College Composition / Unit 12 CMP 0280 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Listing Each Paragraph's Point
The idea
Listing the main point of each paragraph, in order, shows whether a draft's structure supports its thesis.
In practice
Work in order. First, write the thesis at the top of a page. Second, read the draft one paragraph at a time and write a single sentence stating what each paragraph says. Third, check each line against the thesis: does it relate to the purpose and support the claim? Fourth, check that each paragraph has one main point; a line that needs two sentences may be two paragraphs. Fifth, look at the order of the lines: does each point build on the one before? Sixth, mark paragraphs to cut, merge, split or move, then revise the draft to match the improved list.
Where people slip
Write what each paragraph actually says, not what you meant it to say. The gap between the two is exactly what this method exists to reveal.
Your place on the trail
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