The POWER Paragraph “Words are, of course, the most powerful thing used by mankind.” -Rudyard Kipling

This type of paragraph is for academic writing. It is a building block. The OWE can be doubled to create what we call the 2nd POWER. Multiple POWERS can be put together to form the “body” of an essay.

Present = Topic sentence PRESENT your main idea. What is the topic of this paragraph? ALWAYS ANSWER THE QUESTION OR RESPOND DIRECTLY TO THE PROMPT!

Offer = Major detail OFFER a reason why this is your main idea. What point do you want to make about the topic? OPINION—what’s your reason? This is called a MAJOR DETAIL (remember major means BIG, as in “You are going to be in MAJOR trouble if you forget to do your homework.”)

Widen = minor detail (detail about a detail) WIDEN your information. What is your proof? Go to the text for support—offer evidence! WHAT ELSE CAN YOU SAY? Give some MINOR DETAILS (minor means small as in “Dad, I’m really sorry, I had a minor accident.”) Consider the following: Give EVIDENCE (notes, article, textbook, etc.) about your major detail. DEFINE your major detail. DESCRIBE your major detail. IN SHORT, GIVE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR DETAIL. “For example…”

explain = minor detail (detail about a detail) EXPLAIN how or why your reason and proof are connected to the topic. EXPLAIN, EXPAND, ELABORATE—give another detail about your major detail. If you can make what you said clearer or make it make more sense, do it! This is another MINOR DETAIL. “This shows…”

Restate = conclude RESTATE your main idea. What do you want your readers to really know about this topic? WRAP IT UP—Conclude your paragraph!