Composition Class 3

Today’s Schedule Quizlet Discuss 1-Paragraph Essays TOEFL vocabulary Discuss 1-Paragraph Essays What is an Academic Writing? What is a proper paragraph? What is the process of writing? Misc. Class Information

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Academic Writing?

Academic Writing (AW) AW is designed to convey agreed meaning about complex ideas or concepts for a group of scholarly experts Characteristics of AW: Formal Use of the 3rd Person rather than the 1st Person perspective (usually) A clear focus on the research problem under investigation, and precise word choice

A Proper Paragraph A paragraph is a group of related sentences that discuss one (and usually only one) main idea. A paragraph can be as short as one sentence or as long at 13 sentences. The number of sentences is unimportant; however, the paragraph should be long enough to develop the main idea clearly.

Gold 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 jewelry, coins and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications, such as photography and dentistry. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection when they go outside spaceships in space. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility. Writing Technique Questions: What is the topic of the paragraph? What two main points does the writer make about the topic? In which two sentences does the writer say that there are two main points? What examples does the writer use to support each point? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lustrous: glowing Corrosion: chemical damage Untarnished: unchanged in color

Parts of the Paragraph All paragraphs have: A Topic Sentence Supporting Sentences A concluding sentence

The Topic Sentence The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph It not only names the TOPIC of the paragraph, but it also limits the topic to one specific area that can be discussed completely in the space of a single paragraph. The part of the topic sentence that announces the specific area to be discussed in called the controlling idea. It briefly indicates what the paragraph is going to discuss. Notice how the topic sentence of the model states both the topic and the controlling idea: Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. [topic] [controlling idea]

Characteristics - Topic Sentence A topic sentence is a complete sentence, i.e. It contains at least one subject and one verb. The following are NOT topic sentences: Driving on freeways. How to register for college classes.

Characteristics - Topic Sentence A topic sentence contains both a topic and controlling idea. It names the topic and then limits the topic to a specific area to be discussed in the space of a single paragraph. Highlight the topic and the controlling ideas of the following sentences: Driving on freeways requires skill and alertness. [topic] [ controlling idea ] Registering for college classes can be frustrating experience for new students. [topic] [ controlling idea ] The rise of indie films is due to several factors. Driving on freeways requires skill and alertness. [topic] [ controlling idea ] Registering for college classes can be frustrating experience for new students. The rise of indie films is due to several factors. Driving on freeways requires skill and alertness. [topic] [ controlling idea ] Registering for college classes can be frustrating experience for new students. [topic] [ controlling idea ] The rise of indie films is due to several factors. [topic] [ controlling idea ]

Characteristics - Topic Sentence A topic sentence is the most general statement in the paragraph because it gives only the main idea. It does not give any specific details. The following is a general statement that could serve as a topic sentence: It may not be obvious, but there are many practical ways to use loans words within the Korean language. On the other hand, the following sentence is too specific. It could serve as a supporting sentence but not as a topic sentence: The pronunciation may differ, but “allergy”, “virus”, and “vitamin” loan words can all be used within the Korean hospitals. This sentence is too general. Korean has been influenced by other languages.

Writing a Topic Sentence When you write a topic sentence, remember these three points: A topic sentence must be a complete sentence, with a subject and a verb A topic sentence should be neither too general nor too specific. If it is too general, the reader cannot tell exactly what the paragraph is going to discuss. If it is too specific, the writer will not have anything to write about in the rest of the paragraph. A topic sentence should not have unrelated controlling ideas.

Let’s Practice!

