Patterns of Development in Writing

One of the most important elements in writing is the form or structure. It is worth noting that
without a solid structure in place, the content you have gathered would fall apart. After constructing
an outline and writing your first draft, it is time to get on to paragraph writing.
An effective paragraph shows the unity of the sentences used in developing the main idea.
A paragraph is made up of the topic sentence which contains the main idea, the supporting
details and the conclusion or the clinching sentence at the end.
 Topic sentence – it reveals the main or central idea of the paragraph. It does not
necessarily have to be placed at the beginning of the paragraph. It may be found in the
middle of the first and the last sentence or at the end. If it is found at the end of the
paragraph, it may be used as a clinching or concluding sentence.
 Supporting details – they give the paragraph life as it elaborates on the scope given by the
topic sentence.
 Clinching sentence – it closes your paragraph. According to Dagdag (2010), this “may be a
restatement of the topic sentence, a summary, or a conclusion based on the supporting
details.”
1. Narration- from the root word narrates, originated from the Latin word narrare— which means
related or told. It gives a written account of an event or story, or simply, storytelling. The sequence
of events is told in chronological order. It usually contains the following: the who, what and when. A
narrative must have “vivid” description of details, a consistent point of view and verb tense, and a
well-defined point or significance.” (Tiongson, 2016). At the end of writing it, it must send a clear
message to its readers through the story.
Signal words help to create unified thought and to show the transition of events to the
next. This leads us to focus on the use of the action words in the story. It also helps to move the
story and makes the story interesting.
The chronological ordering of events helps to show the reader how the story moves. Most
of the common transitional words are first, next, then, after and suddenly. Moreover, it is also
important to give specific details in pointing out the direction of the story.
A narrative paragraph simply tells what happened and establishes facts. It is sharing of
personal experiences that offer lessons and insights. It is more than just a chronological
sequence of events that happen to the different characters. It also contains elements of
drama and tension.

Narration is the most common type of paragraph development. It has the following
elements:
1. Setting. It is the time and location in which a story takes place.
2. Characters. The life-giving element of the story.
3. Plot. It is the logical series of events in the story.
The five essential parts of the plot are:
a. Exposition. It is the part of the story where the characters and the setting
are revealed.
b. Rising Action. It is where the events in the story become complicated and
the conflict in the story is exposed.
c. Climax. This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the
story.
d. Falling Action. The events and complications begin to resolve themselves.
 e. Denouement. The final resolution of the plot in the story.
4. Point of View. It is the perspective of the writer in narrating the story.
Point of view can impact how a reader experiences a piece of writing in a wide range
of ways. A writer’s choice of point of view can impact the level of formality of a piece of
writing, and it can also impact how a reader feels about both the writer and the topic.
a. First person point of view . The story is told by the protagonist or one of
the characters using pronouns I , me , we.
b. Second person point of view. The author tells the story in second point of
view using the pronouns you , yours, and your.
c. Third person point of view. The narrator is not part of the story but
describes the events that happen. The writer uses the pronouns he, she ,
him, and her.
How Do You Choose a Particular Point of View?
Point of view is:
1. a stylistic choice
2. defined by genre. Genres tend to have very specific guidelines for point of view.
3. In academic writing, e.g., writers are generally expected to use 3rd-person most of the time,
with the occasional exception for 1st person if it is necessary. Using 2nd person is discouraged.
Different points of view can be applied to different writing purposes.

Common uses of 1st person

 Memoirs. Memoirs are all about someone’s personal experiences, so memoir authors use I
frequently to describe what has happened to them and how they felt about it.

 Certain academic disciplines. Some academic disciplines, like women’s studies and rhetoric
and composition, value the inclusion of personal experience as research material, so scholars
will use I and we in their work.

Common uses of 2nd person

 Directions and Self-help books. Self-help books aim to improve their readers in some way, so
the authors use you to speak directly to those readers and prompt them to reflect on themselves
or take action.

 Advertisements. Advertisements target specific audiences in order to make sales, and the use
of you (e.g. “Do you need cash fast?”) can prompt a viewer to identify with the ad’s target
audience.

Common uses of 3rd person

 Quotes. When relaying quotations from other speakers or writers, authors will identify the source
of the quotation in 3rd person, as in “He wrote that…”

 News stories. Journalism generally strives to impart objective information. By using only 3rd
person, journalism avoids the overly personal tone of I and you.

