PARAGRAPH
WRITING
We have learned that a
paragraph is a group of about 6-12 sentences developing the main idea about a
topic. Every sentence in a good paragraph is related to the same topic. All the
sentences are arranged logically to explain the main idea about that topic so that
the reader can easily understand what the writer wants to say.
A paragraph is usually
built up by three types of sentences.
·
Topic sentence
·
Supporting sentences
·
Concluding sentence (not all paragraphs
have a concluding sentence)
Today we will
continue to work on writing a paragraph. We will practice writing the topic
sentence for a paragraph.
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THE TOPIC SENTENCE
A
topic sentence states the topic of the paragraph
and the controlling idea of the topic.
Example:
Exercise regularly can bring many
benefits to the body.
Topic
controlling idea
Exercise 1
Some
of the sentences given in the list are suitable to be used as topic sentence
for the paragraph. Which of them are suitable topic sentences for the paragraph that you plan to write?
A.
(A paragraph on how to train a cat)
1. This paragraph is about how to train
a cat.
2. Before a cat learns anything, it
first teaches its owner a lesson in humility.
3. Everything you wouldn't have thought
to ask about training a cat.
4. Training a cat takes physical
stamina.
5. Animal training is a complicated
subject.
B.
(A paragraph about scuba diving)
1. The excitement of scuba diving.
2. My childhood fascination with scuba
diving.
3. It is very interesting to experience
scuba diving.
4. The sport of scuba diving has always
excited me.
5. Since I was a child, I've been
fascinated by scuba diving.
Exercise
2
Choose the best
topic sentence from the three given sentences for each group of supporting
sentences. Write it on the line provided.
Example:
___________(b)_________.
I usually go skiing every weekend in the winter even though it is expensive. I
love the feeling of flying down a mountain. The views are beautiful from the
top of a mountain and along the trails. Even the danger of falling and getting
hurt can’t keep me away from the slopes on a winter day.
a)
Skiing is expensive.
b)
Skiing is my favourite sport.
c)
Skiing is dangerous.
1.)
_____________________. North Americans send cards for many occasions. They send
cards to family and friends on birthdays and holidays. They also send thank-you
cards, get well cards, graduation cards, and congratulation cards. It is very
common to buy cards in stores and send them through the mail, but turning on
the computer and sending cards over the Internet is also popular.
a)
Sending cards is very popular in North America.
b)
Birthday cards are the most popular kind of card.
c) It
is important to send thank-you cards.
2.)
________________________. I enjoy summer sports like water skiing and baseball.
The weather is usually sunny and hot, so I can go to the beach almost every
day. Gardening is my hobby and I spend many summer days working in my garden.
Unfortunately, the days pass too quickly in summer.
a) I
like to garden in summer.
b)
Summer is my favourite season.
c)
Summer is too short.
3.)
______________________. First of all, we need money to repair old roads and
build new roads. We also need more to pay teachers’ salaries and to pay for
services such as trash collection. Finally, more tax money is needed to give
financial help to the poor citizens of the city. It is clear that the city will
have serious problems if taxes are not raised soon.
a) We
should raise city taxes.
b)
City taxes are too high.
c)
City taxes pay for new roads.
4.)
_______________________ . For example, a person can have breakfast in New York,
board an airplane, and have dinner in Paris. A businesswoman in London can
instantly place an order with a factory in Hong Kong by sending a fax.
Furthermore, a schoolboy in Tokyo can turn on a TV and watch a baseball game
being played in Los Angeles.
a)
Airplanes have changed our lives.
b)
Advances in technology have made the world seem smaller.
c)
The fax machine was an important invention.
5.)
________________________ . One thing you must consider is the quality of the
university’s educational program. You also need to think about the school’s
size and location. Finally, you must be sure to consider the university’s
tuition to make sure you can afford to go to school there.
a) It
is expensive to attend a university in the United States.
b)
There are several factors to consider when you choose a university to attend.
c) You should
consider getting a good education.
Exercise 3
Write a topic
sentence for each paragraph. Make sure your topic sentence expresses
the main idea of the paragraph.
Example:
Miami
is the perfect place to take a vacation. It is always
sunny and warm. The beaches are gorgeous, with soft white sand and beautiful
water. There are many fine restaurants in the Miami area, and most of the
hotels offer terrific entertainment nightly. It’s no wonder that Miami is my
first choice for a vacation destination.
1.)
___________________________________________________ . He has collected stamps
and coins ever since he was a child. He is very proud of his valuable
collections. Paul also enjoys painting and drawing. Recently he has become interested
in gardening. Out of all his hobbies, Paul’s favourite one is reading. He
usually reads at least one book every week. Paul keeps busy with all of his
hobbies.
2.)
_________________________________________________ . I can’t wait to come home
from school and eat the delicious meals she has prepared. She is famous for her
desserts like peach pie and chocolate soufflé. She is always experimenting with
new recipes and trying different ingredients. No one in the world can cook the
way my mother does.
3.)
_________________________________________________ . It never starts in cold
weather. The horn and the left turn signal don’t work properly. Worst of all,
the radio only gets one station and the CD player is completely broken. I wish
I could get a new car.
4.)
__________________________________________________ . First and most
importantly, the work is very interesting. I learn new things every day and I
get to travel a lot. In addition, my boss is very nice. She is always willing
to help me when I have a problem. I have also made many new friends at my job.
Last, but not least, the salary is fantastic.
5.)
____________________________________________________ . To start things off, my
plane was six hours late. When I finally got to my hotel, I was very disappointed.
It was small and dirty. On the third day, my wallet was stolen, and I lost all
my credit cards. It rained every day except one, and on that day I got terrible
sunburn. All in all, it wasn’t a vacation to remember.
Source:
http://www3.pef.uni-lj.si/~tuji
jeziki/rp/1_letnik/exercises_on_paragraph_writing.pdf
6.)
___________________________________________________. They sometimes express
this with their words and sometimes with concrete things. In most cases, the
best way to do that is giving a gift to that person. However, this trend has
different meaning in Malaysia and Paraguay disapproves of giving gifts because
they may consider it to be bribe. In Malaysia, you can’t give a gift if you
don’t have a personal relationship with that person. Yet, in some countries
like Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, exchanging gifts is related to
tradition. It is important for them to give gifts to each other. When someone
decides to show his/her respect or love for someone with a present, he/she has
to consider where this person comes from.
7.)
_______________________________________________________. I love the autumn
weather. The weather has a moderate temperature. It is never exceedingly hot or
cold. Therefore, you can spend time outside without sweating too much. Also, I
love the way the trees turn to colour. They change from green to yellow, red
and orange. When leaves change colour, from green to yellow, orange and red,
you can understand trees are beginning their long winter’s rest. As a last
thing I also like autumn because school starts. I get excited when I think about going back to school and
seeing my teachers and friends again. To sum up, autumn is a time of great
season with its weather, colour of the trees and school season.
Have fun!
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