To organize and write an expository

paragraph

To write topic sentences for an expository

paragraph

I To support a generalizatton

I To use transitions to increase coherence

To learn about the business of media

and entertainment

To identify main ideas and suPPort

rTo use word forms to expand vocabulary

rTo rccognlze and use word partners

To review present perfect tense vs. simple

past tense

To review definite and indefinite articles

72
Gettirg Started
Responding to an Image

Study the graph and then discuss the questions with your class.

Broadcast and
Newspapers Magazines Satellite Radio
I4o/o 60/o 5o/o

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I I

Entertainment lnternet Books3

Media2 8o/o 5o/o

20o/o

This graph/image shows how seven major industries divide the $436 Billion in media income in the U.S.

lBroadcast, Cable, and Satellite

2Movies, Video, TV Programming, Recorded Music, and Video Games
3Trade Books, Mass Market Paperbacks,K-12 and College Textbooks, Instructional Software, and Online Materials

1. Do you find any of the information in this graph surprising?

2. Would a graph of your time spent with each of these kinds of media have about the
same percentages?

3. How do you think these percentages might change in the next ten years?

|ournal Writing
Choose one of the following questions and then write about it in your journal.

l. What kinds of movies or books do you like? Choose your favorite movie or book and write
about why you like it.

2. Think about the business side of entertainment media. What do you like to watch, read, or
listen to? How do the creators get paid for creating it? Do you buy online? Go to a theater
or concert? Buy copies at a physical store? "Borrow"from friends? Pay for cable or satellite
access? Watch free media paid for by commercials?

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph 73

 Reading and Vocabulary

Readings: Media and Entertainment

The world is full of entertainment opportunities; some of the most popular
involve media such as audio, video, and the written word. What any given culture
appreciates can change quickly, and those in the business of providing media
entertainment have to find ways to be unique and interesting in order to attract
attention and gain an audience.

Reading I

d f .nf
Jft{Wtr U14ft.}4 by Lee Server

The Hong Kong movie business has a long history of producing films on a wide
variety of subjects and in many genres. However, the genre that is best known
outside of Hong Kong is the kung fu film, which was made famous in western
countries by the actor Bruce Lee. In more recent years, a new style of action film
from Hong Kong has crossed international borders. These movies combine
fast-moving action with comedy, and they star the actor Jackie Chan. In this
reading, Lee Server examines Chan's acting style, stuntwork, and personality to
discover how Chan changed the genre and reached a new audience. As you read,
consider what Chan did to "stand out"from other actors.

o |ackie Chan's manic optimism makes getting bones broken look like fun.'
He revelsl in mishaps, highlighting them as "bloopers" run during the end credits,
the outtakes of dangerous pratfalls and sudden injuries and the van careening2 to
the hospital like a clip from a Keystone Kops3 chase. Filming Armour of God at a
castle in rural Yugoslavia, the actor took a leap from a forty-foot parapet4 to the
branch of an adjacent tree-and missed. His body flew downward through space,
slamming into the rocks below. A portion of the right side of his skull imploded
and his ears and nose poured blood like an open faucet. Doctors barely managed
to save his life. His fractured skull left a permanent crater-like indent at the top
of his forehead. "I dont do special effectsl'he once said. "It's not like Superman,
Batman. Everybody can be Superman . . . but nobody can be ]ackie Chan!"
i*riii*#** F

rrevel: enjoys 3Keystone Kops: police in

old movies
2careening: going fast and aparapet: protective railing
out of control

