing is the same as making a speech - first, you want to give the audience an idea of what is coming up. This will be your topic sentence, and should give a pretty good idea of what the paragraph is going to be about. A good topic sentence should be specific instead of general, and should convey some sort of emotion - either an attitude, a belief, or a conviction.
• "Tell Them" - next, you write your supporting sentences - be sure that each one supports the topic sentence - if you think of a sentence that goes off on a tangent or starts a new topic, put it into another paragraph.
• "Tell Them What You Just Told Them" - your conclusion sentence should repeat the basic idea of the topic sentence using different words.

You might also keep in mind these additional tips:

• Unity and Coherence - your paragraph should all be about the same topic, without wandering around discussing many different things. You should also be as coherent as possible - use simple language instead of big words whenever possible, link your sentences with bridges (see next tip), and use logical arguments and facts.
• Bridges - you can link the sentences and paragraphs by using key words which you repeat throughout your writing, by using synonyms and similar words, or by following a logical argument and proceeding step-by-step throughout. Using some sort of order, such as chronological (time) or structural order can help link paragraphs. The reader can guess what is coming next by knowing how time works, or by following along as you describe items in a series.
• Development - make sure your topic sentence is adequately discussed in the paragraph. While it is possible to have a one-sentence paragraph, you will usually need several sentences to discuss the topic. Use facts, statistics, and details. Cite what other people have said about the topic (remember to use quotes and give credit where due). Give a timeline if possible. Give examples in a story or anecdote. Define terms and explain similarities and differences. Describe causes and consequences.
• Transitions and Signposts - you can use words and phrases to alert your readers and let them know what's going on in your paragraph. Transition words and sentences help your ideas flow from one paragraph to another, and contain phrases like "in addition," "another point," or "afterwards." Signpost words and sentences "point the way" to let your readers know where your arguments and descriptions are headed - a signpost could be a bold word or phrase, a dot or arrow, or even an indentation. Signposts are another way to "tell them what you are going to tell them" and "tell them what you just told them."

• Use a "hook" or interesting fact to make people want to read your paragraphs.

*Supervisors* This is a teaching hub question designed to answer a series of questions about writing good paragraphs. Please do not delete the answers or alternate questions.