Writing is developed when the ideas are explained in sufficient detail. You need to show that you have thought about the topic and that you have something meaningful to say. Paragraphs that lack development often sound too general or are redundant.

You can develop a paragraph by adding supporting sentences. Supporting sentences can give examples, explanations, details, descriptions, facts, reasons, etc. Which types of supporting sentences you use will depend on your topic. In researched essays, using and explaining sources can also help you develop your ideas.

Compare the examples below. The first body paragraph is not developed well. The ideas are repeated and there are no solid examples, details, reasons, etc. Find the supporting sentences in the revised version that help develop the ideas.

The first example paragraph had poor development because the ideas stopped too soon. The writer basically only said that tsunamis can be casued by earthquakes and other events, but that didn't really support the topic sentence. Because the ideas in the 1st paragraph stop too soon and didn't give enough information, the reader feels like the paragraph is repetitive and obvious.

The revised body paragraph has better development. It also stated that tsunamis can be caused by earthquakes, but it did not stop too soon. It provides more details about the impact of this type of tsunami and how they are caused. The 2nd paragraph gives enough information to explain the main idea, so the reader isn't confused.

Problems with Development

Two common problems with development are

1. the obvious lack of development due to missing details
2. the less obvious lack of development due to off-topic details.

The first may be thought of as a matter of quantity; there is not a variety of details to explain the main idea. The second may be thought of as a matter of quality; the details written don't actually support the main idea. 

The first problem is easy to see when you look at a paragraph. The paragraph itself may be smaller or shorter because there just aren't any supporting sentences written. Or, the paragraph may look long visually, but the sentences just repeat the same idea over and over, so there is actually only one or two supporting details instead of many. The reader can't understand the main idea well because the supporting details that would explain it are so limited. 

The second problem might be more difficult to see because when you look at the paragraph, it visually looks full. It seems like there are many details supporting the main idea. However, many of the sentences aren't actually about the main idea, so they don't count. The reader can't understand the main idea well, because there aren't really that many details explaining it. Once you get rid of the off-topic sentences, you may notice that you don't have many sentences with on-topic sentences left. This brings you back to problem 1: not having enough development.

See the flow chart below for more about these problems. 

Image: Barraza 2022

Developing Questions

You can revise a paragraph that lacks development by adding supporting sentences. In order to know what supporting details the reader needs to understand your main idea, you can ask developing questions. Developing questions are questions that help you think like a reader to find where to add support. 

You can start revising a paragraph by asking questions about the topic sentence (or the other supporting sentences). Ask questions like "Why?" "Like what?" and "How?" The answers to these questions can give you ideas to include that will develop your paragraph.

In order to revise the paragraph, the author might have asked questions like the ones below.  

Sentence Being Considered: One of the most common causes of tsunami is an earthquake.

• Question: What does that mean?
  • Answer: There is a cause-effect relationship between earthquakes and tsunamis
• Question: How do earthquakes cause tsunamis?
  • Answer: It moves the water suddenly and creates a big wave
• Question: Why do earthquakes cause dangerous tsunamis?
  • Answer: Because you can't predict them and they create waves quickly.
• Question: Do all earthquakes create a tsunami?
  • Answer: No. It needs to be close to the coast 

Exercises