8 / Basics of Good Writing
development in a paragraph or multi-paragraph paper. The following questions can
help you limit your subject:
• How many divisions are included within this topic? Will any one division
better serve as a topic for a full paragraph? Or do I need a multi-paragraph
paper to talk about several divisions? For instance:Topic: the best popcornDivisions:
black—tiny kernels, hull-less
yellow—large kernels, some hulls
white—moderate kernels, buttery flavor
• What attitude toward this subject do I want to share with my reader? (Note:
If you have more than one attitude, you need more than one paragraph.)Topic: the best popcornAttitudes:
best popping
favorite eating
best keeping
easiest to raise
most readily available
Single attitude: favorite eating
• Can I narrow the subject by putting it in a specific time and place? (For
instance, if you want to describe your father in one paragraph, you must limit
the description to a single incident during a single time and place.)STEP 4: Determining Purpose
An earlier section suggested gathering ideas from an afternoon walk. You may won-
der why the children are playing in the street, why they have nowhere else to play.
Assume you decide to write about that. First, however, decide what you hope to
accomplish as a result of your writing. Do you simply want to report information
on the assumption that others may be interested? Do you hope to analyze the prob-
lem in an effort to find an answer? Do you want to persuade local government to do
something about the problem? Do you want to offer suggestions for alternate play
areas? Do you want to warn the children about the dangers of playing in the street?
In other words, you must decide why you are writing.
What is your purpose? Put it in a sentence.