2. Description- gives information of what a person, an object, a place or a situation is like. It appeals to
the reader’s senses. A descriptive paragraph has concrete and specific details, which are carefully
chosen by a writer to paint a picture in the mind of the reader.

Descriptive writing emphasizes a reader’s ability to paint vivid pictures using words on a
reader’s mind. This relies on the writer’s ability to appeal to his/her five senses: the sight, smell,
touch, taste, and hearing.
 To rouse feelings, emotions and reactions from the readers is what descriptive paragraphs
aim for. Simple adjectives will not simply cut it for readers desiring for appropriate description of an
event, thing, place or person.

According to Dagdag (2010), there are two types of description: objective and subjective.
Objective description is a factual description of the topic at hand. This relies its information on
physical aspects and appeals to those who crave for facts. Meanwhile, subjective description
allows the writer to explore ways to describe an emotion, an event, a thing, a place or person,
appealing to emotions. Often, this is an artistic way of describing things, mostly from the eye and
perspective of the writer.

Here is a word bank of sensory words to refer to when you want to add descriptive details
to your paragraphs:
SIGHT SOUND SMELL TOUCH TASTE
sparkling yelp musty sticky spicy
gloomy1 shriek rotten grainy 6 sweet
glossy whisper8 fragrant smooth sour
bright hiss 2 fresh 3 satiny bitter
dazzling 9 screech pungent 7 pointy bland 5
cloudy chortle fruity clammy creamy
blurred sneeze stinky furry 4 delectable 10

3. Definition explains a concept, term or subject. Its main purpose is to tell what something is.

It consists of three parts: (1) the term, concept or subject to be defined; (2) the general
class to which it belongs; and (3) the characteristics that differentiate it from the other members of
its class.
A definition explains what a term means. When you want your readers to know
exactly how you are using a certain term or an unfamiliar concept , you use
definition.
Take a look at this example of a definition:
An owl is a bird with a large head, strong talons and has a nocturnal habit.
Owl – is the term to defined
Bird – is the class where the owl belongs
with a large head, strong talons and has a nocturnal habit – are the characteristics that
distinguish the owl from the other birds.

The following are the different types of definitions:

1. Informal Definitions-the three common informal definitions are operational definitions,
synonyms, and connotations.
a. Operational Definitions gives the meaning of an abstract word for one particular
time and place.
b. Synonyms or words that mean the same as another word.
c. Denotation is the exact meaning of the word
d. Connotation is an idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or
things.
2. Formal definition consists of three principal parts: the species (WORD) n + Genus (CLASS) +
Differentiate. The WORD is the name of the object, process, or concept defined. This is usually
followed by “is” and “are” and the CLASS or general group to which the object belongs. For
example: Skimming (species) is a reading technique (class) of allowing the eyes to travel over a
page very quickly, stopping only here and there to gain an idea (differentiate).

3. Definition Paragraph. It is a definition sentence which is extended into a paragraph by

adding meanings, descriptions, narrations , and other kinds of paragraph development to
make clear the term being defined. For the expanded or extended definition, the following are
common methods used in paragraph development would be of great help.

Methods Examples

By stating its San Pablo City is one of the old towns in the Philippines and today, it
characteristics is known as one of the first-class cities in the province of Laguna. It is
also called the City of Seven Lakes namely: Bunot Lake, Calibato
Lake, Mohicap Lake, Palakpakin Lake, Pandin Lake, Sampaloc Lake,
and Yambo lake. These seven freshwater lakes are crater form of a
steamblast eruption from Mt. Cristobal.

By function In this time of global crisis, everyone is responsible for their actions,
such as following the precautionary measures given by the health
experts to avoid the spread of the virus.

By what it is Far from the normal situations that we had before, the pandemic makes
not each one of us skip buying unnecessary items.

By what it is Jollibee and McDonalds both offer savory chicken and delicious pasta
similar to that children love.

By Examples The opening of the classes for School Year 2020 -2021 amidst the
pandemic is a great challenge to the Department of Education. They
continue researching different alternative ways of teaching and learning
to be implemented in schools such as online learning, modular
learning, and lastly learning from TV shows and radio programs.

By origin of Writers around the world define literature in different ways. The origin
word or of the word literature is derived from the Latin word Litera which
etymology means letter.
 By its effect Due to the global pandemic, specifically COVID-19, the world
embraces the new normal. People have become more conscious about
sanitation and hygiene. They now learn physical distancing in public
places. And, most of the people stay at home either working or
developing new hobbies and exploring new things.

