Chapter 5 - Paragraph Structure

Chapter 5: Paragraph Structure

5b: Paragraph Purposes

An essay is made up of paragraphs, and each paragraph usually focuses on one key idea. Paragraphs can serve different purposes, for example, to introduce, to compare and contrast, to define, to show cause(s) and effect(s), to inform, to evaluate and to persuade. Very often, a paragraph may serve more than one of these purposes at the same time.

5a 5b 5c 5d 5e 5f

Activity 2

Read the following three paragraphs and decide on the main purpose of each.

1	Poverty generally refers to the condition when a person does not have the money to sustain their basic human needs like food, shelter, clothing and safe drinking water. Poverty is also characterised by the lack of access to education, information and health care. Unlike what many think, the issue of poverty is not confined to developing countries. Even in developed parts of the world, a fraction of the population lives in poverty.
		To compare and contrast the causes of poverty in developed and developing countries
		To explain why poverty is a global problem
		To define poverty

2	Cordless upright vacuum cleaners are usually smaller in size. The upright design also renders them more space-saving. They are easier to use as there is no need to wire them up when cleaning. However, batteries of cordless upright vacuum cleaners generally take a long time to recharge but drain out fast. For some models, fully recharging the battery takes a few hours, yet they can only operate at their strongest suction power non-stop for less than 10 minutes. Despite the relatively weaker cleaning power, the retail price of cordless upright vacuum cleaners is often higher than that of traditional wired vacuum cleaners.
		To argue against the claim that cordless upright vacuum cleaners are not practical
		To analyse the strengths and weaknesses of cordless upright vacuum cleaners
		To describe the different functions of cordless upright vacuum cleaners

3	Bullying is a pressing issue. Unfortunately, many students interviewed preferred to ‘stay out of the problem’. The good news is that most students did not approve of the bullying behaviour and they preferred a bully-free campus. To effectively stop campus bullying, while schools should maintain strict confidentiality of the reporters’ identity, the bullying cases should be brought to the attention of both students and their parents. If bullying is taken seriously, it is foreseeable that the number of reports will increase. Together with appropriate punishment and education, this will certainly help to reduce tragedies at school.
		To conclude the reasons for campus bullying
		To urge for action to stop bullying
		To analyse the cause and effect of campus bullying