74 Refining Composition Skills

 @ Born in Hong Kong in r954,lackie as a child was given over by his
impoverished parents to the care of the Peking Opera Academy, a performing
arts school that had much in common with Oliver TWist'ss boyhood home.
Under these mean6 circumstances his extraordinary performing skills, agility,
and indomitabilityT were forged. He worked steadily in kung fu pictures,
doing stuntwork and small roles, playrng the punching bag for other actors,
including Bruce Lee. After a few false starts Chan got one last shot at stardom, in
something called Snake in the Eagle\ Shadow, about a martial arts student and his
disreputable old teacher. In this one, fackie presented himself as the anti-Bruce.
The action was still dazzling and intense, with Jackie showing as much lightning
speed and dexterity as Lee, but his scenes caused the audience to laugh and jump
in their seats rather than groan and shud der. Snake was a hit, and the next one, the
exhilaratingDrunken Master, made him a superstar.
o ]ackie's good-natured, self-effacing8 persona and demystified kung fu
films irritated some fans of the genre, but most Asian moviegoers responded
enthusiastically to his ingratiating charisma. After a misstep in America, fackie
returned to Hong Kong and began producing a steady stream of huge hit films:
Project A, Wheels on Meals, Operation Condor, etc., expanding the scope and
impact of Hong Kong movies. He shifted the focus of his action films from fights
to stunts (though not without plenty of amazing Iackie-style hand-to-hand as
well), admitting the influence of the silent screen's athlete-clowns, Buster Keaton
and Harold Lloyd. The canvas for the stuntwork grew larger with every film,
utilizing planes, trains, motorcycles, wind tunnels, and epic car chases, such as
the one that opens Police Story, destroying a whole neighborhood in the melee.e
Th.y were as big as the Hollywood product, but always had that edge: no matter
how elaborate the daredevil and action scenes, Jackie never forgot the human
factor-his own charismatic presence, front and center, risking life and limb. r

sOliver TWist: a poor boy in a Charles Dickens novel sself-effacing: making fun of oneself
6mean: pooa difficult emelee: noisy fight
Tindomitability: inability to be defeated

COMPREHENSION
1. In the first paragraph, the author quotes Chan:"'l don't do special effects. lt's not
like Superman, Batman. Everybody can be Superman . . . but nobody can be Jackie
Chan!"'What does Chan mean by this?
Why did Chan's films irritate some people? What type of person was most likely
to be irritated?
Throughout the passage, the author mentions experiences from Chan's life and
other artists'lives that influenced Chan's work. Make a list of these influences and
note how each affected Chan's style and acting ability.

What is the main idea of this passage? ls it stated in a sentence? lf not, summ arize
the main idea in a sentence.

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph 75

 5. How does the writer support the main idea? What kind of support is used?

6. In paragraph 1, the author tells about how Chan was seriously injured while
a story
he was filming in Yugoslavia. What do you think was the author's purpose in telling
this story?

DrscussroN
1. Think about an actor from TV or movies (in any language) whose work you admire.
Describe the qualities of that person's work that appeal to you. Consider personality,
physical appearance, choice of genre, expression, talent, and other qualities. Do you
find this actor endearing? Attractive? Exciting? Funny? Sentimental? Thoughtful? Why?

Does knowing something about an artist's personal life and background make you
more likely to pay attention to their work? Why or why not?

3. Jackie Chan became famous by taking an established genre-the kung fu

movie-and changing it by adding something different: humor. Brainstorm ideas
about other recent entertainment that was changed by mixing genres or adding
something different. Think about musicians, actors, TV shows, art and Internet
entertainment. Were they successful or a failure?

Reading2

.Xa YwNxy Bw/xrir 6t*}{r:r'firrv Cow"tu

by !4/illiam M. Pride, Robert J. Hughes, Iack R. Kapoor

What does it take to be successful in the world of entertainment?

This reading tells the story of two college students who started
an extremely successful business by filling a need and doing what
they love. What people want to buy for their own entertainment
has changed a great deal since they first got started, and Newbury
Comics has changed along with their customers. As you read, think
about the challenges they had to overcome.

o The two college students who started Newbury Comics have become serious
business owners. Mike Dreese and |ohn Brusger started Newbury Comics in 1978
with $2,000 and a valuable comic book collection. Their first store was actually
atiny apartment on Boston's popular Newbury Street, which they rented for
$260 per month. Three decades later, the company operated twenty-six stores in
Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. It still does business on
Newbury Street-in a spacious storefront that rents for $23,000 per month.
e*g'rfi*qia** F

