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HANDOUT #2: EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPH WRITING A paragraph is a series of sentences about one main idea, or point

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HANDOUT #2: EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPH WRITING A paragraph is a series of sentences about one main idea, or point. A paragraph typically starts with a point (also called the topic sentence), and the rest of the paragraph provides specific details to support and develop that point. Look at the following paragraph written by a student named Carla. Three Kinds of Bullies There are three kinds of bullies in schools. First of all, there are the physical bullies. They are the bigger or meaner kids who try to hurt kids who are small or unsure of themselves. They’ll push other kids off swings, trip them in the halls, or knock books out of their hands. They’ll also wait for kids after school and slap them or yank their hair or throw them to the ground. They do their best to frighten kids and make them cry. Another kind of bully is the verbal bully. This kind tries to hurt with words rather than fists. Nursery-school kids may call each other “dummy” or “weirdo” or “fatty,” and as kids get older, their words carry even more sting. “You are such a loser,” those bullies will tell their victim, making sure there is a crowd nearby to hear. “Where did you get that sweater—a trash bin?” The worst kind of bully is the social bully. Social bullies realize that they can make themselves feel powerful by making others feel unwanted. Bullies choose their victims and then do all they can to isolate them. They roll their eyes and turn away in disgust if those people try to talk to them. They move away if a victim sits near them at lunch. They make sure the unwanted ones know about the games and parties they aren’t invited to. Physical, verbal, and social bullies all have the same ugly goal: to hurt and humiliate others. What is the point of the above paragraph? ________________________________________ What are the three kinds of evidence that Carla has provided to back up her point? 1. Evidence: _____________________________________________________________________ Examples include: _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 2. Evidence: _____________________________________________________________________ Examples include: _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 3. Evidence: _____________________________________________________________________ Examples include: _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ The above paragraph, like many effective paragraphs, starts with a clear statement of its main idea, or point. Carla then provides plenty of examples to support the idea that there are physical, verbal, and social bullies. Her specific evidence helps prove to us, her readers, that the point she has made is a good one. Remember that readers are like juries: they want to see the evidence for themselves so they can make their own judgment about an author’s point. Remember as well that to write an effective paragraph, always aim to do what the author Carla has done: begin by making a point, and then go on to back up that point with strong specific evidence.