I. The Concept of Paragraph Development
 
Development clarifies, illustrates, or proves the main           
idea stated in the topic sentence through use of detail, example,
and explanation.                                                  
                                                            
Good development depends on the writer's ability to               
distinguish between general statements and specific details.      
General statements make assertions which can be supported or      
illustrated by specific details.

Three paragraph patterns for arranging general and specific      
statements:
         1. Simple deductive arrangement--topic sentence plus     
             specific details (going from general to specific)
         2. Simple inductive arrangement--specific details plus   
             topic sentence (going from specific to general)
         3. Complex deductive arrangement--topic sentence plus    
             major and minor support

II. Techniques of Paragraph Development

Descriptive details: specific actions, appearances, tastes,       
smells

Factual details: specific measurements, statistics,         
historical records, objective accounts

Illustration:
       1. Multiple example--typical cases, specific instances 
       2. Extended example--one long example instead of several   
          brief ones
       3. Anecdote--an example in the form of a story; a brief    
          narrative to illustrate a point
       4. Hypothetical illustration--examples or anecdotes        
          invented for the occasion
       5. Analogy--point-by-point comparison explaining the       
          unfamiliar in terms of the familiar

Definition: explaining words, terms, and related concepts         
through: example; etymology; synonym; class; and                 
differentiation

Appeals to authority: quotation and paraphrase of details,        
facts, illustration, definitions from recognized, credible        
sources

Any effective combination of these techniques of development