1、C h a p t e r F o u r,P A R A G R A P H,W R I T I N G,Contents,Introduction,Classification,Features,Ways of paragraph development,4,1,2,3,Conclusion,5,I. Introduction,1. Definition A paragraph is a group of orderly sentences that develop one central idea completely. It may be a part of an essay or i
2、t may stand alone like a mini essay. It may be long or short. 2. Feature of an effective paragraph: unified,coherent, specific, and adequately developed. 3.The components of a standard paragraph:a topic sentence,and supporting sentences,II. Types of paragraphs,A. Independent paragraph B. Special par
3、agraphsIntroductory paragraphTransitional paragraph Concluding paragraph C. Body paragraph(Supporting/Amplifying),II. Types of paragraphs,A. Independent paragraph An independent paragraph is an isolated one which has its own separated existence and it is like a complete essay by itself. Components:
4、a topic sentence; supporting sentences and a concluding sentence E.g. editorial pages of newspapers or comments on current events.,II. Types of paragraphs,I believe that the Chinese people possess all the mental and physical qualities required for national greatness. They love the land of their birt
5、h with reverence; they believe in their own superiority. They are fine men, endowed with great powers of endurance; they are industrious and thrifty. Absolutely indifferent to hardship and death, they are fearless and brave, and when well trained and well led, they make first-rate soldiers. I have s
6、een them under fire, and found them cool and undismayed by danger. (from the Chinese People by Lord Woolsey),B. Special paragraphs,Introductory paragraph,Transitional paragraph,Concluding paragraph,II. Types of paragraphs,II. Types of paragraphs,B. Special paragraphs In an essay, there are often spe
7、cial paragraphs which begin it, link parts within it, or end it. Why are they special? In form and in function. 1.Introductory paragraphs: Interest-getters, 2.Transitional paragraphs: pointers, 3.Concluding paragraphs: clinchers. They are not fully developed units of a discussion.,II. Types of parag
8、raphs,1.An introductory paragraph (propositional) paragraph Its main purpose is to introduce the subject under treatment. A thesis statement is a single sentence which states clearly the main idea of a whole essay. It appears at the beginning of an essay, stating the theme, and also briefly expressi
9、ng the way of development to be followed. It startles the readers and makes special effort to interest them. Some examples to illustrate the ways of writing an introductory paragraph:,II. Types of paragraphs,1.An introductory paragraph a. Stating the theme in the form of a challenging question and h
10、inting at its importance:Into what is a modern girl to grow? Many a psychologist or educator today will find few questions more recurrent or more troubling than this one if he stops to consider it.(from “Growing Up Female” by Bruno Bellelheim),II. Types of paragraphs,1.An introductory paragraph b. S
11、tating the topic and pointing out the two subtopics that are to be treated:This book is a collection of short stories by Southern writers. That involves two questions which more than once had to be considered in the making of this book. What is a Southern writer and what is a short story?(from South
12、ern Harvest by Robert Penn),II. Types of paragraphs,1.An introductory paragraph c. Stating the theme and indicating the way of development to be followed:The main purpose of this book is to examine the lines and productions of such British poets as have gained reputation within the last forty years.
