(1) a-what
is meant by a paragraph?
A paragraph is the basic unit of
composition. It consists of a group of related sentences that develop one main
idea. These
sentences should not be random .In fact; the cardinal rule of paragraph writing
is to focus on one idea.
A
solidly written paragraph takes its readers on a clear path, without detours A
good paragraph has three main parts; an introduction, a body of the paragraph
and a conclusion. To make it clearer, it has a topic sentence, a few supporting
sentences and a concluding sentence. In other words, a paragraph is a
collection of sentences which all relate to one main idea or topic. Effective
paragraphs have four main characteristics: a topic sentence, unity, coherence,
and relevance.
Generally speaking, a paragraph should contain between three and five
sentences, all of which help clarify and support the main idea of the
paragraph.
(b)-Parts of a
Paragraph:
The basic paragraph
consists of three parts:
a topic sentence, supporting details, and a
concluding sentence.
This basic paragraph format will help
you to write and organize one paragraph and
transition to the next.
(1)-Topic Sentence:
The main idea
of each paragraph is stated in a topic sentence that shows how the idea relates to the thesis or overall focus of the paper. In other words, a topic
sentence states the main topic of
the paragraph and the controlling idea
Generally, a topic sentence usually comes at the beginning of a paragraph;
that is, it is usually the first sentence in a formal academic paragraph.
All subsequent points made in the paragraphs should support the topic sentence.
Not only is a topic sentence the first
sentence of a paragraph, but, more importantly, it is the most general sentence
in a paragraph. What does "most general" mean? It means
that there are not many details in the sentence, but that the sentence
introduces an overall idea that you want to discuss later in the paragraph.
Beginning a
paragraph with a topic sentence is one of the best ways to achieve clarity and
unity in one's writing. The function of a topic sentence is to describe what
the paragraph will be about, such that the reader has clear expectations about
what will follow. An effective topic sentence typically contains only one main
idea. The remainder of the paragraph then develops that idea more fully,
offering supporting points and examples. After reading a topic sentence, one
should be able to anticipate the type of information contained in the rest of
the paragraph. If the remainder of the paragraph does not fulfill the
"promise" of the topic sentence, the paragraph will lack unity,
coherence and relevance.
Examples of topic sentences:
(1)-"Many television cartoons
contain an unhealthy amount of violence."
Notice that this sentence clearly identifies that the key
topic of the paragraph is violence in television cartoons. It also indicates
that the remainder of the paragraph will discuss how much violence cartoons
typically contain, and how/why this violence is unhealthy for viewers.
(2)-"An increasing number of people in America are
enjoying the benefits of organically grown fruits and vegetables."
This topic sentence indicates that the remainder of
the paragraph will cover the trend in the United States toward eating organic
foods. The reader can also anticipate learning more in this paragraph about the
specific benefits of organic foods.
Here are some examples of sentences that cannot be
used as topic sentences. There are some reasons that make the following
sentences inappropriate to be topic
sentences.
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.
The problem
with sentence #1 is that it contains too many details. Topic sentences are
general, and details should appear later in the paragraph. A better topic
sentence would be like the one mentioned above, My hometown is
famous for several amazing geographical features.
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.
Sentence #2
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.
A better
topic sentence can be:
There are
two reasons why some people like to buy cars with automatic transmission.
OR (in a different paragraph):
There are
two reasons why some people like cars with manual transmission.
3- Clouds are white.
The problem
with sentence #3 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.
We can
rewrite sentences 3 in
the following way to make it better:
"The shapes of clouds are determined by various factors."
"The shapes of clouds are determined by various factors."
(2)-Supporting details or sentences:
Supporting details
elaborate upon and prove the topic sentence. Supporting sentences develop the topic sentence. 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. Supporting details should be drawn
from a variety of sources including research and experiences, depending on
the assignment, and include the
writer’s own analysis. The following are
common sources of supporting details:
Expert Opinion • Facts and Statistics
• Personal Experiences • Others’ Experiences
• Brief Stories •
Research Studies
• Your Own Analysis • Interviews
(3)-Concluding Sentence
Each paragraph should end with a final statement
That ties together
the ideas brought up in the paragraph and
emphasizes the main idea one last time. In other words, this concluding
sentence summarizes the
information that has
been presented earlier in the paragraph..
c- What
makes a good paragraph?
Every paragraph you write
should follow the principles listed below:
1. The paragraph
must contain a topic sentence
2.All remaining sentences should support and develop
the topic sentence
3. Only one main idea should be developed .
4.The sentences should flow smoothly and logically
5.A concluding sentence
should be added . This signals the end of the paragraph and leaves the reader with important points to remember, but is often unnecessary.
