3. Words and Phrases Used for Clarification, Enumeration and Summary

Clarification: evidently, in fact, in other words, too, of course, etc.

Enumeration: first, in the first place, to begin with, secondly, in the second place, lastly, the latter, the former, the one-the other, etc.

Summary: in brief, in conclusion, in short, in sum, on the whole, to conclude, to sum up, to summarize, etc.

4. The Analytical Paragraph

As has been previously mentioned, in many paragraphs (though not in all) it is possible to pick out one sentence which states briefly the main topic with which the paragraph is concerned, and everything else in the paragraph is an enlargement upon or a development of it. This is called the topic sentence. It may occur anywhere in the paragraph, but many writers choose to place it at the beginning, and for those who are just learning the art, this is, perhaps, the best place for it, for it fixes the mind straightway ·on what you intend the paragraph to deal with. A paragraph plan that begins with a relatively general idea and develops the idea in specific details is called analytical.

It follows from the definition that analytical paragraphs centre upon one particular object or one particular idea. Care should be taken not to damage paragraph integrity by either developing the idea beyond the implicit limits or failing to develop it fully. Here are the plan elements of a single analytical paragraph:

1) a relatively general beginning sentence that states a single central idea: the topic sentence;

2) a series of specific details that exemplify, clarify, illustrate, or otherwise amplify the single central idea: the developers;

3) a terminating passage, typically one-sentence long, which signals that the idea is finished: the terminator.

5. The List Paragraph

Some analytical paragraphs consist of a heading (a topic sentence) and a series of related developers that could have occurred in any sequence. Such a paragraph is ea lied a list.

6. The Synthetic Paragraph

Paragraphs whose composition elements present their ideas part at a time, building them up piece by piece from the relatively specific to the relatively general are

called synthetic. So the difference between the analytical and synthetic paragraphs is one of direction of movement. The analytical paragraph moves away from the topic sentence and the synthetic paragraph moves towards it. Thus the paragraph is the graphic representation of a unit of disciplined thought and the movement, therefore, leads either from the conclusion to the evidence (analytical) or from the evidence to the conclusion (synthetic).

7. Paragraph writing

The above discussions and analysis of paragraph structure have revealed that a paragraph deals with one closely related set of facts or ideas which are organized and developed in conformity with English organization patterns; i. e. if the author begins with a generalization he needs evidence to support and develop it. On the other hand, if he ehooses to conclude his writing with the central idea, he needs an entirely different arrangement of sup,porting facts or ideas. Many writers choose to express the idea of the paragraph in the topic sentence which comes first in the paragraph, and for those who are just learniliig the art of paragraph writing this is, perhaps, the best place for it, as it fixes the mind straightway on what you intend the paragraph to deal with. This kind of paragraph writing is generally found in narrative, description, classification and some others, which will be treated in greater detail.

Narrative

By narrative here is meant a description of things happening one after another-for instance, a day in the cout1try, an excursion to a certain place, a picnic, a short journey. Here the planning is one of time-you tell first about the first thing that happened, then about the next, and so on until you come to an end.