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Unit 2 Discovering the Paragraph
Unit 2
Discovering the Paragraph
Chapter 3
The Process of
Writing Paragraphs
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A paragraph is a group of related sentences that
develops one main idea.
A paragraph is often from five to twelve sentences long.
A paragraph usually appears with other paragraphs in a longer piece of writing.
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What is a paragraph?
A paragraph looks like this: Clearly indent the first word of every paragraph.
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Most paragraphs contain one main idea to which
all the sentences relate.
The topic sentence states this main idea.
The body of the paragraph develops and supports this main idea.
The topic sentence is more general than the other sentences in the paragraph.
The topic sentence must be a complete sentence, containing a subject and a verb and expressing a complete thought.
TOPIC SENTENCE AND BODY
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Identify the topic sentence. I allow the spiders the run of the house. I figure that any predator that hopes to make a living on whatever smaller creatures might blunder into a four-inch-square bit of space in the corner of the bathroom where the tub meets the floor needs every bit of my support. They catch flies and even field crickets in those webs. Large spiders in barns have been known to trap, wrap, and suck hummingbirds, but there’s no danger of that here. I tolerate the webs, only occasionally sweeping away the very dirtiest of them after the spider itself has scrambled to safety. I’m always leaving a bath towel draped over the tub so that the big, haired spiders, who are constantly getting trapped by the tub’s smooth sides, can use its rough surface as an exit ramp. Inside the house the spiders have only given me one mild surprise. I washed some dishes and set them to dry over a plastic drainer. Then I wanted a cup of coffee, so I picked from the drainer my mug, which was still warm from the hot rinse water, and across the rim of the mug, strand after strand, was a spider web. —Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
FINDING AND UNDERLINING TOPIC SENTENCES
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Identify the topic sentence. In the mid-1980s, 340,000 people in the United States owned cell phones. Today, that number is well over 380 million. Worldwide, five billion people have gone wireless, and most of them have no idea that inside the sleek, plastic exterior of every cell phone sits a package of electronics laden with hazardous substances called persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals (PBTs). When cell users toss their phones into the trash, PBTs like lead, arsenic, and cadmium leak into the land, air, and water, eventually entering the tissues of animals and humans. Every year, 150 million cell phones—complete with batteries and chargers—are pitched into the garbage instead of being recycled or safely disposed of. As the popularity of cellular phones soars, growing numbers of cell users are creating growing piles of toxic trash. —Adapted from Rene Ebersole, “Recycle Cell Phones, Reduce Toxic Trash,” National Wildlife
FINDING AND UNDERLINING TOPIC SENTENCES
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Narrowing the topic
Writing the topic sentence
Generating ideas for the paragraph body
Selecting and dropping ideas
Arranging ideas in a plan or an outline
STEPS FOR WRITING AN EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPH
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If your instructor assigns you a broad writing topic, then cut the topic down to size and choose one aspect of the topic that interests you. For example, if you are asked to describe someone you know, the challenge is to pick someone you would like to write about, who interests you, and who would interest your readers.
Narrowing the Topic
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After selecting your topic, the next step is to state your topic clearly in sentence form. Writing a good topic sentence is an important step toward writing an effective paragraph. Think of the topic sentence as having two parts: a topic and a controlling idea. The controlling idea states the writer’s point of view or attitude about the topic.
Writing the Topic Sentence
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Some writers start by brainstorming: freely jotting down anything that relates to the topic sentence. Other writers freewrite or ask themselves questions to generate ideas for their paragraphs.
Generating Ideas for the Paragraph Body
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Read over what you have written. Select those ideas that relate to and support the topic sentence, and drop those that do not.
Selecting and Dropping Ideas
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After you have selected the ideas you wish to include in your paragraph, you can begin to make a plan or an outline. A plan briefly lists and arranges the ideas you wish to present in your paragraph.
An outline does the same thing but uses letters or numbers to indicate the main groupings of ideas.
Arranging Ideas in a Plan or an Outline
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Write the first draft.
Revise—rethink and rewrite the first draft, and then make whatever changes are necessary to improve the paragraph.
Revise for support—make sure as you revise that your paragraph contains specific facts, details, and examples to fully explain your topic sentence.
Revise for unity—make sure that the topic sentence, every sentence in the body, and the concluding sentence all relate to one main idea.
WRITING AND REVISING THE PARAGRAPH
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Revise with peer feedback:
WRITING AND REVISING THE PARAGRAPH
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WRITING AND REVISING THE PARAGRAPH
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Write the final draft when you are satisfied with
your revisions. To do so, either neatly recopy your paper or print a fresh copy.
Be sure to proofread your final draft carefully for grammar and spelling errors.
