To develop a point, state it, explain why it is true, and give a concrete example. This turns a claim into a short paragraph a reader can believe.
The skill appears in every extended response in reports and extended responses, and it is what separates a long answer from a full answer. Length alone does not develop a point.
What does a developed point look like?
A developed point has three parts.
- Point: the main idea in one sentence.
- Reason: why the point is true, often starting with because, since or as.
- Example: a specific case, name, number or situation, often introduced by for example or for instance.
An optional fourth part is a short link back, such as This means that… or As a result…, which ties the paragraph to the aim of the report.
How to develop a point, step by step
- Write the point as a clear sentence that could be argued with.
- Ask “why?” and answer with a reason that adds new information.
- Ask “for example?” and choose something specific, such as a number, a place or a short situation.
- Connect the parts with linking words so the reader sees the logic.
- Read it back and check that the reason is not just the point repeated.
- Add a link back only if the paragraph needs to show why it matters.
Worked example
Task: a club report suggests that the school should open the computer room after lessons.
Step 1, point: The computer room should open until 4.30 p.m. on two days a week.
Step 2, why: Many students have no reliable internet or computer at home.
Step 3, example: Four of the 20 students interviewed said they share one family laptop with two brothers or sisters.
Steps 4 to 6, together:
The computer room should open until 4.30 p.m. on two days a week. This would help students who have no reliable computer at home, because they cannot finish online research or typed assignments in the evening. For example, four of the 20 students interviewed share one family laptop with two brothers or sisters, so they wait until late at night to use it. As a result, extra opening hours would give them a fair chance to complete the same work as everyone else.
Each sentence adds something new: the claim, the reason, the evidence, then the consequence.
The mistake to watch for
A common slip is to repeat the point in different words and call it a reason.
Mistaken paragraph: The computer room should open later. A later opening time would be a good idea because it would be better if it opened later.
The second and third sentences say the same thing as the first. The reader learns nothing new.
The correction is to ask “what would convince someone who disagrees?” The answer is a real reason (no computer at home) and a real example (a shared laptop). The writing revision compare view helps you check whether the second draft adds information or only adds words.
Check yourself
1. Which sentence gives a reason, and which gives an example? (a) “For instance, three students said they walk home at 2 p.m. because the library is closed.” (b) “Students need a place to study because home can be noisy.”
Show answer
(a) is an example: it gives a specific case with a number. (b) is a reason: it explains why students need the place, without a specific case.
2. Add a reason and an example to this point: “The school should add a second water cooler.”
Show answer
One possible answer: “The school should add a second water cooler. The only cooler is far from the sports field, so students waste part of their break walking to it. For example, five of the 18 students I asked said they skip drinking water after PE because the queue is too long.”
3. What is wrong with: “Reading is good because reading is useful”?
Show answer
The reason repeats the point. “Good” and “useful” mean almost the same thing here. A better reason names a benefit, such as “because it helps students meet new words in context”.
Where this leads next
Once your points are well supported, the next step is to make sure the tone suits the reader, in use a balanced register. The reports practice set then checks all the skills in one task.
Students often know the pattern but run out of specific examples under time pressure. A teacher in online one-to-one English as a Second Language tuition can help you build a bank of realistic examples to draw on.