Everyone seems to struggle with learning how to write a body paragraph. Yes, there is a common misconception among students nowadays that everything with more than 5 sentences is a paragraph. Others swear that a paragraph should be half a page long. And almost nobody knows the various types of paragraph structures. Because structuring and organizing your academic papers properly is very important if you are to get high grades consistently, we’ve decided to explain the different types of paragraph. Also, you will learn what makes a paragraph be a paragraph and see examples of the various paragraph types. And remember: don’t be afraid to get help if you don’t have much time left until the submission date.
Do You Know What Is a Paragraph and What Is Not?
Before we get into more details about the different types of paragraph, let’s explain what a paragraph really is. No, five consecutive sentences don’t make up a paragraph. And no, a paragraph doesn’t have to be half a page long. So, what is a paragraph? Regardless of all the paragraph organization types, the definition of a paragraph is pretty simple. A paragraph is a “group of sentences or a single sentence that forms a unit” (Lunsford and Connors, 1995, p.116).
When you think about all the paragraph structure types, you probably don’t consider a single sentence to be a paragraph, do you? Well, if you’re wondering “how long is a paragraph,” the truth is that a single sentence can be considered a paragraph if it forms a unit. However, we won’t delve into technical details here, because our main objective is to discuss the types of paragraph structure.
Why Paragraph Types Matter
We hope you now have an answer to the “what is a body paragraph” question. Keep in mind that every academic paper format requires the use of specific paragraphs. The types paragraph creators use are extremely important. You should not use a narrative paragraph in a synthesis essay, for instance. The good news is that writing a paragraph is not complicated once you understand the structure and function of each type. Paragraph types are the same as essay types in most cases, which makes paragraph writing quite easy. Even though we will be covering the main 4 types of paragraph, keep in mind that there are plenty more types of paragraph in English.
The Different Types of Paragraph Structures
Now that you know and understand what a paragraph is and why it’s so important, let’s talk about the 4 types of paragraph writing experts need to know about. These are not the generic types of paragraph with examples PDF files all over the Internet present. These are the real 4 types of paragraph organization that every student needs to master:
- The Descriptive paragraph. As you’ve already guessed it, the descriptive paragraph is mostly used in descriptive essays to describe something to the reader. You need to use descriptive words that relate to the human senses (taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound). Keep in mind that this kind of paragraph can easily deviate from the writing standards because it is considered to be an artistic structure.
Example: The first thing I notice when I look at him is his size. His neck muscles tensed, he stands on his hind legs with a fearless look in his intelligent eyes. The ears on this rare Andalusian stallion are turned back and his coat is as black as a moonless night.
- The Persuasive paragraph.
This is the paragraph that you use when you want to convince your readers to adopt your point of view. Of course, you will use it mostly in persuasive essay and argumentative essay writing. However, keep in mind that you need to do some extensive research to write such a paragraph correctly.
Example: At the time of writing, only 3 percent of tax dollars go into the education system. Compared to other countries, this is almost 50% of the necessary amount of funding. It is clear that we must take immediate steps to increase the funding of the education system. The future of our country depends on our ability to properly educate our children.
- The Narrative paragraph.
You will use this type of paragraph to tell a story. It’s most commonly used in narrative essay writing. Learn how to write a good paragraph if you want to make your story stand out from the rest!
Example: I’ve had the best time of my life this past week. It all started on Monday, when I went to the movies. There was a girl there, and she was alone. On Tuesday, we went out and it was a great day. Wednesday was spent walking around the park, with the Sun shining warm overhead. Finally, on Friday, I kissed her and it was the happiest moment of my life.
- The Expository paragraph.
This paragraph is useful for when you need to provide a thorough explanation or to instruct the readers. You can even use it to describe a process or a concept. It goes without saying that this paragraph is very important for expository essay writing.
Example: Attending college can be quite expensive. First, the tuition can set you back almost $2,000. If you add room and board, you need to add another $600-$1,000 per month. Expect to pay between $200 and $500 for books each term. And college registration is not cheap either. You may have to pay around $50 for insurance and $15 to $20 for the student association. Next, you need to pay fees for adding or dropping classes. Even parking costs at least $100. In conclusion, college fees can quickly add up to thousands per month.
Don’t Know How to Write a Body Paragraph?
Learning how to write a paragraph is very important. In fact, learning how to write a paragraph can be even more important than learning the various types of academic writing. After all, the paragraphs are the building blocks of your essays. This is probably why every professor has a special paragraph writing rubric. You will get bonus points or penalties depending on how well you master paragraph writing. Contact our English experts to help you. And don’t forget to learn of the various types of supporting details in a paragraph!
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