UNIVERSITY OF QUINDIO

MODERN LANGUAGES PROGRAM

READING AND WRITING III

PROCESS PARAGRAPH

Two kinds of process paragraphs will be explained in this chapter: the how-to paragraph and the explanation
paragraph.
The how-to paragraph gives the reader directions on how he or she can do something: how to install a
software program, how to get to the airport, or how to make tasty barbecued ribs. The goals of such directions
are the installed software, the arrival at the airport, or the great barbecued ribs. In other words, the reader should
be able to do something after reading the paragraph.
The explanation paragraph, on the other hand, tells the reader how a particular event occurred or how
something works. For example, an explanation paragraph might explain how an internal combustion engine
works or how palm trees reproduce. After reading an explanation paragraph, the reader is not expected to be
able to do anything, just to understand how it happened or how it works.
Process writing is useful in history, business, the sciences, psychology, and many other areas.

Topic Sentence

Here is the topic sentence of a how-to paragraph:

Careful preparation before an interview is the key to getting the job you want.

The writer begins a how-to paragraph with a topic sentence that clearly states the goal of the process
what the reader should be able to do.

Paragraph and Plan

Careful preparation before an interview is the key to getting the job you want. The first step is to learn
all you can about the employer. Read about the company in its brochures or in newspaper and magazine articles.
A reference librarian can point you to the best sources of company information. You can also find company
websites and other useful material on the Internet. Second, as you read, think about the ways your talents match
the companys goals. Third, put yourself in the interviewers place, and make a list of questions that he or she
will probably ask. Employers want to know about your experience, training, and special skills, like foreign
languages. Remember, every employer looks for a capable and enthusiastic team player who will help the firm
succeed. Fourth, rehearse your answers to the questions out loud. Practice with a friend or a tape recorder until
your responses sound well prepared and confident. Finally, select and prepare a professional-looking interview
outfit well in advance to avoid the last-minute panic of a torn hem or stained shirt. When a job candidate has
made the effort to prepare, the interviewer is much more likely to be impressed.

The body of the how-to paragraph is developed according to time, or chronological, order.* That is, the
writer gives directions in the order in which the reader is to complete them. Keeping to a strict
chronological order avoids the necessity of saying, By the way, I forgot to tell you . . . , or Whoops, a
previous step should have been to. . . .
PRACTICE 1

Example of Process, How To Paragraph

Read the following how-to paragraph carefully and answer the questions.

You are sitting in a restaurant quietly having a meal when suddenly a man nearby starts choking on a piece of
food lodged in his throat. By using the Heimlich maneuver, you may be able to save this persons life. Your two
hands are all you need to perform this lifesaving technique. First, position yourself behind the chocking person.
Then wrap your arms around the persons midsection, being careful not to apply any pressure to the chest or the
stomach. Once your arms are around the victim, clench one hand into a fist and cup this fist in the other hand.
Now turn the fist so that the clenched thumb points towards the spot between the chockers navel and
midsection. Finally, thrust inward at this spot using a quick, sharp motion. If this movement does not dislodge
the food, repeat it until the victim can breathe freely.

1. What should you be able to do after reading this paragraph?

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2. Are any materials necessary for this process?
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3. How many steps are there in this paragraph? List them.
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Example of Process, Explanatory Paragraph

Many experts believe that recovery from addiction, whether to alcohol or other drugs, has four main stages.
The first stage begins when the user finally admits that he or she has a substance abuse problem and wants to
quit. At this point, most people seek help from groups like Alcoholic Anonymous or treatment programs
because few addicts can get clean by themselves. The next stage is withdrawal, when the addict stops using
the substance. Withdrawal can be a painful physical and mental experience, but luckily, it does not last long.
After withdrawal comes he most challenging stage making positive changes in ones life. Recovering addicts
have to learn new ways of spending their time, finding pleasure and relaxation, caring for their bodies, and
relating to spouses, lovers, family, and friends. The fourth and final stage is staying off the drugs. This open-
ended part of the process often calls for ongoing support and therapy. For people once defeated by addiction, the
rewards of self-esteem and new life are well worth the effort.

Answer the following questions

1. What process does the writer explain in this text?

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2. How many stages or steps are explained in this paragraph?
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3. What are they?
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PRACTICE 2

Here are five plans for process paragraphs. The steps for the plans are not in the correct chronological order.
The plans also contain irrelevant details that are not part of the process. Number the steps in the proper time
sequence and cross out any irrelevant details.

1. Chewing gum is made entirely by machine.

____ Then warm mass is pressed into thin ribbons by pairs of rollers.
____ First, the gum base is melted and pumped through a high-speed spinner that throws out all
impurities.
____ The gum base makes the gum chewy.
____ Huge machines mix the purified gum with sugar, corn syrup, and flavoring, such as spearmint,
peppermint or cinnamon.
____ Finally, machines wrap the sticks individually and then package them.
____ Knives attached to the last rollers cut ribbons into sticks.

2. These directions will get you to the airport in time for the six oclock flight to Lockwood.
____ When you get off at Woodrow, walk three blocks east on Woodrow to Hanson Place.
____ The airport is not large enough to accommodate 747s.
____ At Hanson Place, catch the number 6 bus marked City Limits,and take it to the last stop-the
airport.
____ First, board the City Square bus on the corner of 18th Avenue and Gleason Place and go to
Woodrow Avenue.

3. Changing the oil in your car is an easy process.

____ When the oil stops draining, screw the plug back on and lower the car.
____ Car supply stores have good sales on oil.
____ After placing a plastic a catch pan under the drain hole, remove the drain hole plug so all the old
oil can pour out.
____ Finally, check the oil level and add more oil if the car needs it.
____ To drain the old oil, first set the hand brake and jack up the front end of the car.
____ Now pour in the fresh oil, and then start the engine and check for leaks.
____ Replace the oil filter with a clean one.

4. Robertson got his job through hard work and ingenuity.

____ After he got to know the companies thoroughly, he wrote for interviews with all of them.
____ Then he read everything he could find about each company, its history, and its prospects for the
future.
____ During the interviews, he stressed what he could do for the company and played down what the
company could do for him.
____ Robertson has two children, Beth and Joe, Jr.
____ He began by making a survey of the companies he might like to work for and then chose three
that offered the best possibilities for employment.
____ A few weeks after the interviews, two of the firms offered him positions.

5. Because turtles are cold-blooded animals, they hibernate during the winter.
____ After finding the right place, they dig their winter home, bury themselves in the mud, and fall
into a deep sleep.
 ____ As the winter turns cold, turtles begin to seek a spot in the mud near a pond to spend the winter.
____ Turtles make nice pets.
____ With the onset of spring, the ice on the pond melts and the thawing mud awakens these buried
creatures to new life.
____ Throughout the winter, their metabolism remains low.

PRACTICE 3

Make a plan for this paragraph, listing in proper time sequence all the steps that would be necessary to complete
the process.

Registration was a very complicated (or simple) process this semester.

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Transitional Expressions

Since process paragraphs rely on chronological order, or time sequence, words and expressions that locate the
steps of the process in time are extremely helpful.

Fawcett, S. (2011). Evergreen: A guide to writing with readings (9th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage
Learning.
Fawcett, Susan (1992). Evergreen: A Guide to Writing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.