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Reverse outlining (from stage 1 of revision) not only helps you with idea structure; it can also\u00a0help you analyze idea development, to determine whether you have \u201cnot enough\u201d or \u201ctoo much\u201d written at places in your essay. If you see multiple main ideas in one paragraph, for example, you may not have given each idea enough development.\r\n\r\nAs you revise for idea development, make sure you have at least a paragraph \u2013 and\u00a0often more \u2013 for each topic sentence idea. Make sure that you have developed your paragraphs and units of support with examples and details appropriate\u00a0to your purpose and audience.\r\n\r\nFor example, consider the following two paragraphs.\u00a0 What characterizes the well-developed one which leaves you, as a reader,\u00a0more satisfied that you have a fuller understanding?\r\nTraveling to Tokyo was a revelation, especially when compared with traveling to New York City.\u00a0 First of all, Tokyo is ultra-modern in terms of transportation and services.\u00a0 Coming into the airport, we had the option of shipping our bags to our destination, thus avoiding the hassle of hauling luggage and allowing us to take inexpensive public transportation to our hotel.\u00a0 The airport train runs frequently, quickly, and on time; it actually leaves when it's supposed to leave.\u00a0 In the airport as well as in other train stations, there's often\u00a0a white-gloved and uniformed \"conductor\" on the station platform to help\u00a0travelers get to the right track, stand in the right place to board the train, and signal to the train conductor\u00a0that all travelers have boarded so that the train can depart on time.\u00a0To board, passengers line up quietly and politely, so that boarding can occur quickly. Within the train, passengers are quiet - a\u00a0microcosm of what to expect in all public spaces, on the street, in restaurants, in museums, and more.\u00a0 People do not talk loudly, or play loud music.\u00a0 Sounds indicating the upcoming station stop are gentle chimes.\u00a0\u00a0On the other hand, New York offers a blend of new and old in terms of transportation and services.\u00a0 While the relatively new airport train runs efficiently, there are no special luggage services or persons designated to help travelers.\u00a0 The airport train links to a subway system to get into the heart of New York City, and subway cars are often old, in keeping with the age of the system itself.\u00a0 Boarding may be a challenge if there are a lot of people; no one lines up, but you're still expected to get onto the train quickly.\u00a0 On board, you may experience a blend of sounds ranging from talking to music.\u00a0 Whatever you hear, there's usually no attempt to mute or soften the sound.\u00a0 Stations are announced with loud bells and announcements, a precursor of the sound level you can expect on New York City streets.\u00a0 Yet despite their differences, each city has a special appeal.\u00a0 While Tokyo seems to focus on creating a pleasant public experience, New York is sheer kinetic energy.<\/div>\r\nEven though the more developed paragraph is relatively long, and might be successfully broken into multiple paragraphs within a unit of support, it includes the following characteristics that make it well-developed:\r\n
- \r\n \t
- clear topic sentence that indicates a comparison of the two cities<\/li>\r\n \t
- follow-through on the order of the comparison indicated in the topic sentence (whereas the less developed paragraph switches that order)<\/li>\r\n \t
- multiple examples and details for the points about transportation, sound, and timeliness<\/li>\r\n \t
- concluding sentence that summarizes and also moves a reader to an additional insight<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nAs noted in the text The Word on College Reading and Writing<\/em>, \"here are some tips on what to strive for and what to avoid when it comes to supporting details.\" [1]\r\n
\r\n\r\n
\r\n Good support<\/strong>\r\n - \r\n \t
- Is relevant and focused (sticks to the point).<\/li>\r\n \t
- Is well developed.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Provides sufficient detail.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Is vivid and descriptive.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Is well organized.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Is coherent and consistent.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Highlights key terms and ideas.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n
Weak Support<\/strong>\r\n - \r\n \t
- Lacks a clear connection to the point that it\u2019s meant to support.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Lacks development.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Lacks detail or gives too much detail.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Is vague and imprecise.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Lacks organization.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Seems disjointed (ideas don\u2019t clearly relate to each other).<\/li>\r\n \t
- Lacks emphasis of key terms and ideas.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nAlthough the following video focuses on illustrative writing, the concepts offered about idea development can be applied to essay writing for any purpose, including logical argument, research writing, and essays using different patterns of development. The video provides examples of sparsely-developed and well-developed paragraphs, using examples and details:\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=28FyDT4cKrg[\/embed]\r\n