Typical Paragraph Review

Topic Sentence:- first sentence of the paragraph- states the subject of the paragraphSupporting Sentences:- there should be at least three main supporting ideas.- all supporting sentences should refer back to the topic sentence; if it does not connect to thetopic sentence, it belongs in a separate paragraph-These three main supporting sentences should have supporting evidence or examples.

Concluding Sentence:- last sentence in the paragraph- It signals the end of the paragraph, gives a logical conclusion or in larger essays provides a thesis statement.

Cats are the perfect animal. Not only are they cute and fluffy, but they also love to play.

Feeding and caring for a cat is easy, because they are not picky eaters and they do not need to bewalked.

Cats are extremely loving, and they are very loyal companions.

In every way, a cat is a wonderful animal to have as a pet.

NB* This is still not perfect … Can you tell why?

Some Formatting Issues• Topic Sentences, Body & Conclusions.• Formatting Does:• Indent for the first line of the paragraph.• Only indent the first line.• Have sentences grouped together without line ends.• Use capitals, periods and other grammatical conventions.

Doc Naming – Name_Para(number)Eg. 09876543_Damian_Par1

Not like this ... My hometown brisbane is known for its relaxed atmosphere, its

climate and favourable location. Firstly, brisbane has a relaxed atmosphere. This is due to the

locals attitudes to work and leisure time. Also there are many outdoor eating and recreational areas. For example, the Riverside has cafes and bars, etc.

Its climate is also fabulous. People enjoying swimming and outdoor activities year round. But you can do these things in Sydney too if you want to visit other places.

Brisbane is located close to the Sunshine coast and gold Coast. It has a favourable location being so close to them and these cities are popular with tourists.Australia is a great place to visit.

Selecting a good topic sentence.• Bilingual dictionaries can help non-native learner in two

important ways.• In a bilingual dictionary, the information is presented in two

different languages.-----------• Fossils are the remains of plants or animals that died a long

time ago.• There are numerous techniques that scientists use to

discover the true age of a fossil.-----------• The cost of living is rising.• Rising living costs can be attributed to a number of

different factors.

Pick the bad topic sentence(s).• Make sure it has a main subject and controlling idea.

1. Teaching can be used in many different situations.2. Teaching has changed enormously in the last 10 years.3. Different teaching methods can appeal to different people.4. Teaching has been around for a long time.

Pick one (1-3) ABOVE and tell your partner what the paragraph will be about.

Mix and match• 1. People can avoid burglaries by taking certain precautions.

J. (The precautions for…) • 2. There are several advantages to growing up in a small town.

• 3. Most US universities require a 550 point TOEFL score for a number of reasons.

• 4. Air pollution in Mexico City is the worst in the world for a number of reasons.

• 5. Fixing a flat tire on a bicycle is easy if you follow these steps.

• 6. There are several enjoyable ways to travel between the US and Queretaro.

• 7. Animals in danger of becoming extinct come from a wide range of countries.

• 8. Effective leadership requires specific qualities that anyone can develop.

• 9. Industrial waste poured into Lake Michigan has led to dramatic changes in its ability to support marine life.

• 10. In order to fully explore the wreck of the Titanic, scientists must address several problems.

A. (The ways to…) or (The methods of…)B. (The causes of…) or (The effects of…)C. (The advantages of…)D. (The different countries… [parts, kinds, types])E. (The effects of…)F. (The difficulties of…) or (The obstacles to…)G.(The steps for…) H. (The qualities (or characteristics or traits) of…) I. (The reasons for…)J. (The precautions for…)

Write topic sentences for these• A paragraph about:-• The possible causes of student misbehaviour in

class.

• The suicide rate amongst young Koreans.

• Teenage promiscuity and drinking.

Discuss ...

In summary – topic sentences.• It is important to think, first about the topic and then what you want to say about

the topic. Most often, the topic is easy, but the question then turns to what you want to say about the topic which is the controlling idea.

• It will provide you, the author, the means to stay focused on your objective & will provide readers with the tools they need to clearly understand what you have to say.

• It acts as a signpost for the argument of the paper as a whole, but it also defines the scope of the paragraph itself.

