1、.1Paragraph WritingParagraph WritingParagraph Writing.2What is the structure of a paragraph?.3The Topic SentenceSupporting sentencesThe concluding sentence.4 This is the structure of a paragraph!Generally speaking,these three different types of sentences play different roles in a paragraph:Topic sen
2、tence;Supporting sentences;Concluding sentence.a sentence to tell the reader what the paragraph is mainly about.sentences to give more detailed information about the topic sentence.a sentence to end a paragraph or to summarize(总结）总结）the ideas.(主题句主题句)(扩展句扩展句/阐述句阐述句)(结论句结论句/结尾句结尾句)The Topic Sentence
3、The characteristics of a topic sentence The positions of a topic sentence.6The Characteristics 1)The topic sentence must be a complete sentence.2)The topic sentence should always contain both a topic and a controlling idea.The Topic Sentence=Topic+Controlling Idea3)The topic sentence should be neith
4、er too general nor too specific.7Examples:1)The importance of reading widely.Reading widely is very important in improving ones reading comprehension.2)Fire accidents in big cities.Recent years have witnessed a marked growth of fire accidents in big cities in our country.3)To make all the decisions
5、for children.Parents in China tend to make all the decisions for their children.8The topic tells the reader what the paragraph is about.The controlling idea is a key word or phrase that expresses the basic point of a paragraph.Note:a controlling idea commits the paragraph to a specific aspect of the
6、 topic.e.g.1)Convenience foods are easy to prepare.2)Alcoholic beverages should be banned from college campuses for two reasons.3)There are quite a few unusual superstitions in China about marriage.(general)(specific).9Read the following topic sentences and then identify the topic and the controllin
7、g idea in each sentence People can avoid burglaries by taking certain precautions.There are several advantages to growing up in a small town.Most US universities require a 550 point TOEFL score for a number of reasons.Air pollution in Mexico City is the worst in the world for a number of reasons.Fix
8、ing a flat tire on a bicycle is easy if you follow these steps.Riding a bicycle gives pleasure.10 There are several enjoyable ways to travel between the US and Queretaro.Animals in danger of becoming extinct come from a wide range of countries.Effective leadership requires specific qualities that an
9、yone can develop.Industrial waste poured into Lake Michigan has led to dramatic changes in its ability to support marine life.In order to fully explore the wreck of the Titanic,scientists must address several problems.11Discussion:which of the following statement is general,specific or suitable?Grou
10、p 11)American food is terrible.2)American food is tasteless and greasy because Americans use too many canned,frozen,and packaged foods and because everything is fried in oil or butter.3)American food is tasteless and greasy.(too general)(too specific)(suitable).12Group 21)Many voters supported the c
11、andidate.2)Many voters passively supported the candidate.Group 31)To play any kind of musical instrument,one needs to know something about the instrument.2)To play any kind of drum requires a good sense of rhythm.(too general)(too general)(suitable)(suitable).13Here are some examples of sentences th
12、at cannot be used as topic sentences.Can you figure out why they are inappropriate?1)My hometown is famous because it is located by Wheaton River,which is very wide,and because it is built near an unusually steep hill called Wheaton Hill.Analysis:The problem with this sentence is that it contains to
13、o many details.Topic sentences are general,and details should appear later in the paragraph.Revised:My hometown is famous for several amazing geographical features.142)There are two reasons why some people like to buy cars with automatic transmission and two reasons why others like cars with manual
14、transmission.Analysis:This sentence is not appropriate as a topic sentence because it mentions two topics,not just one.Paragraphs are usually about one main thing and so their topic sentences should also be about only one main thing.Revised:a)There are two reasons why some people like to buy cars wi
15、th automatic transmission.OR(in a different paragraph):b)There are two reasons why some people like cars with manual transmission.153)Clouds are white.Analysis The problem with this sentence is that it is too general.It is also very boring!Would you like to read a paragraph with this topic sentence?
16、Most people would not.Revised The shapes of clouds are determined by various factors.16Different Positions Of a Topic SentencetypeThe positions of the topic sentence At the beginning of a paragraphAt the end of a paragraphIn the middle of a paragraphNo clear topic sentence.17 Work in groups of four
17、and find the topic sentence of each paragraph!.181 Smoking cigarettes is harmful to your health.Experiments show that cigarette smoking can cause cancer.Besides the most serious and terrible disease(illness)-cancer,cigarette smoking can also cause other health problems.For example,it can give one a“
18、smokers cough”.Finally,studies have shown it is easy for cigarette smokers to catch colds.Whether you get an unimportant cold or terrible killer,cancer,smoking is harmful.Is it worth it?.192 Often no one looks more guilty than the innocent.On the other hand,nobody may look more innocent than a profe
19、ssional criminal.And the man who knows“everything”may really only be trying to hide his own weakness.So,it is foolish to try to judge a person only by his appearance.20 3 Every bride wants her wedding to be the most wonderful day of her life.But perfect weddings require careful planning,whether the
20、bride and bridegroom are planning a traditional wedding or just a registry office ceremony.Paying for the wedding,which is always a problem,will partly decide the choice.21 Tom studied for four years at the University of Paris and decided to leave before his graduation.He transferred to the Universi
21、ty of Berlin and graduated with honors.Harvard Law School and,later,Boston College provided him with an excellent legal background.He is presently a corporation lawyer in Miami,Florida.The main idea of this paragraph is that _.A.Tom,who had studied at Paris Universities for four years,moved to anoth
22、er university.B.Tom became a lawyer since his graduation from Harvard Law School and later from Boston College.C.Tom was an excellent student when he studied at Berlin university.D.Tom received an excellent education.detaildetaildetail.22Conclusion 1：How can we get the main idea of a paragraph？(1)We
23、 can get the main idea of a paragraph by finding _，which may appear at the beginning of,in the middle of or at the end of a paragraph;(2)If we cant find a topic sentence from the paragraph,well have tothe main idea from the whole paragraph ourselvesthe topic sentencegeneralize(归纳）归纳）.23Read the foll
24、owing paragraph carefully and write a topic sentence for each paragraph in the space provided.Famous inventor Thomas Edison,for instance,did so poorly in his first years of school that his teacher warned his parents that he would never be a success at anything.Similarly,Henry Ford,the father of the
25、auto industry,had trouble in school with both reading and writing.But perhaps the best example is Albert Einstein,whose parents and teachers suspected that he was retarded because he responded to questions so slowly and in a stuttering voice.Einsteins high school record was poor in everything but ma
26、th,and he failed his college entrance exams the first time.Even out of school the man had trouble holding a job-until he announced the theory of relativity.Many scientists had very bad proficiency records in their school days.24Assignment Quote three paragraphs with clear topic sentences in your rea
27、ding materials The topic sentences in these three paragraphs should be positioned in different places.The topic sentences should be underlined or italicized.The assignment can either be handwritten or be printed.The assignment is to be handed in Next week.25Assignment Group Work Design a quiz paper
28、concerning the topic sentence four members in a group each paper consists of five problems the five problems can be in different kinds (either subjective or objective)The topic sentences should be positioned in different places.the keys should be included on another piece of paper.the names of the group members should be printed at the bottom of the quiz paper.26Thank you!Thank you!
