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CHAPTER 2

l INTRODUCTION TO THE

PARAGRAPH

CHAPTER

2

Introduction to the Paragraph

LE AR NI NG OUTCOMES By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: 1.

Write a topic sentence;

2.

Describe the three stages of writing;

3.

Write an effective paragraph; and

4.

Revise your paragraph by checking for unity and coherence.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE PARAGRAPH

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INTRODUCTION Do you know the difference between a sentence and a paragraph? A sentence contains only one main fact but a paragraph contains several sentences with one main topic (or one main theme). In this chapter, you are going to learn about the techniques of writing a paragraph and will be exposed to steps required to produce an effective paragraph.

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2.1

l INTRODUCTION TO THE

PARAGRAPH

The Topic of a Paragraph

A paragraph is a group of related sentences, which develop one main idea. The length of a paragraph is flexible, but is often from four to 12 sentences long. In a longer piece of writing, you will find several paragraphs forming an essay, a report, an article, etc. The topic of your paragraph depends on whether it has been assigned by your instructor or it is a topic that you yourself have decided to write on. You must be able to narrow down the topic and choose an angle that interests you the most as you have learnt to do in Chapter 1.

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2.2

The Topic Sentence

A topic sentence usually comes at the beginning of a paragraph; it is usually the first sentence in a formal academic paragraph but not necessarily. It may come after a transition sentence; it may even come at the end of a paragraph. The topic sentence tends to be a general rather than a specific idea. Not only is a topic sentence the first sentence of a paragraph, but also the most general sentence in a paragraph. It means that the sentence introduces an overall idea that you want to discuss later in the paragraph. The main idea of the topic sentence controls the rest of the paragraph You can think of the topic sentence as having two parts: • A topic • A controlling idea Let’s look at the following example.

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The controlling idea helps you to focus on one point. In other words, topic sentences: • Are useful in paragraphs that analyse and argue. • Help writers who have trouble developing focused, unified paragraphs (i.e. writers who tend to go on or write nonsense). • Guide these writers so they could develop a main idea for their paragraphs and most importantly stay focused. • Help guide the reader through complex argument. 2626

• Topic sentences are not the only way to organise a paragraph. • Not all paragraphs need a topic sentence. For example, paragraphs that describe, narrate or detail the steps in an experiment do not usually need topic sentences. Your topic sentence should not be too broad or too narrow to be supported in a paragraph.

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Put a check beside each topic sentence that is limited enough to be the topic sentence of a paragraph. If you think a topic sentence is too broad, limit the topic, then write a new topic sentence. No 1 has been done for you. 1. I am going to write about television. Rewrite: There are three benefits of watching television. 2. The habit of saving money has its rewards. Rewrite: ____________________________________________________ 3. My university had three problem areas. Rewrite: ____________________________________________________ 4. Joining an aerobics class is good. Rewrite: ____________________________________________________ 5. Crime is a major concern of everyone in Malaysia. Rewrite: ____________________________________________________ 6. My uncle has three qualities I admire most. Rewrite: ____________________________________________________

To help you further, look at the following example. Suppose that you want to write a paragraph about the natural features of your hometown. It may look like this:

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• All paragraphs in English MUST begin with an indentation. The first sentence is indented so it begins with “My hometown...” a few spaces to the right of the paragraph edge. • The first sentence, My home state, Pahang, is famous for several amazing natural features, is the most general statement. This sentence is different from the two sentences that follow it, since the second and third sentences mention specific details about the state’s geography, and are not general statements.

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You can rewrite sentences number 1 and 2 in the following ways to make it better:

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Support

The supporting sentences in a paragraph develop the main idea expressed in the topic sentence and provide the details such as facts and examples. • When the topic sentence comes first, the supporting sentences answer the questions the reader will develop in their minds after reading the topic sentence. In this case, the last sentence (concluding sentence) can either return the reader to the topic at the beginning of the paragraph or act as a connection to link the information with that coming up in the next paragraph. • When the topic sentence comes last, the supporting sentences build up arguments and examples to make a case for the main idea contained at the end.

No writer starts with a perfect paragraph. Well formed paragraphs are the result of drafting and revising, aimed at giving the reader a coherent piece of information. There is no set length to a paragraph, but in university essays it is easier to work with paragraphs that are between five to seven sentences.

