Writing the Body of the Essay - Paragraphs - Use This

8/9/2019 Writing the Body of the Essay - Paragraphs - Use This

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Lesson 9

Writing the body of the essay - paragraphs


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Writing Process

Descriptive

Essay Narrative Essay

ExemplificationEssay Personal Essay

Common

WritingMistakes


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Writers Prompt

Write a description of your very favoriteseason. What makes it so special to you? What

are the smells, sounds, sights and feelings

associated with this season? Show us.

Copyright 19952007 by Pearson Education, publishing as Longman Publishers

Fowler/Aaron, The Little, Brown Handbook,Tenth Edition


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Assignment

Read the very short story handout, Listing.

Answer the questions on the handout about the story.

Descriptive Essay


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Assignment Review:



Great Writing The Kitchen on page 45.

Meaning and Idea

#3

Language, Form, Structure

#2


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Alfred Kazin



Alfred Kazin belonged to another

America, to a wonderful generation

of writers and critics, known now

as the New York intellectuals.

Their influence extended from the1930's to the late 1960's.

Literary and social critic social

history of New York as he was

growing up most famous forNew

York Jew


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What did you think?



Meaning and Idea

#3

Language, Form, Structure

#2


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Writing the Body of the Essay

The Paragraph




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Why a paragraph?



A paragraph is a group of related sentences

set off by a beginning indention or, sometimes,

by extra spaces. For you and your readers,paragraphs provide breathers from long

stretches of text and indicate key changes in the

development of your thesis. They help to

organize and clarify ideas.


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The Attributes of a Well

Made Paragraph




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Attributes



1. Unity explores a single idea

2. Development enough evidence to support this

idea3. Coherence all details support that single idea


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Unity



Readers generally expect a paragraph to

explore a single idea.

The topic sentence, like the thesis, alerts

readers as to what the main idea is. Subsequent sentences within the paragraph are

only there for one reason to support the main

idea of the topic sentence.

When a paragraph does this, it is said to haveunity.


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Development



Is the paragraph developed?

Is the general idea of the paragraph well

supported with specific evidence such asdetails, facts, examples, and reasons?

Is there enough information in the paragraph,

enough meat to support the central idea


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Coherence



A paragraph is unified if it holds together if allof its details and examples support the central

idea.

A

paragraph is coherent if readers can see howthe paragraph holds together how the

sentences relate to each other without having

to stop and reread.


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Ways to Achieve Paragraph Coherence

Organize effectively.

Repeat or restate key words and word

groups.

Use parallel structures.

Use pronouns.

Be consistent in nouns, pronouns, and

verbs. Use transitional expressions.


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Ways to Organize a Paragraph

Space and Time

P. 80 (LBH)

General to Specific/ Specific to General P. 81 (LBH)

Problem/Solution

P. 82 (LBH)


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Repeating Key Words



Binds the sentences together

Keeps the paragraphs topic uppermost in the

readers mind See example paragraph in Little, Brown

page 83 Chinese and English


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Using Parallel Structure



The use of similar grammatical structures for

similar elements of meaning within a sentence

or among sentences P. 84


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Using Pronouns



Pronouns such as she, he, it, they, and who

refer to and function as nouns.

Pronouns naturally help sentences relate to oneanother

P. 84


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Using Transitional Expressions



Connect sentences whose relationships may

not be instantly clearto readers

P. 85


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A Checklist forRevising Paragraphs

Is the paragraph unified? Does it adhereto one general idea that is either stated in a

topic sentence or otherwise apparent?

Is the paragraph coherent? Do the

sentences follow a clear sequence? Are thesentences linked as needed by parallelism,

repetition or restatement, pronouns,

consistency, and transitional expressions?

Is the paragraph developed? Is the

general idea of the paragraph well

supported with specific evidence such as

details, facts, examples, and reasons?


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Strategies for Paragraph Openings

Create a visual image

Make a historical comparison or contrast.

Outline a problem or dilemma.

Define a word central to your subject.

Startle the reader

Use humor

Use satire I wouldnt say she was tall, buthave you seen the redwoods in California?


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Writing a descriptive paragraph

The dog sat.


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The big dog sat down.


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The big, brown dog sat down with a thud.


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The big, brown, mangy lab sat down with a loud

thud, looking like a big old bear, and slobbered on

his ragged yellow tennis ball.


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his ragged yellow tennis ball.T

he dog was worncompletely out, having spent the last thirty minutes

playing nonstop fetch with his eleven year old owner

on the sloppy soccer field behind his home.


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his ragged yellow tennis ball.T

he dog was worncompletely out, having spent the last thirty minutes

playing nonstop fetch with his eleven year old owner

on the sloppy soccer field behind his home. The

exhausted lab was ready to call it quits, but hisyoung, energetic owner had other ideas.


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EXERCISE - Handout

Eliminating inconsistencies

in paragraphs

Identify the inconsistencies and revise the

paragraph on your handout

Give it coherence.


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The Hopi tihu, or kachina likeness, is often called a doll, but

its owner, usually a girl or woman, does not regard it as a plaything.

Instead, she treats it as a valued possession and hangs it out of the

way on a wall. For its owner the tihu represents a connection with

the kachinas spirit. It is considered part of the kachina, carrying a

portion of the kachinas power.

Answer

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Writing the Body of the Essay - Paragraphs - Use This