A supported paragraph has four moves: a clear point, a detail that shows it, an explanation of how the detail shows it, and a last sentence that links back to the question.
This lesson belongs to SPM subjects and learning resources. It combines choosing evidence for an interpretation with the event-and-significance habit from the previous lesson.
What does the plan look like?
Write four notes before writing sentences.
- Point. My answer to the question in one sentence.
- Detail. The one moment or image that supports it.
- Explain. How the detail shows the point.
- Link. The question’s key words again.
Worked example: an original poem
An original four-line poem, written for practice, in English translation:
The monsoon drums on the tin roof all night.
Grandmother counts the drops into a bowl.
By morning the bowl is full, and so is her smile.
She pours it gently over the thirsty plants.
Question: How does the poet show Grandmother’s attitude to rain?
Plan.
- Point: she sees rain as something precious, not a nuisance.
- Detail: she counts the drops into a bowl, then pours the water over the plants.
- Explain: counting shows care, and sharing with the plants shows she does not waste it.
- Link: so her attitude to rain is respectful and grateful.
Paragraph. “The poet shows that Grandmother treats rain as precious. She counts the drops into a bowl, which shows careful attention, and then pours the water gently over the plants, which shows she wants nothing wasted.
Her smile in the morning adds gratitude. Her attitude to rain is therefore respectful, not annoyed by the noise.”
Weak and planned versions
| Version | Text | Problem or strength |
|---|---|---|
| Wandering | “The poem is about rain. It is night and Grandmother is old. The poet uses a bowl. I like the poem.” | No point, no explanation, no link to the question. |
| Planned | The paragraph above. | Begins with the point and ends with the question’s words. |
The mistake to avoid
A common slip is to put the explanation before the detail, or to skip it. “She counts the drops into a bowl” is a detail. Without a sentence saying what it shows, the paragraph has not analysed anything.
Whenever you write a detail, your next sentence should start with “This shows” or “because”.
Check yourself
Plan a paragraph for this original couplet: “He mends the broken fence at dawn. / Nobody asked him, nobody thanked.” Question: how does the poet show the man’s character?
Answer
A sample plan:
- Point: he is responsible and selfless.
- Detail: he mends the fence at dawn although nobody asked or thanked him.
- Explain: doing it unasked shows initiative, and not needing thanks shows he is selfless.
- Link: so the poet shows his character as responsible.
Your plan may use different words. Check that the detail supports the point and that the link returns to the question.
What to study next
Test a full answer against its question in reviewing an original answer against its question, then practise in the original Tamil Literature practice set. The structured-answer self-review tool can check your plan’s four parts.
Set texts and assessed requirements come from your school and the curriculum. For a teacher to plan paragraphs with you, see online one-to-one Tamil Literature tuition.