76 Refining Composition Skills

o How did Newbury Comics grow into a multimillion-dollar business? First,
the owners identified a need that they could fill. They understood what kind of
comic books collectors were interested in buying, and they enjoyed dealing with
these customers. They also realized that customer needs can change, which is why
they have tested hundreds of new items over the years.
o Second, Dreese and Brusger thought of their business as a business. As much
as they liked comics, they recognized the profit potential of carrying other
products. Over time, they started stocking music and added movies, novelty
items,r and clothing accessories. Th.y were among the first U.S. stores to import
recordings by European groups such as U2. Today, comic books account for only a
fraction of Newbury Comics'revenue, whereas CDs and DVDs account for about
70 percent of the revenue.
@ Third, the entrepreneurs didnt do everything themselves-they knew when to
delegate to others. As Newbury Comics expanded beyond comics and opened new
stores, the owners hired professionals to negotiate leases, make bqnng decisions, iltd
select the exact merchandise assortment for each store. Th.y also hired technology
experts to design systems for tracking what was in stock, what had been sold, how
much the companywas spending and how much each store was contributing to total
sales. Now, if a new CD or DVD is selling particularly well, the buyer will know within
three minutes-in plenty of time to reorder the item and satisfy customer demand.
o Fourth, Dreese and Brusger have paid close attention to Newbury Comics'
financial situation. They're careful to pay suppliers on time, and in exchange,
they can get fast-selling products even when supplies are limited. Consider what
happened during the Pokemon fad.2 Newbury Comics originally ordered a small
quantity of cards, which quickly sold out. Every time it placed another order,
it sent the supplier a check by express delivery. By the height of the fad, when
demand was so high that the supplier could not fill every retailer's order, Newbury
Comics still got its shipment. By the time the fad faded, the company had sold
$4 million worth of Pokemon cards and made more than $2 million in profits.
@ Newbury Comics remains profitable, although Dreese notes that sales growth
has slowed during the past few years. As a result, he says, "We have all had to grow
up a little" and improve the way Newbury Comics operates. The company has
formalized its store payroll budgets, assigned employees to check the quality of
customer service at each store, and begun offering more products for sale online.
o Despite the company's success, Dreese does not expect to expand beyond
New England. A new superstore has opened in nearby Norwood, but he knows
that a key strength is being able to restock quickly-and that means locating stores
within a half-day's drive of the distribution center in Brighton, Massachusetts.
Because Newbury Comics owns six trucks, it can resupply every store at least
three times a week. Many competitors are far bigger, but no competitor knows its
customers and products better than the team at Newbury Comics. r
rnovelty items: unusual products 2fad: apopular trend

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph 77

 COMPREHENSIOI{
1. What was Newbury Comics like when Mike Dreese and John Brusger first opened it?
What is the business like now?

2. List four reasons why Newbury Comics successfully grew from a small store to a
multimillion-dollar business.

3. What kind of products would you expect to be for sale in Newbury Comics
store now?

if. Name three examples of tasks that the owners of Newbury Comics delegated to
professionals. Why was this important to their success?

5. Explain how their policy of paying suppliers quickly has worked to their advantage.

5, Why is restocking quickly so important to a store that sells media and entertainment
products?

DISCUSSION
1. The owners of Newbury Comics have been successful because they've made smart
decisions about changing their business. How do you think their business might
have to change in the future?

2, Describe what you think the typical customers at Newbury Comics might be like.
What is their age? What is their income? What are their interests?

3. Think about another business that started small and became very successful. What
were the likely reasons for that business's success? Are the reasons similar to or
different from the reasons behind Newbury Comics'success?
4, Dreese and Brusger are entrepreneurs. They started and ran their own
business. What personal characteristics do you think a successful entrepreneur
must have?
5. Experts in entrepreneurship suggest that someone who wants to start their own
business should start a business in an industry they know well-perhaps as a

customer. What types of businesses do you know well? Would you make a good
entrepreneur in one of these industries or businesses? Why or why not?

78 Refining Composition Skills

 Buildirg Vocabulary: Learnirg Word Forms
By expanding your knowledge of word forms, you can expand your vocabulary. For example, if you know the
meaning of the verb expond (to grow larger), you can guess the meaning of the nouns expansion (the process of
growing arger) and expanse (a large amount of something) as well as the adjective exponsive (broad, tending to
f

grow larger).

Some words can represent two parts of speech without changing forms; for example, focus can be both a noun
and a verb:

She focused her attention on driving. (verb)

She was tired, so she lost her focus. (noun)

You can improve your written vocabulary by learning to use many forms of one root word. An easy first step is to
check for additional forms of a word when looking it up in the dictionary. Recording new vocabulary words in a
word form chart is another good strategy.

EXERCISE I VOCABULARY Complete the chart with the correct forms of the words. Check a dictionary
for any forms of which you are unsure.

'.

1. 1.
2.