4. Classification and Exemplification

Exemplification (or illustration) is the most common and effective pattern to explain
an idea or point. In developing this kind of paragraph, the writer develops a general
statement – the topic sentence, with one or more examples to support it.

Here are some transitional expressions in writing effective exemplification paragraphs:

for instance, namely, to be specify, to clarify, to illustrate, for example, in short, as an
example.

On the other hand, classification is used when a writer needs to sort out or arrange subjects
to groups or categories based on their common and shared characteristics.

Here are some transitional expressions in writing effective classification paragraphs:

classified as, one kind, the last group, another kind, another, final type, the first category, are
categorized as, the next part.

Remember that you can use both exemplification and classification in developing a
paragraph by simply identifying categories on a particular subject and providing examples or
illustration to explain and clarify meaning.

5. Comparison and Contrast

Comparison in writing discusses elements that are similar while contrast in writing
discusses elements or ideas that are different. A compare-and-contrast essay, then analyzes two
subjects comparing them, contrasting them, or both. However, its purpose is not to simply state
the obvious but rather to illustrate subtle differences or unexpected similarities between two
subjects.
As a writer, you should help the readers see how these two ideas are similar or different
by showing them its advantages and disadvantages so they are able to weigh the pros and cons
before they make judgment or decision.
Some cohesive devices you can use in showing similarities are likewise, similar to,
same with, like, in the same manner. To show contrast, cue words such as: on the other
hand, however, while, different with, in contrast and the like.

There are two ways in writing a comparison and contrast paragraph.

1. Subject – by - Subject Method. You present all of the facts and supporting details
about one topic , and then you give all the facts and supporting details about the other
topic.
2. Point – by - Point Arrangement. You discuss each point for both subjects before
giving on the next point.
6. Cause and Effects

Cause and Effect is a text development pattern which explains why something happens. It also
states what results a particular event produces. It usually gives a statement emphasizing the cause and
another emphasizing the effect. The following guide questions can be used for cause-effect development:

 Why did it happen?

 What caused it?

 What does it cause?

 What are the effects?

 How is it related to something else?

Further, in developing your texts you can use signal words like as a consequence of, as a result of,
because, because of, now that and since to express cause while accordingly, consequently, hence, so,
therefore, and this resulted in to signify effects.

7. Problem- Solution

Structure of paragraphs in a problem-solution essay:

Nordquist (1995) suggested the following structure of a problem-solution paper that may
serve as a guide on what to include in this type of essay:
1. Introduction. At the forefront of the essay, the introduction must serve to capture the
reader’s attention. This may contain the thesis statement wherein the problem or topic at
hand is presented. This is where the problem is defined, and the reason why it is
significant to a specific group of people (or the target audience).
2. Problem Paragraph. This paragraph/s will dwell on the elaboration of the problem,
effectively conveying the importance of a solution. You may present reliable sources and
evidence to support your stand.
3. Solution Paragraph. Present and describe a concrete solution to the problem. Explain
how this solution is better than other probable solutions.
4. Conclusion. Conclude the essay with connection between the problem and its proposed
solution.
The following transitional devices can also help you develop your text.
Introduction Middle Section/Body Conclusion
 Nowadays…
 It is a common trend that…
 Society is becoming increasingly concerned about…
Middle Section/Body
 For instance…
 Such as/like…
 Namely…
Conclusion
 In conclusion…
 To conclude…
 To sum up…
8. Persuasion
Persuasive text can be in the form of an argument, discussion, exposition, review
or even an advertisement.
In developing your own persuasive text, a writer must first state the issue. This will
serve as a background information about the topic. Then, it should be followed by a
clear, strong and specific argument.
An argument is one’s claim or position that can either support or reject the issue
previously stated. Arguments shall be supported with a well-researched evidences, which
will give details on how and why it supports the argument. Evidences can be
factual, logical, statistical or anecdotal in nature. It can also explain counter- arguments
not because the writer wants to prove which claims are wrong or right but to enlighten
the readers about other positions.
Lastly, a conclusion restating the main argument of the text will be the end of the text.
This will be your final statement to persuade your readers.

Some guide questions in constructing a persuasive text include:

 What is the issue?
 What is your position or opinion?
 What is the opposing position/opinion?
 What are some reasons for your position/opinion?
 What are some cases or examples that support this?