College Composition / Unit 31 CMP 0758 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
How a Paragraph Functions
The idea
Every paragraph in an argument does a job, and identifying that job shows how the parts of a text form a whole.
In practice
Ask the questions in order. First, does the paragraph introduce the issue or state the main claim? Second, does it give background the reader needs? Third, does it advance a supporting claim? Fourth, does it supply evidence or an example for an earlier claim? Fifth, does it present a counterclaim, the other side's view? Sixth, does it refute that counterclaim or concede part of it? Seventh, does it conclude, by restating the claim or calling readers to act?
Where people slip
A paragraph's function is defined by its relation to the paragraphs around it. Describe what it does for the argument, not only what it says.
Your place on the trail
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Unlocks
- Nothing yet depends on this.
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