Practice 1: Recognizing the Topic Sentence (TP) Remember that a topic sentence is a complete sentence and is neither too general nor too specific. Step 1: Read the following sentences in each group, and decide which sentence is the best topic sentence. Step 2: decide what is wrong with the other sentences. They may be too general or too specific, or they may be incomplete sentences. Practice: GROUP 1 _____________ a. A lunar eclipse is an omen of a coming disaster. _____________ b. Superstitions have been around forever. _____________ c. People hold many superstitious beliefs about the moon. _____________ d. Is made of green cheese. Too specific Too general Best TS Incomplete

Practice 1: Recognizing the Topic Sentence (TP) Now your turn! GROUP 2 _____________ a. The history of astronomy is interesting. _____________ b. Ice age people recorded the appearance of new moons by making scratches in animal bones. _____________ c. For example, Stonehenge in Britain, built 3500 years ago to track the movement of the sun. _____________ d. Ancient people observed and recorded lunar and solar events in different ways. Too general Too specific Incomplete Best TS GROUP 3 _____________ a. It is hard to know which foods are safe to eat nowadays. _____________ b. In some large ocean fish, there are high levels of mercury. _____________ c. Undercooked chicken and hamburger may carry E.coli bacteria. _____________ d. Not to mention mad cow disease. _____________ e. Food safety is an important issue. Best TS Too specific Too specific Incomplete Too general

Practice 1: Recognizing the Topic Sentence (TP) The topic sentence is the most general statement in a paragraph. Now read the following scrambled paragraphs and decide which sentence is the topic sentence. Paragraph 1 1. ____ A note/memo function lets you make quick notes to yourself. 2. ____ Other capabilities include word processing, spreadsheets, and e-mail. 3. ____ A voice recorder that uses a built-in microphone and speaker words like a tape-recorder. 4. ____ Basic tools include a calendar to keep track of appointments, an address and phone number book, to-do lists, and a calculator. 5. ____ MP3 playback lets you listen to digital music files, and a picture viewer lets you look at digital photos. 6. ____ Most personal digital assistants (PDAs) have tools for basic tasks as well as for multimedia functions. 7. ____ A few models also include a built-in digital camera and keyboard.

Practice 1: Recognizing the Topic Sentence (TP) The topic sentence is the most general statement in a paragraph. Now read the following scrambled paragraphs and decide which sentence is the topic sentence. Paragraph 2 1. ____ Another important change was that people had the freedom to live and work wherever they wanted. 2. ____ The earliest significant change was for farming families, who were no longer isolated. 3. ____ The final major change brought by the automobile was the building of superhighways, suburbs, huge shopping centers, and theme parks like Disney World in Florida. 4. ____ The automobile revolutionized the way of life in the United States. 5. ____ The automobile enabled them to drive to towns and cities comfortably and conveniently. 6. ____ In fact, people could work in a busy metropolitan city and drive home to the quiet suburbs.

Practice 2: Writing a Topic Sentence Write a good topic sentence for the following paragraphs. Remember to include both a topic and a controlling idea. Paragraph 1 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. English speakers relaxing at home, for example, may put on kimonos, which a Japanese word. English speakers who live in a warm climate may take an afternoon siesta on an outdoor patio without realizing that these are Spanish words. In their gardens, they may enjoy the fragrance of jasmine flowers, a word that came to English from Persian. They may even relax on a chaise while snacking on yogurt, words of French and Turkish origin, respectively. At night, they may shampoo their hair and put on pajamas, words from the Hindi language of India.

Practice 2: Writing a Topic Sentence Write a good topic sentence for the following paragraphs. Remember to include both a topic and a controlling idea. Paragraph 2 ___________________________________________________________________________________________. In European universities, students are not required to attend classes. In fact, professors in Germany generally do not know the names of the students enrolled in their courses. In the United States, however, students are required to attend all classes and may be penalized if they do not. Furthermore, in the European system, students usually take just one comprehensive examination at the end of the entire four or five years of study. In the North American system, on the other hand, students usually have numerous quizzes, tests, and homework assignments, and they almost always have to take a final examination in each course at the end of the semester

MISC. Class Info.

Movies Your hometown PC Rooms Advertising HOMEWORK Write 2-3 topic sentences for each of the following topics. Example Topic: Cell phones Using a cell phone while driving can be dangerous. There are certain rules for cell phone manners that everyone should know. Cell phones have changed the way we communicate. Topics to do: Movies Your hometown PC Rooms Advertising