1. 1. 1. financial 1.
2.

expert 1. 1.
1.

locate 1. 1.

respond 1. 1.
2.

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph 79

 EXERCISE 2 VOCABULARY Complete sentences 1-5 with the correctform of identity. Complete
sentences 6-10 with the correct form of financial.

l. The detective discovered 16" idenfity of the thief.

2, The car's license plate was so muddy that the number was not

3. How many kinds of birds did you when you went bird watching?

4. lf you carry that camera and wear thatT-shirt, you will be as a tourist.

5. To check into the hotel, you must prove your with a driver's license
or passport.

6. He is studying and banking.

7. Your plan is unsound.

8. How will she her business plan?

9. As soon as the is arranged, the car will be yours.

10. They collected their documents and went to the bank.

Use highligbt with:

N. highlight problems, highlight differences, highlight of someone's career

Use intense with:

N. intense concentration, intense feelings, intense pain, intense pressure, intense activity,
intense competition, intense debate, intense relationship, intense scrutiny

EXERCISE 3 WORD PARTNERS Use the Word Partnership boxes to complete the paragraph. More than
one answer may be possible. The first one is done as an example.

Many young people who play sports look up to elite athletes as role models.

Th.y know that being a top performer takes not only physical strength but also
intense (L) concenT'ratlon . However, not everyone realizes that a strong

sense of ethics is also required. Because of the intense (2)

that athletes are under to perform and because of the high salaries that some sports

stars command, many are tempted to use dangerous, illegal drugs to enhance their

performance. Admissions of drug use in some popular sports have highlighted

(3) with illegal 'dopingi' and many famous athletes have
had what should have been the highlight of their (4)

overshadowed by rumors that they used illegal drugs to win unfairly.

**r"rtimw*d F

80 Refining Composition Skills

 Although athletes are under intense (5) from organizations
such as the World Anti-Doping Agency in Montreal, the temptation to take a

drug that will give one an edge in an intense (6) such as

the Olympics or a world championship is very strong. There is intense
(7) about who or what is to blame when athletes are tempted
to put themselves in danger in order to give themselves an unfair edge. Some people

highlight the (8) between the way children and teenagers

participated in sports mostly for fun in the past compared with todays "must win"

culture, even for young athletes. Others feel that if performance-enhancing drugs

were legal, the drugs would be safer and the competitions would be fairer.

Writing: Exposition
Let us suppose that you are asked to develop the topic sentence "Going to college
can be expensivel' The controlling idea is, of course, expensive.Inorder to support
the controlling idea expensive, yorr will need to provide information, explanation,
facts, or illustrations. A paragraph that explains or analyzes a topic is an expository
paragraph. (Expository comes from the term expose, meaning to reveal ) Although
explaining a topic can be done in several ways, the most common approach to
developing an expository paragraph requires using specific details and examples.

The Topic Sentence in an Expository Paragraph

As in other kinds of paragraphs, the topic sentence for an exposito ry paragraph
needs a focused controlling idea. The controlling idea is the word or phrase in the
topic sentence that states an idea or an attitude about the topic; this idea or attitude is
frequently referred to as a generalization. A generalizationis a statement that applies
in most cases to a group of things, ideas, or people. A gen eralization can be a value
judgment or an opinion, such as "Mr. Mantia is a nice person]' or a factual statement,
such as "The English language has borrowed many terms from the Frenchl'

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph 8l

 EXERCISE 4 Study the following sets of sentences carefully. In the space provided, write a topic
sentence that contains an appropriate generalization.

1. Topic Sentence:

Support: a. Antarctica appears frozen in time-an icy world surrounded by frigid seas
where winds of 100 mph are not uncommon.
b. Temperatures regularly plunge to - 100"F or below.
c. Giant crevasses can open in the ice, swallowing people and machines.
d. Sudden storms often blend ground and sky into one snowy blur that
hopelessly disorients the most skilled aviators.
Adapted from Golden, Frederic, DeVoss, David & Sound, McMurdo.
"Scramble on the Polar lce'.' Time, 22 Feb. 1982.

