"Powerful Paragraphs" by Bruce Ross-Larson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

POWERFUL PARAGRAPHS

By Bruce Ross-Larson

 

 

AN APPROACH TO PARAGRAPH

1)      Building Paragraphs from a Plan

a.      A paragraph-by-paragraph plan helps you organize your material by going beyond an outline to identify the topic of each paragraph in an entire piece.

2)      Getting off to a good start

a.      What your want instead is to grab your readers’ attention, rivet them to your message, and propel them through your argument.

3)      Summing up

a.      Powerful closing paragraphs convey the essence of an argument’s main points without restating all of its detail. The strongest closing paragraphs put the main points in a broader perspective and provoke further thought.

 

 

1. UNIFY YOUR PARAGRAPHS AROUND STRONG POINTS

 

1)      Be clear about your subject

a.      But only knowing the subject can you make a strong point about it. And only with a strong point can you assess whether all of a paragraph’s sentences are related to it.

2)      Make a strong point

a.      Usually state explicitly at the start, sometimes implied, the point is a statement of opinion or fact, which you then support with the other sentences in your paragraph.

3)      Be sure every sentence bears on the point

a.      After you’ve written a paragraph, check to be sure each sentence supports the point. Too often, sentences are loosely related to the subject of the paragraph but not tied to the point.

4)      Signal what’s to come

a.      Revealing the relationships between sentences, transitional words can signal continuation (and, furthermore, in addition, similarly), reversal (or, but, still, despite, otherwise, even so, nevertheless), and conclusion (so, thus, after all, in sum, in short, in brief).

5)      Stick to one verb form

a.      Using one verb form rather than unnecessarily jumping from one form to another is always a good way to unify a paragraph.

6)      Fold two sentences into one

a.      Whenever two short sentences have the same subject, see whether you can fold one into the other – to show your reader, which is the less important idea, which the more. Such folding is one of the easiest and most effective ways of picking up the pace of your paragraphs and tightening your sentences.

b.      Compare this:

·        Seven Japanese trust banks have “volunteered” to reduce the purchase of foreign securities by their pension funds. They have done this on orders from the ministry of finance.

c.       With this:

·        Seven Japanese trust banks, on orders from the ministry of finance, have “volunteered” to reduce the purchase of foreign securities by their pension funds.

 

 

2. MAKE YOUR POINT IN COMPELLING WAYS

 

 

(1)   Lead with the point and support it

a.      When you lead with the point, your reader can identify it immediately, and a skimmer can pick up your line of argument by reading the first sentence of each paragraph. This form of development is what most of us use for two-thirds of our writing.

(2)   Lead with the point and conclude with a comment

a.      Concluding with a paragraph with a comment can inject a bit of your personality and, at times, humor. Comments can also put a paragraph in perspective, create a bridge to the next paragraph, or reinforce your point after presenting a series of facts.

b.      Gauge how much humor, irreverence, and personal opinion your readers will tolerate: don’t make so many comments that they distract readers from your argument.

(3)   Lead with the point and, using conjunctions, join details

a.      If you have, say, three supporting sentences of equal weight (none more important than the others), try linking them with also and and in the pattern shown here: X is . . . , X is also . . . , and X is . . . . By using these conjunctions and the same pronoun in each sentence, you can stress the equality or sequence of the details, pulling your readers through the paragraph.

(4)   Lead with the point and list disparate details

a.      Sometimes you can leave out such supporting conjunctions as also and and to add an edgy cadence to your details. Without conjunctions the series hits the reader in quick bursts, making each detail stand out. It also gives the impression that the list is not exhaustive.

(5)   Lead with the point and follow it with a bulleted list

a.      The trick to writing this kind of paragraph is knowing when not to do it. . . . Used too frequently, they lose their effectiveness and become an excuse for not writing complete paragraphs.

(6)   Conclude with the point after introducing the subject

a.      Occasionally, put the point at the end of a paragraph to build suspense. Do this sparingly, however, because readers tire of having to wait for you to get to the point.

b.      One way to conclude with the point: introduce a subject, discuss it, then make a point about it at the end.

c.       One good place to use a concluding-point paragraph is at the start of a piece. In this prime location, concluding-point paragraphs lead readers into a piece gently.

(7)   Conclude with the point after listing disparate details

a.      The short bursts pile up somewhat mysteriously until the point, even the subject, is revealed at the end.

b.      Too colorful for some pieces, obviously inappropriate for others, this pattern can puzzle your readers, so be sure the details are vivid enough to intrigue them.

c.       Writing this kind of paragraph can take practice. If you have a series of powerful, descriptive details, try stringing them together.

d.     If you like the results but the effect is dubious, you might want to make the point at the beginning.

e.      This structure often works well for controversial points because as the details unfold, your readers become curious and follow along in the deduction.

