Paragraph+Paragraphs

PARAGRAPH PATTERNS

Click below to download paragraph patterns and examples PARTICULARIZATION

Topic Sentence

x x x > a random collection of details to support TS

Closing Sentence Being Called Mommy

Motherhood may be one of the most incredible events in a woman’s life. From the moment her child arrives, life is never the same again. From having the ability to run free and go where she wants, when she wants to becoming the rock and stability from which another human being can spring forward into the world is an incredible responsibility. There is no greater joy for her in the world than watching her child master the simple act of smiling and continuing on to mastering the rest of life’s necessary skills - walking, communicating, thinking, loving. Those moments are magical when the newest discovery of the simplest thing brings a smile to not only the face of the child, but to the mother as well. She has the ability to teach and to learn as her child grows from an infant to a toddler to a child to a teenager. The process is extraordinary, and the greatest accomplishment comes when the child becomes an adult and lets her know on her own accord, “Mommy, I love you.”

//M. Pero//

ELIMINATION

Topic Sentence

3 Sub-Topic’s It isn’t. .

1 Sub-Topics It is. ..

Develop with other patterns: PART, CCAD, or ILLUS

Closing Sentence

A Thankless Job

The career of my dreams is a seemingly thankless pursuit that, for whatever reason, I adore. It isn’t the paycheck, for Lord knows the compensation is meager. It isn’t the hours because anyone who thinks a teacher has enormous amounts of time off has never had to painstakingly grade a stack of research papers. It isn’t the recognition as the best of us never really get told we’re all that good until years AFTER we’ve already succeeded. It is, however, the satisfaction in knowing that when a student leaves my classroom, he or she may be better prepared for the world about to come. My classroom style is filled with the reinforcement that hard work pays off in the end; that deadlines are not only important, but essential to everyday accomplishments; and that the world at school is the best place around to get a good practice run in for life before it hits a student smack in the reality. Any moments of doubt I have in my classroom about my career choice fades the moment any student finally gets “it” – no matter what that “it” may be at the time. My summers are for planning my fall, winter, and spring. The paycheck is not the reward, but the necessity to keep myself fed and clothed in order to return to the job at hand – educating. And my dreams, they exist in the minds of every child I have had the honor to know and help teach every single day.

//M. Pero//

COMPARE/CONTRAST - SUB-TOPICS Topic Sentence Sub Topic 1

x x x

Sub Topic 2

o o o

Closing Sentence

Define “The Middle of Nowhere”

A girl whose perspective began in crowded streets, busy sidewalks, and everything at her fingertips adjusts quickly to the distance between living everyday life and its necessities. Growing up in the city, this savvy young woman knew how to do it all – parallel park, navigate traffic, time an arrival based on mileage and street lights – without blinking an eye. There were days when she never left the confines of her town. Everything she needed was there. Grocery store, hair salon, office supply store, and even the mall were within a mile of each other. No need to cross a township line. No need to travel more than five miles in any given day to get anywhere or do anything. The best part was that she could walk there – well anywhere – if the weather was nice and the mood hit her just right. Who could ask for more? But growing up brings change, and with change, adjustment. College brings our young lady to the country. Away from the hustle and bustle of population to an area where cows, chickens, and alpacas outnumber people and where sidewalks are an anomaly. No less than 10 miles to the nearest shopping plaza doesn’t seem that bad, until she realizes how much gas her car actually uses and how many miles she puts on the car just to go grocery shopping. Walking anywhere is not an option unless she is practicing for a half marathon and doesn’t mind mud, gravel, the occasional speeding car and the ever-popular tractor passing her by. Traveling through different towns is an everyday occurrence as nothing is “close” in her terms. But oddly enough, she doesn’t mind it. The adjustment is quick – as is always the case when necessity is involved – and the reward is wonderful. A college education and a career path turn this city girl into a country bumpkin with a smile and an extra tank of gas.

//M. Pero//

COMPARE/CONTRAST - ALTERNATING DETAILS

Topic Sentence

x (subtopic 1) (subtopic 2) x (subtopic 1) o (subtopic 2)

Closing Sentence

Define “The Middle of Nowhere”

A girl whose perspective began in crowded streets, busy sidewalks, and everything at her fingertips adjusts quickly to the distance between living everyday life and its necessities. Growing up in the city, this savvy young woman knew how to do it all – parallel park, navigate traffic, time an arrival based on mileage and street lights – without blinking an eye. In the country there’s no need to park parallel when there are no curbs anywhere in sight. In the city, there were days when she never had to leave the confines of her town. But in the country, travelling through different towns is an everyday occurrence as all of civilization is away from where she is. In the city, everything she needed was there - grocery store, hair salon, office supply store, and even the mall. In the country, there is no less than 10 miles to the nearest shopping plaza, and she doesn’t realize how much gas her car actually uses until she’s gone to the store three or four times. In the city, she could walk to almost everywhere she might need to go. In the country where cows, chickens, and alpacas outnumber people and where sidewalks are an anomaly, walking anywhere is not an option unless she is practicing for a half marathon and doesn’t mind mud, gravel, the occasional speeding car and the ever-popular tractor passing her by. Growing up brings change, and with change, adjustment. The adjustment is quick – as is always the case when necessity is involved – and the reward is worth it. A college education and a career path turns this city girl into a country bumpkin with a smile and an extra tank of gas.

//M. Pero//

ILLUSTRATION Topic Sentence

X > one time, one place, one event

Closing Sentence My Morning Haven

On the North-bound side of the highway amidst condominiums and hotels, miniature golf courses and summer bungalows, lies this morning haven. The small, brick building takes up a small corner, with little space to park but well worth the walk from my nearby abode. From a distance, the place looks like a quaint summer home with a sandstone roof and large windows, but if you look closely past the glare of the newborn sun, you can catch a glimpse of the tables and chairs strewn throughout the single large room inside. A “Please wait to be seated” sign greets me past the out-of-date video games in the small, yet cozy, lobby. Inside, the plethora of pink Formica tables and plastic covered chairs extend across the matching pink and gray tile floor. The white, textured wallpaper is complimented by hand-painted seascapes in various shades of pastels, a local artist’s hope to sell a few paintings to the summer tourists for an extra buck. To the left lies the ominous, sweet-smelling kitchen door, a door from which Hansel and Gretel would not be easily swayed, and the counter with its eight swivel stools and muffin container stocked for the day’s pickings. Behind the counter is the work area where four young women, fresh out of school for the summer, stand near the juice machine, assumedly hiding from the influx of soon-to-be customers and chatting away in their short “to make better tips” white shorts and bubble-gum pink polo shirts. An adorable redhead pulls at her collar angrily and adjusts her maroon apron bearing the restaurant’s logo. Just before she speaks, she haphazardly glances toward the entrance of the restaurant and jerks to attention. She walks over to seat the young couple ahead of me near the window, so they don’t miss a single thing happening on the two lane, one-way highway outside. One of the other ladies stirs from her spot near the ice cream freezer to get an order from the kitchen and snag a pot of coffee to offer refills to the few guests who arise early enough to miss the 9 a.m. breakfast rush. I seat myself at the counter, the redhead nods to one of her counterparts to pour me a cup of joe, and I settle myself into my chair. Another morning, another round of people to watch - Just like every Sunday at my morning haven.

//M. Pero//