Paragraph-unity-and-topic-sentence

TheTechniquesofParagraphWritingUnit1ParagraphUnity&TopicSentenceTheStructureofanEssayIntroduction:introductionoftopic&thesisstatement(introductorypara.)1.topicsentenceBody2.supportingsentences(developmentalpara.)3.concludingsentenceConclusion:conclusion,summary(concludingpara.)suggestion,determination,wish,prediction,etc.ADevelopmentalParagraphThetopicsentenceSupportingsentencesConcludingsentenceExampleTherearethreereasonswhyJohnisnotgoingtouniversity.//Inthefirstplace,hisfamilyisquitepoorand,sincehehasfouryoungbrothersandsistersstillatschool,hefeelsheshouldhelphisfamilyfinanciallyassoonaspossible.Secondly,ifhewenttouniversity,hismotherwouldbeleftalonetolookaftertheyoungchildren.Finally,hehasbeenofferedagoodjobwithexcellentchancesofpromotion.//Consequently,althoughhewantstogotouniversityverymuch,Johnisgoingtotakethejobinstead.CharacteristicsofaGoodParagraphUnity—Aparagraphhasonlyonemainideaandallofthesentencesinaparagraphshouldberelatedtothesinglemainidea(topicsentenceandtherelatedsupportingsentences).Coherence—Thesentencesshouldbearrangedinalogicalwayandfolloweachothersmoothly.(logicalorderandnaturalcohesionofsentences)Fulldevelopment—Everyideadiscussedintheparagraphshouldbeadequatelyandcompletelyexplainedthroughconcreteevidenceanddetails.(supportingsentences:concrete,vivid,detailed,enough;facts,statisticsorexamples)Example---ParagraphUnityWiththechangesintheirsocialrole,women’spositioninthefamilyhasbeenimprovedaswell.Husbandandwifearenowequalinthefamily.Theycopewithproblemsofdailylifetogetherandsharetheresponsibilityofdoinghouseholdchoresandtakingcareofchildren.Butinsomefamilies,youcanstillfindwivesarebeingbusywithdinners,whilehusbandsarecomfortablysittinginarmchairsreadingnewspapersorwatchingfootballgamesonTV.Example---ParagraphCoherenceIlikereadingnovelsbecausetheytellinterestingandmovingstories.Moreover,somestoriesareinstructive.Bydescribinggoodandevilpeople,andthebrightsideandthedarksideoflife,suchstorieshelpmetodistinguishbetweenrightandwrong,andunderstandpeopleandlife.Asaresult,readingthemhasperhapsmademewiser.Example-FullDevelopmentTakingpartinsportscanalsohelpimprovestudyefficiency.Itcangiveyouarestafteraday’shardwork.Itcanmakeyourelaxwhenyoufeeltiredandbroken-down.Itcanrelievethepressureyouhaveinstudies.Ifyoutakepartinsportsregularly,yourstudyefficiencywillsurelybeimproved.Revised(1)Takingpartinsportscanalsohelpimprovestudyefficiency.Onestudyshowsthatpeoplewhotakeregularexercisesufferlessfromanxietyandareabletoworkharder.Accordingtoamedicalreport,83percentofthefreshmenwhohadtroublewithstudieswereinbadphysicalshape.Andwhentheywereputintoaphysicalfitnessprogram,theirgradespickedupmoreorless.Revised(2)Takingpartinsportscanalsohelpimprovestudyefficiency.Forexample,wheneverIfeelalittletiredfromstudies,Iwillhavea15-minutewalkoncampus.AfterabriefwalkIalwaysfeelentirelyrefreshedandrelaxed.Icancontinuetostudyandmemorizethingsbetter.Mypersonalexperienceshowsthathalfanhour’sexerciseaftersupperwillhelpyoumaintainconcentrationforawholenight.ParagraphUnityOnemainidea(Topicsentence)+manyrelatedsupportingsentences.Howtoachieveparagraphunity1.giveeachparagraphacontrollingidea.2.makeallsentencesinaparagraphsupportthemainidea.ClassActivityDecidewhetherthefollowingparagraphsareunifiedornot.1)Iwanttotalkaboutmyfather.Heisstrictwithhischildren,especiallywithme.Hewon’tletmeoutofthehouseunlessI’vedoneallmyhomework.Heisatallandratherskinnyman.Somepeoplesayheisgood-looking.Hehasanicestreakofgreyinhishair.Helaughsalotandenjoyslifer.Myfatherisinteresting.2)Myfather’sfaceisrough.Hiscomplexionisleathery(似皮革的)andwrinkled.Therearelargeporesintheskinthatcovershisnoseandcheeks.Hisnose,brokentwiceinhislife,makeshimlooklikeaboxerwhohaslostmanyfights.Hismouth,unlesshesmiles,lookshardandthreatening.Hischinismassive(又大又重的)andangular(有角的).Shavedornot,myfather’sfaceisrugged.3)Televisionhasmanyharms.Sincethetelevisionwasinvented,ithasplayedanimportantpartinpeople’slife.Ithasturnedthebigworldtoasmallone.Peoplecanseethesameprogramatthesametimearoundtheworld.But,assoonastelevisioncomesintocommonfamilies,italsohasmanyharms,especiallyforthechildren.Forexample,childrenspendtoomuchtimewatchingtelevision.Asaresult,theycannotconcentrateontheirstudies.Whatisworse,theireyesightbecomespoorer.Andtheyareoftenexposedtoviolence,whichisharmfultotheirmentalgrowth.TopicSentenceAgeneralstatementofthemainideainaparagraph.我们在查看世界地图的时候，会发现地球上水的面积要比陆地面积大。海洋占了地球的四分之三。Theseaisverybigintheworld.Whenyoulookatthemapoftheworldyouwillfindthatthereismorewaterthanlandontheearth.Theseacoversthreequartersoftheworld.WhatisAGoodTopicSentence1)Complete:topic+controllingideaTherearethreereasonswhyJohnisnotgoingtouniversity.HongKonghasafascinatingmixtureofEuropeanandAsiantraditions.2)Limited:nottoogeneralFromaneconomicperspective,earningacollegedegreeisasoundinvestment.(page6)Althoughsmokinghasbeenapopularhabitforcenturies,ithasalwayshaditsenemies.(page7)×Moderntechnologybringsgreatconveniencetoeducation×Computersareimportant.3)AllowingfulldevelopmentAgoodtopi