Descriptive

On one corner of my dresser sits a smiling toy clown on a tiny unicycle--a gift I received last Christmas
from a close friend. The clown's short yellow hair, made of yarn, covers its ears but is parted above the
eyes. The blue eyes are outlined in black with thin, dark lashes flowing from the brows. It has cherry-red
cheeks, nose, and lips, and its broad grin disappears into the wide, white ruffle around its neck. The
clown wears a fluffy, two-tone nylon costume. The left side of the outfit is light blue, and the right side is
red. The two colors merge in a dark line that runs down the center of the small outfit. Surrounding its
ankles and disguising its long black shoes are big pink bows. The white spokes on the wheels of the
unicycle gather in the center and expand to the black tire so that the wheel somewhat resembles the
inner half of a grapefruit. The clown and unicycle together stand about a foot high. As a cherished gift
from my good friend Tran, this colorful figure greets me with a smile every time I enter my room.

This is a Descriptive type because: The way the paragraph is delivered is that it first focuses on the facial
features of the clown, then the body and then the unicycle underneath. The concluding sentence helped
tie the paragraph together by emphasizing the personal value of the gift which is the toy clown.

My most valuable possession is an old, slightly warped blond guitar--the first instrument I taught myself
how to play. It's nothing fancy, just a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed and scratched and finger-printed. At
the top is a bramble of copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of a silver tuning key.
The strings are stretched down a long, slim neck, its frets tarnished, and the wood worn by years of
fingers pressing chords and picking notes. The body of the Madeira is shaped like an enormous yellow
pear, one that was slightly damaged in shipping. The blond wood has been chipped and gouged to gray,
particularly where the pick guard fell off years ago. No, it's not a beautiful instrument, but it still lets me
make music, and for that I will always treasure it.

This is a Descriptive type because: This talks about a guitar in which the writer owns, describing the
instrument and how the writer treasures it. The paragraph starts off with a topic sentence and the
following sentences are then use to add specific details to the main topic of the paragraph. It merely
gives off the description of the writers guitar, what its made of and how it looks like.

Definition of Definitive

A Landing Vehicle Track or Amphtrack is not a boat; however, it is a military vehicle that moves on the
ocean as well as on land. Its an armored vehicle that weighs twenty-six tons. An amphtracks job is to
carry troops from ships off shore onto the beach in an amphibious assault. Its made out of aluminum,
with steel suspension. It has a tracked suspension, much like a bulldozer. Its front end slopes upward
toward the headlights in an effort to give it greater ground clearance. Its propelled on land by its
tracked suspension; however, in the water it uses two water jets. It has a turret that holds a fifty caliber
machine gun, and a forty millimeter, fully automatic, grenade launcher. It has a ramp on the back that
can be raised or lowered for the easy loading and unloading of troops. There is a door built into this
ramp so that when the ramp is up, people can still get in and out through the back. It has three hatches
behind the turret that can be opened to allow the dropping of supplies into the vehicle, or to allow
embarked infantry a means of looking out. The driver looks out of a hatch on the front left side of the
vehicle, while the troop commander sits just behind him. The vehicle commander, sits in the turret of
the vehicle, and mans the machine guns. The amphtrack is fully amphibious.

This is a Definition Paragraph because: This type of definition paragraph is a negation type. Because it
refers to the subject as something it is not then it says what it really is. The subject which is an
amphtrack or an Amphibious Track vehicle is being broken down into what its parts are, its processes,
how it runs and how every part of the vehicle works together to make it functional, and also its features
in order to define it.

A racist is not some one that accepts another person for who they are, but rather pre judges them based
on their appearance or their skin color. The vast diversity of society makes it nearly impossible to
eliminate all racial tension. A racist usually has no other reason to hate somebody except for the fact
that the other person may look different or have a different skin color than them. In the long run, racists
are only hurting themselves because they are limiting their knowledge of different cultures and people
and they are not broadening their horizons. Racists are extremely closed minded individuals and they
strictly adhere to their own set of beliefs and morals without any regard for other people's belief
systems. Racists are too selfish and not open minded enough to accept people for the way they are.

This is a Definition Paragraph because: Like the previous one, it is a negation type. Here, racists are
being defined by what they do in the society, how they think and what they really are. Some of the
definitions given may be just the opinion of the writer but some points in the paragraph are actual facts.

