Paragraph Development ? (Chapter 3)

Troubleshooting paragraphs

1) 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. So, the top slice of bread (the first sentence of the paragraph) explains the topic (or controlling idea) of the paragraph. And, the bottom slice (the last sentence of the paragraph) tells the reader how the paragraph relates to the broader argument. In the original and revised paragraphs below, notice how a topic sentence expressing the controlling idea tells the reader the point of all the evidence.

Original paragraph
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.

Revised paragraph
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.

Once you have mastered the use of topic sentences, you may decide that the topic sentence for a particular paragraph really shouldn't be the first sentence of the paragraph. This is fine—the topic sentence can actually go at the beginning, middle, or end of a paragraph; what's important is that it is in there somewhere so that readers know what the main idea of the paragraph is and how it relates back to the thesis of your paper. 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—rather than with the topic sentence. Let's suppose that the previous paragraph was about all kinds of animals that people are afraid of, like sharks, snakes, and spiders. Our paragraph might look like this (the topic sentence is underlined):

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.

2) Problem: the paragraph has more than one controlling idea. If a paragraph has more than one main idea, consider eliminating sentences that relate to the second idea, or split the paragraph into two or more paragraphs, each with only one main idea. In the following paragraph, the final two sentences branch off into a different topic; so, the revised paragraph eliminates them and concludes with a sentence that reminds the reader of the paragraph's main idea.

Original paragraph
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. A number of South American groups eat piranhas. They fry or grill the fish and then serve them with coconut milk or tucupi, a sauce made from fermented manioc juices.

Revised paragraph
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.

3) Problem: transitions are needed within the paragraph. You are probably familiar with the idea that transitions may be needed between paragraphs or sections in a paper (see our handout on this subject). Sometimes they are also helpful within the body of a single paragraph. Within a paragraph, transitions are often single words or short phrases that help to establish relationships between ideas and to create a logical progression of those ideas in a paragraph. This is especially likely to be true within paragraphs that discuss multiple examples. Let's take a look at a version of our piranha paragraph that uses transitions to orient the reader:

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, except in two main situations, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas' instinct is to flee, not attack. But there are two situations in which a piranha bite is likely. The first is when a frightened piranha is lifted out of the water—for example, if it has been caught in a fishing net. The second is when the water level in pools where piranhas are living falls too low. A large number of fish may be trapped in a single pool, and if they are hungry, they may attack anything that enters the water.

In this example, you can see how the phrases "the first" and "the second" help the reader follow the organization of the ideas in the paragraph.


Works consulted
We consulted these works while writing the original version of this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout's topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find the latest publications on this topic. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial. 

References
Lunsford, Andrea and Robert Collins. The St. Martin's Handbook, Annotated Instructor's Edition. 5th Ed. New York: St. Martin's, 2003.
Rosen, Leonard and Laurence Behrens. The Allyn and Bacon Handbook, Annotated Instructor's Edition. 4th Ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000.

Paragraph Development ? (Chapter 2)

5-step process to paragraph development

Let's walk through a 5-step process to building a paragraph. Each step of the process will include an explanation of the step and a bit of "model" text to illustrate how the step works. Our finished model paragraph will be about slave spirituals, the original songs that African Americans created during slavery. The model paragraph uses illustration (giving examples) to prove its point.

Step 1. Decide on a controlling idea and create a topic sentence
Paragraph development begins with the formulation of the controlling idea. This idea directs the paragraph's development. Often, the controlling idea of a paragraph will appear in the form of a topic sentence. In some cases, you may need more than one sentence to express a paragraph's controlling idea. Here is the controlling idea for our "model paragraph," expressed in a topic sentence:
Model controlling idea and topic sentence— Slave spirituals often had hidden double meanings.

Step 2. Explain the controlling idea  

Paragraph development continues with an expression of the rationale or the explanation that the writer gives for how the reader should interpret the information presented in the idea statement or topic sentence of the paragraph. The writer explains his/her thinking about the main topic, idea, or focus of the paragraph. Here's the sentence that would follow the controlling idea about slave spirituals:
Model explanation—On one level, spirituals referenced heaven, Jesus, and the soul; but on another level, the songs spoke about slave resistance.

