Paragraphs

Eade

writing

SESSION THREE ParagraphsThe role of Paragraphs in a text

Skim the article. What is it about? How many paragraphs are there? Skim each paragraph again to understand the main idea. The first sentence is missing. Can you match these sentences a-e with paragraphs 1-4? There is one extra sentence.

a) _____What is wrong with a lot of food miles?

b) _____Traditionally farmers sold their food in the local market, so the food did not have to travel very far.

c) _____ Nowadays, the food that you buy comes from many different countries.

d) _____ Tomatoes are less tasty because of food miles.

e) _____Some countries have to import most of their food.

The ParagraphA paragraph is a basic unit of organization in writing in which a group of related sentences develops one main idea. Here is an example of a well-structured paragraph

Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewellery, coins and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For example, astronauts suits include gold-plated heat shields for protection outside spaceships. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty, but also for its utility.

I. A paragraph has three major structural parts:

1) the topic sentence states the main idea of the whole paragraph. It also limits the range of the topic to a specific area. This is called the controlling idea.

Underline the topic sentence in the example. Where is it placed?

Whats the topic?

Whats the controlling idea?

2) supporting sentences develop the topic sentence, explaining the main idea and giving examples, reasons, facts, etc.

Underline some of the supporting sentences in the example.

These expressions are used to link the supporting sentences. Explain why each is used.

First of all,

Therefore,

Another important characteristic of gold isFor example,

3) the concluding sentence signals the end of the paragraph and leaves the reader with important points to remember.

Underline the concluding sentence in the example. What message does it convey? II. Now discuss the structure of this paragraph. How is it different from the preceding paragraph? One way to protect traditional values and customs is simply to teach people to value their own culture. This does not mean that they have to resist the current movement towards greater international trade. Nor does it mean that they will fail to respect and value other peoples cultures. On the contrary, it will give them the confidence to operate in our global village without feeling that their own identity is under threat.

WRITING: SENTENCE REORDERING

Rephrasing is an important communication skills in both writing and speaking. Rewrite each sentence using the words in parentheses. You may need to make other changes.

1. There are exciting new developments taking place now in the area of communication technology. (innovation/occur/field)

Currently, exciting...

2. It is commonly thought that one of the most important aspects of modern life is the availability of information. (significant/feature/contemporary)

Some think that one of the

...

3. Scientists first had the concept of connecting separate computers to form a network many years ago, but they had no idea of the long-term implications for communications. (notion/link/produce)

Although,

...

4. But governments need to address several major issues relating to electronic media.

(consider/question/concern)

However it is essential.

..

5. For example, people are expressing growing concern over the way that technology can be used to invade their privacy. (show/anxiety/violate)

Growing ..

...

6. In addition, the possible effect of technology on sectors such as the entertainment industry could be very serious. (potential/impact/catastrophic)

It must be added that the ..

...

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