SUMMIT 2(1)

ROUNDING UP ACTIVITY TO UNIT 1

THE PARAGRAPH

There are two types of writing, personal and no personal. Up to now, you have
focused mainly on personal writing where the emphasis is on the writer, I.

Starting at this level, you will focus on no personal writing which emphasizes the
subject rather than the writer. An example of this type of writing is the Paragraph.
The following information will attempt to answer all of your questions about a
paragraph and how to write it.

What is a paragraph and how is it organized?

A paragraph is a group of sentences that logically develop a topic. It is made up of
three parts, the topic sentence, the body, and the concluding sentence.

Topic Sentence

This sentence introduces the topic in the paragraph and also gives the writer’s
attitude about the topic. This attitude is also called the controlling idea. Its objective
is to limit the topic to one aspect of that topic. A topic sentence is an opinion and
not a fact since a fact does not allow for further discussion. Though the topic
sentence may be placed anywhere in the paragraph, we have chosen to put it at
the beginning for easier development.

Examples:

Bolivia is a beautiful country in South America. XXX fact

Drugs damage your health. XXX fact

English is useful.
Topic controlling idea

This sentence has a general controlling idea since it does not mention how it is
useful.

English can help you to get a better job.

Topic controlling idea

By modifying the controlling idea, the writer focuses on a specific aspect of being
useful. This is also an opinion which you can write about.

English is a language.
Topic controlling idea
This topic sentence is a fact and can not be further developed.
(page 2 THE PARAGRAPH)
Exercise I
Read the following topic sentences. Underline the topic and circle the
controlling idea.

1. Lake Titikaka is one of the most peaceful places to visit.

2. There are three good reasons why I like soccer.

3. The essence of Christmas has changed over the years.

4. Internet has made communication less personal.

5. Having a pet is an important responsibility.

6. The years I spent in France are my most memorable ones.

7. All restaurants should have a smoking and a nonsmoking section.

8. Nowadays, a woman’s life is more different.

9. The writing process can be divided into three stages.

10. There’s no better friend than my brother.

Writing: Developing Effective Topic Sentences

As a writer, it is important to develop clear and concise topic sentences that help
your readers understand your ideas and guide them through your paragraphs.

A good topic sentence does two things:

- It makes clear what the paragraph is about—the topic.
- It expresses a viewpoint about the topic.

An effective topic sentence always expresses a viewpoint about the topic.

A viewpoint is an attitude or focus about a topic.

If the topic is wild game hunting, there are several viewpoints that you could
express about it:

 Wild game hunting helps control overpopulation of wildlife.

 Wild game hunting involves killing animals for pleasure.
 Wild game hunting allows hunters to experience and appreciate nature.

Each of the above examples offers a different attitude toward the topic. In contrast,
notice how the following sentences do not express a viewpoint.
  There are 2 million wild game hunters in the United States.
 Wild game hunting season often begins in the fall.

If you write a topic sentence without a viewpoint, you will find you have very
little to write about in the remainder of the paragraph.

Identifying Viewpoint

Exercise II

Directions: For each of the following topic sentences, highlight the viewpoint
expressed toward the topic.

1. Russia and the United States share a complex history riddled with conflict
and mutual mistrust.
2. The Russian Ministry of Education determines the curriculum and as a result
all schools meet certain national standards of education.
3. Unlike Russia, the United States does not have a county-level curriculum.
4. In the classroom, the code of conduct between students and teachers is formal
and respectful.

Exercise III
Read the following topic sentences and choose the one that is more specific.
1. a) Television has negative effects on children.
b) Some television programs can cause children to act violently.
2. a) The migration of people from the country to the city can have
consequences.
b) The migration of people from the country to the city can increase
unemployment.
3. a) Introducing children to reading early in life may help them be better
readers.
b) Books are good for children.
4. a) Sucre is an interesting city.
b) Sucre’s colonial architecture is worth seeing.
5. a) Burger King is a good place to eat.
b) The service at Burger King is quick.
 6. a) People from warmer climates are friendlier.
b) People from warmer climates are different.
Body
The sentences that follow the topic sentence support or explain it in more detail.
The size of the body will depend on the topic. The average paragraph in English
contains between 7 and 10 sentences, including the topic sentence and concluding
sentence and from 75 to 150 words.

