Logical Division of Ideas Paragraph

Logical Division of Ideas

Paragraph
A. DEFINITION
Logical division of ideas is a pattern of organization in which you divide
a topic into points and discuss each point separately. You can use logical
division to organize many kinds of topics, for example:
1.
Reason for owning an iPad/blackberry/PDA, for exercising/not
exercising, for learning English, for being a teacher, etc.
2.

Kinds of teachers/foods /drivers/friends/students/bosses etc.

3.

Types of books/movies/music/TV program I like/dont like etc.

4.
Advantages or disadvantages of living in a small town/big
city/college dormitory, of being the youngest child/twin, etc.
5.

Quality of a good boss/good employee/good friend/teacher/parent etc.

B. COHERENCE
In addition to unity, which has already been discussed in previous
material, every paragraph must have coherence. A coherent paragraph flows
smoothly from beginning to end. A reader can follow your ideas easily
because one sentence leads naturally to the next one; there are no sudden
jumps.
There are three main ways to make your paragraph coherent:
1. Use Nouns and Pronouns Consistently Throughout a Paragraph
One
way
to
achieve
coherence
is
to
use
nouns
and
pronouns consistentlythroughout a paragraph, that is, continue to use the
same nouns and pronouns you start with. For example, if you begin with
plural noun such as students, dont change to singular. In addition, dont
change pronouns; dont switch from you to they or he for no reason. Be
consistent! If you use pronoun you at the beginning of your paragraph, keep
it throughout.
Heres a tip to help you use pronouns consistently. Use a plural noun
(employees) rather than a singular noun (an employee) when writing about a
group of people of both sexes. When you need to use pronouns, the plural
pronouns they, them, and their are less awkward than the singular
phrases he or she, him or her, and his or hers.
Awkward
: An employee must wear his or her ID badge at all times.

Better

: Employees must wear their ID badges at all times.

2. Use Transition Signals to Show Relationships among Ideas

Transition signals are words and phrases that connect the idea in one
sentence with the idea in another sentence. They are expressions such
as first/second, furthermore, on the other hand, for example, and in
conclusion. Transition signals are like traffic signals; they tell your reader
when to slow down, turn around and stop. Using transition signals makes
your paragraph smoother and helps your reader understand it more easily.
Example of transition signals:
- First, second, etc
- First of all,
- Furthermore, also, in addition, moreover,
- A second (reason, kind, advantage, etc.)
- An additional (reason, kind, advantage, etc.)
- The final (reason, kind, advantage, etc.)
3. Put Your Ideas into Some Kind of Logical Order, such as logical division of
ideas.
C. WRITING A LOGICAL DIVISION OF IDEA PARAGRAPH
1. Begin a logical division paragraph with a topic sentence.
- There are three reasons I dont have a credit card.
2. In the supporting sentences, discuss each point one after the other.
Introduce each new point with a signal word or phrase; in addition, support
each point with a convincing detail such as an example or a statistic
(numbers, amounts, percentages, and so on)
a. The first reason is that using a piece of plastic instead of cash makes it too
easy for me to buy things I cant afford.
- For instance, last week I saw a $75.00 pair of pink sandals in my favorite
shoe store.
- Of course, I dont need pink sandals, nor can I afford them.
- With a credit card, however, I would now own those sandals and be worrying
about how to pay for them.
b. The second reason I dont have a credit card is that I would end up in debt
like my friend Sara the shopaholic.
- Sara got a credit last year, and she already owes $4,000.
- She buys things that she doesnt really need such as jewelry and designer
sunglasses.
- Sara makes only minimum payments, so her balance never decreases.
- She will be in debt for years.

c.
-

The third reason I dont have a credit card is the difficulty in understanding
the fine print in the credit card contract.
If I dont read the fine print, I can be surprised.
For example, some credit companies will raise my interest rate if I make
payment even one day late.

3. End a logical division paragraph with a concluding sentence.

- To sum up, credit cards may be a convenience for some people, but for me,
they are plastic ticket to financial disaster.

Why I dont Have a Credit Card

There are three reasons I dont have a credit card. The first reason is
that using a piece of plastic instead of cash makes it too easy for me to buy
things I cant afford. For instance, last week I saw a $75.00 pair of pink
sandals in my favorite shoe store. Of course, I dont need pink sandals, nor
can I afford them. With a credit card, however, I would now own those
sandals and be worrying about how to pay for them. The second reason I
dont have a credit card is that I would end up in debt like my friend Sara the
shopaholic. Sara got a credit last year, and she already owes $4,000. She
buys things that she doesnt really need such as jewelry and designer
sunglasses. Sara makes only minimum payments, so her balance never
decreases. She will be in debt for years. The third reason I dont have a credit
card is the difficulty in understanding the fine print in the credit card
contract. If I dont read the fine print, I can be surprised. For example, some
credit companies will raise my interest rate if I make payment even one day
late. To sum up, credit cards may be a convenience for some people, but for
me, they are plastic ticket to financial disaster.