Consider the following paragraph:

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(a) Topic Sentence When a reader reads a topic sentence, such as ‘Our run-down city block was made special by a once vacant lot called The Community Garden.’ - a question should usually appear in the reader’s mind. In this case, the question should be like, “What is special about The Community Garden?” The reader should then expect that the rest of the paragraph will give an answer to this question. Mouse over here to view the Topic Sentence. (b) Supporting Sentence Now look at the sentences after the topic sentence. We can see that the second sentence in the paragraph, I’m not sure who first had the idea, but the thin soil had been fertilized, raked and planted with a surprising assortment of vegetables and flowers, indeed gives an answer to this question. That is, the second sentence gives some explanation for the fact that The Community garden had made the run-down block special. Similarly, we can see that the third sentence also gives further explanation by giving another example of how special the community garden is. 3030

The second and third sentences are called supporting sentences. They are called “supporting” because they “support” or explain the idea expressed in the topic sentence. Of course, paragraphs in English often have more than two supporting ideas. Mouse over here to view the Supporting Sentences. (c) Concluding Sentence In formal paragraphs, you will sometimes see a sentence at the end of the paragraph which summarises the information that has been presented. This is the concluding sentence. You can think of a concluding sentence as a sort of topic sentence in reverse. Let’s see how a concluding sentence might look in our sample paragraph about the Community Garden. Notice how the concluding sentence, The beauty of the garden had added colour to our rundown block and would always remain special in our heart, summarises the information in the paragraph. Notice also how the concluding sentence is similar to, but not exactly the same as, the topic sentence. Mouse over here to view the Concluding Sentence.

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Not all academic paragraphs contain concluding sentences, especially if the paragraph is very short. However, if your paragraph is very long, it is a good idea to use a concluding sentence.

1. Write your controlling idea, and a topic sentence for each of the following topics: Your hometown Controlling Idea:_______________________________________ Topic sentence:________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ A place you would like to visit Controlling idea:______________________________________ Topic sentence:_______________________________________ ____________________________________________________ 2. Choose one of the above topics and write ONE complete paragraph about it. You should use a good topic sentence and adequately detailed supporting sentences. You do not have to include a concluding sentence if you do not wish to do so.

2.4

Unity

When you drift away from the topic under discussion, your paragraph lacks unity. Your entire paragraph should concern itself with a single focus. If it begins with one focus or major point of discussion, it should not end with another. You can unify your paragraphs by making every sentence contribute to a controlling idea, which is usually stated in a topic sentence. For example, the following paragraph lacks unity.

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You can go to this website http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/reading-writing/online/eva-b.html and check the following paragraphs for unity. Find sentences that are irrelevant or unnecessary to the main point of the paragraph. Cross out the irrelevant sentences and put the numbers of those in the spaces provided. The number of spaces will tell you the number of irrelevant sentences in each paragraph.

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Source: Adapted from: http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/reading-writing/on-line/ eva-b.html

2.5

Coherence

How do you feel when you read a text in which the sentences, ideas and details do not flow smoothly? That must surely be frustrating as you do not sense any coherence in what you are reading. Coherence is the trait that makes the paragraph easily understandable to a reader. You can help create coherence in your paragraphs by creating logical bridges and verbal bridges. When sentences, ideas and details fit together clearly, readers can follow along easily and the writing is coherent. The ideas tie together smoothly and clearly. To establish the links that readers need, you can use the methods listed here.

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Repetition of a Key Term or Nouns

Frequent repetition of key terms or nouns in your paragraph helps to focus your ideas and to keep your reader on track. (a) Example: Paragraph with Coherence (Repetition of Key Term)

(b) Example: Paragraph with Coherence (Repetition of Noun and Pronoun)

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From the paragraph, you can see that the noun gold appears seven times, the pronoun it twice, and the pronoun its three times. You need to know when to substitute the key noun with a pronoun since there is no fixed rule. You cannot use a pronoun if the meaning is not clear.

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(c) Example: Paragraph Lacking Coherence Now, see what happens when the word “gold” has been replaced by pronouns.

Do you notice the difference? The paragraph becomes less coherent. 3434

2.5.2

Synonyms

Synonyms are words that have essentially the same meaning and they provide some variety in your word choices, helping the reader to stay focused on the idea being discussed. Example:

2.5.3

Pronouns

This, that, these, those, he, she, it, they and we are useful pronouns for referring back to something previously mentioned. Be sure, however, that what you are referring to is clear. Example:

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Transitional Words

There are many words in English that cue our readers to relationships between sentences, joining sentences together. You will find lists of words such as however, therefore, in addition, also, but, moreover, etc. Example:

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2.5.5

Sentence Patterns

Sometimes, repeated or parallel sentence patterns can help the reader follow along and keep ideas tied together. Example:

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SUMMARY When writing a paragraph, it is important that your topic sentence is well supported. Check your paragraph to ensure that you have made it easy for your readers to understand your paragraph. A lack of unity and coherence in your paragraph is sure to detract from whatever message you are attempting to convey and it will surely annoy and frustrate your readers.

GLOssary

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Terms

Definition

Introduction

The structured way to begin n essay; presents the problem, purpose, and focus of the paper and summarizes the writer’s position.

Paragraph

A unit of self-contained writing that has a topic sentence and that explains one major idea in support of the thesis.

Coherence

Logically connected sense that holds parts of text together.

References 1. Fawcett, S. & Sandberg, A. (2000). Evergreen: A guide to writing. Houghton Mifflin. 2. Hogue, A. and Oshima, A. (2006). Introduction to academic writing. Pearson Education. 3. http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/fwalters/para.html 4. http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/fwalters/para.html 5. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_cohere.html