WRITING AND REVISING THE PARAGRAPH
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EXPLORING ONLINE For a quick review of paragraph writing, go to: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/606/01/
For good proofreading strategies, go to: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/01
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Chapter 4
Achieving Coherence
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A paragraph coheres—holds together—when the sentences are arranged in a clear, logical order, and when the sentences are related like links in a chain. Three types of order are: Time (chronological) order Space order Order of importance
Coherence Through Order
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Also known as chronological order
Suited to stories, histories, instructions
Includes key words like first, then, next, as class proceeds, finally
Topic sentence can be implied
Coherence Through Order: Time Order
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Used in descriptions of people, places, things
Top to bottom, left to right, front to back
Includes key words like above, around, beneath, near, on, through Topic sentence can be implied
Coherence Through Order: Space Order
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Most to least important (or vice versa)
Smallest to largest (or vice versa)
Includes key words like least and most
Coherence Through Order: Order of Importance
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A paragraph coheres—holds together—when the sentences are arranged in a clear, logical order, and when the sentences are related like links in a chain. Four ways to link sentences are: Repetition of important words Substitution of pronouns Substitution of synonyms Transitional expressions
Coherence Through Related Sentences
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Repetition of Important Words Link sentences within a paragraph by repeating important words and ideas: (1) An Amber Alert is a notice to the general public that a child has been kidnapped. (2) This notification system was named after Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old girl abducted from her neighborhood and found murdered a few days later. (3) The term Amber Alert is also an acronym for “America’s Missing Broadcast Emergency Response.” (4) The goal of an Amber Alert is to collect and spread information about the abduction with utmost speed, thus increasing the chances of finding the child alive. (5) First, police confirm that a child is missing and race to collect descriptive details about the child, the suspected abductor, and the suspect’s vehicle. (6) Then broadcasts on television, radio, the Internet, and electronic highway signs spread these details and urge people to report any sightings or clues immediately. (7) To date, the program has saved 540 young lives.
Coherence Through Related Sentences
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Substituting Pronouns To avoid unnecessary repetition, substitute pronouns for words already mentioned in the paragraph: (1) Paul Revere’s ride to warn of a British attack is the stuff of legend, yet few have heard of Sybil Ludington. (2) This courageous sixteen-year-old and her horse Star also rode through the night, saving thousands of lives. (3) Early one evening in April, 1777, her father, Colonel Ludington, was warned by a messenger that Danbury was burning and the British were pushing inland to attack. (4) When the messenger said he was too exhausted to ride on, the teenager volunteered, riding 40 miles at breakneck speed through Putnam County, NY, rousing 400 militiamen from their beds.
Coherence Through Related Sentences
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Synonyms and Substitutions Synonyms are two or more words that mean nearly the same thing, for example, instead of repeating the word car, you can use automobile or vehicle. Or instead of using a synonym, substitute other words that describe the same subject. Use synonyms and substitutions together with repetition and pronouns to give coherence to your writing.
Coherence Through Related Sentences
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To find synonyms, check a dictionary. For instance, the entry for smart might list clever, witty, intelligent. An even better source of synonyms is the thesaurus, a book of synonyms. For example, if you are describing a city street and cannot think of other words meaning “noisy,” look in the thesaurus. The number of choices will amaze you.
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Transitional Expressions Transitional expressions are words and phrases that point out the exact relation between one idea and another, one sentence and another. Without them, even orderly and well-written paragraphs can be confusing and hard to follow.
Coherence Through Related Sentences
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Purpose Transitional Expressions to add also, as well, besides, beyond that, first (second, third, last, and so on), for one thing, furthermore, in addition, moreover, next, then, what is more to compare also, as well, equally, in the same way, likewise, similarly to contrast be that as it may, however, in contrast, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand to concede (a point) certainly, granted that, of course, no doubt, to be sure to emphasize above all, especially, indeed, in fact, in particular, most important, surely to illustrate as a case in point, as an illustration, for example, for instance, in particular, one such, yet another
Transitional Expressions at a Glance 1
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Purpose Transitional Expressions to place above, below, beside, beyond, farther, here, inside, nearby, next to, on the far side, opposite, outside, to the east (south, and so on) to qualify perhaps, maybe to give a reason or cause as, because, for, since to show a result or effect and so, as a consequence, as a result, because of this, consequently, for this reason, hence, so, therefore, thus to summarize all in all, finally, in brief, in other words, lastly, on the whole, to conclude to sum up to place in time after a while, afterward, at last, at present, briefly, currently, eventually, finally, first (second, and so on), gradually, immediately, in the future, later, meanwhile, next, now, recently, soon, suddenly, then
Transitional Expressions at a Glance 2
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EXPLORING ONLINE http://www.powa.org/ For advice on ordering your ideas in the most powerful way, go to “Organizing” and click “Arranging and Ordering.” For work on transitional expressions, go to “Organizing” and click “Showing the Links.”
