Introduction: How to Develop a Paragraph

There are two major ways of developing a paragraph in argumentative writing: they are the deductive and inductive methods of argument.

Using the deductive method of argument means that you have to state your claim at the beginning of your paragraph. A claim is an idea which you use to support your Writer’s Position. [Click here for more information on Writer’s Position] After stating your claim, you then use the rest of the paragraph to convince your reader that your claim is valid. To understand more about different ways of supporting a claim, please go to the Section on ‘Argumentative Strategies’   Using the inductive method of argument means that you have to state your claim at the end of your paragraph. If you use inductive reasoning to develop your paragraph, you should provide support for the conclusion which you draw at the end of the paragraph. In contrast to deductive reasoning which follows the reverse order, you supply evidence and reasoning to prove the validity of your claim, which you put at the end.  

Organizing Paragraphs Inductively and Deductively

What is an Inductive paragraph?  

An inductive paragraph begins with either evidence or reasons leading to the
statement of the Writer’s claim at the end of the paragraph. Inductive paragraphs are therefore ‘conclusion-oriented’. The main conclusion is the most important part of the reasoning and usually comes at the end of a paragraph.

Oceans have ingredients which can benefit human health. Several important medical treatments are based on chemicals discovered in marine animals. On the other hand, increasingly common phenomena such as harmful algal blooms have demonstrated their negative impact on human health. The health of marine ecosystems is affected by human activities such as pollution, global warming, and over fishing. But at the same time, human health depends on thriving ocean ecosystems. We need a better understanding of the many ways marine organisms affect human health, both positively by providing drugs and bio-products, and negatively by causing human ailments.

 The following diagram illustrates how a claim is developed in an inductive way.

 

Sentence 1: Evidence/Sub-claim 1                          ↓ Sentence 2: Example of Sub-claim 1                          ↓ Sentence 3: Evidence/Sub-claim 2                          ↓ Sentence 4: Evidence/Sub-claim 3                          ↓ Sentence 5: Evidence/Sub-claim 4                          ↓ Sentence 6: Conclusion/Claim

What is a Deductive paragraph?  

In a deductive paragraph, the claim is usually provided in the first sentence of the paragraph. The sentence containing the claim, which is the main point of the paragraph, is often referred to as the ‘topic sentence’. The topic sentence is then developed in the rest of the paragraph with evidence and reasoning supporting the initial claim.

           

Beneficial and harmful links exist between human health and ocean health. While several important medical treatments are based on chemicals discovered in marine animals, increasingly common phenomena such as harmful algal blooms have demonstrated their negative impact on human health. The health of marine ecosystems is affected by human activities such as pollution, global warming, and over fishing. But human health in turn depends on thriving ocean ecosystems.    

Sentence1:Topicsentence/Claim                                ↓ Sentence 2: Elaboration/Sub-claim 1 &2                                ↓ Sentence 3: Elaboration/ Sub-claim 3                                 ↓ Sentence 4: Elaboration/Sub-claim 4

 

Organizing a Paragraph

To organize a paragraph in argumentation, the best way is to use either an inductive or a deductive approach: Consider the following example:

 

Subject                 : The Education System in Hong Kong
Writer’s Position : There should not be any radical and sudden reforms in the education system
Claim                   : Radical and sudden changes in the education system are too stressful
Support 1             : Changing syllabus is stressful to teachers
Support 2             : Students find it difficult to get used to new exam systems
Support 3             : Parents may face heavy financial burden

 

Once the writer has a clear picture of what he/she plans to present, it is time to decide whether to present the argument inductively or deductively.

 

The two paragraphs below exemplify an inductive paragraph and a deductive paragraph respectively.

   

Since an inductive paragraph does not have a topic sentence at the beginning, it is necessary to give readers the background information in the first sentence so they would not be lost. The second sentence is a transitional device which previews what points will be discussed. Sentence 3 – 7 are all sub-claims that provide evidence to the main claim. Finally, the sub-claims lead to a conclusion or the main claim in a cause-and-effect manner in the last sentence of the paragraph.


In the deductive paragraph, on the other hand, the claim is upfront in a paragraph as a topic sentence. The background information (in brackets) is optional as the claim has been clearly stated and the scope of argument is limited to Education Reform. All the sub-claims then come after the topic sentence and act as an elaboration of the claim.

