Lecture3a: Writing the“ Paragraph” 1. After the sentence, the paragraph is the fundamental unit of communication. By organising the main subject into smaller more specific topics, the paragraph can focus on and develop these subjects more fully. a paragraph may be of any length although it is generally best not to write a single sentence as a full paragraph. USually, it requires at least three sentences to develop a topic to some degree. Most paragraphs are organised round a central idea. Each sentence must somehow relate to this idea, or the paragraph will not cohere 2. The Topic sentence Usually. the first sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about; it states the main idea of the paragraph and is called the topic sentence Example: The topic sentence for paragraph #l is italicized This semester, the freshmen at Xian Normal University felt the difference between high school and college tremendously. Many were overwhelmed by the work load. In high school, for example, they were never required to read a hundred pages night and then complete thirty questions. The freshmen class also found the standards of their professors unusually high Essays were expected to be neatly ty ped and proofread, or they would not be accepted lastly many students were not used to the responsibilities of living way from home. Overall, the freshmen year at Xian Normal University was a try ing time
1 Lecture 3a: Writing the “Paragraph” 1. After the sentence, the paragraph is the fundamental unit of communication. By organising the main subject into smaller , more specific topics, the paragraph can focus on and develop these subjects more fully. A paragraph may be of any length, although it is generally best not to write a single sentence as a full paragraph. Usually, it requires at least three sentences to develop a topic to some degree. Most paragraphs are organised around a central idea. Each sentence must somehow relate to this idea, or the paragraph will not cohere . 2. The Topic Sentence Usually, the first sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about; it states the main idea of the paragraph and is called the topic sentence Example: The topic sentence for paragraph #1 is italicized. This semester, the freshmen at Xian Normal University felt the difference between high school and college tremendously. Many were overwhelmed by the work load. In high school, for example, they were never required to read a hundred pages a night and then complete thirty questions. The freshmen class also found the standards of their professors unusually high. Essays were expected to be neatly typed and proofread, or they would not be accepted. Lastly many students were not used to the responsibilities of living way from home. Overall, the freshmen year at Xian Normal University was a trying time
Example: The topic sentence for paragraph #2 is italicized The film"Chariots of fire" is much more than just a story of young runners. Throughout the film, running serves as a metaphor for absolute determination and belief. It is through running that the two athletics strengthen their own personal beliefs and build self- confidence. The film is essentially about achieving the self- awareness necessary to reach a goal Sometimes a writer may wish to emphazize a paragraph. A summarizing sentence at the end along with the topic sentence in the beginning, frames the paragraph and draws attention to its details Example: It was against all odds, But Wang Meng managed to win the race. After being Sidelined with injuiries for half the season Wang Meng himself had given up on competing in the school marathon. His coach however encouraged him to train immediately after recovering. After weeks of training with little progress, Wang Meng finally regained his concentration and began to make progress. Entering the race, he still wasnt expected to win However, not only did Wang Meng win, but he also set a school record. It was an amazing victory! a topic sentence, however does not have to come at the beginning of a paragraph often it is found at the end or occasionally in the middle. a writer should make a conscious decision about where the topic sentence is placed. At the beginning of a paragraph it often captures readers' interest and tells them
2 Example: The topic sentence for paragraph #2 is italicized The film “Chariots of Fire” is much more than just a story of young runners. Throughout the film, running serves as a metaphor for absolute determination and belief. It is through running that the two athletics strengthen their own personal beliefs and build selfconfidence. The film is essentially about achieving the selfawareness necessary to reach a goal. Sometimes a writer may wish to emphazize a paragraph. A summarizing sentence at the end , along with the topic sentence in the beginning, frames the paragraph and draws attention to its details. Example: It was against all odds, But Wang Meng managed to win the race. After being sidelined with injuiries for half the season, Wang Meng himself had given up on competing in the school marathon. His coach, however, encouraged him to train immediately after recovering. After weeks of training with little progress, Wang Meng finally regained his concentration and began to make progress. Entering the race, he still wasn’t expected to win. However, not only did Wang Meng win, but he also set a school record. It was an amazing victory ! A topic sentence, however, does not have to come at the beginning of a paragraph. Often it is found at the end or occasionally in the middle. A writer should make a conscious decision about where the topic sentence is placed. At the beginning of a paragraph it often captures readers’ interest and tells them
