A paragraph and an essay organization: Review
Please read the passage on page 70
A paragraph is a group of related sentence that develops one main idea, which is the topic of the paragraph. (p.71)
Can you find out what elements are needed in a paragraph?
Things needed for writing successfully include words, sentence structure and genre organization.
Paragraph Organization
There are four different tides, depending upon the position of the sun and moon in relation to the earth. When the sun and moon are in a direct line with the earth, they exert their greatest gravitational force, causing abnormally high or spring tides. When the sun, moon and earth are at right angles to each other, the gravitational force is weak, causing abnormally low, or neap tides when the moon is closest to the earth, and low, or perigee tides when the moon is farthest from the earth.
Title: ____________________________________________
Topic Sentence: ________________________________________
Details:
Major support__________________
Minor support: ________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
__________________________________________
Concluding sentence…………………………………………
The parts of a paragraph
A paragraph is a group of related sentences that develops one main idea, which is the topic of the paragraph.
A paragraph is made up of three kinds of sentences that develop the writer’s main idea, opinion, or feeling about a subject. These sentences are the topic sentence, the supporting sentences, and the concluding sentence.
Overall:
Topic sentence tells the readers what the paragraph is about.
Supporting sentences supply the details about the topic.
Concluding sentence makes a final statement about the topic and tells the readers that the paragraph is finished.
The topic sentence tells the readers what you are going to say, and it helps you write the supporting sentences. Therefore, it’s at the beginning or at the end of the paragraph.
The topic sentence has three parts: as subject, a verb, and a controlling idea, which is the main point, opinion, or feeling that you have about the subject, and it controls or limits what you will write about in the paragraph.
i.e.,
River rafting is a challenging sport with important requirements.
Snow skiing on the highest mountainsides requires great skill.
Jogging is healthful for several reasons.
Please try exercise B p.73 and p. 74
Exercise C (p.74)
1. Sports heroes (who, which sports, why?)
There are many reasons why Beckham has become a great football player.
May Rachanok has put a great effort to become a great badminton player.
2. Spectator sports
There are more than five reasons why football is considered a profitable business.
3. Water sports
4. Olympic sports
5. Watching sports on television
Supporting sentences (p.75)
The supporting sentences develop the topic sentence by giving specific details about the topic.
How to write good supporting sentences
1. Rephrase the topic sentence as a question.
i.e.,
Topic sentence: River rafting is a challenging sport with importing requirements.
You need to ask yourself what important requirements are necessary for river rafting.
(Please look at the model paragraph about the river rafting.)
The requirements are..
1. Plan your trip carefully.
2. ……………………..
3. ……………………..
2. You need to ask yourself how you can prove your topic sentence; you need to give facts to support your idea.
i.e.,
Topic sentence: Traditional American family relationships have changed greatly in the last thirty years.
Supporting details can be….
2.1 Sixty out of 100 marriages end in divorce (in USA).
2.2 Thirty out of 100 children live in homes with only one parent.
2.3 Thirty percent of couples living together are not regally married.
3. Give some examples.
i.e., Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world.
You can prove or support your topic sentence by giving the examples of the cost of different activities in Tokyo such as these:
1. Cost of dinner at a medium- priced restaurant
2. Rent for an average two-bedroom apartment
3. Cost of a ride on public transportation
Please try exercises on page 76-78
The Concluding sentence tells the reader that the paragraph is finished and it completes the development of the topic of the paragraph.
The concluding sentence is like the topic sentence, but instead of introducing the topic, it is a writer’s comment which gives the readers something to think about and to remember about the paragraph.
How to write a good concluding sentence
1. You can restate the topic sentence.
--They took Lakeshore Drive home because the traffic was so heavy on the freeway.
--Since there was so much traffic on the freeway, they went home by way of Lakeshore Drive.
--Don’t wait longer than ten minutes before you remove the crucible from the flame
--If possible, the crucible should not be remained in the flame longer than ten minute.
--It’s never a too small job for J.G. Harris Company.
--The J.G. Harris Company takes small jobs as well as large one.
