The document discusses the structure of paragraphs and essays. It explains that a paragraph contains a topic sentence, body sentences, and a concluding sentence. The topic sentence introduces the main idea, and the body sentences provide supporting details. The concluding sentence wraps up the paragraph. An essay contains an introduction with a thesis, body paragraphs that develop the thesis, and a conclusion that restates the main points. The document also provides tips for developing paragraphs and essays, such as narrowing topics, writing topic sentences, and using transitional expressions between ideas.
3. • Series of sentences
that are about one
central idea.
• May stand alone, or
part of a larger work.
• Series of paragraphs
that are about one
central idea.
4. The Paragraph
• The topic sentence
introduces the subject of
the paragraph and the
writer’s attitude toward the
subject.
• The body of the
paragraph contains details
that support the topic
sentence.
• The paragraph ends with
a concluding sentence.
The Essay
• The introduction engages
the reader’s interest and
contains the thesis
statement.
• The body paragraphs
each support the main
idea of the essay.
• The conclusion
reemphasizes the thesis
and restates the main
points of the essay. It
brings the essay to a
satisfactory close.
6. • Scenario: You’re given a blank page and a subject and
told to write. You think, “I don’t know what to write.”
• Exploring helps you think about your subject before
writing a paragraph or essay.
7. • How many words should I write?
• What is the due date/time for the assignment?
• Are there any special qualities that my writing should
include?
8. • Step 1
• Think about your topic. Decide what to write about.
• Step 2
• Think about your audience. Consider your intended readers and
what interests them.
• Step 3
• Think about your purpose. Ask yourself what you want to write.
• Step 4
• Try exploring strategies. Experiment with different ways to
generate ideas.
9. • What you are writing about
• Narrow the topic to find an area that interests you
• Example:
• Travel > Dangers of Travel
• Ask yourself…
• What special knowledge do I have about the topic?
• What subtopics are most relevant to me?
• What aspect of the topic arouses my emotions?
10. • Intended reader
• Different classes have different audiences
• Instructor as Audience
11.
12. • Writing for a limited period of time without stopping
• Purpose: Record first thoughts that come to mind
• “I don’t know what to write.”
• Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, etc.
• Sandra’s Freewriting – p. 9
• Sandra’s Focused Writing – p. 9
13. • Create a list of ideas
• Don’t be concerned with spelling, grammar
• Jin’s Brainstorming – p. 9
• Jin’s Focused Brainstorming – p. 10
14. • Ask yourself a series of questions and write resposnes to
them
• Help you define and narrow your topic
• Ask: who, what, when, where, why, how?
• Clayton’s Questioning – p. 10
15. • Drawing a word map
• Ideas are arranged in a visual image
• Write the topic in the middle. Draw lines to connect ideas
to the main topic.
• Mahan’s Clustering – p. 11
• Mahan’s Focused Clustering – p. 11
16. • Before you write, you should think about your
topic, audience and purpose. What are each of these
things?
• Briefly define each of the following exploring strategies:
• Freewriting
• Brainstorming
• Questioning
• Clustering
18. • Step 1
• Narrow your topic. Focus on an aspect that interests you.
• Step 2
• Express your main idea. Write a topic sentence that expresses
this idea.
• Step 3
• Develop your supporting ideas.
• Step 4
• Make a plan. Organize your thoughts into an outline.
• Step 5
• Write your first draft.
19. • Topic Sentence
• Introduces the idea of the paragraph
• Body Sentences
• Supports the topic sentence
• Concluding Sentence
• Ends the paragraph
20. • Narrow these topics:
• Cosmetic Surgery
• Music
• College Life
21. • Introduces the topic of the paragraph
• States the paragraph’s controlling idea
• Most general sentence in the paragraph
• Followed by other sentences that provide support
(facts, examples)
• A controlling idea makes the point about a topic and
expresses the writer’s opinion, attitude, feeling.
22. • Music education is essential in public schools.
• There are three types of terrible bosses.
• My furnished room has everything a student could need.
24. • I will write about negative political campaigns.
• History teaches us lessons.
• Deciding to go to college.
25. • Facts and examples that provide the reader with
interesting information about the subject matter
• Generate by using some of the brainstorming activities.
26. • Transitional Expressions help guide your reader from one
idea to the next.
• Time Order
• The way in which things occurred
• First, Second, Last
• Emphatic Order
• Arrange in logical sequence
• Most Important, Important, Least Important
• Space Order
• Where things are positioned
• Top, Middle, Bottom
27. • Brings the paragraph to a satisfactory close
• May…
• Restate the topic sentence in a new, refreshing way
• Make an interesting, final observation
• End with a prediction, suggestion, quotation
• In an essay, it will transition to the next paragraph’s idea
28. • What is a topic sentence?
• True or False? A paragraph has more than one main
idea.
• True or False? A paragraph’s details support its topic
sentence.
Notas del editor
THE WRITER’S WORLD: Paragraphs & Essays, 3rd Edition.
Example – PG. 4
Practice #1 (19)What is the topic? What is the controlling idea?
Practice #3 (21-22)What is the problem with the statement? How do you fix it?
