3. The LIST Paragraph

WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH AND THE LIST PARAGRAPH

What is a paragraph? A paragraph can be defined as a group of sentences that develops one main idea: in other words, a paragraph develops a topic. A topic is basically the subject of the paragraph; it is what the paragraph is about.

The format of a paragraph looks like this:

1) Topic sentence: This can be a question or statement.  Notice that the first sentence in a paragraph is indented in the line.  2) Developers: Support for the topic sentence can be in the form of examples, facts, details, statistics, an explanation, a definition, a comparison, a contrast, a cause or causes, etc. The support sentences (developers) begin on the same line on which the topic sentence ends.  And finally 3) the concluding sentence (terminator): This is a statement or a question to "drive home" the main point of the paragraph. This sentence follows on the same line as the support sentences finish. E.g.

Singing Voices

1) Singers (especially in opera) are grouped according to the tone or pitch of their voices. 2) A bass is a male singer who has the lowest tone of voice, such as the American opera singer Samuel Ramey.  Due to the deep voices they have, basses usually play the role of the bad guys in operas. If a man sings with a middle pitch, he is a baritone like the German singer Thomas Quasthoff.  As their voices are not too low or too high, they are able to sing both higher and lower notes.  A man who sings with a high voice is a tenor. The famous singer Enrico Caruso was a tenor, just like Pavarotti.  Tenors often get the principal roles in opera.  Women voices have their own classification.  A soprano is a woman who sings with a high voice, like the famous Maria Callas.  Due to the pitch they have, sopranos usually play very emotional characters.  Women who have the lowest tone of voice are called contraltos or altos, such as Janet Baker.  Sometimes they perform roles of boys and young men because they can sing very low notes.  Finally, the mezzo-soprano is a woman who sings with a middle pitch.  Their vocal range is between the one of the soprano and the one of the alto.  Cecilia Bartoli is an Italian mezzo-soprano. 3) As we could see, singing voices have certain characteristics that make them unique and different from each other.

Developed by L., Flores.

Maps for the standard 8 and 10 sentence paragraph:
The 8 sentence paragraph:	The 10 sentence paragraph:
1. TOPIC SENTENCE 2. Detail No. 1 3. Explanation of detail No. 1 4. Detail No. 2 5. Explanation of detail No. 2 6. Detail No. 3 7. Explanation of detail No. 3 8. CONCLUSION	1. TOPIC SENTENCE 2. Detail No. 1 3. Explanation of detail No. 1 4. Detail No. 2 5. Explanation of detail No. 2 6. Detail No. 3 7. Explanation of detail No. 3 8. Detail No. 3 9. Explanation of detail No. 3 10. CONCLUSION

Activity 13

Analyze the paragraph “Singing Voices” and identify the topic sentence, underline the topic and circle the controlling idea.  Then, analyze the developers, identify which developers are details and which are explanation of details.

Topic sentence:
Details:	Explanation of details:

Notice that a well organized paragraph not only includes examples to support the controlling idea, it also includes explanation of those examples; that is, a writer should include specific and concrete examples rather than just abstract or general ideas.  Specific and concrete examples make the reader have a better and clearer idea in mind about what the writer tries to convey or depict.  It is not enough to say what, but also we need to say why, how, like what, etc.

The List Paragraph

This paragraph is developed through listing or enumeration

The following texts discuss paragraph development through listing or enumeration or provide sample paragraphs or exercises of use to the students.

Black African Nations

During the decade of the 1960's, most of the European colonies of Sub-Saharan Africa achieved independence. In the West, Nigeria (1960), Sierra Leone (1961), and Gambia (1965) -all former British colonies- joined the family of free and independent nations. In the east, Tanzania (1961), Uganda (1962), Kenya (1963), and Zambia (1964) also became sovereign states free of British rule.  As the African empire of Great Britain was being dismantled, France, the other major European colonizer, withdrew from vast areas south of the Sahara. Thirteen former French colonies gained national status in the single year 1960: Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Togo, Dahomey, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gabon , and Congo. Although a few European colonists still occupy African territory, the 1960's witnessed the birth of more than twenty free black nations.

An outline is a pattern that helps to organize your ideas.  It is a visual and conceptual design of your writing that reflects logical thinking and clear classification.

Identify the topic sentence and the concluding idea of the paragraph above; then, write the outline.

Outline:

Essential Attributes for the 80's

Looking forward to the decade of the 1980's, one wonders what personal qualities might be needed for success. Possibly the four most essential attributes are flexibility, honesty, creativity, and perseverance. First, our rapidly changing society requires flexibility -the ability to adapt oneself readily to new ideas and experiences. Next, honesty, the capacity both to tell and to face the truth courageously, will be important in all aspects of personal and public relations. ________________________________________________

Just as these attributes of character are desirable today, so in the future they will surely continue to be decisive in determining personal success.

Outline the paragraph above, Identify the discourse markers used in the paragraph above. Devise developers for the sample paragraph above What are the discourse markers we can use to develop a list paragraph? Outline:

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT – List paragraph

WRITE THE FOLLOWING PATTERN OF ORGANIZATION FOR A LIST PARAGRAPH.    AFTER WRITING YOUR OUTLINE, START DEVELOPING YOUR LIST PARAGRAPH.

USE DISCOURSE MARKERS:  FIRST, SECOND, ALSO, FINALLY, ETC., TO INTRODUCE YOUR EXAMPLLES AND TO INTRODUCE YOUR TERMINATOR USE: AS YOU CAN SEE, CLEARLY, ETC. 

REMEMBER TO INCLUDE EXPLANATIONS OF DETAILS (WHY AND HOW)

Outline the LIST paragraph (USE ONLY ONE IDEA)

	Topic sentence:
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
A7
	Conclusion:

WHO IS GERTRUDE STEIN?

WHAT ARE SOME OF HER LITERARY WORKS?

WRITE A PARAGRAPH LISTING HER MOST IMPORTANT WORKS.

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