13、 Incidentally, I hope to derive from the body of their verse, -so various in form and thought, - and from the record of the aim and province of the art of poetry, and not a few striking illustrations of the poetic life.(From Victorian Poets by Edmund Clarence Stedman),II. Types of paragraphs,1.An in
14、troductory paragraph d. Stating the theme and describing a problem in the form of a brief representative incident:A group of youngsters the oldest was 14 formed a circle and solemnly inhaled on a Turkish water pipe until their eyes were glazed and distant. All of them were deep-tanned, sun-bleached,
15、 sports-playing California-affluent-junior-high-schoolers, good students and normal children whose parents thought, they were on a picnic. (from “Marijuana: Millions of Turned-on Users” by Albert Rosenfield),II. Types of paragraphs,2. Transitional paragraph It is a whole short paragraph that serves
16、as a transition between the main divisions of the subject. It appears somewhere in the middle of a paper to mark the close of one division and suggest the readiness to take up another. It is like a bridge linking together the two banks of a river. a. Summing up before starting another division:Well,
17、 thats how it was before “she” came into my life. Now let me tell you what its like to be married to a Honda.,II. Types of paragraphs,2. Transitional paragraph b. Providing a transition from a generalization to a discussion of specific examples:I know of course that all this still sounds vague. But
18、dont worry. Form this point on we are getting down to brass tacks.,II. Types of paragraphs,2. Transitional paragraph c. Indicating what the writer intends to do next:Confucius belongs to that small company of select ones whose lives have been devoted to the moral elevation of their fellow-men. Among
19、 them he stands high, for he sought to implant the purest principles of religion and morals in the character of the whole people, and succeeded in doing it. To show that this was his purpose, it will be necessary to give a brief sketch of his life.,II. Types of paragraphs,3. A concluding paragraph T
20、he concluding paragraph is the last paragraph in an essay which should concentrate on the main idea of what has been stated concerning the subject. However, a conclusion never has to be a mere dry summary. Its purpose is to make on the readers a strong impression of the important respects in regard
21、to the subject tackled. to reemphasize the main thought, make a prediction or plead for action. to give the readers enlightenment, inspiration or some directions.,II. Types of paragraphs,3. A concluding paragraph a. End with a significant quotation which supports the thesis:And so we agree with Emer
22、son: “Every great and commanding moment in the annals of the world is the triumph of some enthusiasm.” b. End with a forceful restatement of the thesis through the use of balance, emphasis, or other rhetorical devices:and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish
23、 from the earth.( “Gattysberg Address” by Abraham Lincoln),II. Types of paragraphs,3. A concluding paragraph“All men are created equal” does not mean that all men are the same. What it does mean is that each should be accorded full respect and full rights as a unique human being full respect for his
24、 humanity and for his differences from other people.(“The Egalitarian Error” by Mararet Mead and Rhoda Metraux) c. End with an appropriate final quotation:If we leave our prisons the way they are caves of corruption where first time offenders mingled with hardened murderers and rapists then we can e
25、xpect that all offenders will end having their minds forever twisted. Societys obligation is not only to confine a criminal, but also,II. Types of paragraphs,3. A concluding paragraph(continued) to return him to society as a rehabilitated human being. Oscar Wilders poem “Ballad of Reading Gaol” tell
26、s a world of truth:The vilest deeds like poison weeds, Bloom well in prison air, It is only what is good in Man, That wastes and withers there. (From Rhetoric Made Plain by Anthony C. Winkler, and Jo Ray EcCuen),II. Types of paragraphs,3. A concluding paragraph d. End with a call for action:The Comm
27、unists disdain to conceal their views and they openly declare that their ends can be attained only by forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Work
28、ing men of all countries, unite!From Manifesto of the Communist Party by Karl Marx and Frederich Engels,Sentence patterns,The beginning: 1. There are different opinions among people as to _. Some people suggest that _. 2. Nowadays although more and more people _, still there are some who think _, th
29、ey may think _. 3. For years _ had been viewed as _.However, now people are taking a fresh look at it. 4._ has been playing an increasingly important role in our daily life. It has brought us a lot of benefits but has created some serious problems as well. 5. The English proverb says _. This is quit
30、e true because _. 6. Today there are _, which have brought about a lot of harms in our daily life. First, _. Second, _. What makes things worse is that _ _. 7. These days we often hear about _. However, it this really the case?,Sentence patterns,The ending 1. For my part, I think it reasonable to _.