Narrative

One of my favorite family experiences was when I went to see Anne Franks (a Jewish victim of the Nazi
persecution during World War II) hideout in Amsterdam, Holland. I had read Annes published diary
when I was younger, so I was extremely thrilled to actually have the chance to see where she and her
family hid from the Germans for so many months. I walked up the stairs of an apartment building and
into a room with only a bookshelf in it. From what I remembered from reading the diary, there was a
doorknob behind the books. I found the doorknob and turned it and there was the secret annex. When I
stepped into the room behind the bookshelf, I felt as if I had stepped back into history. I found Annes
room still with pictures of her favorite celebrities on her walls. The Frank familys furniture was still
placed where they had left them in the rooms, everything just as described in the diary. I toured each
room in awe of actually seeing how they had lived, yet with sadness to know how it all ended. Annes
diary was no longer just a book to me, but true heart-felt, emotional life story written by a girl I felt I
almost knew.

This is a narrative because the paragraph seems to be a summarized story of an event that most likely
will took hours. Those hours of exploring the house/hideout are squeezed into one paragraph. It is also
told in a third person view by the narrator. Common transitional expressions were used and the events
are arranged in a chronological order. As a reader, it makes me feel involved in the story and it also
helped me get an idea across.

My fathers name is Robert Oeleis, he died on Aug 28th 2003 of a heart attack. It was about six in the
morning I was sleeping restlessly and the phone rang and I missed it then it rang again. I saw it was my
fathers house calling to get me up for the first day of school. To my surprise it was my stepmother
crying on the other line. This was the start of the worst day of my life in the short seventeen years I had
been alive. She proceeded to tell me that my father has had a heart attack and the ambulance had come
and got him. Then the horror began I asked hes ok right hes going to be ok. With sorrow in her voice
she said Jace, hes dead. Know I started crying and disbelief and ran to my moms room screaming and
yelling. Later my family gathered and remembered the day that I recall as the worst day of my life.

This is also a narrative because of the third person view of telling the story, its arrangement by
chronological order and the way the story was relatable to me, the reader. Its topic sentence also was
clear enough for me to understand the story and how it actually made me feel involved.

Persuasive

Laughter is one of the greatest healing devices known to man. Laughter is powerful and can help people
in many different ways. It has the power to cure something as little as a bad day or to heal the wounds
of a terminally ill person. Laughing has helped create the smile which is the universal sign of well-being.
Generally, individuals who do not laugh live miserably and have unhappy lives. Dr. Robert Holden found
out that smiling and laughing releases endorphins in the brain which gives people an overall happy well-
being. Using comedy, many doctors have stimulated the healing process in manic depressants and
fatally ill patients giving them hope and ambition. In many clinics laughter is being used in replacing anti-
depressants and reduces the need for pain killers. (Dr. Gael Crystal). Take comedians for example, they
usually live long and happy lives. Putting a smile on faces and laughs in souls is what makes life
complete. Laughter helps heal people and brightens spirits for a better and healthier life. Laughing is a
sign of joy and hope and keeps people normal and the world happy. Using the techniques of laughter
and happiness is the best medicine known to man. Laughter is the universal sign of well-being and
happiness within health. Laughing brightens the spirit and heals the mind and body of people who allow
it to overcome them. So try a smile and laugh on for size and live a longer happier life with loved ones.
What makes this a persuasive text is that it gives examples to why laughter will make you feel better or
why laughter is the best medicine. Also, facts are also stated in the example as well as reference to an
authority like a Doctor. The paragraph is mainly aimed at patients or people who might just have a bad
day or, the worst case scenario, depressed.

Hunters, hikers, and park recreationalists should turn in poachers. Poachers are people who kill animals
illegally by hunting without a proper permit, or trespassing on someones property. Not only is it cruel to
leave an animal carcass lying out to rot, but it can also spread disease among the other animals. It also
brings up the price of hunting licenses for other hunters. That is why it is important we turn poachers in.
The first thing that can be done is calling 1-800-TIP-MONT. When a call is placed, the operator will ask
some questions. They ask where and when the event happened, a physical appearance of the person or
a vehicle description, and was there any physical evidence left behind. So when you see this happening,
either write it down on paper, or just try to remember it. The second thing a person can do is try to get
on the Internet. Therefore, you can find out more information about what you need to do. If anyone
sees one of these illegal acts being done, now you know what to do to turn them in, and make Montana
a better place for everyone and everything.

This narrative shows examples on why you should turn in poachers. The narrative also predicts the
consequence if poachers are not caught. And a couple of transitional expressions are seen towards the
end.

Compare and Contrast

Although I raised Marcee and Obbie from puppies, they have completely diverse personalities. Obbie is
a six year old, male, toy Pomeranian whereas Marcee is a one year old, female, Boston terrier. Obbie is
small and soft, unlike Marcee who has bristly hair and is much bigger. Marcee insists on sleeping on the
bed, under the covers every night. On the other hand, Obbie will only sleep on the floor, under the bed.
Obbie is tremendously loyal and uptight; however, Marcee is hyper and friendly to anyone she meets or
sees. Around other dogs, Marcee cowers to the larger dog, yet Obbie will always stand his ground, never
giving up until he is scolded. Given that they were both treated the same way all their life, it is hard to
believe that they are so different in everything they do.

