How do I write a good Paragraph

1
How do I write a good Paragraph?

• Tips on writing good paragraphs for extended
  writing.

2
A good paragraph is made up of 3 key parts.
These are
A statement A Reason An explanation
3
The Statement

• The statement is a like a coat hanger. The rest
  of your paragraph will hang on this statement.
  In the statement, you introduce the subject of
  the paragraph and the line of argument. It will
  sometimes link to the previous paragraph to make
  your extended writing flow smoothly.

4
For example
The raising of the poll tax was a major cause of
the peasants revolt.
The most important factor that led to the
outbreak of civil war in 1642 was power.
Hitler is one of the most important reasons why
World War 2 began in 1939.
5
The Reason

• The Reason is your justification of the
  statement. This explains to the reader why you
  think your statement is correct.

6
For example
Peasants did not earn a lot of money. This was
because the government had passed a law called
the statute of labourers in 1349. This law
limited the amount of money peasants could earn.
The government then began to take the poll tax
from the small amount of money the peasants had
earned.
Parliament had tried to limit the power of
Charles I in the first 3 years of his reign.
This led to Charles ruling England for 11 years
without calling parliament.
7
The Explanation

• The Explanation is the part of the paragraph
  where you use evidence to support your statement
  and reason. You need to make sure you choose
  your evidence carefully as this is where you can
  show what you know! Make sure you explain your
  views clearly and in your last sentence, link
  your point back to the question and the next
  paragraph.

8
For Example
When he came to the throne, Richard II had
introduced a poll tax to pay for armies fighting
in France. He later called for the tax to be
raised in 1379 and in 1380. The peasants didnt
like paying this tax. Some even hid in local
forests to avoid paying the tax collectors. In
April 1381, Archbishop Sudbury, sent armed forces
to make sure the peasants paid the tax. When the
poor refused to pay they were imprisoned. The
peasants thought this was unfair and began to
talk about making the king stop calling for this
tax.
9
The Line of Argument

• The line of argument is like a piece of string
  that holds your entire piece of extended writing
  together. You begin your line of argument in
  your introduction and draw it together in the
  conclusion. You will refer to your line of
  argument in each paragraph. This is like a sign
  post for the reader of your essay.

10
For Example
The raising of the poll tax is the most important
factor that caused the peasants revolt.
11
Your paragraph will look something like this
12
The raising of the poll tax was a major cause of
the peasants revolt. Peasants did not earn a lot
of money. This was because the government had
passed a law called the statute of labourers in
1349. This law limited the amount of money they
could earn. The government then began to take
the poll tax from the small amount of money the
peasants had earned. When he came to the
throne, Richard II had introduced a poll tax to
pay for armies fighting in France. He later
called for the tax to be raised in 1379 and in
1380. The peasants didnt like paying this tax.
Some even hid in local forests to avoid paying
the tax collectors. In April 1381, Archbishop
Sudbury, sent armed forces to make sure the
peasants paid the tax. When the poor refused to
pay they were imprisoned. The peasants thought
this was unfair and began to talk about making
the king stop calling for this tax. The raising
of the poll tax is the most important factor that
caused the peasants revolt.
13
A few tips.

• Always refer back to the question in each
  paragraph
• Make sure you give both sides of the argument in
  essays that ask for your opinion.
• Always try to talk about at least 2 factors in
  essays that ask you to talk about factors e.g.
  Power.

14
What sort of questions are these?

• Hippocrates was the founding father of modern
  medicine. How far do you agree with this
  statement?
• Opinion, so give BOTH sides of the argument
• Why did Civil War break out in 1642?
• Factors, so talk about MORE THAN 1
• The religion of Charles I was the reason why he
  was executed in 1649. How far do you agree with
  this statement?
• Factors and Opinion, So give BOTH sides of the
  argument AND talk about OTHER factors

15
Finally

• When you are writing each paragraph, remember to
  include
• Statement
• Reason
• Explanation

16
Your Turn

• Try to write another paragraph answering the
  question your teacher has given you.
• Remember to include a statement, reason and
  explanation.
• Remember to link each paragraph to the question.