Developing a Body Paragraph Using Examples

Some students may find the following schematic useful in developing their example paragraphs. The schematic provides a fairly rigid structure. Don't be dogmatic about the structure, but do try it once.

Schematic for Developing a Paragraph Using Exmaples

• Topic sentence: (Sometimes children must perform important tasks within the family).
• Explain the topic sentence (1-2 sentences).
• First example: Start with "For example,..."
• Explain the first example.
• Second example: Start with "Another example of ..."
• Explain the second example.
• Third example: Start with "A Final example of ..."
• Explain the third example.
• Conclusion (1-2 sentences).

An Example Paragraph That Uses the Schematic

The following paragraph was written by a student in January of 2011. Notice the unity of the paragraph. Every sentence belongs; every sentence follows logically from the topic sentnece.

(Topic Sentence) Sometimes children must perform important tasks within the family. Children can be of great assistance to their parents and other family members. (First Example) For example, they may help by cleaning the household, washing dishes, taking care of pets, or through doing other chores. By doing these tasks, children are doing their part in the family and learning how to be responsible and prepare for life. (Second Example) Another example of children performing important tasks is the help they provide the parents while the parents are busy or working; the children might bring the parents something they need or answer the phone while the parents are busy. Children doing chores are helping take stress off their parents even by doing simple tasks such as taking out the trash. (Final Example) A final example is that as children get older, they may do more important tasks for the family, such as baby-sitting siblings, getting groceries, and mowing the lawn. (Conclusion) These chores all help the family greatly and teach children valuable life lessons.