Step 3. Give an example (or multiple examples) 

Paragraph development progresses with the expression of some type of support or evidence for the idea and the explanation that came before it. The example serves as a sign or representation of the relationship established in the idea and explanation portions of the paragraph. Here are two examples that we could use to illustrate the double meanings in slave spirituals:

Model example A— For example, according to Frederick Douglass, the song "O Canaan, Sweet Canaan" spoke of slaves' longing for heaven, but it also expressed their desire to escape to the North. Careful listeners heard this second meaning in the following lyrics: "I don't expect to stay / Much longer here. / Run to Jesus, shun the danger. / I don't expect to stay."

Model example B— Slaves even used songs like "Steal Away to Jesus (at midnight)" to announce to other slaves the time and place of secret, forbidden meetings. 

Step 4. Explain the example(s)
The next movement in paragraph development is an explanation of each example and its relevance to the topic sentence and rationale that were stated at the beginning of the paragraph. This explanation shows readers why you chose to use this/or these particular examples as evidence to support the major claim, or focus, in your paragraph.

Continue the pattern of giving examples and explaining them until all points/examples that the writer deems necessary have been made and explained. NONE of your examples should be left unexplained. You might be able to explain the relationship between the example and the topic sentence in the same sentence which introduced the example. More often, however, you will need to explain that relationship in a separate sentence. Look at these explanations for the two examples in the slave spirituals paragraph:

Model explanation for example A— When slaves sang this song, they could have been speaking of their departure from this life and their arrival in heaven; however, they also could have been describing their plans to leave the South and run, not to Jesus, but to the North.

Model explanation for example B—[The relationship between example B and the main idea of the paragraph's controlling idea is clear enough without adding another sentence to explain it.]

Step 5. Complete the paragraph's idea or transition into the next paragraph
The final movement in paragraph development involves tying up the loose ends of the paragraph and reminding the reader of the relevance of the information in this paragraph to the main or controlling idea of the paper. At this point, you can remind your reader about the relevance of the information that you just discussed in the paragraph. You might feel more comfortable, however, simply transitioning your reader to the next development in the next paragraph. Here's an example of a sentence that completes the slave spirituals paragraph:

Model sentence for completing a paragraph— What whites heard as merely spiritual songs, slaves discerned as detailed messages. The hidden meanings in spirituals allowed slaves to sing what they could not say.

Notice that the example and explanation steps of this 5-step process (steps 3 and 4) can be repeated as needed. The idea is that you continue to use this pattern until you have completely developed the main idea of the paragraph.

Here is a look at the completed "model" paragraph:
Slave spirituals often had hidden double meanings. On one level, spirituals referenced heaven, Jesus, and the soul, but on another level, the songs spoke about slave resistance. For example, according to Frederick Douglass, the song "O Canaan, Sweet Canaan" spoke of slaves' longing for heaven, but it also expressed their desire to escape to the North. Careful listeners heard this second meaning in the following lyrics: "I don't expect to stay / Much longer here. / Run to Jesus, shun the danger. / I don't expect to stay." When slaves sang this song, they could have been speaking of their departure from this life and their arrival in heaven; however, they also could have been describing their plans to leave the South and run, not to Jesus, but to the North. Slaves even used songs like "Steal Away to Jesus (at midnight)" to announce to other slaves the time and place of secret, forbidden meetings. What whites heard as merely spiritual songs, slaves discerned as detailed messages. The hidden meanings in spirituals allowed slaves to sing what they could not say.

What is Paragraph...? (Chapter 1)

Paragraph Development, 

What is a paragraph?

