88 / Methods of Development
See online at [http://www.wiley.com/go/wnwstudentwritinghandbook.]
Sample for Social Sciences
Sample for Science
Sample for Mathematics
Sample Workplace Writing
Sample Technical Writing
Some of these sample definitions illustrate single- and some multiple-paragraph papers.
Together, they illustrate definition by description, example, effect, process analysis,
structural analysis, negation, comparison, and combinations of methods. In addition,
they illustrate how a definition should be tailored to a specific content-area audience.
SAMPLE foR ENGLISH
The following definition, developed for a drama unit in a literature class, uses a com-
bination of methods, including comparison, description, example, and effect.
The Proscenium Arch
Originating in 1618 in Parma, Italy, at the Farnese Theater by architect Aleotti, the proscenium
arch gave the audience a new kind of theater experience. The proscenium arch is a style of
stage construction that frames the performing area as if with a picture frame. Its development
has been labeled as the beginning of the modern stage; as such, the frame-like structure, for
the first time, literally separated the audience from the actors. The separation physically and
psychologically enhanced the impact of the performance. Until this time, many performances
occurred on platforms, some of them makeshift affairs set up in the town square. The typical
platform, even in a fine theater, simply sat in front of an ornamented facade. With the develop-
ment of the proscenium arch that placed the action behind the “picture frame,” the architect
permitted the visual expansion of the stage. Using the arched structure, Italian set designers
experimented with linear perspective and soon added movable sets to change scenery, thus,
giving the audience the illusion of expansive settings. Indeed, stages sometimes are as much
as 100 feet deep and need little illusion. Still, the proscenium-arch theater opened new vistas
to the set designers, the actors and actresses, and the audience.ANALYSIS of THE SAMPLE foR ENGLISH
The preceding single-paragraph definition illustrates a number of the principles dis-
cussed in the writing process:
- The topic sentence, the second in the paragraph, names the term to be defined
(proscenium arch), puts it in its class (style of stage construction), and identifies
the difference between this and others in its class (“frames” the stage).