PARAGRAPH /ESSAY WRITING

Academic Writing, Jordan R.R. Nelson, 1992

PARAGRAPH WRITING

I. PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

A paragraph is a basic unit of organization in writing in which a group of related sentences develops one main idea. A paragraph can be as short as one sentence or as long as ten sentences. The paragraph should be long enough to develop the main idea clearly.

A paragraph may stand by itself (i.e. to answer a test question). A paragraph may also be one part of a longer price of writing such as a chapter of a book or an essay.

A paragraph has three major structural parts: 1) a topic sentence, 2) supporting sentences, and 3) a concluding sentence.

1) The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. It names the topic of the paragraph and limits it to one or two specific areas called the controlling idea. Notice how the topic sentence of the model states both the topic and the controlling idea:

Topic Controlling Idea Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics.

The topic sentence is usually the first, the most important and the most general statement in the paragraph.

The following is an example of a general statement that could serve a topic sentence:

The Arabic origin of many English words is not always obvious.

2) Supporting sentences develop the topic sentence. That is, they explain the topic sentence by giving reasons, examples, facts, statistics, and quotations. Some of the supporting sentences that explain the topic sentence about gold are:

First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion.

The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits.

3) The concluding sentence signals the end of the paragraph and sums up the important points to remember:

In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.

The concluding sentence is not absolutely necessary; in fact, a concluding sentence is not necessary for every paragraph in a multiparagraph essay. However, it is helpful for the reader in single paragraphs, especially long ones.

A concluding sentence serves three purposes:

1. It signals the end of paragraph.

2. It summarizes the main points of the paragraph.

3. It gives a final comment on the topic and leaves the reader with the most important ideas to think about.

II. How to write a title

A title tells the reader what the topic of the paragraph is. It is usually a word or phrase, not a sentence. It should be brief, but not so brief that doesn’t tell the reader what to expect.

Single paragraphs do not usually have titles. For longer essays or reports, though, the use of titles will become more necessary.

Remember these points when writing a title:

1. The first, last, and all important words in a title are capitalized. Prepositions and articles are not considered important words in a title. Prepositions of more than five letters, however, may be capitalized. Articles that begin the title, of course, are capitalized.

2. The title of a paragraph or essay is not underlined.

3. The title is not enclosed in quotation marks, nor is it ended with period.

My Greatest Culture Shock

The Effects of Inflation

Riding the Subway in New York

III. Paragraph writing process

The style of writing is important and is expected to be formal/neutral. The language should be clear and direct. In paragraph writing the students should follow the procedure:

Step 1: Assessing the Assignment.

The first step is to know the topic and purpose of the assignment.

Step 2: Generating Ideas.

There are many ways to do this; two of the most effective are brainstorming and free writing.

Step 3: Organizing Your Ideas.

One way to organize your ideas is a topic outline. You first have to decide what the main idea of the paragraph is. Then you need to consider which points to include in order to support your main point.

Step 4: Writing the First Draft.

Once you have your ideas generated and an organizational pattern to follow, you can write your first draft.

Step 5: Rewriting.

Rewriting is a critical part of the writing process and consists of two separate processes: revising and editing.

Revise the content. You may start revising as soon as you finish writing, or, better yet, set your paragraph aside for awhile and go back to it later.

Edit the language. The other aspect of rewriting is editing. When you edit, you check to make sure the spelling, capitalization, punctuation, vocabulary, and grammar are correct.

Step 6: Writing the Final Draft.

Submit the first draft to your teacher and then rewrite it following the teacher’s remarks.

Step 7: Checking the final draft

Check your final draft using this Paragraph Checklist as a guide:

1. I have a topic sentence at the beginning of my paragraph. It contains the topic and the controlling idea.

2. The body of my paragraph consists of: facts or statistics, examples, illustrations based on personal experience.

3. My paragraph follows: chronological, spatial or logical ordering. My paragraph has unity. There are no irrelevant sentences.

4. My concluding sentence restates the topic sentence or summarizes the main points of the body of the paragraph.

5. My paragraph is complete. There are no missing parts.

6. I have used correct paragraph format, including indentation and margins.