Types of Paragraphs
Paragraphs Day 2
Types of Paragraphs

For our purposes, here are the basic
types of paragraphs:




Narrative
Exposition
Descriptive
Persuasive
Narrative



Tells a story
Uses specific details
Is not a mere listing of events- it
has characters, setting, conflict, and
resolution


Time and place are usually established
Usually chronologically organized
Narrative Example
So now on nights when my mother presented
her tests, I performed listlessly, my head
propped on one arm. I pretended to be bored,
and I was. I got so bored I started counting
the bellows of the foghorns out on the bay
while my mother drilled me in other areas…
The next day, I played a game with myself,
seeing if my mother would give up on me
before eight bellows. After a while, I usually
counted only one, maybe two at the most. At
last, she was beginning to give up hope.
Exposition



Informative/explanatory
Can be included incidentally with
narrative or descriptive, but can also
stand alone.
The challenge of writing an exposition
paragraph is your credibility – how do
I know that you know what you’re
talking about?
Answer: Citations! (from experts)
Exposition Example

Stress is defined as a state of extreme difficulty
that causes mental or physical tension. In a
recent study, teenagers were shown to
experience stress as often as adults. According
to the study, the most common causes of
stressors to teens include divorce of parents,
death of a loved one, loneliness, moving to a
new neighborhood, and having difficulty in a
social environment. These stressors can greatly
change the way teens act in many
circumstances.
Description



Series of detailed observations
Usually not used by itself, but rather as
a part of a whole
The challenge is to make it interesting



Imagery
Sensory details; five senses
Similes, metaphors
Description Example

When I think of the home town of my
youth, all that I seem to remember is
dust- the brown, crumbly dust of late
summer- arid, sterile dust that gets into
the eyes and makes them water, gets
into the throat and between the toes of
bare brown feet. I don’t know why I
should remember only the dust… And so,
when I think of that time and that place,
I remember only the dry September of
the dirt roads and grassless yards of the
shanty-town where I lived.
Persuasive

Uses direct approach



“Believe me and do it!”
Calls reader to action or to take a stand
on an important issue
More than just opinion is needed;
information, analysis, and context must
be given to the reader to let him/her
make a decision
Persuasive Example

Students are currently getting ripped off.
Students who spend an average of 10 hours or
more on extracurricular activities should receive
some kind of academic credit. Most students
who are involved in sports, music, journalism, or
theater activities are actively learning on a daily
basis. They attend practice and events and
participate regularly as they would in class.
Furthermore, their participation helps them
become more responsible and disciplined
students. Students are putting forth the effort,
and not getting any recognition for their time.