Primary and Secondary Development:
Developmental Components of an
Expository Paragraph

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Main Idea (stated or implied in the topic sentence)

Primary Development

Secondary Development

Primary Development in a Paragraph

"Primary development" in a paragraph is any word, phrase, or sentence that answers one or more of the critical questions--who? what? where? when? why? or how?--about the main idea in the topic sentence.

Secondary Development in a Paragraph

"Secondary development" in a paragraph is any word, phrase, or sentence that answers one or more of the critical questions--who? what? where? when? why? or how?--about primary development or other secondary development.

Two Analogies for Remembering Primary and Secondary Development

The Grammar Analogy

Secondary Primary Main Idea

Adverb Adjective Noun

The "Dallas Cowboy" Analogy

Secondary Primary Main Idea

Too Tall Jones

An Example of Primary and Secondary Development in a Paragraph

Marketing exhibitions to shopping centers is becoming difficult. Marketing directors are shifting emphasis from "dog and pony shows" to strictly high-profile advertizing. This shift is due, in great part, to merchants who find it difficult to relate displays to merchandizing. Recent research suggests also that shoppers don't come to the mall primarily to see the "Lone Ranger" or ceramics displays by local artists. In addition to shifts in marketing strategies, the recession has had its impact on salability of exhibitions. The budgets of many merchants associations have collapsed, sometimes almost overnight. Budgets for promotions are dependant upon merchant contributions each month.  When sales are down, merchants can't keep their commitments to the marketing budgets. If it comes to a choice between a contract for an exhibit and the salary of the marketing director, the exhibition will be cancelled, contract or no contract. Exhibitors dependent primarily on shopping centers are facing some hard times.

Analysis

Notice that in the paragraph above, the topic sentence appears at the beginning. Within that topic sentence, the most important word (the key idea) is "difficult," coming at the end (the periodic position) of the sentence.

There are two primary sentences: 1) Marketing directors are shifting emphasis from "dog and pony shows" to strictly high-profile advertising. 2) In addition to shifts in marketing strategies, the recession has had its impact on salability of exhibitions.

The last sentence in the paragraph is an "echo" of the topic sentence; "hard times" means the same thing as "difficult" in the topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph.

All the other sentences in the paragraph are secondary sentences, each answering one or more of the critical questions about information in the two primary sentences. Each of the secondary sentences following the first primary sentence answers the critical question of "why?" about "shifting emphasis." Each provides a different reason for the "shifting emphasis." Those secondary sentences following the reference to the recession explain "what happens to budgets" and "how budgets are made and broken."

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This page was last modified on September 13, 2011,
and is maintained by Dr. Geoffrey Grimes.