(8)   Make the point in the middle

a.      To build this kind of paragraph, try folding a paragraph with a strong point into a more general opening or introductory paragraph.

b.      Remember that your are placing an important sentence in the least conspicuous place, so be sure that the point is strong enough to stand out – even if you’re trying to soften it.

(9)   Undermine a premise at the end of the paragraph

a.      Undermining at the end of a paragraph is like concluding with the point – but in a backhanded way. It shows your understanding of an alternative point of view – then slams the direction of the argument into reverse.

b.      Undermining can:

·        highlight an opponent’s flaws or weakness

·        present (and refute) a common misconception

·        introduce tension or create the atmosphere of debate

c.       Think of a premise you disagree with, opening it with a phrase like:

·        It is widely believed

·        Many people think

·        It may seem

·        At first glance

d.     Along the way, you might intersperse such phrases as “it is argued” and “so goes the argument,” to remind readers that you are not presenting your own view.

e.      Last, shift the argument by undermining the premise, perhaps signaling the shift with:

·        Yet

·        But

·        Actually

·        A closer look reveals

·        On the contrary

(10)                       Undermine a premise immediately

a.      Undermining immediately is more abrupt than undermining at the end. It quick shift can also be used as a transition between paragraphs.

(11)                       Start with a question and answer it immediately

a.      Asking a question in the first line of a paragraph grabs readers’ attention and set up your point.

b.      Using an immediate, direct answer to make your point demonstrates a firm stance, emphasized by the confidence of a fragment.

·        Ex) Perhaps heightism is just a western cultural prejudice? Sadly not. In Chinese surveys, young women always rate stature high among qualifications for a future mate. Indeed, the prejudice appears to be universal.

c.       Whether answered directly or indirectly, questions bring your readers closer to the text by making them feel part of the discourse.

·        Ex) Our current system of teaching and learning is not very effective.

·        Ex) How effective is our current system of teaching and learning? Not very.

d.     A question and immediate answer can thus make a flat point more arresting.

(12)                       Ask several questions and answer each immediately

a.      A series of answered questions can give a paragraph a bantering, argumentative tone. And if you know your readers are going to have questions about the point you are making, try asking the questions yourself so that you can address each of them directly.

·        Ex) But which countries should represent these regions. India? Pakistan says no. Brazil? Argentina says no. Nigeria? Everybody says no. Solutions galore have been suggested: rotating members, tenured members, first-, second- and third-rank members, members without veto power, dropping the veto altogether or promising to use it in exceptional circumstances only.

(13)                       Imply the point in a series of questions

a.      Turning everything into a question emphasizes the unknown elements of an issue and gives a paragraph a sense of insistence. The questions can express frustration or concern. They can also plant doubt, hope, or curiosity. And they can highlight the many sides of an issue.

b.      Keep in mind, though, that questions unanswered generally leave your reader anxious – just as an unresolved chord would. So, one good use of this pattern is in the opening of a piece, to set up questions that your will discuss and answer later.

·        Ex) Should the UN still be trying to put the world to rights? Should it concentrate on social justice? Should it intervene in the civil conflicts that have become more common than wars between states? Should it curl up and die: And, if it is to lead an active life, how can it, when the poor thing is both despised and broke, its major debtors either refusing (the U.S.), or unable (Russia), to pay their bills?

 

 

3. LINK YOUR PARAGRAPHS

1)      Turn the repeated word into a question

a.      Turning the repeated word or phrase at the start to the second paragraph into a question raises an eyebrow of doubt or irony.

2)      Repeat an opening word or phrase

a.      Repeating an opening word or phrase at the beginning of paragraphs propels your argument across two or more of them.

b.      The repeated opening also tells readers that the paragraphs are doing similar work – that the second paragraph adds to or elaborates on the point of the first.

·        Ex) Small wonder, then, that such a variety of insects and plants were unwittingly trapped in the stickiness and thereby preserved, fragmentary DNA and all. . . .

·        Small wonder, too, that amber has long had cultural significance. . . .

3)      Ask a question at the end of one paragraph and answer it at the beginning of the next

4)      As a question at the beginning of the second paragraph

a.      Opening with a question about the previous paragraph announces that an explanation will follow.

5)      Count

a.      Counting is a simple but effective transitional device to link several paragraphs.

·        Ex) First and above all, . . . Second, . . .

6)      Announce an example

a.      Some paragraphs illustrate a previous point, opening with Take or Consider or having a for example near the front.

7)      Undermine

a.      By undermining the point of the first paragraph, you can propel your argument in the next. You can either be subtle or blatant.