Technical Report Writing
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Previous Module
1. Technical Report Writing Style
Paragraph Development
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What is a paragraph?
• Paragraphs are the building blocks of any
technical document.
• Many students define paragraphs in terms of
length: a paragraph is a group of at least five
sentences, a paragraph is half a page long, etc.
BUT!!!
The unity and coherence of ideas among sentences
is what constitutes a paragraph.
A paragraph is defined as “a group of sentences or a
single sentence that forms a unit”.
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What is a paragraph?
• Length and appearance do not determine
whether a section in a paper is a paragraph.
• For instance, in some styles of writing,
particularly journalistic styles, a paragraph can
be just one sentence long.
• HENCE, a paragraph is a sentence or group of
sentences that support one main idea.
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Paragraph development
• A typical paragraph:
– starts with a controlling idea or claim,
– then it explains, develops, or supports the claim with
evidence and justifications.
• In each paragraph, one particular idea or topic is
developed and explained.
• It is essential that the paragraph be written in a unified
and coherent manner.
• Effective paragraphs have four main characteristics:
Unity, Coherence, Adequate Development, Topic
Sentences
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Paragraph development: Unity
• All of the ideas contained within a given
paragraph "hang together" in a way that is easy
for the reader to understand.
• When the writer changes to a new idea -- one
which is not consistent with the topic sentence of
the paragraph -- the writer should begin a new
paragraph.
• A given paragraph should deal only with one
main topic; when a new paragraph begins, this
signals that the writer is moving on to a new
topic.
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Paragraph development: Unity Example
• "Employees' attitudes at Jonstone Electric Company
should be improved. The workers do not feel that
they are a working team instead of just individuals. If
people felt they were a part of a team, they would
not misuse the tools, or deliberately undermine the
work of others. Management's attitude toward its
employees should also be improved. Managers at
Jonstone Electric act as though their employees are
incapable of making decisions or doing their own
work. Managers treat workers like objects, not
human beings.“
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Paragraph development: Unity Example
There are two main ideas presented in this
paragraph.
1. The topic sentence indicates that the paragraph
will deal with the subject of "employees'
attitudes," but the paragraph shifts unexpectedly
to the topic of "management's attitudes."
2. To achieve unity in this paragraph, the writer
should begin a new paragraph when the switch is
made from employees to managers.
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Coherence
• Coherence refers to the extent to which the
flow of ideas in a paragraph is easily
understood by the reader.
• For this reason, coherence is closely related to
unity.
• When a writer changes main ideas or topics
within a paragraph, confusion often results.
• To achieve coherence, then, a writer should
show how all of the ideas contained in a
paragraph are relevant to the main topic.
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Coherence: Example
• "Schools should offer courses to help students with
the problems of unemployment. Such a course
might begin with a discussion of where to find
employment, then cover resume writing and
interviewing. Algebra and history don't help
students with real-world needs. They are required
courses that students aren't interested in, and this is
frustrating for students who would rather learn
about other subjects. If schools offered job-skills
courses, students would be well prepared for the
difficult task of finding a job once they finish school.”
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Coherence: Example
• In this paragraph,
– the writer begins with the topic of job-skills courses,
– but turn off onto the topic of algebra and history
– before returning to the subject of courses on
employment.
• As a result, the paragraph is disjointed and
difficult to understand.
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Adequate Development
• A paragraph is adequately (effectively) developed
to describe, explain and support the topic
sentence.
• If the "promise" of the topic sentence is not
fulfilled, or if the reader is left with questions after
reading the paragraph, the paragraph has not
been adequately developed.
• A good rule of thumb: a paragraph should contain
at least four sentences which explain and
elaborate on the topic sentence.
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Adequate Development :Example
“ The topics of leadership and management are both similar
to and different from one another in several important
ways. To be effective, a manager should be a good leader.
And good leaders know how to manage people effectively.”
• The topic sentence promises to discuss "several" points of
comparison and contrast between leadership and
management,
• but the remainder of the paragraph falls short of fulfilling
this promise.
•
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Adequate Development :Example
• Only one point of comparison is raised, and this
point is left unexplained.
• Several questions remain unanswered.
– How are leaders different from managers?
– In what specific ways are the two alike?
– Why must a manager be a good leader to be
effective?
– Why must good leaders know how to manage people
effectively?
• To achieve adequate development in this
paragraph, these questions should be addressed.
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Paragraph development: Irrelevant Details
“When I was growing up, one of the places I enjoyed
most was the cherry tree in the back yard. Behind the
yard was an alley and then more houses. Every summer
when the cherries began to ripen, I used to spend hours
high in the 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 for the cherries — flocks of 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.”