2. Topic Sentence:

Support: a. Many products on grocery store shelves are conspicuously labeled'tholesterol

freei'
b. Amazon.com lists 100 titles in its low-cholesterol cooking category.
c. Oat bran, which moderately lowers cholesterol levels, is selling so fast that
some manufacturers are working around the clock to meet the demand.
d. Flaxseed oil, fish oil, and pomegranate juice-all of which help to reduce
cholesterol-have all recently become common products on grocery
store shelves.
¤, During the recent presidential campaign, doctors released medical reports
with the leading candidates'cholesterol levels.

3. Topic Sentence:

Support: a. Google offers generous salaries and benefits to its many employees.
b. Many of Google's offices have a cafeteria where employees can eat meals for free.
c. At Google's headquarters, employees can use the gym,wash their cars and
their clothes, and get their bikes repaired.
d. Employees get to spend 20 percent of their time on projects that they choose,
which helps them to be innovative and stay motivated about their work.
¤. Each day, three thousand people apply for jobs at Google.

82 Refining Composition Skills

 4. Topic Sentence:

Support: i. Frogs live both in water and on land, so disturbances to either of these two
habitats can affect the health and number of frogs in an area more quickly than
that of other animals.
Frog skin allows both water and oxygen to pass through, which means that
if the air or water is contaminated, the contaminants can easily enter and
damage the frog's body.
Frogs do not have protection such as scales or hair, so they are exposed to
damage from environmental factors such as ultraviolet radiation more than
fish or mammals are.
Frog eggs also easily absorb contaminants from the water and can be disturbed
by environmental damage. Either of these problems can cause birth defects and
low birth rates among frogs before other animals'offspring are affected.

Adapted from stewart, patrick. "The call of the wetlandsj'

Green Teacher, lssue 55. Spring-Summer 1 99g.

5. Topic Sentence:

Support: a. A robotic helicopter named Cypher can take off,fly,and land by itself; a human
operator only needs to tell the helicopter where to go.
A robot named /f can simulate human emotions. For example, when humans
are near, the robot will smile.
Engineer Jon Price has developed a robot named Sarcos,which can imitate human
movement when it is connected to an operator through sensors and a computer.
Mark W. Tilden, a robotics expert, builds small solar-powered robots that
seek out light and will even push similar robots out of the light to get more
for themselves.
Scientists predict that robotic cars will someday use video camera "eyes"to
drive by themselves, with little or no help from the human passengers inside.

Supporting a Gen eralization

Specific Details
The topic sentence "Going to college can be expensive" should yield a paragraph
that provides information or explanation about the controlling ide;a-exp'ensive.
Look at how the topic sentence is developed in the paragraph that follows.

Going to college can be expensive. Everyone knows that tuition and room
and board arent cheap, but there are other expenses that make going to college even
more expensive. For instance, the cost of books and supplies is high. In addition,
there are all kinds of special fees tacked onto the bill at registration time. Students
usually have to pay for parking and even for adding and dropping courses after
registration. The fees never seem to end.

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph 83

 Although the writer mentions a few of the expenses that students must incur, she
has not provided the reader with enough hard evidence to support the controlling
tdea-expensive. Specific details would help support this statement more strongly.
Notice how this paragraph has been improved by using specific detail:

' Going to college can be expensive. Everyone knows that tuition and room
and board can cost anywhere from $7,500 to $15,000 per term, but there are other
expenses that make going to college even more expensive. For instance, books
typically cost between $400 and $800 each term. Supplies, too, are not cheap, for
as any student knows, paper, notebooks, writing utensils, and the many other
supplies needed usually cost more at the college bookstore than at a local discount
department store. For instance, a package of notepaper costing $3 at a discount
store might cost $5 at a college bookstore. In addition, there are all kinds of special
fees tacked onto the bill at registration time. A student might have to pay a $300
insurance fee, a $65 activity fee, a $25 fee to the student government association, and
anywhere from $100 to $350 for parking. If a student decides to add or drop a course
after registration, there is yet another fee. The fees never seem to end.

Instead of just referring to the expenses of attending college, in this revised

version, the writer uses specific details-in this case, factual details-to illustrate or
prove the generalization.

EXERCISE 5 Compare the support given in the two paragraphs about the expense of college
on pages 83-84. Complete the chart.

Tuition and room and board aren't cheap. Tuition and room and board can cost anywhere
from 57,500 to S15,000 a term.

84 Refining Composition Skills

EXERCISE 6 Read the topic sentence and the ineffective supporting sentences about an imaginary
town. Using the information given, rewrite the supporting sentences so that they are
strong. You do not have to use all the information provided.