Establishing a Claim in a Paragraph

A claim is what the writer believes to be true and hopes that the reader will find as convincing support for the overall position he or she takes. For example, over the controversial issue of whether or not to encourage cloning, the writer may adopt the position that cloning should not be encouraged. To prove that he is right, he needs to make a number of valid claims about the disadvantages of cloning such as cloning may result in deformities, and cloning would create an identity crisis in society. For each of these claims made, the Writer needs to support them by elaborating on them in separate paragraphs. He can either develop the claim deductively or inductively, resulting in deductive or inductive paragraphs, as shown in the following examples. The statements of claim are highlighted for your attention:

 

(Deductively-developed paragraph)

Beneficial and harmful links exist between human health and ocean health. While several important medical treatments are based on chemicals discovered in marine animals, increasingly common phenomena such as harmful algal blooms have demonstrated their negative impact on human health. The health of marine ecosystems is affected by human activities such as pollution, global warming, and over fishing. But human health in turn depends on thriving ocean ecosystems.

 

(Inductively-developed paragraph)

Oceans have ingredients which can benefit human health. Several important medical treatments are based on chemicals discovered in marine animals. On the other hand, increasingly common phenomena such as harmful algal blooms have demonstrated their negative impact on human health. The health of marine ecosystems is in turn affected by human activities such as pollution, global warming, and over fishing. At the same time, human health depends on thriving ocean ecosystems. We need a better understanding of the many ways marine organisms affect human health, both positively by providing drugs and bio-products, and negatively by causing human ailments.

Writing the Topic Sentence

A topic sentence serves a number of important functions in a paragraph.  If we have a topic sentence, the paragraph becomes more focused.  The main point of the paragraph becomes clearer.  Both the writer and reader know where they are heading if the topic sentence is put at the beginning of the paragraph.  If the topic sentence is put at the end, it winds up on the argument which has been unfolded.  Unless there is a special reason, we normally have a topic sentence in each paragraph

 

In the case of an argument, the topic sentence is very often the statement of claim

 

The major functions of a topic sentence are as follows:

 

Previewing the topic of the paragraph
The topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a deductive paragraph. It serves as a preview of the content by telling the readers what will be discussed in the sentences that follow.

 

Highlighting the writer’s claim
The writer can state the claim in support of the Writer’s position in the topic sentence.

 

Limit the scope of discussion
Topic sentence can limit the scope of discussion by setting a boundary. Without a topic sentence, he writer may not be able to decide what to argue or not to argue in a paragraph. The topic entence can ensure that the paragraph deals with one topic and does not overlap with ideas in other paragraphs

Procedures of writing a topic sentence  

Step 1: Decide what claim should be made in the paragraph
A writer should put down what claim he or she is going make in the paragraph in order to support the overall position taken over the controversy. Once the claim is decided, how the claim should be supported has to be worked out. For example, whether the claim should be developed deductively or inductively in the paragraph has to be decided. In addition, what argumentative strategies should be used in support of the claim should be considered as well.  

Step 2: Highlight the key words
Use the key words in the claim to formulate the topic sentence.  

Step 4: Revise the topic sentence
Edit the topic sentence after the paragraph has been written to see if the topic sentence has done the job of focusing the argument.  

Procedure of Writing a Paragraph

In order to be persuasive, the logical development of claims is as important as grammatical accuracy. Here are some steps to guide you on how to develop a paragraph in a well-organized way.

 

Step 1: Decide what the claim is in each paragraph

Step 2 Organize the supporting evidence or data  

Step 3: Write the Topic Sentence  

Step 4: Write the paragraph  

Step 5: Revise the paragraph  

Paragraph length

A writer should keep the number of words in a paragraph between 100 and 200 words. Too long a paragraph would be difficult for readers to follow and extract information from. If the topic in the paragraph is so wide that it requires many sub-claims for support, the writer can continue the argument in the next paragraph. However, he or she should classify the sub-claims into groups and present those of the same group in the same paragraph. It is also suggested that a writer should divide a topic, if it is too large, into subtopics and discuss each subtopic in a separate paragraph

Topic sentence

 The topic sentence is the most important sentence in a sentence.

 In a deductive paragraph, a concluding sentence can sometimes be found. As the name implies, a concluding sentence means the last sentence of the paragraph. deductive paragraph. It not only introduces the topic of the paragraph to the readers, but also narrows the scope of focus in the paragraph. Thus, the writer can stick to the topic without getting off the track. A writer should construct a topic sentence before writing the whole paragraph; but he or she can modify the topic sentence from time to time in order to make it compatible with the supporting evidence. In addition, there are some restrictions to a topic sentence. A topic sentence is normally not purely factual, especially in an argumentative essay. There are normally some evaluative features in it, for example, an opinion or recommendation which has to be supported in the rest of the paragraph.  

Concluding It can act as a summary or a conclusion of the argument put forward in the paragraph.