1. Paragraph Development

2. 5-step Process to Paragraph Development
Step 1. Decide on a controlling idea and create a topic sentence
Free writing, brainstorming -- When a topic is assigned, the student should first read the topic carefully and try to think of as many as relevant facts as he can and write them down on a piece of paper (without caring about the form and order of the items).
Then try to find a proper thesis or theme.

3. The School Library A large number of useful books
All kinds of dictionaries and reference books
The reading-rooms are spacious and quiet
Newspapers and magazines
The librarians patient and helpful
Closed on Sunday and holidays
A little crowded in the evening
Students leave books on chairs to reserve seats
Very few newspapers from abroad
Students are not allowed to take schoolbags into the First Reading-Room
Seniors would not be able to write their graduation papers without using the library

4. Among the possible thesis are:
The library is a nice place to work in.
2) The library plays a very important part in a student’s life.
3) The work of the library needs improvement.

5. Step 2. Explain the controlling idea
Step 3. Give an example (or multiple examples)
the students should look at the list of facts again, eliminate those unnecessary or unimportant ones, rearrange them in a logical order, and write an outline.

6. Topic: The School Library Thesis: The library plays a very important part in a student’s life
Outline:
I. Students has to borrow books from the
library
A. He needs reference books for his courses.
B. He may want to read novels, stories and plays.

7. II. He needs newspapers and magazines in the
library.
A. Many new magazines are on display in the First-
Reading-Room.
B. There are newspapers from all provinces.
C. Back numbers may be borrowed at the counter.

8. III. He needs the library all the more in his junior
and senior years.
A. The library provides him with books for his
research
B. He would not be able to write his graduation
paper without using the library.

9. Step 4. Explain the example(s)
an explanation of each example and its relevance to the topic sentence
This explanation shows readers why you chose to use this/or these particular examples as evidence to support the major claim in your paragraph.

10. transition your reader to the next development in the next paragraph.
Step 5. Complete the paragraph's idea or transition into the next paragraph
remind the reader of the relevance of the information in this paragraph to the main idea of the paper.
transition your reader to the next development in the next paragraph.

11. Original paragraph
Piranhas(水虎鱼) rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic (水生的) plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas' first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won't bite humans.

12. Problem: the paragraph has no topic sentence.
Imagine each paragraph as a sandwich. The real content of the sandwich—the meat or other filling—is in the middle. It includes all the evidence you need to make the point. But it gets kind of messy to eat a sandwich without any bread. Your readers don't know what to do with all the evidence you've given them.

13. Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas' first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won't bite humans.

14. Suppose that we wanted to start the piranha paragraph with a transition sentence—something that reminds the reader of what happened in the previous paragraph. Let's suppose that the previous paragraph was about all kinds of animals that people are afraid of, like sharks, snakes, and spiders.

15. Like sharks, snakes, and spiders, pirahnas are widely feared
Like sharks, snakes, and spiders, pirahnas are widely feared. Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas' first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won't bite humans.