Paragraphs are the building blocks of papers. Many students define paragraphs in terms of length: a paragraph is a group of at least five sentences, a paragraph is half a page long, etc. In reality, though, the unity and coherence of ideas among sentences is what constitutes a paragraph. A paragraph is defined as "a group of sentences or a single sentence that forms a unit" (Lunsford and Connors 116). Length and appearance do not determine whether a section in a paper is a paragraph. For instance, in some styles of writing, particularly journalistic styles, a paragraph can be just one sentence long. Ultimately, a paragraph is a sentence or group of sentences that support one main idea. In this handout, we will refer to this as the "controlling idea," because it controls what happens in the rest of the paragraph.


How do I decide what to put in a paragraph?

Before you can begin to determine what the composition of a particular paragraph will be, you must first decide on a working thesis for your paper. What is the most important idea that you are trying to convey to your reader? The information in each paragraph must be related to that idea. In other words, your paragraphs should remind your reader that there is a recurrent relationship between your thesis and the information in each paragraph. A working thesis functions like a seed from which your paper, and your ideas, will grow. The whole process is an organic one—a natural progression from a seed to a full-blown paper where there are direct, familial relationships between all of the ideas in the paper.

The decision about what to put into your paragraphs begins with the germination of a seed of ideas; this "germination process" is better known as brainstorming. There are many techniques for brainstorming; whichever one you choose, this stage of paragraph development cannot be skipped. Building paragraphs can be like building a skyscraper: there must be a well-planned foundation that supports what you are building. Any cracks, inconsistencies, or other corruptions of the foundation can cause your whole paper to crumble.

So, let's suppose that you have done some brainstorming to develop your thesis. What else should you keep in mind as you begin to create paragraphs? Every paragraph in a paper should be

    * Unified—All of the sentences in a single paragraph should be related to a single controlling idea (often expressed in the topic sentence of the paragraph).
    * Clearly related to the thesis—The sentences should all refer to the central idea, or thesis, of the paper (Rosen and Behrens 119).
    * Coherent—The sentences should be arranged in a logical manner and should follow a definite plan for development (Rosen and Behrens 119).
    * Well-developed—Every idea discussed in the paragraph should be adequately explained and supported through evidence and details that work together to explain the paragraph's controlling idea (Rosen and Behrens 119).

How do I organize a paragraph?

There are many different ways to organize a paragraph. The organization you choose will depend on the controlling idea of the paragraph. Below are a few possibilities for organization, with brief examples.

    * Narration: Tell a story. Go chronologically, from start to finish. (See an example.)
    * Description: Provide specific details about what something looks, smells, tastes, sounds, or feels like. Organize spatially, in order of appearance, or by topic. (See an example.)
    * Process: Explain how something works, step by step. Perhaps follow a sequence—first, second, third. (See an example.)
    * Classification: Separate into groups or explain the various parts of a topic. (See an example.)
    * Illustration: Give examples and explain how those examples prove your point. (See the detailed example in the next section of this handout.)

Paraphrase

Paraphrase (pronounced /ˈpærəfreɪz/) is restatement of a text or passages, using other words. The term "paraphrase" derives via the Latin "paraphrasis" from the Greek para phraseïn, meaning "additional manner of expression". The act of paraphrasing is also called "paraphrasis."

A paraphrase typically explains or clarifies the text that is being paraphrased. For example, "The signal was red" might be paraphrased as "The train was not allowed to proceed." When accompanying the original statement, a paraphrase is usually introduced with a verbum dicendi — a declaratory expression to signal the transition to the paraphrase. For example, in "The signal was red, that is, the train was not allowed to proceed," the "that is" signals the paraphrase that follows.

A paraphrase does not need to accompany a direct quotation, but when this is so, the paraphrase typically serves to put the source's statement into perspective or to clarify the context in which it appeared. A paraphrase is typically more detailed than a summary. One should add the source at the end of the sentence, for example: When the light was red trains could not go (Wikipedia).

Paraphrase may attempt to preserve the essential meaning of the material being paraphrased. Thus, the (intentional or otherwise) reinterpretation of a source to infer a meaning that is not explicitly evident in the source itself qualifies as "original research," and not as paraphrase.

