10 Examples of Explanatory Paragraphs

The explanatory paragraphs They are those that are used to expand the information of a text and that are usually in the footnotes or at the end of the writing.

A paragraph is a coherent unit that is made up of one or more sentences, beginning with a capital letter and ending with a capital letter. new paragraph. The texts are organized in such a way that each paragraph deals with a central theme.

In the texts there are themes, phrases or concepts that the author considers should be expanded or clarified. For this reason, in the body of a writing an asterisk (*) or a reference number (¹) is inserted after what is to be developed in depth. For example:

In colonial times* syncretism occurred in different spheres of cultural life, such as social, religious, political, economic and artistic.

In the footnotes or in the final notes, the explanatory paragraph of the concept is placed, which in this case is "the colonial era". For example:

*In Latin American countries, the colonial era is understood as the period in which a country or a region was under the rule of another, generally Spain or Portugal. This period includes the time elapsed between occupation and independence.

However, according to APA standards, in academic texts explanatory paragraphs must go on a separate sheet and after the references and must be indicated with reference numbers (¹).

• See also: Paragraph Types

Examples of clarifying paragraphs

1. Text body:

Although the Internet is believed to have replaced television, these two communication channels are now considered to be very active.*

Explanatory paragraph:

*In this country, of the people who consume current news, 43% use the Internet; 38%, television; and the remaining 19%, both. Therefore, it can be determined that there is no substantial difference between people who prefer the Internet and those who choose television.

1. Text body:

Some specialist authors on the subject consider that digital education still does not have sufficient tools to replace face-to-face education. Instead, others argue that digital education will never be able to fully replace face-to-face and traditional education.¹

Explanatory paragraph:

¹According to the conclusions of recent studies, compulsory formal education must be face-to-face. Among the justifications that are named, the most important are that children and young people need a space for socialization and that the classroom allows the creation of collective knowledge and a more fluid exchange between students and teachers.

1. Text body:

Water is a natural resource that must be used consciously, as it is becoming increasingly scarce.*

Explanatory paragraph:

*While water is a renewable resource, it is also limited. This is because fresh water occurs naturally, but the consumption level is higher than the regeneration level. For this reason, it is estimated that in the future this liquid will become a non-renewable and scarce resource.

1. Text body:

The consequences of global warming¹ modify our daily lives.

Explanatory paragraph:

¹Some of the consequences of global warming are rising sea levels and temperatures, more storms and droughts, and decreased food production.

1. Text body:

At the end of the lecture, the author argued that natural phenomena are not the same as natural disasters.*

Explanatory paragraph:

*Natural phenomena are those events that occur without human intervention. On the other hand, natural disasters are those events that cause damage of great magnitude. Therefore, only some and not all natural phenomena are also natural disasters.

1. Text body:

Verse is not synonymous with poetry and prose is not synonymous with novel.¹

Explanatory paragraph:

¹The verse is each one of the lines of a poem. Poetry is a type of literary text that usually expresses the author's subjectivity and can be written in verse or prose. Prose is continuous writing organized into sentences and paragraphs. The novel is a long narrative text that is generally in prose.

1. Text body:

Advertising texts are characterized by their brevity, wit and impact power.*

Explanatory paragraph:

*The power of impact is measured according to the ability of an advertising copy to surprise consumers. On the one hand, it depends on the length and originality. On the other hand, it varies according to the community in which the advertisement is found, since there are certain subjects more prone than others to pay attention to the advertisements.

1. Text body:

Even if the elections are still a long way off, the first candidate has the best chance of winning.¹

Explanatory paragraph:

¹According to the polls, the first candidate has 37 points; the second, 28; and the third, 17. However, these data are not definitive and it is believed that until the date of the elections the ranking can undergo major changes.

1. Text body:

Cell phone companies could not agree on how the new law will be implemented.*

Explanatory paragraph:

*According to the new law for the manufacture of electronic products, all companies must manufacture the same charger so that it can be used in cell phones of different brands. The objective of this law is to produce less garbage and, therefore, less pollution.

1. Text body:

The author assures that the impact of deforestation is increasingly strong in cities.¹

Explanatory paragraph:

¹Deforestation mainly affects the space in which forests or jungles have been eliminated. But it can also have serious consequences in remote urban areas and across the globe, for example, changes in climate and air.

Interactive test to practice

Follow with:

• introductory paragraphs
• informational paragraphs
• expository paragraphs
• enumeration paragraphs
• development paragraphs
• concluding paragraphs

References

• Cassany, D. (1993). The writing kitchen. Anagram.
• Torres, S., González Bonorino, A. and Vavilova, I. (2017). The Citation and Bibliographic Reference. Guide based on APA standards. USES Library.