Paragraph writing
14
Paragraph Writing Compiled by M.Ed. Maria Luisa Mu, 2012-2013
description
supplementary material for Academic Writing for the Master in TEFL / FUNIBER
Transcript of Paragraph writing
Paragraph Writing
Compiled by M.Ed. Maria Luisa Mu, 2012-2013
What is a paragraph?
O A paragraph is a group of sentences about a single topic.
O The sentences of the paragraph explain the writer’s main idea about the topic.
O In academic writing, a paragraph is often between five and ten sentences long.
Taken from Academic Writing from paragraph to essay by D. Zemach & L. Rumisek, Macmillan, UK. 2009
Paragraph organisation
O The topic sentence: The main idea of the paragraph.
O The supporting sentences: They explain the topic sentence.
O The concluding sentences: The last sentence of the paragraph
Taken from Academic Writing from paragraph to essay by D. Zemach & L. Rumisek, Macmillan, UK. 2009
The topic sentenceO It is the most important sentence in
a paragraph.O It indicates what the paragraph is
going to discuss.O It is a complete sentence.O It contains both a topic and a
controlling idea.O It is the most general statement in
the paragraph.
Taken from Writing Academic English by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, Pearson Educ. 2006
Topic sentences
Taken from Writing Academic English by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, Pearson Educ. 2006
Supporting sentencesO After you have chosen a topic and
written a topic sentence, you develop your main idea by adding more information to explain what you mean.
O Three common ways of doing this is:O Giving detailsO Giving an explanationO Giving an example
Taken from Academic Writing from paragraph to essay by D. Zemach & L. Rumisek, Macmillan, UK. 2009
Supporting sentences
Taken from Writing Academic English by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, Pearson Educ. 2006
Example of supporting Sentences
Taken from Writing Academic English by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, Pearson Educ. 2006
Example
Quotations
Statistics
The Concluding Sentence
O It is the final sentence of a paragraph.
O It sums up the main points or restates the main idea in a different way.
O It reminds the reader of what the writer’s main idea and supporting points were.
O It should give the same information in a slightly different way.
O It should not introduce a new point.Taken from Academic Writing from paragraph to essay by D. Zemach & L. Rumisek, Macmillan, UK. 2009
The Concluding Sentence
O A concluding sentence serves two purposes:
O It signals the end of the paragraph.O It leaves the reader with the most
important ideas to remember by summarizing the main points of the paragraph or by repeating the topic sentences in different ways.
End of Paragraph Signals
Taken from Writing Academic English by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, Pearson Educ. 2006
Concluding Sentences: Another example
Taken from Writing Academic English by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, Pearson Educ. 2006
Peer Editing
O There are two reasons for peer-editing:
O To get a reader´s opinion about your writing (whether you should add more details, something is not organised clearly, you have some information that is not relevant).
O To read more examples of writing.
How to peer-editO Read the work several times. The first time
from the beginning to an end, the second time more slowly and look for specific parts of the writing.
O Look for topic sentences and concluding sentences.
O Note places where it is difficult to understand and where there is unnecessary information.
O Pay attention just to the content and organisation of the work.