Support

As explained earlier, the supporting sentences make up the main part of the
paragraph and their objective is to clearly develop the topic sentence. The type of
support you use depends on the controlling idea and your purpose for writing. In
this unit, we will cover the 3 most common types, the use of facts and statistics, the
use of examples, and the use of illustrations.

In this paragraph, facts and statistics are used as support

Example 1.- Colorado is an interesting state. It has 104.247 square miles

and almost three million people. Since 1920, the percentage of rural
dwellers has sharply decreased, going from 51.8% in 1920 to 19.4%
in 1980. Colorado is called the Centennial State because it joined the
Union in 1876, one hundred years after the U.S. declared its
independence. Colorados’s main industries today are
manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism. As most residents would say,
Colorado is a great place.

This paragraph is supported by examples

Example 2.- Colorado is an interesting state. It is perhaps best known as
the Rocky Mountain State. Indeed, these mountains seem to
dominate most views in Colorado. Denver and Colorado Springs are
the state’s two largest cities. Both have unique identities. Not far from
Denver is Red Rocks. This is a beautiful natural amphitheater where
some of Denver’s most memorable concerts have been staged. In the
southwest corner of the state is Mesa Verde, where there are ancient
Indian cliff dwellings. All in all, Colorado is a great state.

Illustrations support this paragraph

Example 3 Colorado is an interesting state. On our vacation there last

summer, we went hiking in the Rocky Mountains. These mountains
stretch from north to south through the entire state. We also visited
my cousin who lives in Denver. The US Mint was the most fascinating
place in that city for me. Later on, we saw old Indian dwellings in
Mesa Verde. These houses were actually built in cliffs. Colorado is
definitely a great state for a vacation.
(page 4 THE PARAGRAPH)

Exercise IV
Read each of the following paragraphs and write down the type of support
used

1. A paragraph with examples (single items that serve as models or samples):

My friend Nhuong is a very hardworking man. Although he has to work in a

soft drink plant for eight hours each day, he also attends English classes at
community center. After his daily classes, he hurries to the plant, where he
works until 1:00 a.m., standing in the assembly line inspecting bottles. He
has to do most of his studying on weekends and also try to find some time to
be with his family and friends. His relatives, who have just immigrated to the
United States, live with him, and he must help them adjust to American life.
Nhuong doesn’t have much time to sleep or relax, but he never complains.
In fact, he seems to enjoy working so much that some people think he’s a
“workaholic”.

Kind of support used: ______________________________________

2. Not knowing a language well can sometimes cause a problem in

communicating. One word in a language can have different meanings, or
two words can have the same pronunciation but have different meanings.
About two years ago, one of my friends told me an embarrassing story. The
first years she was in the Unites States, she had a job at a dry- cleaning
establishment. One day a customer came in to pick up his clothes. After he
had paid for the cleaning and was ready to leave, he suddenly turned back
to my friend and asked, “Do you dye here?” Thinking that she had
understood his question, my friend got upset and answered, “No, I won’t die
here. I want to die in my own country.”

Kind of support used: ______________________________________

3. Mount Everest was first surveyed in 1852, when it was found to be the
highest mountain in the world. First, it was measured to be 29,000 feet. Later,
however, someone added two feet so the height would not appear to be a
round number estimate. In 1954, another team surveyed and reported the
mountain to be 29,028 feet. No matter which figure is used, there is no doubt
that no other mountain peak in the world is as high as Mount Everest.

Kind of support used: ______________________________________

Exercise V

Choose any 4 topic sentences from Exercise I and write them down in the
spaces provided. For each one also write down three supporting sentences.
The first one, was done for you.