• Like a thesis statement, a topic sentence makes a claim of some sort. As the thesis statement is the unifying force in the essay, so the topic sentence must be the unifying force in the paragraph. Topic sentences make a point and give reasons or examples to support it.

• It should guide the whole paragraph.• It should not be a well known fact.• It needs to be specific but not too specific.• It must contain a controlling idea.

Conclusions

• A concluding sentence serves 2 main purposes:1. It signals the end of the paragraph.2. Logical conclusion by:a. It summarises the main points of the paragraph or

restating the main idea.b. Offering a suggestion, opinion or prediction.End of paragraph signals:

Comma No commaFinally, As a result, In conclusion, Indeed, In summary, In brief, Therefore, In short, Thus,

We can see that ... It is clear that ... These examples show that ... There can be no doubt that ... The evidence suggests that ...

5 elements of good writing:

• Purpose -> inform, persuade or entertain.• Audience : Who are you writing for ? How are

we writing for them?• Clarity -> clear, unambiguous.• Unity -> same goal, aim or focus.• Coherence -> sticks together.

Purpose -> inform, persuade or entertain.

• Making a purpose statement might help in your writing.

• Topic: The effects of insufficient sleep.• Purpose statement: Is to tell the negative

effects or results of not getting enough sleep.

Audience and viewpoint.• viewpoint (1st-3rd Person)

• First – (I, we, me, us, mine, ours) – personal exp.• e.g.• Second(you, your(s)) – informal writing,

instructions• e.g.• Third (he, she, it, they, him, her, theirs) –

academic• e.g.

• formal or informal.

Clarity - “Clean, clear and naked.” fighter pilot

• Clarity = clear and concise. So the reader can understand your writing through clear points.

• Sentences aren’t vague or indirect; specific and concise language is used.

• Improve through descriptive (precise) words.• Clear pronoun references.

Yes...(or) Yes, I did take the dog for a walk!

• The guy went to the repair shop. • Damian went to the phone repair shop to pick

up his phone.• The food was tasty.

And Appropriate Pronoun Use ...clarity...

Children should not be allowed to play computer games. They say that these games are detrimental to a students development.

One of the easiest dishes to prepare is hummus. Hummus is a very thick dip made from mashed garbanzo beans. They are mixed with tahini paste. It tastes great.

• Unity = same ideas within the one paragraph. No disjointed or ideas out of place.

• So, all the sentences are related to the topic sentence and its controlling idea.

• Find the sentence that doesn’t belong...Cleaning your room is not difficult if you follow some simple

guidelines. First, you must pick up all of your clothes off the floor. Then you need to decide which clothes are dirty and which clothes are clean and put them in their appropriate places. It is important to wash your clothes with good-quality laundry detergent to keep them looking neat and clean. After that, you should put away any items that are out of place. The next step is to dust of all your furniture, such as your nightstand or dresser. The final step is to mop or vacuum the floor, depending on its surface. Once you have finished these steps, you can relax as you think about your good work.

Unity (part of coherence)“Stay on Topic”

Does this paragraph have unity?

Exercise is really good for one’s physical and mental health. It is proven that aerobic exercise is good for the heart, which is very important to overall health. I used to run every day, but now I go to dance classes to get my aerobic exercise. Strength training is important for maintaining muscle mass and improving bone density. Both muscle mass and bone density can decrease as we age, so improving them through strength training is important. My grandmother broke a hip last year because her bones were so fragile. All kinds of exercise have been shown to relieve depression, anxiety, and stress.

Coherence – connecting ideas

• Literally means “stick together”• All the ideas in a paragraph flow smoothly from one sentence

to the next sentence.Achieved by:• Use transitions and logical order.• use nouns and pronouns consistently throughout a paragraph• repetition of key words and parallelism. (I won’t be covering…)• Put Your Ideas into Some Kind of Logical Order, such as logical

division of ideas.

Transitions – connecting ideas.

1. I met a girl _____ fell in love. ________ we got bored and broke up.

2&3. My ex-girlfriend was great. _________ my new partner is great too, ________ she’s different to my ex.

4&5. My ex-girlfriend was great. ________ she cheated a lot. ___________ she kissed my best friend once!

6. There are many elements to good relationship, ________________ unity, coherence and cohesion are essential in finding love.

