Writing Paragraphs
Writing Paragraphs
Writing Paragraphs
Paragraph design
A paragraph consists of a key sentence and a
number of other sentences lending it support, i.e. TOPIC
SENTENCE
and
SUBTOPICS/SUPPORTING IDEAS .
Topic sentence provides a context and summarises
what will follow in the paragraph.
All the sentences in a paragraph should relate to
one main idea. This is called UNITY. Each sentence
must add something useful to the key, topic
sentence.
Paragraph design
The second text has MOVEMENT: the ideas flow
clearly and logically. Movement means taking the
reader from one sentence to the next in clear,
logical steps.
Achieving movement:
1. use the first sentence to mention sub-topics,
which are then picked up in sequence by further
sentences;
2. use time sequence, contrast, list of related
points (First, Second, Finally), etc.
3. use linking words
Sentence Connectors
Connectors and sequence markers are words
or phrases which show the relationship
between ideas.
The main relationships are:
Time
Logic
(cause,
contrast,
condition,
comparison and concession)
Text (addition, summary, paraphrase,
example and highlight).
TIME
A. The main words and phrases which signal time
relationships are:
Beginning
First/first of all/initially/to start with/the first step/at
the first stage
Second/secondly/the second step/at the second stage
Third/thirdly/the third step/at the third stage, etc.
Then/after that
Next/subsequently/the next step/at the next stage
Finally/the final step/at the final stage
End
LOGIC
TEXTUAL RELATIONSHIPS
COHESION IN WRITING
There are two more ways of cohesion in writing.
1. a linking-back device - a way of relating to
something that has previously been mentioned in
the text in full. One of the commonest is that
repeated nouns become pronouns.
e.g. John's performance last year was above average.
HE ("he" refers to John) achieved 20% higher
results than average with existing customers.
COHESION IN WRITING
2. repetition there are two types of repetition
exact, when we repeat exactly the same words, and
parallel repetition, when we use the most
appropriate word(s) which best refers to the word
in question.
Fluoridation is the deliberate addition of a
chemical called fluoride to a town's water supplies,
in order to reduce tooth decay. Fluoride occurs
naturally in the drinking water of some towns
4Cs
Try to remember the 4Cs when writing your essay:
Clear writing and expression of ideas (easy to
read and understand)
Comprehensive - all the main ideas and arguments
are included
Concise short and precise (no unnecessary
repetition)
Correct accurate, both in content and in language
use
N
Number (Singular or Plural)
e.g. It is one of the best hotel there.
T
Tense
e.g. The earth had an atmosphere around it.
Sp
Spelling
e.g. The library was pieceful and quite.
WO Word Order (Subject, Verb, Object, Manner, Place, Time)
e.g. The earth is the planet third from the sun./We went
yesterday to the store.
//
Parallelism
e.g. It is important to study and sleeping enough.
/
Wrong Joining
e.g. I go to the university everyday.
Wrong Separation
e.g. I like to eat every thing.
Log Illogical
e.g. Glass is breakable. Thus, it is usually painted blue.
No
Untruth
e.g. A franchisee receives the royalty fee from a franchiser.
SC Sentence Construction (grammatically wrong, a
number of grammatical problems within the sentence).