Paragraph

• A paragraph is a group of sentence about a topic

–In a descriptive paragraph the writer describes a person, a place or a thing; –In an example paragraph the writer explains a topic by giving examples –In a process paragraph the writer explains how to do something step by step –In an opinion paragraph the writer expresses his/her feelings, ideas, and opinions about a topic –In a narrative paragraph the writer tells a story

Paragraph Organisation:

• A typical paragraph has a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a concluding sentence.

–The topic sentence introduces the topic and tells what the writer will say about the topic –The sentences that follow further explain and support the topic sentence are called supporting sentences –The concluding sentence often repeats the idea from topic sentence in a different way

The Topic Sentence

• The topic sentence is usually the first or second sentence in a paragraph. It introduces a new idea. It presents the topic and explains what the writer will say about the topic. This explanation is called the controlling idea

–My friend is a honest person

• The topic sentence must not be a simple fact or a specific detail. The controlling idea must say something about the topic that can be supported, developed, or demonstrated in the supporting sentences. The controlling idea must also not be too general, or the topic sentence will be unclear

–A surprise party is a kind of party (too general) –There were 14 guesses at my surprise birthday party (too specific) –My classmates gave me an unforgettable surprise party for my 18th birthday (good)   Supporting Sentences

• Supporting sentences add information about the topic and the controlling idea
• Supporting sentences can include definitions, explanations, and examples.

Ex:

Young people are too dependent on computers. Dependency on computer means that young people cannot perform normal tasks and function daily life without them. In the old days, people memorised important information, but today’s youth rely on their computer and smartphone to do assignments, record numbers, and save important information. As a result they can find themselves unprepared in an emergency such as electrical blackout. Once their batteries die, this people will not be able communicate. For example, I do all my schoolwork on my computer. When my computer crashed last week, I lost my only draft of an essay that was due the next day. As a result, I got bad grade.

The concluding sentences

• The concluding or final sentence of a paragraph usually reminds the reader of the topic and controlling idea of the paragraph. The concluding sentence restates the main idea
• In addition, the concluding sentence may:

–Warn the reader –Make a prediction –Give opinion about the topic   Unity within a paragraph:

• A paragraph must have unity. A paragraph has unity when all the sentence support a single idea.

–One controlling idea in each paragraph. More of them will make it loses focus –Supporting sentences must support that one controlling idea –Concluding sentence must restate the topic sentence, not else. Ex:

One of the most controversial issues is the extent to which grammar teaching should be made explicit*, and this is due in part to the complex relationship between teaching and learning: what is taught does not necessarily translate into what is learnt. Explicit knowledge refers to rules learners have learned and can verbalise, whereas implicit knowledge is unconscious and can be accessed effortlessly for communication. The crux of contention rests on whether it is formal and systematic attention to individual linguistic features which results in learning, or whether target-language exposure is sufficient. Gascoigne (2002: 38) remarks that “There are as many small-scale studies that have found results supporting the implicit view of grammar instruction as there are those endorsing the superiority of explicit grammar instruction”.

English is the natural choice for a world language. Do you agree?

Subsequently, as can be seen, one of the most powerful English-speaking countries, the United States, is gradually rising in power in political areas, financial conditions and the military field. Since the second world war, by saving actual strength and growth of national economy during the war time, when some were spending a large amount of war costs, whether defending or attacking. Moreover, during the post-war time, they have risen in national economical power by providing loans to others countries to fix their economic crisis due to war damage. The power of the language relies on the basis of the power of the country. Also, a lot of immigrants contributed to the English-speaking population when moving to the states or other English-speaking countries in order to have a better life. This is another main cause which made a significant transmission of English from countries to countries. Thirdly, as high-technology develops fast since 20thcentury, English is moving to a higher level in technological field. For Example, the Internet seems to have an irreplaceable position currently because of diversiform function which can either provide the program for working or service for recreation to social community.

Coherence within a paragraph

• A paragraph must also have a coherence. This means that supporting details are organised so that information that goes together appears together
• Writers often use time, space, or order of importance to present the supporting information in a paragraph coherently

Ex: 1.

It is commonly recognized that dogs have an extreme antagonism toward cats. This enmity between these two species can be traced back to the time of the early Egyptian dynasties. Archaeologists in recent years have discovered Egyptian texts in which there are detailed accounts of canines brutally mauling felines. Today this type of cruelty between these two domestic pets can be witnessed in regions as close as your own neighborhood. For example, when dogs are walked by their masters (and they happen to catch sight of a stray cat), they will pull with all their strength on their leash until the master is forced to yield; the typical result is that a feline is chased up a tree. The hatred between dogs and cats has lasted for many centuries, so it is unlikely that this conflict will ever end.

2.

  There are three principal reasons why people commit crimes. The first of these is that they may be career criminals who have made an active choice to make their living illegally. A second reason reason relates to the environment they grew up in: a possible illustration of this is if they have been subject to peer group pressure at an early age to join a gang that terrorised the neighbourhood. Finally, it is sometimes argued that genetic factors play a role and that some people cannot be blamed for their criminal actions because they are naturally predisposed to commit crimes. It is possible to argue that more effective education would lead to a decrease in the crime rate and that prison is an ineffective deterrent.  People who argue in favour of prison often claim that it is not only the most appropriate way to punish offenders, it also prevents crimes from being committed. For example, many young people join gangs at an early age due to peer group pressure and they are led into a life of crime in later life because of the choices they made when they were younger.