2. You can summarize some or all of the main points in the paragraph.
i.e.,
Topic sentence: River rafting is a challenging sport with important requirements.
Concluding sentence: In short, if you are fearless, in good physical condition, and can react quickly, river rafting is the ideal outdoor sport for you.
Topic sentence: Mountain climbing is a very hazardous sport with special requirements and strict climbing rules.
Concluding sentence: Enjoy the glorious landscape, for that is your reward for having made it to the top of the mountain!
3. You must begin the concluding sentence with a phrase that tells the readers that the paragraph is finished:
a. All in all
b. In other words
c. In short
d. Therefore
e. In brief
f. Indeed.
Please try exercise on p. 81
Writing a paragraph in English is easy if you follow these steps.
- Following the mentioned steps, writing a paragraph in English is not a difficult task at all.
- By brain storming what we had to write and revising your work repeatedly, writing a paragraph in English can be enjoyable.
Please see a model paragraph on page 69.
River Rafting
River rafting is a challenging sport with important requirements. First of all, planning your trip carefully ensures your safety at all time. Therefore, the river raft company you choose should have a good safety record. You can select a river-rafting trip from level 1 (no experience) to level VI (the most experience). At level 1, the river moves solely and does not have many dangerous rocks and boulders, so you can actually enjoy the scenery. At each level up the scale, there is an increasing number of powerful waves and dangerous rocks. When the river is high from melting snow, the current is fast, and the ride is rough. Therefore, it is only for the most experienced river runner. In addition, river rafting requires special equipment. You ride an inflatable rubber boat with an expertly trained guide and a group of six to eight people. Everyone must wear a life jacket and a helmet and be able to use a paddle at the more difficult levels. Finally, you must be alert at all times. You must stay safety in the raft as it makes its way down the raging river. The guide will shout instructions, and the passengers must obey instantly and work as a team to avoid disaster. The chances of falling overboard are great. When someone does, the passengers will try to grab and pull him or her aboard. Because river conditions can be dangerous at the higher levels of difficulty, the wild, exciting adventure is only for the courageous and experienced. In short, if you are fearless and in good physical condition and can react quickly, river rafting is the ideal outdoor sport for you.
Outlining a paragraph
Snow skiers must take extreme precautions on the slopes.
A. They must consider the weather conditions.
a. Temperature
b. Wind
c. Storm and clear weather
Before going out, they should check weather conditions. If it is stormy, they may not want to go at all. Extreme cold can be dangerous, especially for beginning skiers, and wind makes skiing unpleasant.
B. They must consider the slope conditions.
a. Ice surface
b. Rocks and tree slumps
c. Visibility
d. Crowds
Skiers should also know the conditions of the ski slopes. In the early morning, the slopes may be icy. Hitting a patch of ice at high speed can cause hard falls and injuries. If the snow is not deep, skiers should watch for rocks and tree stumps. If invisibility is poor because of blowing snow or fog, skiers should slow down. In addition, skiers should ski cautiously if the slopes are very crowded, especially in areas where there are many beginning skiers.
C. They must consider their own ability.
a. Beginner
b. Intermediate
c. Expert
Of course, skiers should consider their own ability and not ski on runs that are too steep. Beginners and intermediates should not ski down runs marked “expert” or “advanced”.
D. They must obey the warning signs.
a. Out-of -bounds markers
b. Closed trails and runs
c. Avalanche danger
d. Slow and merging trails
e. Hazards
Finally, skiers must obey all warning signs. Some of these signs warn them about closed trails, avalanche danger, and hazards such as rocks. Skiers should not ski beyond the out-of-bounds signs because if they fall and are injured, no one will find them. Also, they should always obey the “slow” sign in congested areas.
Snow skiing is a safe and enjoyable winter sport if skiers take a few precautions.
Revising your pieces of writing
Please see the checking lists on page 86
A paragraph and an essay Organization:
A paragraph and an essay have the same basic organization but an essay is longer.
1 Introductory Paragraph
2 Body Paragraph
3 Concluding Paragraph
Can you imagine what an essay which entitles ‘Types of Tides’ will be like?