Paragraph Development in 5 Steps*
Step 1: Decide on a guiding idea for the paragraph and create a topic sentence.
Paragraph development begins with the formulation of the guiding idea or question. This idea or
question directs the paragraph’s development. Often, the guiding idea of a paragraph will appear
in the form of a topic sentence. In some cases, you may need more than one sentence to express a
paragraph’s guiding idea or question.
• Sample guiding idea and topic sentence — To define what it means to be a feminist and
thus determine if Taylor Swift is a feminist, we might start with what a feminist does.
How should someone who calls herself a feminist act?
Step 2: Explain the guiding idea.
Paragraph development continues with an expression of the rationale or the explanation that the
writer gives for how the reader should interpret the information presented in the guiding idea
statement or topic sentence of the paragraph. The writer explains her thinking about the main
topic, idea, or focus of the paragraph.
• Sample explanation — Those who want a more inclusive definition say a feminist simply
advocates for women. Those who want a more rigid definition believe that a feminist
should speak out on certain things in a certain way.
Step 3: Give an example (or multiple examples).
Paragraph development progresses with the expression of some type of support or evidence for
the idea and the explanation that came before it. The example serves as a sign or representation
of the relationship established in the topic sentence and explanation portions of the paragraph.
• Sample example A — According to Guardian columnist Jessica Valenti, feminism means
nothing if everyone is a feminist. “Without some boundaries for claiming the word
feminist, it becomes meaningless,” she declared in 2014. The first boundary she had in
mind? Abortion politics. “So once and for all: Can you be an anti-choice feminist? No.”