what to expect. At the end of a paragraph the topic sentence can reinforce or can place emphasis on the details discussed within the paragraph Ex. We left early Saturday morning and arrived at the boat just before dawn as planned It was a beautiful and sunny day the sky was perfectly clear. Not only did i get a long needed tan, but I also actually caught five fish. It was a perfect day on the boat Practice: Underline the topic sentence in each paragraph (a)reproduction, of course, is the key to an organisms survival Failure to reproduce means no progeny. If this continues, it means an end to the species. and the offspring must be produced in sufficient numbers so that some few will survive all threats of their environment. So salmon must lay 28 million eggs in one season to survive their predators and main their ecies in the world (b) But installing telephone service for anyone who wants it is no longer our only interest. The newest developments in telecommunications-including information sharing- offer more exciting possibilities. We predict that our company will soon be
3 what to expect. At the end of a paragraph the topic sentence can reinforce or can place emphasis on the details discussed within the paragraph. Ex. We left early Saturday morning and arrived at the boat just before dawn as planned. It was a beautiful and sunny day; the sky was perfectly clear. Not only did I get a long needed tan, but I also actually caught five fish.It was a perfect day on the boat. Practice: Underline the topic sentence in each paragraph: (a)Reproduction, of course, is the key to an organism’s survival. Failure to reproduce means no progeny. If this continues, it means an end to the species. And the offspring must be produced in sufficient numbers so that some few will survive all threats of their environment. So salmon must lay 28 million eggs in one season to survive their predators and main their species in the world. (b)But installing telephone service for anyone who wants it is no longer our only interest. The newest developments in telecommunications-including information sharing- offer more exciting possibilities. We predict that our company will soon be
able to link up your home or office with the worldwide information explosion (c) This year we need to assess the impact that an aging population will have on our business. An intense interest in leisure-time activity and the money to spend on it makes this the market to capture, On the other hand, an aging population requires a more comfortable environmant an dless strenuous activities
4 able to link up your home or office with the worldwide information explosion. (c) This year we need to assess the impact that an aging population will have on our business. An intense interest in leisure-time activity and the money to spend on it makes this the market to capture, On the other hand, an aging population requires a more comfortable environmant an dless strenuous activities
3. Expanding a Topic Sentence into a Paragraph a topic sentence should be a statement of thesis i.e. it states the main idea of the paragraph. The remainder or body of the paragraph should clearly and completely prove this statement Although there are many ways to develop a topic sentence into a paragraph, the use of detailed information, is al ways necessary Remember that these details must clearly relate to the topic sentence. The following are various ways of developing a topic sentence (a) Facts: Facts are often used to substantiate historical and scientific writing. In exact sciences especially, facts are required (b)Examples; In almost any kind of writing, examples help to clarify a statement. They offer the reader evidence C Arguments: In editorials, philosophical writing, and literary criticism, for example, the argument is often used. Because these fields are not exact sciences a well-structured argument is needed to support a theory (d)Anecdote: A short account of an incident, usually personal bibliographical, entertains the reader while clarify ing a point Anecdotes are often found in narrative writing (e)Definition: By defining a term or a concept, the writer often gives an explanation
5 3. Expanding a Topic Sentence into a Paragraph A topic sentence should be a statement of thesis i.e. it states the main idea of the paragraph. The remainder or body of the paragraph should clearly and completely prove this statement. Although there are many ways to develop a topic sentence into a paragraph, the use of detailed information, is always necessary. Remember that these details must clearly relate to the topic sentence. The following are various ways of developing a topic sentence: (a) Facts: Facts are often used to substantiate historical and scientific writing. In exact sciences especially, facts are required. (b) Examples; In almost any kind of writing, examples help to clarify a statement. They offer the reader evidence. © Arguments: In editorials, philosophical writing, and literary criticism, for example, the argument is often used. Because these fields are not exact sciences, a well-structured argument is needed to support a theory. (d) Anecdote: A short account of an incident, usually personal or bibliographical, entertains the reader while clarifying a point. Anecdotes are often found in narrative writing. (e) Definition: By defining a term or a concept, the writer often gives an explanation