#6 Structured Paragraph Writing

THREE ELEMENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL ACADEMIC WRITING

        

• style
• correct pronunciation
• paragraphing

WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH

• a distinct section in a piece of writing with a number of related sentences
• one main idea or topic

PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH

1. TOPIC SENTENCE: an interesting topic with arguments.

2.BODY: should be organized according to the order of importance or order of chronology

3.CLOSING SENTENCE: which reminds the audience what the writer is talking about (restate the message) and let the audience thinking.

ELEMENTS OF A PARAGRAPH

• each paragraph must be easy to identify and start in a new line
• it must be focused on a main idea
• it must be well organized
• all its sentences must be related (cohesion)

THREE QUALITIES THAT MAKE A SUCCESSFUL PARAGRAPH

• unity that must share all the sentences in the paragraph
• coherence that makes all sentence be related
• development that supports the main idea with elements

UNITY

-The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph

-Start the paragraph with the topic sentence , which tells the reader what the paragraph is about

The Topic sentence is made up by two elements:

TOPIC (the subject of the paragragraph)

THE CONTROLLING IDEA (specific comment of the theme based on Wh-questions)

POSITION OF THE TOPIC SENTENCE

• first sentence of the paragraph
• elsewhere in the paragraph

COHERENCE

• sentences related to each other
• all the details in the sentence are fixed

HOW TO ACHIEVE IT?

• creating  logical bridges from one sentence to another (coherence)
• repeating key words
• using synonyms
• using pronouns
• using transition words

DEVELOPMENT

-details and evidence to support the topic

-illustrative points with examples to convince the reader

To structure the development : TEE Rule

T: Topic Sentence

E: Explanation

E: Examples or evidences

                                 

                              

INTRODUCING PARAGRAPH

• it states topic of assignment and comment on its importance
• it states main argument to get reader´s attention
• how you intend to answer the question

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH

• it summarizes the main points
• it states main conclusion
• assures that the question was answered (satisfy the reader)

A CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH MUST NOT :

-INTRODUCE NEW MATERIAL (THIS MUST BE IN THE BODY)

-END WITH A GENERALIZATION

-END WITH A QUOTATION

SOURCES:

Writing Structured Paragraphs. Available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w183qB0KDFg. Retrieved May 30, 2013.

Parts of a paragraph-English Academic Writing. Available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCuExRE6N-4. Retrieved May 30, 2013.