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Sample Writing
Here is part of an autobiography by student writer Elizabeth Hartfield. As you can see, it is not divided into paragraphs.
My name is Elizabeth Frances Hartfield. I’m going to tell you about my life starting with the day something exciting and sad happened. What happened was that I moved from my home in Springfield to a house in West Chester. I was nervous and scared. I didn’t think that I would make any friends, but I did. Since I moved to West Chester, I have gone to three different schools. The first one I went to was Saints Simon and Jude. I went there for first and second grade. I went to Sacred Heart Academy in Bryn Mawr for third grade, and now I go to Emerson Elementary. I am now in fourth grade. My favorite activities are art, reading, and dancing. I like to draw a lot. On April 25, 2024, I won an award for a drawing I did of our dog, Reggie. I like dancing on rainy days. . . .
Following the Three-Step Process
Finding the paragraphs in this autobiography is easy if you follow the three-step process:
- Label the first word with a paragraph sign.
¶ “My name is . . . ”