Topic Sentence: The downtown area of Decasia is rapidly decaying.

Supporting Sentences:

l. Many of the stores are moving out.

2. Some of the buildings are unsightly.

3. The street is in bad shape.

Information About Decasia

|anuary3: Rose's Giant Boutique moves to the Town Mall shopping center.
lanuary 23: Heartland Department Store moves to the Town Mall.
February 1: Thirty-six potholes are counted on Main Street.
February 15: Fire destroys Boolie's Restaurant.
March 3: During the night, someone paints "The Killers" on four buildings.
April 5: The elegant Chandler Theater closes down.
May 3: The famous Chez Pierre restaurant closes down for lack of business.

fune 15: Forty potholes are counted on Main Street.

]uly 3: Bus service is discontinued.
August 1: The remains of Boolie's Restaurant are condemned.
August 15: Shank's Men's Clothing Store moves to the Town Mall in the suburbs.
October 12: Three more buildings have "The Killers" painted on them.
November 3: All the windows of the old Heartland Department Store are shattered
by stones.
December 1: A pawnshop opens where chezpierre used to be.

Topic Sentence: The downtown area of Decasia is rapidly decaying.

Revised Supporting Sentences:

l.

2.

3.

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph 85

 Support should not only be specific; it should also be relevant. AII the supporting
sentences in a paragraph should relate to the controlling idea in order for the
paragraph to be unified.

EXERCISE 7 Study the following groups of topic sentences and details. For each topic sentence, circle
the letter of the detail that does not support the generalization (controlling idea).

1. Smoking cigarettes is unhealthy.

t. Studies have indicated that cigarette smoking increases the risk of cancer.
b. Smokers have a higher rate of respiratory diseases, such as emphysema and bronchitis.
c. Studies have also shown that cigarette smokers have a higher rate of heart attacks.
d. Moreover, cigarette smoke stains the teeth.
2. An excellent way to determine whether online courses are a good choice for you is to first
take one of the many free online courses that are available.
i. By takingfree course, you can learn to use the computer tools that you will need to
a

succeed in an online course that you take later for credit.

b. You can use the free course to determine whether you have sufficient self-motivation to
be an effective online learner.
(. You can find out if you are one of the students who misses face-to-face contact with
professors and fellow students too much to enjoy learning online.
d. Many free online classes are only five or six weeks long, so they are over more quickly
than a typical college class.
Adapted from Watkins. E-Leorning Companion, 3E.
Boston: Wadsworth. 201 1.

3. In the I 960s, nuclear power was expected to provide most of the additional electrical energy
needed for the United States for the rest of the century. The West Coast seemed ideal for
locating future nuclear power plants.
i. Much of the coast was then sparsely populated, so if a radiation leak occurred, it would
affect only a few people.
b. The urban centers requiring most of the electric power are close to the coast, so the costs
of building power lines and transmitting electricity could be kept to a minimum.
(. The West Coast is one of the most active earthquake areas in the United States, with the
San Andreas fault running the length of the state of California.
d. The ocean water from the Pacific Ocean would provide an efficient means of cooling
a nuclear reactor-a major consideration since two-thirds of the heat generated by a
nuclear power plant is wasted heat that must be dispersed.
¤. Because of the mountainous coastline, power plants could be constructed out of reach
of potential floods.
Adapted from Plummer, Charles C. and McGeary, David.
Physical Geology,2nd ed. Dubuque, lowa: Wm. C. Brown ,1982. p.292.
{i}*tri.t*r:* ii

36 Refining Composition Skills

 I 4. from 1915 to 1950 with all black actors and for African American
"Race films" made
, audiences showed uplifting images of strong men and women whose lives were not limited
by their race.

,: .. The black actors in these films rarely played the stereotypical servants, singers, or
dancers which were the only roles available to them in mainstream Hollywood films.
ll b. Instead the plots ofthese movies showed African Americans as educated, successful,
. wealthy, and often heroic.
: c. The roles played by the all-black casts of these films included not only villains but also
: successful businessmen, socialites, detectives, heroes, damsels in distress, brides, and
ll bridegrooms.
: d. One ofthe most well-known producers and directors ofthese racefilmt Oscar Micheaux,
often directly confronted and showed positive outcomes to the kinds of racial problems
ir that his audiences faced daily.
e. In the 1930t there were over 460 movie theaters designated for black-only audiences
: across the country; these films were also sometimes shown after midnight for
African
American audiences in theaters normally reserved only for whites.
1:

Examples
Factual details are not always available, and not all generalizations can be
proven' Therefore, other kinds of support are sometimis necessary in an expository
paragraph. The most common kind of support is examples. Examples make the
controlling idea-the generalization-clearer and mori convincing.