2-(a)-Relevance of
Ideas:
A good paragraph should contain sentences
that are relevant to the paragraph’s main subject and point. While the topic
sentence sets up the main idea, the rest of the sentences provide details that
support or explain this main idea. If you see a sentence that does not seem to
relate to the topic sentence, it is probably irrelevant.
Sometimes, writers include details that
only generally relate to a paragraph’s subject. You may have written this way
in your own compositions. To avoid this in your test writing, think about your
paragraph’s main subject and about the point you wish to make about this
subject. Thinking about the point you wish to make will help you cut the
sentences that relate generally to your subject, but do not specifically
support your point.
While writing, it is important to
eliminate irrelevant sentences from paragraphs. To spot these irrelevant
sentences, think about the paragraph’s subject and point. Thinking about the
subject will help you cut sentences that do not relate to the paragraph’s
subject. Thinking about the main point will help you cut sentences that relate
generally to the paragraph’s subject but not necessarily to the point being
made about the subject.
b-What is an
Irrelevant Sentence?
Take a brief moment to read the
following passage.
The farm is filled with
chickens. The chickens are fed grain twice a day. The truck is red.
The chickens on the farm lay lots of eggs.
Did anything stand out in
the passage? Were you distracted or confused by any of the sentences in the
passage? The sentence about the red truck didn't seem to fit, did it? The other
sentences were about chickens. The last thing most readers would expect to see
in a passage about chickens is a sentence telling us the truck is red. Simply
stated, it doesn't fit in and it is not related to the topic of the passage.
Irrelevant
sentences are those that do not support the main idea of the passage.
Again, the red truck sentence did not connect to the main idea of chickens, so
it seemed out of place or irrelevant in the example mentioned earlier.
Irrelevant sentences distract readers and upset the flow of passages.
Therefore, they should be avoided.
Now that we know what
irrelevant sentences are, let's take a closer look at ways we can identify
them.
Here is another example to
show some irrelevant sentences
Strict
Parents
Fortunately, my parents were very strict with me
when I was a child. I think that they were protective because I was an only
child. However,
at that time, it felt like I was in prison. I had to come straight home after school and
immediately do my homework. 1 After I finished my homework, I was allowed to watch only
one hour of television. While my friends were playing video games or watching
cartoons, I was usually doing chores around the house to help my mother. 2 This included doing some of the laundry and ironing,
mowing the lawn, and helping
to prepare dinner. 3 My father was an architect, and my
mother was a housewife.
Looking back, I am not sorry that my parents were strict with me because I think it was the best way to
bring up a child.
1-good
supporting sentence:
It is an
example of why the writer felt he or she was in prison.
2-good
supporting sentence:
It is a list of the chores the
writer had to do around the house.
3- unrelated sentence :
The writer’s parents’ occupations are
not related to how the writer was treated. There is no relationship between being an
architect and being a strict
parent.
Here is another
example to show some irrelevant sentences:
The capital city of a country is
usually a very important city. The government offices are located in the
capital city and political leaders usually live there nearby. There are
many different types of governments in the world. The capital may
also be the centre of culture. There are often museums, libraries, and
universities in the capital. Finally the capital city can serve as a centre of
trade, industry and commerce, so it is often the financial centre of the
country.
Here is another
example to show some irrelevant sentences:
When I
was growing up, one of the places I enjoyed most was the cherry tree in our
garden. At the back of our garden was an alley and then more houses. Every summer when the cherries began to
ripen, I used to spend hours high in that tree, picking and eating the sweet,
sun-warmed cherries. My mother always
worried about my falling out of the tree, but I never did. But I had some competition from the birds
that enjoyed them as much as I did and would perch all over the tree, devouring
the fruit whenever I wasn’t there. I
used to wonder why the grown-ups never ate any of the cherries; but actually
when the birds and I had finished, there weren’t many left.
The underlined details are less relevant because:
EXAMPLE 1.
When I was growing
up, one of the places I enjoyed most was the cherry tree in our garden. At the back of our garden was an alley and then more houses. Every summer when the cherries began to ripen,
I used to spend hours high in that tree, picking and eating the sweet,
sun-warmed cherries. My mother always worried about my falling out of the tree,
but I never did. But I had some competition from the birds that
enjoyed them as much as I did and would perch all over the tree, devouring the
fruit whenever I wasn’t there. I used to
wonder why the grown-ups never ate any of the cherries; but actually when the
birds and I had finished, there weren’t many left.
The less relevant details are those highlighted above.
They are less relevant because:
Although
the highlighted sentences relate to the general topic of this paragraph (the
cherry tree), the MAIN IDEA/TOPIC of the paragraph is the enjoyment of the
cherry
tree.
tree.
