One Paragraph Responses
This handout will help you write one paragraph responses to questions assigned by your teacher. All of your responses should be limited
to one well-developed paragraph. The length of your paragraph will vary depending on the question and topic. Use the guide below to
help you construct your response. Be sure to check your final paragraph using the rubric.
1.
2.
3.
Your paragraph should start, as all good paragraphs do, with a strong topic sentence. Similar to a thesis statement, a topic sentence
provides the guiding idea for the paragraph; everything in your paragraph must be directly connected to the topic sentence. A topic
sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is (1) going do and (2) how it’s going to do it. Some topic sentences do this in a general
way and some in a more specific way (see examples below). When responding to a question on a test or one given to you by your
teacher, you should always use the question to help you formulate a topic sentence. You can do this by turning the question into a
statement. For example:
Question:
How does Golding reveal the theme of good always wins over evil in Lord of the Flies?
General topic sentence:
Golding reveals the theme of good always wins over evil in several ways.
What it’s going to do: discuss a theme
How
More specific topic sentence:
Golding reveals the theme of good always wins over evil in three specific ways.
What it’s going to do: discuss a theme
How
Very specific topic sentence:
Golding reveals the theme of good always wins over evil using symbolism, characterization and irony.
What it’s going to do: discuss a theme
How
Next is the body. The body discusses in detail the point(s) raised in your topic sentence. This
may be one, two or three points. To fully develop each point, you should follow the SEEC
format: State, Explain, Evidence, Connect.
 State: state your point. Your statement should be more detailed than your topic sentence
and it should echo the topic sentence by repeating key words or ideas. Be careful not to
include your explanation here. Save it for the next sentence. If your statement includes a
“because,” you’re trying to include the explanation. The statement should raise a
question in the reader’s mind. Your explanation will answer that question.
 Explain: explain your statement and give the reader some context. The point you stated in
the first step should raise some questions. How? Why? The explanation is where you
answer those questions. Your answers should be supported by evidence in the step below.
Sometimes the explanation and evidence are joined and layered. The example to the right
uses explain-evidence-explain to build its argument. Other times, the evidence is
provided in a separate sentence.
 Evidence: There are three types of evidence: quote, paraphrase and summary. The most
convincing of these three is quoting. You should provide at least on piece of evidence per
point. Here are some sentence starts to help you:
o As Holden explains to Sally, “…”
o For example, Jack shouts confidently, “…”
o Piggy cries out, “…”
o Golding writes: “…”
 Connect: Explains the connection between the evidence, explanation, and statement by
answering the “so what” question. So what makes this important? Here are some
sentence starts to help you:
o This shows that...
o This reveals…
o This is important because...
o Here the author demonstrates…because….
o Here, the author reveals that…because….
Connecting everything to the topic sentence is your last step. Depending on the assigned
topic or question, you may want to add a final “connect” to the end of your paragraph that
answers bigger “So what” question raised by your topic sentence. So what do all of these
things say together?
Example
Question: How does Ralph reveal
he savage side when the boys
first arrive on the island?
Topic Sentence: When the boys
first arrive on the island, Ralph
reveals his savage side in three
subtle ways.
State
Ralph first reveals a little of his
savage side when he and Piggy
meet the other kids on the island.
Explain
Before Ralph and Piggy introduce
themselves to the boys, Piggy
begs Ralph not to call him Piggy
in front of them. Ralph does not,
however, honor Piggy’s request.
Instead, he ignores Piggy and
reveals his name to the boys.
Evidence
Golding writes, “'He’s not
Fatty…his real name is Piggy’…A
storm of laughter arose and even
the tiniest child joined in” (21).
Ralph not only ignores Piggy’s
request, but he also joins Jack in
making fun of Piggy for being
overweight.
Connect
This incident reveals that Ralph
has a mean side to his
personality. It also reveals he is
willing to cast aside humanity in
order to gain the favor of the
other boys, Jack in particular.
Advanced Paragraphing Techniques
Here are some additional strategies to make sure your ideas are logically sequenced and your
argument is easy to follow.
Transitions
A transition is a word or phrase used to create coherence in a paragraph by linking sentences
together. They state the logical relationship between the points in a paragraph, acting like glue
holding our ideas Transitions work like driving signs work on the roads: they signal what is ahead
and keep readers from getting lost. Phrases like "Another reason" or "Another example" tell
readers that that the list will continue with another reason or example. Consider how your ideas
relate to each other and what sort of transitions you can use to signal these relationships to your
readers.
It’s important to choose appropriate transitions and use them sparingly. Not every sentence
needs a transition. However, they will seem more obvious to you than they will to readers. For
variety, try shifting the placement and choice of transitions. Here’s a list to consider as you write
your paragraph.
