D. The Paragraph
1.Effective paragraphs.
(1)Unity:
Unity of a paragraph is concerned with its content.If all the sentences in the paragraph lead to one central theme,the paragraph is unified.The central theme is usually summarized in what is called the topic sentence.
2.Ways of developing paragraphs.
1>Development by time.
In telling a story or recounting an event, the easiest and clearest way is to
describe things in order of time. The
method is also called chronological
sequencing.
2>Development by process.
When you have to explain how something is
done, you usually follow a chronological
sequence and give a step-by-step description.
As the steps must occur one after another, the exact order in which they are carried out is
most important. In giving instructions,
imperative sentences and sentences with the
indefinite pronoun you as the subject are often used. The present tense should be used if the
instructions are still applicable.
3>Development by space.
Before we begin to describe a place,
whether it is a large country or a small
room, we have to decide on the order in
which to name the different parts or
details. For this we should find out the
space relationships between them and
arrange our description accordingly. It
would only confuse the reader to mention them in a haphazard way.
4>Development by example or generalization.
Supporting a topic sentence with examples or illustrations makes a general statement specific and easy to understand.An illustration is a case,a specimen,an instance.Vivid illustrations light up abstract ideas and make them clear, interesting,memorable,or convincing.。