Unlike a metaphrase, which represents a "formal equivalent" of the source, a paraphrase represents a "dynamic equivalent" thereof. While a metaphrase attempts to translate a text literally, a paraphrase conveys the essential thought expressed in a source text — if necessary, at the expense of literality. For details, see "Dynamic and formal equivalence."

The term is applied to the genre of Biblical paraphrases, which were the most widely circulated versions of the Bible available in medieval Europe. Here, the purpose was not to render an exact rendition of the meaning or the complete text, but to present material from the Bible in a version that was theologically orthodox and not subject to heretical interpretation, or, in most cases, to take from the Bible and present to a wide public material that was interesting, entertaining and spiritually meaningful, or, simply to abridge the text.

Sentences, Simple, Compound, Complex

Experienced writers use a variety of sentences to make their writing interesting and lively. Too many simple sentences, for example, will sound choppy and immature while too many long sentences will be difficult to read and hard to understand.

This page contains definitions of simple, compound, and complex sentences with many simple examples.  The purpose of these examples is to help the ESL/EFL learner to identify sentence basics including identification of sentences in the short quizzes that follow.   After that, it will be possible to analyze more complex sentences varieties.

SIMPLE SENTENCE

A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought. In the following simple sentences, subjects are in yellow, and verbs are in green. 


    A. Some students like to study in the mornings.
    B. Juan and Arturo play football every afternoon.
    C. Alicia goes to the library and studies every day.

The three examples above are all simple sentences.  Note that sentence B contains a compound subject, and sentence C contains a compound verb.  Simple sentences, therefore, contain a subject and verb and express a complete thought, but they can also contain a compound subjects or verbs.

COMPOUND SENTENCE

A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator. The coordinators are as follows: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. (Helpful hint: The first letter of each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS.) Except for very short sentences, coordinators are always preceded by a comma. In the following compound sentences, subjects are in yellow, verbs are in green, and the coordinators and the commas that precede them are in red.


    A.  I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English.
    B.  Alejandro played football, so Maria went shopping.
    C.  Alejandro played football, for Maria went shopping.

The above three sentences are compound sentences.  Each sentence contains two independent clauses, and they are joined by a coordinator with a comma preceding it.  Note how the conscious use of coordinators can change the relationship between the clauses.  Sentences B and C, for example, are identical except for the coordinators.  In sentence B, which action occurred first?  Obviously, "Alejandro played football" first, and as a consequence, "Maria went shopping.  In sentence C, "Maria went shopping" first.  In sentence C, "Alejandro played football" because, possibly, he didn't have anything else to do, for or because "Maria went shopping."  How can the use of other coordinators change the relationship between the two clauses?  What implications would the use of "yet" or "but" have on the meaning of the sentence?

COMPLEX SENTENCE

A complex sentence has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which. In the following complex sentences, subjects are in yellow, verbs are in green, and the subordinators and their commas (when required) are in red.

    
    A. When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page.
    B. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
    C. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.
    D. After they finished studying, Juan and Maria went to the movies.
    E. Juan and Maria went to the movies after they finished studying.

When a complex sentence begins with a subordinator such as sentences A and D, a comma is required at the end of the dependent clause. When the independent clause begins the sentence with subordinators in the middle as in sentences B, C, and E, no comma is required. If a comma is placed before the subordinators in sentences B, C, and E, it is wrong.

Note that sentences D and E are the same except sentence D begins with the dependent clause which is followed by a comma, and sentence E begins with the independent clause which contains no comma.  The comma after the dependent clause in sentence D is required, and experienced listeners of English will often hear a slight pause there.  In sentence E, however, there will be no pause when the independent clause begins the sentence.

COMPLEX SENTENCES / ADJECTIVE CLAUSES

Finally, sentences containing adjective clauses (or dependent clauses) are also complex because they contain an independent clause and a dependent clause.  The subjects, verbs, and subordinators are marked the same as in the previous sentences, and in these sentences, the independent clauses are also underlined.

        
        A. The woman who(m) my mom talked to sells cosmetics.
        B. The book that Jonathan read is on the shelf.
        C. The house which AbrahAM  Lincoln was born in is still standing.
        D. The town where I grew up is in the United States.