RELATIONSHIP
Similarity
TRANSITIONAL EXPRESSION
also, in the same way, just as ... so too, likewise, similarly
Exception/Contrast
but, however, in spite of, on the one hand ... on the other hand, nevertheless,
nonetheless, notwithstanding, in contrast, on the contrary, still, yet
first, second, third, ... next, then, finally
after, afterward, at last, before, currently, during, earlier, immediately, later,
meanwhile, now, recently, simultaneously, subsequently, then
for example, for instance, namely, specifically, to illustrate
even, indeed, in fact, of course, truly
above, adjacent, below, beyond, here, in front, in back, nearby, there
accordingly, consequently, hence, so, therefore, thus
additionally, again, also, and, as well, besides, equally important, further, furthermore,
in addition, moreover, then
finally, in a word, in brief, in conclusion, in the end, in the final analysis, on the whole,
thus, to conclude, to summarize, in sum, in summary
Sequence/Order
Time
Example
Emphasis
Place/Position
Cause and Effect
Additional Support or Evidence
Conclusion/Summary
Use old-to-new structure
The old-to-new structure is one way to create cohesion. How do you do it? Each
sentence that you write in your paragraph body should refer to information provided in
the previous sentence before introducing new information. Read the following passage
and note how what is new repeats what was just stated:
In 1885, journalist Owen Wister moved west to Wyoming. There he found the
material he needed to write his most famous novel, The Virginian. This book is the
first of a new genre: the horse-opera novel.
Not only does this old-to-new structure create cohesion, but readers will better
understand new information if it relates to something they already know, even if they
just learned it in the previous sentence. Look at the following paragraph, and notice
how in each sentence the author alludes to an idea in the previous sentence (repeated
elements are in bold):
Unfortunately, despite much investigation, we do not know how lithium works.
In the body, lithium substitutes for sodium, calcium, potassium, and
magnesium. It also interacts with the three main neurotransmitters studied in
affective disorders: norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Finally, it seems
to have an effect on the G proteins associated with the receptors on the surface
of the nerve cells. On a nonmolecular level, lithium seems to normalize REM
(rapid eye movement/dream) sleep abnormalities, which are present in the
mood disorders. The most common measurement of the REM abnormalities is
called REM latency. REM latency is an excellent marker of the likelihood that a
depressive disorder will respond preferentially to medication as opposed to
psychotherapy. When a person goes into REM sleep too quickly after first falling
asleep, they are said to have decreased REM latency. Lithium normalizes REM
sleep, as do the antidepressants, moving dream sleep primarily to the second
half of the night, where it belongs. —Robert J. Hedaya, Understanding Biological
Psychiatry
The content of the paragraph is challenging, and each sentence requires the reader to
absorb something new, but each new sentence offers something familiar to keep the
reader feeling grounded. Each sentence moves forward but is connected to what came
before it, thus maintaining the coherency and aiding comprehension.
Inside sentences: This technique also improves comprehension within sentences. When
using an unfamiliar or difficult technical term for the first time, put that term not at the
beginning of its sentences, in its topic, but at the end. Put old, familiar, simple
information at the front of a sentence and place new, unfamiliar, and difficult terms at
the end of sentences.
Compare these two passages:
Lincoln's claim that the Civil War was God's punishment of both North and
South for slavery appears in the last part of the speech.
In the last part of the speech, Lincoln claims that God gave the Civil War to both
North and South as punishment for slavery.
Place important words at the end of a sentence to emphasize them.
Just as you place unfamiliar ideas at the end of a sentence, the best place for words you
want to highlight and make most prominent is usually at the end of the sentence.
Consider this sentence:
Freedom of speech and worship were the war aims in World War II identified by
President Franklin Roosevelt in January 1941.
After such significant substance, in January 1941 seems anti-climactic. The subject and
verb are also oddly arranged. Rearrange the sentence to put the important words at the
end:
In January 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt declared the war aims in World
War II to be freedom of speech and worship.
Notice the same effect in these two passages:
 This steel is principally used for making razors because of its hardness.
 Because of its hardness, this steel is principally used for making razors.
One Paragraph Response Rubric
Presentation
Organization
Ideas
Outstanding
Developing
Needs Improvement
 Paragraph demonstrates
complete understanding of the
question.
 Provides a thorough
explanation of ideas.
 All ideas are expressed clearly
and connected to the topic
sentence.
 Supports explanation using
direct quotes from the reading
or examples from personal
experience.
 Answers the “so what”
question
 Does not summarize the story.
 Does repeat the same ideas
over and over.
 Paragraph mostly demonstrates
understanding.
 Most ideas are explained though
some parts may be vague.
 Most ideas expressed clearly and
connected to topic sentence.
 Most quotes and examples clearly
support explanation.
 Mostly answers the “so what”
question
 Some summarizing of the story may
occur.
 Some repetition may exist.
 Paragraph does not demonstrate
understanding.
 Ideas are not clearly explained.
Too many are vague.
 Too many ideas are not
expressed clearly or are not
connected to topic sentence.
 No quotes or examples are used
or they do not support to the
explanation.
 Does not answer the “so what”
question
 Mostly summarizes the story.
 Contains too much repetition.
 Seems rushed and last minute.
 Follows the State, Explain,
Example, Connect format.
 Clear topic sentence that
restates the question.
 Sentences are logically
sequenced and build old to
new.
 Uses transitions (for example:
first, second, third,
furthermore, in addition).
 Mostly follows SEEC format.
 Topic sentence is mostly clear.
 Most sentences are logically
sequenced.
 Some transitions present though
more may be needed.
 Does not follow SEEC format.
 No clear topic sentence present.
 No clear sequencing of
sentences.
 No or too few transitions.
 Free of spelling and
grammatical errors.
 MLA formatting contains no
errors.
 Includes an error free Works
Cited page IF NEEDED.
 Some spelling and grammatical
errors.
 Missing some elements of MLA
formatting.
 Works Cited page present though
may need some work.
 So many spelling and
grammatical errors that response
difficult to read and understand.
 Does not follow MLA formatting.
 No Works Cited page present
though required.