31、 Only in this way can you _. 2. In conclusion, I believe that _. We can _ only if _. Just as a proverb goes _. 3. In a word, the whole society should pay close attention to the problem of _. Only in this way can _ in the future. 4. Whatever you do, please remember the saying - _. If you understand i
32、t and apply it to your study or work, youll definitely benefit a lot from it. 5. From what has been discussed above, we may reasonably arrive at the conclusion that _ _. 6. Taking into account all of these factors, we may reach the conclusion that _ _. 7. In short, I support the statement that it is
33、 better to _ because _.,II Types of paragraphs,Conclusion above all, as a result, as long as, at any rate, for this reason, in brief, in conclusion, last but not least, only by this can we, on the whole, to make a long story short, to sum up, what we have to do is (to), as has been mentioned, all in
34、 all, therefore, thus, consequently, accordingly, thank to, due to, owing to, at length, eventually,II. Types of paragraphs,C. Body paragraph (Amplifying/Supporting) Amplifying paragraphs make up the real body of an essay; therefore they are called Body paragraphs. The paragraphs of an essay develop
35、 the thesis within the body of the essay. The importance of body paragraph in an essay A usual paragraph within the body of an essay can be considered as an essay in miniature. The space occupied by the body paragraphs must be more than that by the special paragraphs. A body paragraph has the featur
36、es both in structure and in content of a whole essay on a small scale.,Sentence patterns,The supporting details: 1. However, there are still many people who dont agree. They argue that _. 2. However, I dont think it a very good way to solve _. For instance, _. worst of all, _. 3. There are several m
37、easures for us to adopt. First, we can _, there are a number of advantages of _. Another solution is to _. 4. There are some people, who _. Their reasons are different, sometimes for _, sometimes for _, and sometimes simply for_. 5. Why _? For one thing, _. For another, _. Perhaps the main reason is
38、 that _. 6. From a personal perspective, I also prefer to _ because _. 7. There are many reasons why _, and I shall here explore only a few of the most important ones. 8. Good _ as it is, it has its own disadvantages. For one thing, _. for another, _.,A sample: Key Factors to Success,No doubt, we wi
39、sh to be successful in life. In discussing this, we should bear three fundamental principles in mind: diligence, devotion, and perseverance.The first key factor to success is diligence, which simply means no waste of time. Diligence can help us remove ignorance, overcome difficulties, and enlighten
40、our minds. Diligence can make a fool wise, and a poor man rich. If we idle away our time now, our future life will be a failure. If we are diligent now, we will surely be successful in the future.,A sample: Key Factors to Success,Devotion, which means the concentration of our mind and effort in doin
41、g things, is another key factor to success. Whatever job we are doing, we must love it and do it whole-heartedly. Only when we set our minds on the job, can we do it well.Furthermore, perseverance, or a strong will, is also necessary in order to make success a certainty. If we study or work day afte
42、r day, there is nothing that can not be achieved. Without a strong will, on the other hand, we are likely to give up when we meet some difficulties. In short, a strong will can urge us to perform wonderful deeds.To conclude, all great men achieve success through diligence, devotion and perseverance.
43、 Just as the famous English saying goes, “No pains, no gains.”,III. Features of paragraphs,A. Features in structure: Introduction: a topic sentence Body: supporting sentences Conclusion: a concluding sentence,III. Features of paragraphs,B. Features in content: 1. Unity subject/theme /thesisa main/ce
44、ntral/dominant idea; leading/controlling/dominating idea A controlling idea is a key word or phrase that expresses the basic point of a paragraph. A topic sentence is a single sentence which states the main idea of a paragraph clearly. It names the topic in the paragraph, telling the reader what the
45、 paragraph is about.,III. Features of paragraphs,It contains a controlling idea that commits the paragraph to a specific aspect of the topic. It tells the reader what to expect in the paragraph. It usually is the most general and most important statement in the paragraph. E.g.: Writing an outline is
46、 an aid to organizing a composition. Going to college requires much more self-reliance than going to high school. Riding a bicycle gives pleasure.,III. Features of paragraphs,Are the following the Good topic sentences or not? Why? 1Teaching writing to EFL adult learners in a Chinese context. 2 I don
47、t know which is better the American English textbook or the British English textbook. 3 Many students are buying American English textbooks. 4 The competition between the American publishers and British publishers is fierce. 5 Professor Wang is a demanding teacher. 6 Getting the right job is important and can lead to rewarding experiences. 7 Getting the right job can lead to an improved sense of self-esteem.,III. Features of paragraphs,Places where a topic sentence appears in a paragraph:At the very beginningAt the end In the middleImplied,