6. She was always doing nice things for me. __________________ she often brought me lunch when I was too busy. __________ she was wonderful.

7. _______________, I should never have broken up with her.

8. Tell your partner an anecdote or something that has happened recently using time sequencing ...

Nouns and pronouns.• For example, if you begin with plural noun

such as students, don’t change to singular. In addition, don’t change pronouns; don’t switch from you to they or he for no reason. Be consistent!

• Awkward: An employee must wear his or her ID badge at all times.

• Better: Employees must wear their ID badges at all times.

Repetition & logical order• Key words used to keep the reader focused on the topic.• Sequencing or through division of ideas.• You can use logical division to organize many kinds of topics, for example:• Reason for owning an iPad/blackberry/PDA, for exercising/not exercising, for learning English, for being a teacher, etc.• Kinds of teachers/foods /drivers/friends/students/bosses etc.• Types of books/movies/music/TV program I like/don’t like etc.• Advantages or disadvantages of living in a small town/big city/college dormitory, of being the youngest child/twin, etc.• Quality of a good boss/good employee/good friend/teacher/parent etc.

Many fast-food chains make their profits from adding a special ingredient called "forget sauce" to their foods(1). Made largely from edible oil products, this condiment is never listed on the menu(2). In addition, this well-kept industry secret is the reason why ingredients are never listed on the packaging of victuals sold by these restaurants(3). "Forget sauce" has a chemical property which causes temporary amnesia in consumers(4). After spending too much money on barely edible food bereft of any nutritional value, most consumers swear they will never repeat such a disagreeable experience(5). Within a short period, however, the chemical in "forget sauce" takes effect, and they can be depended upon to return and spend, older but no wiser(6).

1. If this sentence controls the paragraph that follows, then all sentences in the paragraph must relate in some way to fast food, profit, and "forget sauce": 2. This sentence fits in with the topic sentence because it is a description of the composition of "forget sauce.“3. The transitional phrase "In addition" relates the composition of "forget sauce" to secret fast-food industry practices.4. Now the paragraph moves on to the short-term effect on consumers:5. This sentence describes its longer-term effects:6. Finally, I finish the paragraph by "proving" the claim contained in the topic sentence, that many fast-food chains make their profits from adding a special ingredient called "forget sauce" to their foods.

Work Time ... • Using clarity, unity and coherence, write a paragraph on ONE:-• 1. Why I'll be a good teacher.• 2. What makes a good teacher?• 3. What elements make a good writer?• 4. What is your main concern about becoming a teacher?• 5. What is your philosophy of teaching?• 6. The steps in writing a paragraph.(OR)• Smoking / drinking• Prejudice• Pollution• Teaching• Work / dream job• Korea (specifically)• Sport

– First narrow down the topics– Then brainstorm some specifics– After that think of some topic sentences for all of them and then choose the one you like.– Then fill in the support and examples you’ll use.

• I will allow 1st or 3rd Person. But it might be better to try 3rd.• Remember to plan your paragraph first.• Due next Tuesday ;-)

• Why I don’t Have a Credit Card• There are three reasons I don’t have a credit card. The first reason is that

using a piece of plastic instead of cash makes it too easy for me to buy things I can’t afford. For instance, last week I saw a $75.00 pair of pink sandals in my favorite shoe store. Of course, I don’t need pink sandals, nor can I afford them. With a credit card, however, I would now own those sandals and be worrying about how to pay for them. The second reason I don’t have a credit card is that I would end up in debt like my friend Sara the shopaholic. Sara got a credit last year, and she already owes $4,000. She buys things that she doesn’t really need such as jewelry and designer sunglasses. Sara makes only minimum payments, so her balance never decreases. She will be in debt for years. The third reason I don’t have a credit card is the difficulty in understanding the fine print in the credit card contract. If I don’t read the fine print, I can be surprised. For example, some credit companies will raise my interest rate if I make payment even one day late. To sum up, credit cards may be a convenience for some people, but for me, they are plastic ticket to financial disaster.

• http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/partopic.html• http://eslbee.com/topic_sentences.htm• http://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/index.php?category_id=2&sub_category_id=1&article_id=29• Great Essays