Old McDonald’s Paragraph Sprawl Checklist
Express the topic of each paragraph clearly with a topic sentence.
Include enough specific details and examples to develop the paragraph.
Exclude any ideas that don’t support the topic sentence.
Improve coherence with key words and ideas, similar sentence patterns, and transitional expressions.
Organize your ideas with an appropriate method.
Methods of Organization
Spatial (moving from one location to another, such as top to bottom, side to side)
Ex: Examining the South from inland mountains to coastal waters)
Chronologicalstarting with what happens first and ordering each event/step)
Ex: Evaluating your teachers beginning with first grade)
Emphatic (increasing importance; increasing complexity)
Ex: Describing valuable possessions from a childhood toy to an adult understanding
Methods to Improve Coherence
·Link sentences through key words and ideas.
To avoid repetition of the same word, however, substitute pronouns and synonyms. Be certain the pronoun agrees with its antecedent in person!
Computer shoppers have to consider cost. If they have only $2000 to spend, they can’t look at top-of-the-line machines. On the other hand, careful shoppers can purchase good equipment for that amount of money if they comparison shop.
·Use similar sentence patterns.
This computer is killing me. Whenever I stare at it, my eyes hurt. Whenever I type, my hands ache.
If we don’t reward good educators, teaching will become a lost art. If we allow teaching to become a lost art, our children will also lose.
·Use transitional expressions.
With effective transitions, one sentence leans into the next. Indeed, sentences work together as a unit, with one building upon the next. If a paragraph is comprised of unrelated sentences, then it is nothing more than a group of sentences. Hence, it would be difficult to read.
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| add to an idea |
emphasize an idea |
contrast an idea |
conclude an idea |
| also | indeed | although** | in conclusion |
| first, second, third | especially** | however | finally |
| as well | in fact | even though** | perhaps** |
| furthermore | most important | nevertheless | as a consequence |
| in addition | certainly | on the other hand | consequently |
| next | of course | in contrast | thus |
| moreover | above all | on the contrary | hence |
| for instance | surely | yet | therefore |
| for example | in particular | but | so |
If the transition occurs in the middle of a sentence, place a pair of commas around it. If it separates two independent clauses, use a semicolon before it and a comma after it. (Therefore, you must punctuate your transitional expressions properly. If you forget, however, you’ll need to go back and insert commas. These expressions are useful; moreover, they make your writing more coherent.)