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Paragraph development: Irrelevant Details
• No sentence is completely irrelevant to the
general topic of this paragraph (the cherry tree),
• but the sentences ”Behind the yard was an alley
and then more houses and My mother always
worried about my falling out of the tree, but I
never did” do not develop the specific idea in the
first sentence: enjoyment of the cherry tree.
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Paragraph development: Topic Sentences
• Topic sentences are not the only way to organize a
paragraph, and 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.
• Topic sentences are useful, however, in paragraphs that
analyze and argue.
• Topic sentences are particularly useful for writers who
have difficulty developing focused, unified paragraphs
(i.e., writers who tend to sprawl).
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Paragraph development: Topic Sentences
• Topic sentences help these writers
– to develop a main idea or claim for their paragraphs,
– stay focused and keep paragraphs manageable.
• Topic sentences are also useful to readers
– because they guide them through sometimes
complex arguments.
• Many well-known, experienced writers effectively use
topic sentences to bridge between paragraphs.
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Paragraph development: Topic Sentences
Example: "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.
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Paragraph development: Topic Sentences
"The cockroaches that inhabit many city apartments and
homes are parasites that are almost impossible to
exterminate completely.“
• Notice that this sentence clearly identifies that the key
topic of the paragraph is cockroaches.
• It also indicates what the remainder of the paragraph
will discuss: the difficulty of exterminating
cockroaches.
• The reader can then expect the rest of the paragraph
to explain how and why cockroaches are difficult to
eliminate.
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Paragraph development: Topic Sentences
"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.
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Effective Paragraph: Summary
• The paragraph shows unity:
– All the sentences effectively relate back to the topic sentence at the
beginning of the paragraph.
• The paragraph shows coherence:
– There is a flow of thoughts and ideas among the sentences in this
paragraph.
– There are good transitions employed in the paragraph.
– The writer also presents her sub-topics in an orderly fashion that the
reader can follow easily.
• The paragraph is developed:
– The writer gives herself enough space to develop the topic.
– He/She gives us at least two reasons to accept his/her argument and
incorporates some examples in order to give those reasons more
validity.
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Practice with Finding a Topic: Quiz
Read to find the topic in this paragraph:
Does watching violence on TV make people more prone to
violence themselves? Obviously, TV violence has some
negative effects. One study found that heavy TV watchers are
more fearful of others. They try to protect themselves with
guns, alarm systems, and security locks on doors. In the same
study it was found that heavy TV watchers are less upset
about real-life violence than are non-TV watchers. All of the
violence they see on TV makes them less sensitive to the real
thing. A recent study also found that TV violence increases
aggressive behavior in kids and makes them more likely to
select toy guns rather than other kinds of toys.
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Paragraph structure: Example
Students require more recreational time in order to better
focus on lessons in class. In fact, studies have shown that
students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes
consistently score better on tests immediately following
the recess period. Clinical analysis further suggests that
physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on
academic materials. Longer periods of recess are clearly
required to allow students the best possible chances of
success in their studies. Clearly, physical exercise is just
one of the necessary ingredients for improving student
scores on standardized tests.
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Topic Sentence
Students require more recreational time in order to better
focus on lessons in class. In fact, studies have shown that
students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes
consistently score better on tests immediately following
the recess period. Clinical analysis further suggests that
physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on
academic materials. Longer periods of recess are clearly
required to allow students the best possible chances of
success in their studies. Clearly, physical exercise is just
one of the necessary ingredients for improving student
scores on standardized tests.
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Supporting Sentence
Students require more recreational time in order to better
focus on lessons in class. In fact, studies have shown that
students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes
consistently score better on tests immediately following
the recess period. Clinical analysis further suggests that
physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on
academic materials. Longer periods of recess are clearly
required to allow students the best possible chances of
success in their studies. Clearly, physical exercise is just
one of the necessary ingredients for improving student
scores on standardized tests.
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Concluding Sentence
Students require more recreational time in order to better
focus on lessons in class. In fact, studies have shown that
students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes
consistently score better on tests immediately following
the recess period. Clinical analysis further suggests that
physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on
academic materials. Longer periods of recess are clearly
required to allow students the best possible chances of
success in their studies. Clearly, physical exercise is just
one of the necessary ingredients for improving student
scores on standardized tests.
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Transitional Sentence
Students require more recreational time in order to better
focus on lessons in class. In fact, studies have shown that
students who enjoy a recess of more than 45 minutes
consistently score better on tests immediately following
the recess period. Clinical analysis further suggests that
physical exercise greatly improves the ability to focus on
academic materials. Longer periods of recess are clearly
required to allow students the best possible chances of
success in their studies. Clearly, physical exercise is just
one of the necessary ingredients for improving student
scores on standardized tests.
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