Adjective Clauses are studied in this site separately, but for now it is important to know that sentences containing adjective clauses are complex.

CONCLUSION

Are sure you now know the differences between simple, compound, and complex sentences?  Click QUICK QUIZ to find out.  This quiz is just six sentences.  The key is to look for the subjects and verbs first.

Another quiz, this one about Helen Keller contains ten sentences.

These quiz sentences based on the short story, The Americanization of Shadrach Cohen, by Bruno Lessing.
Quick Quiz:  Shadrach

After each quiz, click GRADE QUIZ to see your score immediately.

Remember that with the skill to write good simple, compound, and complex sentences, you will have the flexibility to (1) convey your ideas precisely and (2) entertain with sentence variety at the same time!  Good luck with these exercises!

Phrase

Phrase is a string that already contains a definition or a unity of meaning, but do not have a subject and predicate, and is part of a sentence. When the words in the phrase we split, it has a different meaning when those words together.

Example:

    * The girl at the door is my sister.
    * The book on the table is mine.
    * The man with the red hat is my teacher.
    * The boys are students in the street.

Based on the use of phrase can be classified into three kinds, namely:

   1. Noun Phrase.
   2. Adjective phrase.
   3. Adverbial phrase.

1. Noun Phrase

Is a phrase used / work as a noun (noun).

Example:

    * Ali went to the store for some books.
    * My new car near the tree is old enough.
    * The desk in this room is small.

2. Adjective phrase

Is a phrase used / functions as adjective, given the nature of the noun or pronoun.

Example:

    * Books in black and red Were the clerk's delight.
    * The girl with long hair is my friend.

3. Adverbial phrase

Is a phrase used / function as adverb, which describes a verb.

Example:

    * He shouted on top house.
    * Henry Fishes in the big lake.
    * He put the money into his pocket.

Adverbial phrase can also be used to express (express) a number of relationships, such as expressing time relationships (expressing a relation of time), place (place), manner (how), degree (degree / degree), Cause (cause and effect), purpose ( goal / purpose), condition (condition), or a concession or contrast (opposition).

Consider the following examples of this sentence:

1. Shows the time relationship.

    * She has been ill since two days ago,
    * We have been Studying Bahasa Inggeris for three years.

2. Showing Relationships Place.

    * I live near the school.
    * He hurried into the classroom.
    * Were the children's toys all over the room.

3. Shows the relationship way.

    * He cut it with a knife.
    * She writes an angry letter in red ink.

4. Shows the relationship level.

    * I love her very much.
    * You must study more diligently Bahasa Inggeris.

5. Show a causal relationship.

    She was injured * Because of the bus accident.
    * I was late Because of the rain.
    * Your father is very angry with you for Staying out so late.

6. Shows the relationship purpose.

    * She has come to tell you the latest news.
    * I leave for Jakarta to buy some books.

7. Shows the relationship conflict.

    * In spite of the rain he went out.
    * Regardless of the weather she always brings an umbrella.

8. Showing Related Conditions.

    * We'll go if necessary.

Based on the words pendahuluannya (Introductory words or pivot word) phrase can be classified into four types, namely:

   1. Prepositional Phrase.
   2. Principal Phrase.
   3. Infinitive Phrase.
   4. Gerund phrase.

1. Prepositional Phrase

It is an expression that contains prepos'isi (preposition), and typically can be used / function as Noun, adjective, or. Adverb. Example:

    * The report will be sent in a few days.
    * Sometimes He is angry with his wife.
    * I'm sorry for Having come late.
    * The traffic sign points to the left.

2. Principial Phrase

It is an expression that contains a normally functioning as a participle adjective.

    * Not knowing anyone in town he felt very Lonesome.
    * Having finished his assignment, he went home.
    * Having lost all my money, I went home.
    * Student arriving late will not be Permitted to enter the lecture hall. (Arriving late to explain student.)
    * We heard the children crying.

