College Composition / Unit 14 CMP 0341 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Which Sentence to Delete
The idea
Deciding which sentence to delete means finding the one that does not serve the paragraph's main point.
In practice
Work in order. First, state the paragraph's main point in your own words. Second, test each sentence: does it support, explain or illustrate that point? Third, mark any sentence that serves a different point, repeats what another sentence says, or adds a detail that is interesting but irrelevant. Fourth, check whether removing the marked sentence breaks anything, such as a later sentence that refers back to it. Fifth, delete the sentence that weakens unity without supporting the point.
Where people slip
Do not delete the evidence because it contains a number or a name that seems minor. Specific evidence is what develops the point; the sentence to cut is the one that wanders, not the one that proves.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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