1. Paragraph Writing
Paragraph Writing

2. What is the structure of a paragraph?

3. The Topic Sentence
The concluding sentence
Supporting sentences

4. a sentence to tell the reader what the paragraph is mainly about.
This is the structure of a paragraph!
Generally speaking, these three different types of sentences play different roles in a paragraph:
a sentence to tell the reader what the paragraph is mainly about.
Topic sentence;
Supporting sentences;
Concluding sentence.
(主题句 )
(扩展句/阐述句 )
(结论句/结尾句 )
sentences to give more detailed information about the topic sentence.
a sentence to end a paragraph or to summarize(总结） the ideas.

5. The Topic Sentence The characteristics of a topic sentence
The positions of a topic sentence

6. The Characteristics 1) The topic sentence must be a complete sentence.
2) The topic sentence should always contain both a topic and a controlling idea.
The Topic Sentence = Topic + Controlling Idea
3) The topic sentence should be neither too general nor too specific.

7. Examples: 1) The importance of reading widely
Examples: 1) The importance of reading widely. Reading widely is very important in improving one’s reading comprehension. 2) Fire accidents in big cities. Recently years have witnessed a marked growth of fire accidents in big cities in our country. 3) To make all the decisions for children. Parents in China tend to make all the decisions for their children.

8. The topic tells the reader what the paragraph is about
The topic tells the reader what the paragraph is about. The controlling idea is a key word or phrase that expresses the basic point of a paragraph. Note: a controlling idea commits the paragraph to a specific aspect of the topic. e.g. 1) Convenience foods are easy to prepare. 2) Alcoholic beverages should be banned from college campuses for two reasons. 3) There are quite a few unusual superstitions in China about marriage.
(general)
(specific)

9. Read the following topic sentences and then identify the topic and the controlling idea in each sentence
People can avoid burglaries by taking certain precautions.
There are several advantages to growing up in a small town.
Most US universities require a 550 point TOEFL score for a number of reasons.
Air pollution in Mexico City is the worst in the world for a number of reasons.
Fixing a flat tire on a bicycle is easy if you follow these steps.
Riding a bicycle gives pleasure.

10. There are several enjoyable ways to travel between the US and Queretaro.
Animals in danger of becoming extinct come from a wide range of countries. 
Effective leadership requires specific qualities that anyone can develop. 
Industrial waste poured into Lake Michigan has led to dramatic changes in its ability to support marine life. 
In order to fully explore the wreck of the Titanic, scientists must address several problems. 

11. Discussion: which of the following statement is general, specific or suitable?
Group 1
1) American food is terrible.
2) American food is tasteless and greasy because Americans use too many canned, frozen, and packaged foods and because everything is fried in oil or butter.
3) American food is tasteless and greasy.
(too general)
(too specific)
(suitable)

12. Group 2 1) Many voters supported the candidate
Group 2 1) Many voters supported the candidate. 2) Many voters passively supported the candidate. Group 3 1) To play any kind of musical instrument, one needs to know something about the instrument. 2) TO play any kind of drum requires a good sense of rhythm.
(too general)
(suitable)
(too general)
(suitable)

13. 1) My hometown is famous because it is located by
Here are some examples of sentences that cannot be used as topic sentences. Can you figure out why they are inappropriate? 
1) My hometown is famous because it is located by
Wheaton River, which is very wide, and because it
is built near an unusually steep hill called
Wheaton Hill.
Analysis:
The problem with this sentence is that it contains too many
details. Topic sentences are general, and details should
appear later in the paragraph.
Revised:
My hometown is famous for several amazing
geographical features.

14. 2) There are two reasons why some people like to buy cars with automatic transmission and two reasons why others like cars with manual transmission. Analysis: This sentence is not appropriate as a topic sentence because it mentions two topics, not just one. Paragraphs are usually about one main thing and so their topic sentences should also be about only one main thing. Revised: a) There are two reasons why some people like to buy cars with automatic transmission. OR (in a different paragraph): b) There are two reasons why some people like cars with manual transmission.

15. 3) Clouds are white.
Analysis
The problem with this sentence is that it is too general. It is also very boring! Would you like to read a paragraph with this topic sentence? Most people would not.
Revised
The shapes of clouds are determined by various factors.

16. Different Positions Of The positions of the topic sentence
a Topic Sentence
type
The positions of the topic sentence
At the beginning of a paragraph
At the end of a paragraph
In the middle of a paragraph
No clear topic sentence

17. Work in groups of four and find the topic sentence of each paragraph !

18. 1
Smoking cigarettes is harmful to your health. Experiments show that cigarette smoking can cause cancer. Besides the most serious and terrible disease(illness) ---- cancer, cigarette smoking can also cause other health problems. For example, it can give one a “smoker’s cough”. Finally, studies have shown it is easy for cigarette smokers to catch colds. Whether you get an unimportant cold or terrible killer, cancer, smoking is harmful. Is it worth it?

