Paragraph Writing Cause and Effect A cause and effect paragraph is a paragraph that answers the question “Why?” We know that many actions do not occur without a reason, and that the effects of these actions can be either positive or negative. When we write a cause and effect paragraph, we are trying to understand or explain things that happen in our lives. In the paragraph, there will be reasons backing up the topic, as well as supporting details that go with each of the reasons.

Prewriting – You will be asked to use the webbing technique for this assignment. Your topic (the effect) goes in the centre circle, and your main reasons (the causes) go in the set of circles that branch out from the centre circle. Number your reasons in order of their importance. Next, in the third set of circles, attach a series of details that might support each of the reasons you have chosen. Provide more details than you can actually use, then read over them and decide which details you will use to develop your paragraph. You may want to also number the details in the order you will use them.

Web Detail Detail Detail Cause 1 Effect Cause 3 Cause 2 Detail Detail

Time To Write Writing – It is then time to begin writing your paragraph, expanding your points into full sentences. Decide if you want to order your reasons from most important to least important or vice versa. Include transitions that are appropriate to the order you have chosen. As your work on your paragraph, keep checking your material for unity and support, and make any necessary changes.

Revising – When you have finished writing, edit the paragraph for sentence-skills mistakes such as spelling, punctuation, run-ons or sentence fragments. You may decide to add or delete all or part of a sentence or to move it to a different location. Be sure that the spelling of the words you studied at the beginning of this unit is correct in your paragraph.

Choose a topic below, and write a well-constructed paragraph. your paragraphs must have a title, and should be 7 – 10 sentences long. Paragraph #1 Write a cause and effect paragraph on ONE of the following topics: a) The many reasons why people should not smoke cigarettes b) Why I had an excellent / awful time on my last vacation c) How drivers cause accidents d) Canadians are more overweight now than they were 50 years ago e) Eating on an airplane is an unpleasant experience

Compare and Contrast Paragraph When we compare and contrast two items, we are trying to understand each of the two things more clearly. We may make judgments about which of the two things we prefer, or we may simply show how they are similar and/or different.

There are two methods of development in compare and contrast paragraphs. The first one is the one-side-at-a-time method. This is when the first half of the paragraph clearly and completely explains one side of the contrast, and the second half of the paragraph deals entirely with the other side. If you use this method, be sure to use the same order when presenting each side. The second method of developing a compare and contrast paragraph is a point-by-point method. Instead of dealing separately with each of the items you are comparing/contrasting, you will contrast or compare each item one point at a time, alternating throughout the paragraph.

For this particular assignment, you will be asked to use the free-writing technique as your method of prewriting. To write a compare/contrast paragraph, you will first choose a topic. Then: Make a decision on how long you will take to get your ideas down on paper – in this case, three to five minutes. You will write, in paragraph format, every thought about each idea as it comes to you. The important thing is to continue writing, non-stop, for the full allotted time. If your mind hits a blank, write a key word over and over until you think of another point to make on your topic. Concentrate on getting down all of the information you can think of that supports each point. Once you have written continuously for the prescribed time period, decide whether you will use a one-side-at-a-time or a point-by-point method. **The last stage of prewriting using this technique is to go back and number the sentences in the order you believe works best, and cross out any information you decide not to use.

Use transition words (change of direction signals) like firstly, in addition, in contrast, also, another difference, on the other hand, but, although, however, and most importantly to link your points together. As you write, keep checking the paragraph for unity and support, and make additions or changes. Revising – When you have finished writing, edit the paragraph for sentence-skills mistakes such as spelling, punctuation, run-ons or sentence fragments. Decide if you should add or delete all or part of a sentence or to move it to a different location. Paragraph #2