LESSON 14
WRITING
UNIT 5: INTRODUCTION TO PARAGRAPHS
When you have completed this unit, you will be able to :
1. understand the parts of a paragraph;
2. identify and write good topic sentences;
3. write basic topic sentences
I. What is a paragraph?
Paragraph is a group of sentences about a single topic. Together, the sentences of the
paragraph explain the writer’s main idea (most important idea) about the topic. In
academic writing, a paragraph is often between five and ten sentences long, but it can
be longer or shorter, depending on the topic. The first sentence of a paragraph is usually
indented a few spaces.
A paragraph has three basic parts:
(1) The topic sentence,
(2) The supporting sentences,
(3) The concluding sentence.
The following is an example paragraph.
II. Topic sentences:
The topic sentence is the most important sentence in a paragraph because it contains the
main idea of the paragraph.
A topic sentence has two parts:
the topic The topic is the subject of your paragraph. It is what you are writing about.
the main The main idea limits the topic of your paragraph to the aspect of that topic
idea that you want to explore in your paragraph.
E.g.
a. The recent improvement in the American economy can be seen in the car, housing,
and electronics industries.
b. Over a million people visit Hawaii each year because of its beautiful weather and
wonderful scenery.
Note:
1. 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 may not have anything left to write about in the rest of the
paragraph.
E.g.
Too general: Chinese food is terrible.
Too specific: Chinese food is tasteless and greasy because Chinese use too
many canned, frozen, and prepackaged foods and because everything fried in oil
or butter.
Good: Chinese food is tasteless and greasy.
2. Do not include too many unrelated ideas in your topic sentence, if you do, your
paragraph will not be unified.
E.g.
Too many ideas: San Francisco is famous for its temperate climate, its many tourist
attractions, and its cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Good: San Francisco is famous for its cosmopolitan atmosphere.
3. It is important to keep in mind that most academic writing is done to persuade
the reader that a point of view is reasonable. Therefore, another important part of
writing topic sentence is to write a sentence that has a clear point of view. This
usually means that the topic sentence contains the opinion or attitude of the writer. A
statement of fact is not an effective topic sentence because there is nothing more that
can be said about it and, therefore, nothing to write in your paragraph
Exercise 1: Put a tick for good topic sentences and correct the wrong ones.
1. Owing an automobile in the big city.
2. There are a lot of problems for foreign students.
3. There are many reasons to visit Ha Long Bay.
4. Valentine’s Day makes people feel bad if they are alone.
5. Living in a dormitory can be stressful experiences.
6. Alcohol is not good for your health.
7. The spread of AIDS can be slowed by educating the public.
8. Nha Trang attracts a lot of tourists.
9. Television effects on children.
10. Adventure travel is the hot trend now.
Exercise 2: Rearrange the words given to make topic sentences for the following
paragraphs.
1. for/ school/ job/ part/ a/ students./ high/ is/ valuable/ experience/ time/ Having/
…………………………………………………………………………….
………………………..They can learn many things that are not usually taught in a
classroom. For example, they can learn how to work with older people. They also get
experience with the business world. Having a part time job gives students a sense of
independence. They can also earn money to use for college. Education is more than just
school subjects. Leaning about the real world is also important
2. help/ students/ Academic/ with/ issues/ ./ can/ educational/ advisors/
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
………. The main job of academic advisors is to help students find out about classes,
choose courses, and explore and select a major. For example, if a student is interested in
computer science but does not know which majors or careers exist in this field, he or she
can discuss this topic with the advisor. An academic advisor can also help students
locate other offices and departments in a school. Generally, students should make
appointments to talk to their academic advisors any time they need help with academic
problems
3. Washington/ ./ best/ visit/ to/ on/ east/ the/ coast/ cities/ of/ is/ US/ One/ the/
……………………………………………………………………………………………
………... It has some of the most interesting landmarks and tourist sports in the country.
There are many monuments to visit, such as the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington
Monument. Washington is famous for its shopping, restaurants and nightclubs. Nearby,
there is Virginia Beach. It has nice beaches with features like horseback riding, sailboat
rentals, and seafood restaurants. People go there in great numbers in the summer.
Washington D.C, is not as large or as famous as New York City, but it has an appeal of
its own.