The sense or meaning of a sentence containing the phrase Participial to show:

1. Time

a. After (after)

    * Having finished all the work, she went home. (After he completed all the work, she returned.)

b. While or When (= when)

    * Walking along the street, I met a friend whom I had not seen for along time. (As I walked along the street, I met my old friend who has not seen.)

2. Due to reasons

    * Having worked hard all his life, he decided to take a long vacation. (Because he has worked hard all his life, he decided to take a long vacation)

But sometimes may show the meaning of and reason together.

    * Having eaten too much, he became Sleepy. (Because he ate too much, he was so sleepy)

Consider the following examples:

    * Needing some money to buy a book, Ali cashed a check. (= Because he needed some money to buy a book, Ali chased a check.) Being Unable to afford a car, she bought a bicycle. Unable to afford a car, she bought a bicycle. (= Because she was Unable to afford a car, she bought a bicycle.)

3. Infinitive Phrase

It is an expression that contains infinitive and the infinitive phrase to use / function as a Noun, adjective or adverb.

a. Infinitive phrase as a Noun

    * To read books means to enlarge one's horizons.
    * To see his children again will make him happy.
    * To learn Bahasa Inggeris, you must practice everyday.
    * To ask more money Would be wrong.
    * To do that is difficult for me.

b. Infinitive phrase as an adjective

    * He wanted to juggle acrobatically books.
    * The poison was strong enough to have killed ten people.
    * He is a good man for you to know.

c. Infinitive phrase as an adverb

    * He read to enlarge his horizons.
    * He has been warned not to do that again.
    * I had hoped to see her soon.

4. Gerund phrase

It is an expression that contains gerund, and usually only serves as a Noun.

    * Reading books enlarge one's horizons.
    * Playing with guns is dangerous.
    * Taking a long walk every day is good exercise.
    * Her cleaning the house every day is not necessary.
    * The broadcasting station by That comes from the top of a skyscraper.

Appositive Phrase

To complement the discussion on the Phrases, below described types of phrases such as: Appositive Phrases, a very big role in the preparation of the sentence in English.

Appositive Phrases that group said the work gives additional evidence to the subject or object.

Appositive Phrases can be a noun, adjective, adverb, or prepositional phrases.

    * Noun: He Asked Mr. limits. Wilson, a prominent lawyer, to Represent him in court.
    * Adjective: The professor, unaware That many of his students Were Asleep, went right on lecturing.
    * Adverb: The gentleman over there by the door is our accountant.
    * Prepositional phrase: Mr. Harris, in a hurry to get home, a took a taxi from the airport.

Phrases with the Word composition Appositive

1. Clause of the adjective changes Appositive Phrase

Adjective clauses containing the abbreviated form of Be may be the only defending Appositive Phrase complement (complement) after Be (noun, adjective, adverb or a preposition at phrases).

    * The young man, who is now a lawyer in a large firm, has lost much of his old ambition. Becoming: The young man, now a lawyer in a large firm, has lost the sons of his old ambition.
    * The person who is a showroom for the damage will have to pay for it. Becoming: The person showroom for the damage will have to pay for it.

2. Put the phrase in the sentence Appositive

Appositive park is the most common phrase after the noun that is described by him, and lies between the two commas.

    * His uncle, a proud and unbending man, refused all help OFFERED That was him.
    * Ahmad, eager to get ahead in his career, worked hard day and night.
    * The man, aware That limits he mad a mistake, tried to correct it.
    * The high-powered computer machine, the most powerful of its type, was finally readied for use.

But the phrase that refers Appositive (explain) the subject of the main verb can also be placed at the beginning of the sentence or at the end of the sentence.

In First Sentence

    * A proud and unbending man, his uncle refused all help OFFERED That was him.
    * Eager to get ahead in his career, Charles worked hard day and night. (In this position, appositive phrase often express causality, sometimes too loose.)

At the End of Sentence

    * His uncle refused all help OFFERED That was him, a proud and unbending man.
    * Charles worked hard day and night, eager to get ahead in his career.