1. Topic sentence: The writing process can be divided into three stages.
Support:
1. The first stage is called prewriting.
2. The second stage is called writing.
3. The third stage is called rewriting.

11. Topic sentence: Having a pet is an important responsibility.

Support:
1. _ Pets need care __
2. _ Pets also need to be fed everyday_______________
3. _ If they get sick, we have to take them to the vet _____

2. Topic sentence:
Support:
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________

3. Topic sentence:
Support:
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________

Concluding Sentence

As the name indicates, the concluding sentence ends or concludes the paragraph.
There are two types of concluding sentences. The first is a restatement of the main
idea and the other is a summary of the main points made in the paragraph.

Example 1.-
Alcohol is harmful to your health. It primarily damages the liver. A
long period of alcohol abuse can cause cirrhosis of the liver, and it has
recently been determined that even cancer of the liver can be caused by too
much alcohol. Of course, the entire gastrointestinal system can be damaged
as well. Too much alcohol may also cause, insomnia, amnesia, and loss of
control of the body. In fact, it may permanently damage the nervous system.
In many ways, alcohol is not good for your body.
 In this example, the concluding sentence is a restatement of the topic
sentence using different words.

Example 2.-

There are five stages to American education. The first stage is

nursery school or pre-school. This is for children from ages three to five.
Once a child reaches age five, he/she goes to elementary school, which is
also called primary school. Usually, children go to elementary school for six
years. Then, at age 11-12, children go to junior high school. Junior high
school lasts for two years in some schools. Students begin this school at
ages 14 or 15, depending on how long, four years, again depending on how
long their junior high school experience was. After graduation from high
school, students have the option of going on to college, where they could
remain for any number of years. In short, children in the U.S. may go
through nursery school, elementary school, junior high school, high school,
and college.

This second example is a summary of the most important points made in the
paragraph.

What are the characteristics of a good paragraph?

A good paragraph should support the main idea, have unity, coherence, and
cohesion.

Unity

We stated that the support should develop the topic sentence. This means that all
of the sentences in the paragraph should also be related to the topic and thus
develop the controlling idea. If a sentence does not do this, then it is irrelevant and
should not be included. This characteristic is known as unity.

Example 3.-

The Smithsonian Institute, located in Washington D.C., has a dual

purpose for the people of the United States. The first purpose is to do
fundamental research. It then publishes the findings of this research. The
second, and perhaps best-known, purpose is to maintain a group of
museums. These museums are designed to preserve the history and culture
of the U.S. Some of the most famous of these museums are the National Air
and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the National Museum of
Natural History. The president of the United States also lives in Washington,
D.C. These two functions of the Smithsonian Institute are very important to
the American people.

All of the sentences in the paragraph relate to the topic, the Smithsonian Institute.
The sentence about the president of the United States, however, does not.
Exercise VI

Read the following paragraphs, underline the topic sentence, circle the
controlling idea, and cross out any irrelevant sentences.

1.- One of the things I do to improve my English is to watch television. This

is no doubt one of the most popular techniques that all foreign students use. I
find that the situation comedies and detective shows help me improve my
listening skills the most because the actors speak very rapidly. An actor I
really like is Clint Eastwood. Documentaries and news programs help me
build my vocabulary because they contain material which interests me. In
fact, all of the shows help me improve my English. I also work the crossword
puzzles in the daily newspaper.

2.- My great aunt has a face full of character. The hair on top of her head is
silver gray and falls gently over her wrinkled forehead. Her eyebrows are also
gray. Under these are her marvelous eyes. They are blue and shine as
brightly as they did on the day she was born. My great aunt lives in a town in
Missouri, so I don’t get to visit her often. Her cheeks are wrinkled, but they
are also rosy, her nose is a bit crooked due to a childhood break. Under her
nose is her mouth, which always seems to have a sweet smile on it. Her chin
is also wrinkled and has a prominent scar in the middle. All in all, her face is
one which has always brought me great comfort.