231
Part
Four
Basic
Paragraph
Composition
Just as words form sentences, so sentences form paragraphs. In Part Two, we learned
that good sentences are concise, clear, unified, varied, and interesting. A good paragraph
has all these qualities, too. Yet with paragraphs, we are thinking in “bigger” terms—how
sentences relate to one another rather than how words do. Paragraphs themselves are the
building blocks for essays, term papers, book reports, business letters, and so on. Mastering
the techniques of effective paragraph composition, then, will go a long way toward ensur-
ing your success in the critical skill of essay writing.
The lessons in Part Four show you ways to create paragraphs that will stay on track
and keep your readers reading.
232 BASIC PARAGRAPH COMPOSITION
Lesson
28
The Paragraph
A paragraph is a group of sentences telling about one topic.
For example, read the following two paragraphs about Lance Armstrong:
From an early age, Lance Armstrong demonstrated superior athletic
ability and a competitive streak. These qualities helped him win the Kids
Triathlon at age 13 and, at age 16, become a professional triathlete. The cy-
cling part of the triathlon became his focus, and he devoted his life to pro-
fessional cycling. In that sport he has excelled as national and world cham-
pion, as Olympian, and as record-tying five-time winner of the Tour de
France. He is surely one of the all-time great cyclists.
His path, however, has not been without obstacles and pain. In October
1996, he discovered that he had testicular cancer that had advanced and
spread to his brain and lungs. The determination that had carried him through

examples:
The day I fell from a ladder The day our car was stolen
The day we moved from Ridgefield The day I started high school
Suggestions for the First Paragraph
1. Tell what day it was (The day I fell from a ladder). Give the exact date, if possi-
ble. Say how old you were at the time.
2. Topic of the first paragraph: the day of the accident.
Suggestions for the Second Paragraph
1. Give further details (information). For example, if you are writing about the day
you fell from a ladder, tell how the accident happened and how badly you were
hurt.
2. Topic of the second paragraph: details of the accident.
The following model composition shows one way of writing the two paragraphs.
Model Composition
The most stressful day that I remember is the day I fell from a ladder. It
was July 4, 2000. I was almost thirteen at the time.
My father, who was working in the attic over our garage, had just asked
me to hand him a piece of lumber. As I climbed up the ladder to give it to
him, the ladder swayed and I fell on my back against the concrete floor.
Immediately, I was in pain and shock. The breath had been knocked out of
me. As I was being rushed to the hospital, I kept thinking I might never be
able to walk again. To my relief, it turned out that there was no fracture, but
my back was sore for a couple of days.
THE PARAGRAPH 233
Now write your two-paragraph composition.
234 BASIC PARAGRAPH COMPOSITION
The key to effective paragraph writing is unity.
Question 1:
What is unity?
Answer:

1
When Benjamin Franklin was a teenager, rivers were not so polluted as they are now.
2
For example, the day he arrived in Philadelphia in 1723, he went down to the wharf for a
drink from the river.
3
Who would dare to drink water straight from a river today?
SENTENCES OFF THE TOPIC
,
IF ANY
: None
(All the sentences deal with one topic: river pollution.)
Sample 2:
1
Amelia Earhart had a brief but remarkable career in aviation.
2
In 1932 she became
the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic.
3
Three years later, she flew from Hawaii
to California by herself.
4
No one had ever done this before.
5
In 1937, with copilot
Frederick J. Noonan, she tried to fly around the world, but her plane disappeared in the
middle of the Pacific, and no trace of it—or her—was ever found.
6
Amelia’s first career
was teaching.

IF ANY
:
Paragraph 2
1
What do we mean by “global warming” and what causes it?
2
The sur-
face temperature of the earth has risen by about 1 degree Fahrenheit over
the past century.
3
The term means the warming of earth’s atmosphere be-
lieved to be caused by accumulation of greenhouse gases.
4
The greenhouse
gases mainly are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
5
Nitrous ox-
ide is sometimes called “laughing gas” and is used by dentists.
6
Many sci-
entists believe that human activities, such as forest burning, use of fossil fu-
els, and nuclear fission, contribute to global warming.
SENTENCES OFF THE TOPIC
,
IF ANY
:
236 BASIC PARAGRAPH COMPOSITION
Paragraph 3
1
Blue whales, the largest animals in the world, are in danger of being

responsibility. Responsibility means fulfillment of obligation, and that is
part of being a good student. Preparing for class boosts learning. It rein-
forces what is being taught in the classroom. Ms. O’Reilly says that stu-
dents who prepare well will benefit in three ways.
Is this a good paragraph? No, it really could be much better. All of the sentences talk about
good class preparation and its benefits, but the sentences themselves seem choppy and
somewhat unrelated.
Now read the revised paragraph:
Ms. O’Reilly offered three reasons why students should prepare well
for class. First, good class preparation helps develop self-discipline, which
is a valuable quality, promoting focus and organization. Second, good
preparation teaches responsibility because it means fulfillment of obliga-
tion, and that is part of being a successful student. Finally, preparation
boosts learning by reinforcing what is being taught in the classroom.
According to Ms. O’Reilly, therefore, students who prepare well will bene-
fit in these three ways.
This paragraph is much better because the sentences are connected to each other. The
words “First,” “Second,” and “Finally” organize the paragraph by clearly setting off the
three reasons, and they act as transitions by linking one to the next. The addition of “there-
fore” to the final sentence unifies the entire paragraph by referring back to Ms. O’Reilly
and her three reasons. Other words commonly used for transition include however, further-
more, moreover, nonetheless, and the like.
UNITY IN THE PARAGRAPH 237
The changes in sentence structure also promote unity in the paragraph. For example, in
the original version, three sentences were devoted to the first reason, self-discipline. In the
revised version, the three sentences become one sentence with interrelated parts.
EXERCISE 2.
Using transitions and variety in sentence structure, revise the follow-
ing paragraph to give it greater unity.
So you would like to teach your dog some tricks? Three factors (be-

have a topic sentence. Here, however, we are going to practice writing topic sentences be-
cause it is a good way to develop skill in composition.
EXERCISE.
Write a paragraph beginning with one of the topic sentences listed
below. You may use a topic sentence of your own if you wish.
Suggested Topic Sentences
1. Some people just do not return things that they borrow.
2. I enjoy (or do not enjoy) being the oldest (or youngest, or only) child in the
family.
3. Basketball (or some other sport) is an exciting sport to watch.
4. Dogs sometimes surprise us by their cleverness.
5. I like (or do not like) my neighborhood.
6. We waste a good part of our lives standing in lines.
7. The job of a police officer (or nurse) is not an easy one.
8. One of the best programs on television is _____.
9. The _____ team has had a good (or poor) season.
10. Saturday afternoon (or some other time) is the worst (or best) time to shop.
Your paragraph should consist of at least six or seven sentences. A model paragraph
follows to show what you should do.
Model Paragraph
1
Saturday afternoon is the worst time to shop.
2
It is the time when thou-
sands of people rush to do their shopping for the week.
3
That explains why
traffic is heavy on Saturday afternoon.
4
When you finally get to the stores,