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
Comparison and Contrast: By comparing and contrasting people and theories, the essential qualities of the two are highlighted (g)Analogy: In an analogy, something can be explained by comparing it point by point with something else. As in comparison and contrast, an analogy can bring out the essential qualities of a subject (h) Cause and effect: In scientific writing, a cause and effect relationship must be stated with accuracy. It usually involves the use of data. In other kinds of writing, cause and effect analysis can be made from more general observation The above devices are not simply ways of developing a topic sentence into a paragraph, When the development is carried through logically and thoroughly, this also helps the internal organization of the essay by structurally and by giving the paragraphs coherence
6 (f) Comparison and Contrast: By comparing and contrasting people and theories, the essential qualities of the two are highlighted. (g) Analogy: In an analogy, something can be explained by comparing it point by point with something else. As in comparison and contrast, an analogy can bring out the essential qualities of a subject. (h) Cause and Effect: In scientific writing, a cause and effect relationship must be stated with accuracy. It usually involves the use of data. In other kinds of writing, cause and effect analysis can be made from more general observation. The above devices are not simply ways of developing a topic sentence into a paragraph, When the development is carried through logically and thoroughly, this also helps the internal organization of the essay by structurally and by giving the paragraphs coherence
4. Lack of Unity in a Paragraph A well-written paragraph is unified. It is focussed on one topic If a second central idea is included, it produces a confusing result. Added ideas often enter into writing when a writer digresses or includes irrelevant details. In the following examples, the second topic is italicized No: The history is quite interesting. Zhang has always been found of diving. When he was only seven, he was jumping from the high diver; at ten, he was a medallist on a diving team Yes: Zhang has al ways been found of diving. When he was only seven. he was jumping from the high dive: at ten he was a medallist on a diving team No: My brother lives in beijing he found a nice apartment on Avenue 1. He likes to read. Although the landlord doesn't allow pets, my brother has two cats. The cats seem to understand the situation, because they hide behind the refrigerator whenever someone comes to the door Yes: My brother lives in Beijing. He found a nice apartment on Avenue 1. Although the landlord doesnt allow pets, my brother has two cats The cats seem to understand the situation because they hide behind the refrigerator whenever someone comes to the door
7 4. Lack of Unity in a Paragraph A well-written paragraph is unified. It is focussed on one topic. If a second central idea is included, it produces a confusing result. Added ideas often enter into writing when a writer digresses or includes irrelevant details. In the following examples, the second topic is italicized. No: The history is quite interesting. Zhang has always been found of diving. When he was only seven, he was jumping from the high diver; at ten, he was a medallist on a diving team. Yes: Zhang has always been found of diving. When he was only seven, he was jumping from the high dive; at ten, he was a medallist on a diving team. No: My brother lives in Beijing. He found a nice apartment on Avenue 1. He likes to read. Although the landlord doesn’t allow pets, my brother has two cats. The cats seem to understand the situation, because they hide behind the refrigerator whenever someone comes to the door. Yes: My brother lives in Beijing. He found a nice apartment on Avenue 1. Although the landlord doesn’t allow pets, my brother has two cats. The cats seem to understand the situation, because they hide behind the refrigerator whenever someone comes to the door
5. Lack of Consistency In writing, consistency is as important as unity. abrupt changes in point of view and tone should be avoided Point of view is the lace from which or the way in which something is viewed or considered it is the writer's standpoint. point of view can also refer to the attitude a writer has toward a subject. Tone, which is related to point of view, is the manner of speaking that shows a certain attitude a particular tone such as informal or dramatic, is achieved by word choice and phrasing 5.1 Point of vi No: The old woman shuffled into the room, her eyes glued to the floor. Her clothes had been carefully chosen; they were her very best. Someone coughed nervously, and a chair scraped the floor I think it was mr. Zhao 's chair Yes: The old woman shuffled into the room, her eyes glued to the floor. Her clothes had been carefully chosen, they were her very best. Someone coughed nervously, and a chair, probably Mr Zhao's scraped the floor
8 5. Lack of Consistency In writing, consistency is as important as unity. Abrupt changes in point of view and tone should be avoided. Point of view is the place from which or the way in which something is viewed or considered; it is the writer’s standpoint. Point of view can also refer to the attitude a writer has toward a subject. Tone, which is related to point of view, is the manner of speaking that shows a certain attitude. A particular tone, such as informal, or dramatic, is achieved by word choice and phrasing. 5.1 Point of View No: The old woman shuffled into the room, her eyes glued to the floor. Her clothes had been carefully chosen;they were her very best. Someone coughed nervously., and a chair scraped the floor. I think it was Mr. Zhao’s chair. Yes: The old woman shuffled into the room, her eyes glued to the floor. Her clothes had been carefully chosen, they were her very best. Someone coughed nervously, and a chair, probably Mr. Zhao’s scraped the floor
No: Ah Lan held the papers tightly in her hand. "Let me see those, the teacher demanded, beckoning with a grasping motion We knew that the papers were notes meant for Ah meng, and the teacher probably guessed as well Yes: Ah lan held the papers tightly in her hand "Let me see those the teacher demanded beckoning with a grasping motion The papers were notes meant for Ah Meng, and the teacher probably knew it 5.2Tone No: At a special press conference at the white House today, the president offered reporters details of his new economic policy Many economists believe it's about time the president did something Yes: At a special press conference at the White House today, the president offered reporters details of his new economic policy. Many economists believe it is a good time for the president to implement his new plan
9 No: Ah Lan held the papers tightly in her hand. “Let me see those,” the teacher demanded, beckoning with a grasping motion.. We knew that the papers were notes meant for Ah Meng, and the teacher probably guessed as well. Yes: Ah Lan held the papers tightly in her hand. “Let me see those,” the teacher demanded, beckoning with a grasping motion. The papers were notes meant for Ah Meng, and the teacher probably knew it. 5.2Tone No: At a special press conference at the White House today, the president offered reporters details of his new economic policy. Many economists believe it’s about time the president did something Yes: At a special press conference at the White House today, the president offered reporters details of his new economic policy. Many economists believe it is a good time for the president to implement his new plan
The key word in writing a paragraph and ultimately an essay is focus. This is actually what has been stressed so far. That is why the topic sentence is such an important element. Problems of clarity, unity, repetition and consistency rarely occur when a writer has clearly defined the subject. But focus in writing does not come from merely researching a topic. Writing is a thoughtful process. When there is understanding, a focus cannot help but develop
10 The key word in writing a paragraph and ultimately an essay is focus. This is actually what has been stressed so far. That is why the topic sentence is such an important element. Problems of clarity, unity, repetition, and consistency rarely occur when a writer has clearly defined the subject. But focus in writing does not come from merely researching a topic. Writing is a thoughtful process. When there is understanding, a focus cannot help but develop