This compares and contrasts two different dogs. The paragraph states their differences in a point-by-
point method of comparing and contrasting. It shows how much different they are from each other
based appearance and personality, though being treated the same. Transitional expression can also be
seen.

Although VCI and Qwest have some similarities, they are also very different. VCI charges a $150
connection fee that you pay $25 the first time, and $10 a month addition to your regular phone bill for 1
year. They charge $15 a month for local service plus tax; in addition, they offer call waiting, three way
calling, and caller Id. There is no long distance offered in this package. The bill would total anywhere
from $35 to $45 a month. If your bill is late they charge an additional $10 for a late fee; on the other
hand, Qwest offers no connection fee for service and free local calls for the first three months with no
deposit, just for hooking up service with them. They charge $15 a month for local service + tax with
voice mail, call waiting, and caller Id. They also offer unlimited long distance for $20 a month. They
charge no late fees for late payments; however, with long distance the bill would total about $50 a
month. Both VCI and Qwest offer necessary service to the public; However, their service rates are
different.

In this compare and contrast method, it is now a blocked paragraph method. VCI is being discussed first
and after it has been discussed, Qwest will then be discussed thus differentiating both
telecommunications service. And again, transitional expressions are used.

Classification

There are three different types of rock music, alternative rock, classic rock, and hard rock, also known as
metal. Alternative rock features a steady bass drum laying down the beat, with easy flowing guitar riffs
over the top. The bass line is toned town, and the lyrics are sung with intensity an authority. Depending
on the song, the guitars can either be acoustic guitars or electric guitars. Classic rock combines a steady
driving bass drum sound, with high snare overtones, steady and often repeating guitar riffs, and an
intensive bass line. The guitars are more often than not all electric guitars, and distortion is rarely used.
The lyrics are sung with style and enthusiasm. Hard rock, or metal, features a hard rolling bass drum
with an abundant amount of cymbal work. This style of rock uses several electric guitars with heavy
distortion to bring a very intense sound. A hard, intense, driving bass line rounds out the style. The lyrics
arent really sung so much as screamed. It doesnt matter what your preference is, each different style
of rock music is unique on its own.

This paragraph shows classification of the subtype of the rock genre. They are completely broken down
into different categories and are given each a specific detail. They are being classified in a logical
sequence. They all fit into one basis which is Rock Music.

Shoppers can be classified according to their shopping techniques, as necessity shoppers, over spenders,
and impulsive shoppers. Necessity shoppers have an uncomplicated and normal shopping technique.
They purchase only the items that are necessary, such as food and toiletries, and they only get these
items when they need them. The overspenders purchase too many items and they spend too much
money on them. They buy unnecessary products, such as clothes and accessories. They can turn a
simple trip to the store into a wallet draining extravaganza. Finally, there are impulsive shoppers. They
are a combination between necessity shoppers and over spenders. They intend to be necessity shoppers
by buying items that they need, but they turn into over spenders by buying unnecessary clothes and
useless items. Even though there are millions of shoppers worldwide, they can easily be classified by
their techniques as necessity shoppers, over spenders, or impulsive shoppers. The example here groups
different types of shoppers according to a logical sequence. Here the least outrageous is the necessity
shopper as they only get what they need, the middle one is overspenders in which everything they buy
is unnecessary and the last is impulsive shoppers. They all fit into one basis which is Shoppers

Cause and Effect

Many people believe that the act of courage lies within each individual, and these acts of courage can be
brought out by three possible causes. The first cause, and the most obvious, is provocation. Often times
this is seen in movies where the villain kidnaps and threatens to kill the hero's family. More often that
not, the hero finds it within himself to put aside his fears and overcome near impossible odds to save
the day. The majority of the time it is direct threats such as this one that provoke human nature to acts
of courage. The second cause is a purpose. In 2001, the Twin Towers fell to terrorist attacks. Military
enlistments reached all time highs as many men and women joined the armed forces. For many of these
people, the prospect of serving their country, and gaining revenge for the cowardice acts of the
terrorists were the only reasons necessary for their courage. The third cause is a belief in a higher
power. The presence of God gives many people the courage to do things they would not be able to do
otherwise. His words play clearly in their minds," Be strong and of good courage", because: "the lord thy
god is with thee whithersoever thou goest"(bible reference). According to God and his followers, his
presence is enough cause for courage. For these people, their courage knows no boundaries. Whatever
your inspiration for courage may be, you can just about bet it was brought on by one of these three
underlying circumstances.

