This
link takes you to a drop-down menu titled "Patterns of
Composition." The links take you to pages on various
methods of development that would be useful at the level of
the essay, and at the level of the paragraph. Examples
and "do's and don'ts" are provided on each page. The
patterns include narration and description, process analysis,
comparison & contrast, exemplification, classification & analysis,
cause & effect, and definition.
Here are two quizzes from Mary Nielson, Professor of English
at Dalton State University, on identifying patterns of organization
used in sentences and paragraphs. Useful practice to
help you get familiar with these patterns.
Purdue
offers students some good material on development patterns,
and on related grammatical issues. Separate links to
pages on different patterns of development and relevant grammar
lesons are listed below:
LEO,
or "Literacy Education Online" is maintained by St.
Cloud State University in Minnesota. The site offers
some great handouts on patterns of development. Links
to the pages on each individual pattern are provided below. Note:
the emphasis in these handouts is on essay length works, but
the principles discussed are useful in writing paragraphs as
well.
