Paragraph Writing
Paragraph writing is a key skill for organising and expressing ideas clearly. A paragraph
typically starts with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea, followed by supporting
sentences that provide details or examples. It ends with a concluding sentence that wraps up
the idea and connects it to the next paragraph. Good paragraphs are focused and coherent,
meaning all the sentences work together to support the main point.
Types of Paragraph Writing
Descriptive Paragraph
1. Describe: I am going to DESCRIBE a sunset!
Sunset is the time of day when our sky meets the outer space solar winds. There are blue,
pink, and purple swirls, spinning and twisting, like clouds of balloons caught in a whirlwind.
The sun moves slowly to hide behind the line of horizon, while the moon races to take its
place in prominence atop the night sky. People slow to a crawl, entranced, fully forgetting the
deeds that must still be done. There is coolness, calmness, when the sun does set.
2. Inform: I am going to INFORM you about the Apollo 11 space mission.
On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft launched from the Kennedy Space Center in
Florida. Its mission was to go where no human being had gone before—the moon! The crew
consisted of Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin. The spacecraft landed on the
moon in the Sea of Tranquility, a basaltic flood plain, on July 20, 1969. The moonwalk took
place the following day. On July 21, 1969, at precisely 10:56 EDT, Commander Neil
Armstrong emerged from the Lunar Module and took his famous first step onto the moon’s
surface. He declared, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” It was a
monumental moment in human history!
Narrate: I am going to NARRATE a story about the Apollo 11 space mission.
It was July 21, 1969, and Neil Armstrong awoke with a start. It was the day he would become
the first human being to ever walk on the moon. The journey had begun several days earlier,
when on July 16th, the Apollo 11 launched from Earth headed into outer space. On board
with Neil Armstrong were Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. The crew landed on the moon in
the Sea of Tranquility a day before the actual walk. Upon Neil’s first step onto the moon’s
surface, he declared, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” It sure
was!
Compare and Contrast Paragraph
3. Compare/Contrast: I am going to COMPARE and CONTRAST an ocean and a
lake.
Oceans and lakes have much in common, but they are also quite different. Both are bodies of
water, but oceans are very large bodies of salt water, while lakes are much smaller bodies of
fresh water. Lakes are usually surrounded by land, while oceans are what surround
continents. Both have plants and animals living in them. The ocean is home to the largest
animals on the planet, whereas lakes support much smaller forms of life. When it is time for a
vacation, both will make a great place to visit and enjoy.
Critical Paragraph
4. Critique: I am going to CRITIQUE the Blue Whales’ first baseball game of the new
season.
The Blue Whales just played their first baseball game of the new season; I believe there is
much to be excited about. Although they lost, it was against an excellent team that had won
the championship last year. The Blue Whales fell behind early but showed excellent
teamwork and came back to tie the game. The team had 15 hits and scored 8 runs. That’s
excellent! Unfortunately, they had 5 fielding errors, which kept the other team in the lead the
entire game. The game ended with the umpire making a bad call, and if the call had gone the
other way, the Blue Whales might have actually won the game. It wasn’t a victory, but I say
the Blue Whales look like they have a shot at the championship, especially if they continue to
improve.
Cause and Effect Paragraph
5. Cause/Effect: I am going to explain the CAUSES that had the EFFECT of making
me a high achieving student.
(Note: This is also a first-person narrative.)
I do well in school, and people think I am smart because of it. But it’s not true. In fact, three
years ago I struggled in school. However, two years ago I decided to get serious about school
and made a few changes. First, I decided I would become interested in whatever was being
taught, regardless of what other people thought. I also decided I would work hard every day
and never give up on any assignment. I decided to never, never fall behind. Finally, I decided
to make school a priority over friends and fun. After implementing these changes, I became
an active participant in classroom discussions. Then my test scores began to rise. I still
remember the first time that someone made fun of me because “I was smart.” How exciting!
It seems to me that being smart is simply a matter of working hard and being interested. After
all, learning a new video game is hard work even when you are interested. Unfortunately,
learning a new video game doesn’t help you get into college or get a good job.