19. 2
Often no one looks more guilty than the innocent. On the other hand, nobody may look more innocent than a professional criminal. And the man who knows “everything” may really only be trying to hide his own weakness. So, it is foolish to try to judge a person only by his appearance.

20. 3
Every bride wants her wedding to be the most wonderful day of her life. But perfect weddings require careful planning , whether the bride and bridegroom are planning a traditional wedding or just a registry office ceremony. Paying for the wedding, which is always a problem, will partly decide the choice.

21. Tom studied for four years at the University of Paris and decided to leave before his graduation. He transferred to the University of Berlin and graduated with honors. Harvard Law School and, later, Boston College provided him with an excellent legal background. He is presently a corporation lawyer in Miami, Florida. The main idea of this paragraph is that ______. A. Tom, who had studied at Paris Universities for four years, moved to another university. B. Tom became a lawyer since his graduation from Harvard Law School and later from Boston College. C. Tom was an excellent student when he studied at Berlin university. D. Tom received an excellent education.
detail
detail
detail

22. the main idea from the whole paragraph ourselves
Conclusion 1：
How can we get the main idea of a paragraph？
(1) We can get the main idea of a paragraph by finding _______________，which may appear at the beginning of 、in the middle of or at the end of a paragraph ;
(2) If we can’t find a topic sentence from the paragraph, we’ll have to
the topic sentence
generalize(归纳）
the main idea from the whole paragraph ourselves

23. Read the following paragraphs carefully and write a topic sentence for each paragraph in the space provided.
. Famous inventor Thomas Edison, for instance, did so poorly in his first years of school that his teacher warned his parents that he would never be a success at anything. Similarly, Henry Ford, the father of the auto industry, had trouble in school with both reading and writing. But perhaps the best example is Albert Einstein, whose parents and teachers suspected that he was retarded because he responded to questions so slowly and in a stuttering voice. Einstein’s high school record was poor in everything but math, and he failed his college entrance exams the first time. Even out of school the man had trouble holding a job--- until he announced the theory of relativity.
Many scientists had very bad proficiency records in their school days

24. TV plays an important role in our daily life.
As an industry, TV provides jobs for hundreds of thousands who make TV sets and broadcasting equipment. It also provides work for actors, technicians, and others who put on programs. As an art, television brings the theater and other cultural events into the home. Its influence on the life of average Americans is incalculable: it can influence their thoughts, their likes and dislikes, their speech, and even their dress. It can also add to their store of knowledge. Through advertising, television helps businesses and manufacturers sell their products to millions of people. Television has brought political campaigns closer to the voters than in former days. Educational TV stations offer teaching in various subjects ranging from home nursing to art appreciation. Many large schools and universities have “closed-circuit” television equipment that will telecast lectures and demonstrations to hundreds of students in different classrooms; and the lecture can be put on video tape to be kept for later use. Some hospitals use TV to allow medical students to get close-up views of operations.

25. Many loan words have entered Americans’ daily life.
Americans relaxing at home, for example, may put on kimonos, which is a Japanese word. Americans who live in a warm climate may take an afternoon siesta on an outdoor patio without even realizing that these are Spanish words. In their gardens, they may enjoy the fragrance of jasmine flowers, a word that came into English from Persian. They may even relax on a chalse longue while sipping a drink with vodka, words of French and Russian origin, respectively.

26. Electricity has filled almost every part of our life.
We are awakened by electric alarm clocks and music pouring from our radio; we operate our toaster, brush our teeth with an electric toothbrush, and shave with an electric razor. We read the day’s headlines from newspapers printed on huge electric presses, and we write a letter on our electric typewriter before leaving for work to operate a computer and word processor.

27. Assignment
★ Quote three paragraphs with clear topic sentences in your reading materials
★ The topic sentences in these three paragraphs should be positioned in different places.
★ The topic sentences should be underlined or italicized.
★ The assignment can either be handwritten or be printed.
★ The assignment is to be handed in Next Thursday.

28. Thank you !

29. Assignment — Group Work
Design a quiz paper concerning the topic sentence
★ four members in a group
★ each paper consists of five problems
★ the five problems can be in different kinds
(either subjective or objective)
★ The topic sentences should be positioned in different
places.
★ the keys should be included on another piece
of paper.
★ the names of the group members should be
printed at the bottom of the quiz paper