In this paragraph, instead of finding multiple effects and one cause, this paragraph has only one effect
and multiple causes like provocation and purpose. It shows that the time courage comes out is when
situations like these happen.

The lack of rain and snow has horrible effects on farmers. with no rain their land dries up, and it is very
difficult to grow anything. When the crops fail, the farmers haven't any choice but to get a second job in
order to make the money they need. Farming is a full time job and with a second job, farmers are
overworked, stressed and even depressed. Many farmers end up selling their land. Some farmers have
accepted the government program the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which is the land is left idle
to let the grass grow and must be left idle a certain number of years. while the land is in the CRP
program, some farmers have taken outside jobs. That is why when it doesn't rain, you notice that most
of the farmers are very crabby. As a farmer's daughter, I have experienced some good times and some
bad times. I have gained a great respect for farmers everywhere.

This cause and effect example shows the effects of the lack of rain. The lack of rain is the cause of why
farmers have a hard life. Effects like having failed crops which lead them into finding a second job which
makes them overworked and stressed. Also the transitional expressions are used to show cause and
effect.

Problem-Solution

We buried my cousin last summer. He was 32 when he hanged himself from a closet coat rack
in the throes of alcoholism, the fourth of my blood relatives to die prematurely from this deadly
disease. If America issued drinking licenses, those four menincluding my father, who died at
54 of liver failuremight be alive today."

This paragraph shows what problem arose here, in this situation, it is the alcoholism in America
in which caused the death of the writers cousin. In which the solution provided is issuing
drinking licenses.

There are certain things which students can do if they suffer from exam anxiety. To begin with,
they should get a good nights sleep the day before the exam. If they sleep well, they will be
able to concentrate and do well in the exam. If not, this will cause more stress and anxiety. The
second effective solution is to change their poor study habits. If they start to study one day
before the exam, this will cause worry and stress. However, if they change such habits and start
to study regularly, this will give them confidence before and during the exam. The last thing
they should do is to think positive. When they think positive, they will get rid of all their fears
and worries. For example, visualizing themselves as a student who has a high mark before the
exam can make them feel better. In summary, getting a good nights sleep, changing their poor
study habits and thinking positive are effective solutions to deal with exam anxiety.

It shows the problem of exam anxiety which is a common problem for students. As the problem
is identified, the solutions are then given. They are evaluated to see which solution works best
in solving the problem of exam anxiety. Then the solutions are then recommended

Exemplification

Sometimes fear can be a great motivator. Once when I was in high school, I tried out for a part
in the school play. I was surprised and thrilled when I was given one of the leads. Never for a
moment, however, did I consider how long my part was or how hard I would have to work to
memorize it. All I could think of was how much attention I was getting from my friends. I even
ignored the warnings of the plays director who told me I would be in trouble if I did not begin
to memorize my lines. The reality of my situation finally sank in during our first dress rehearsal
when I stumbled all over my lines, and the rest of the cast laughed at me. That night, and for
the two weeks leading up to the play, I spent hours going over my lines. Miraculously, I got
through the first night of the play without missing (at least obviously missing) many of my lines.
As a result of that experience, I learned two things: first, that I could do almost anything if I was
frightened enough and second, that I would never try out for another play.

This paragraph is an exemplification paragraph because the overall paragraph itself explains its
topic sentence precisely; it also has one or two examples that help illustrate its main topic. The
writers personal experience is reflected into this paragraph which makes an interesting and
powerful way of illustrating ideas to readers.

As a teenager in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I was always pretty tolerant about radical
clothing styles, but more and more today I find myself asking, Why do these kids want to look
so weird? For example, I do not understand why a boy would wear a baseball cap backwards
on his head. To me, this just looks goofy, like something a person would do and then talk in a
really stupid voice to make his friends laugh. Under the backward cap, the boy probably has his
hair in a buzz cut, except for one long strand of hair reaching halfway down his back. I cant
imagine who thought up this hairstyle, unless it was an ex-monk. Furthermore, every boy I see
today seems to be wearing a T-shirt that looks ten sizes too big for him and comes down below
his knees, or, if not that, hes got all his clothes on inside out or backwards or both! Then, there
are the girls. Since when did it become stylish to wear your underwear on top of your regular
clothes? Who decided that it was attractive to combine a white T-shirt and a long, sheer,
flowing jumper with a pair of huge black jackboots? Im so confused. It all just makes me
nostalgic for the days of frayed bell-bottoms, tie-dyed tank tops, strands of hippie beads, and
headbands circling heads of long, stringy hair.

The same with the previous example, it has numerous example to back-up the its topic
sentence. The thought is thoroughly illustrated and with its examples given. And because it
comes from the writers personal experience, even though unnecessary, make it an effective
exemplification paragraph