Composition IULACIT

Teacher Laura Gang

Week 1 Part 1

What is a paragraph?

letters

word

sentence

paragraph

essay

The Structure of a Paragraph

What is a paragraph?

“A paragraph is a device for making an idea clear to a reader.” (Hughes and Sohn, 1997)

“ A group of sentences that develop or explain a single idea.” (Hughes and Sohn, 1997)

“A paragraph (from the Greek paragraphos, "to write beside" or "written beside") is a self-contained unit of a discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea. Paragraphs consist of one or more sentences.[1][2] The start of a paragraph is indicated by beginning on a new line. Sometimes the first line is indented. At various times, the beginning of a paragraph has been indicated by the pilcrow: ¶.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paragraph)

How is a paragraph formed? A paragraph is indented in the

first line. A topic sentence introduces the

main topic. It can be placed in the beginning, middle or end of the paragraph.

The body of a paragraph is made up of supporting details written as sentences that support the main idea with specific details.

The concluding sentence will restate the main idea or summarize the main idea of a paragraph and even offer a suggestion or a prediction. (Folse, Muchmore-Vokoun and Vestri, 1999)

Developing Ideas for Writing a Paragraph

How can I begin writing?

Week 1 Part 2

If you wish to be a writer, write.

Epictetus

How can I begin writing? Keep a journal, personal notepad, folder. Write everyday. Write with feeling.

Select a narrow topic. Brainstorm about your topic. Collect details about your topic. Make a detailed list. Write an outline. Write an effective topic sentence.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming and how it works?

Quickly writing down all the thoughts that come into your head. Make it truly a storm in your head, a storm of ideas.

There is no right or wrong ‘brainstorm’.

A good writer always THINKS before he writes.

It works by being MESSY. There isn’t one single

method to follow.(Folse, Muchmore-Vokoun and Vestri, 1999)

Outlining An outline will show the

introduction, main idea, supporting details and concluding sentences in a logical order.

An outline is useful to organize ideas and details so to make sense in an organized way.

Basic outlines follow this format: “The main ideas take roman numerals. Sub-points under each main idea take capital letters and are indented. Sub-points under the capital letters, if any, take italic numbers and are further indented”.(http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/research/outlining.html)

        I.  MAIN IDEA               A. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I               B. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I                   1. Subsidiary idea to B                   2. Subsidiary idea to B                       a) Subsidiary idea to 2                       b) Subsidiary idea to 2        II.  MAIN IDEA               A. Subsidiary or supporting idea to II               B. Subsidiary idea to II               C. Subsidiary idea to II        III.  MAIN IDEA

Topic Sentences

Control and guide de paragraph. Offer a preview of what will be mentioned

in the paragraph. State the main idea of the paragraph. Are NOT a general fact. Are specific but not too much. Have controlling ideas that guide the flow

of the paragraph. Include a specific feeling about the idea.

Week 1 Part 3

Writing good topic sentences

Use a number Create a list Start with to + verb Use word pairs Join Two ideas Use a “Why-what

word” Use a “Yes, But” word Quote an expert, (Sebranek, Kemper, Meyer,

2005)

Homework :1Scavenger Hunt

In a scavenger hunt you physically gather objects or items, however, on this scavenger hunt you will write complete descriptions as you find the following situations:

An angry exchange An out-of-place object A well-loved object Something fresh, new or unused A lost or forgotten object Something unpleasant

References

Folse, K., Muchmore-Voukoun, and E. Solomon. (1999) Great Paragraphs: An introduction ot Writing Paragraphs, Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.

Hughes, Elaine and David A. Sohn (1997). Writing by Doing. Illinois, NTC Publishing Group.

Sebranek, P., Kemper, Dave and Meyer, Verne (2005). Write Source. Great Source Education Group, Houghton Mifflin Division.

Language Focus

Identifying Verbs in a sentence Fragments Subject-Verb Agreement Sentence Fragments Comma splices

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/fragments_quiz.htm