EXERCISE 8 Complete the following sentences by drawing on personal experiences and observations.
The first one is done for you.

1. An example of a nutritious vegetable isbroccoli

2, An example of a famous rock-and-roll singer is

3. An example of a difficult course is

4. Albert Einstein is an example of a

5. Recycling paper is an example of

Be sure to show how an example relates to and supports a generali zatton.Look at

the following examples:

roprc sENTENcE: Tornadoes can be devastating.

fNsuFFfclENr suPPoRr: For example, take the tornado that hit Wichita Falls, Texas, in j979.

This does not really show that the tornado was devastating; in reality, the tornado
might have caused very little damage.

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph 87

 EXAM'LE wrrH ExpLANAnoN: This tornado destroyed an entire block of homes and damaged many other
houses and places of business. In addition, the tornado caused the death of
over 20 PeoPle.

Now the example is made relevant. The paragraph might conclude by discussing
one or two more examPles:

Tornadoes can be devastating. Thke, for example, the tornado that hit Wichita
Falls, Texas, in l979.This tornado destroyed an entire block of homes and damaged
many other houses and places of business. In addition, the tornado caused the death of
over 20 people. Between October 1998 and May I999,the town of Moore, Oklahoma,
was hit by tr"o tornadoes. The first caus ed $225,000 worth of damage, and the second
added over $2,000,000 worth of damage. In just one example of the massive
devastation, a truck was blown into the dining room of a restaurant in the town of
Midwest Cltf, Oklahoma. In 2008, half of the town of Parkersburg, Iowa, was leveled
by a tornado that killed seven and injured about 50. Over 400 homes were destroyed.
Even though not all tornadoes cause such massive devastation, if they touch down in
populated areas, you can expect considerable damage.

The explanation of an example does not have to be lengthy; sometimes, all you
need to do is add a few words. Consider another example:

GENERALTZAiloN: The cost of living has been rising lately.

rNEFFEcrrvE suppoRr: The average one-bedroom apartment
goes for S 1,250 a month'

This example does not really show that the cost of living has been rising. There
may have been no change in the average monthly rent for several years. The writer
could add a clause to explain the example. Notice that the more specific detail
provides better support for the generalization.

EFFEctvE suppoRr: The averag.e one-bedroom apartment goes for 51,250 a month, whereas only
two
years ago, it went for 5875 a month.

Read the supporting sentences for the topic sentence. For each supporting sentence,
put
EXERCISE 9
one line under the example and two lines under the part that clarifies its support of the
generalization.

Topic sentence:The cost of living has been rising lately.

l. The average one-bedroom apartment goes for 51 ,250 a month, whereas only two years ago,
it went for 5875.
2. The cost of regular gasoline has increased from $3.2S a gallon to 53.85 a gallon in only
six months.
3. ln addition, my water bill has increased 52 in three months, even though my water consumption
has not gone up.
4. Finally, my cable television bill has just jumped up another 54.35 per month for basic
service.

88 Refining Composition Skills

 EXERCISE 10 For each of the following topic sentences, circle the controlling idea (generalization)
and then write out two examples that support that idea. Be sure that the examples are
adequately explained. The first one is done for you.

l. Mr. Morales displayr@wherever he goes.

a. When he is on T,he bus,he t

NhaI inv ariablv make them smile.
b. LasI week, when he heard thatr his nei was sick,he made some sou
delivered iN Io her, alonq wilh a bouquel of ffowers,
2. There are several things you can do to reduce poilution.
0.

b.

3. some things definitely need to be changed at this school.

O.

b.

4, I have learned a lot about in the last year.

i.

b.

5. You can find some unusual items at the bookstore.

0.

b.

EXERCISE I1 wRlrlNG write a paragraph on one of the following topics.

1. Make a generalization about students at your school, such as"Many students at this school
expect to work in business when their studies are over"or'"The majority of students at this
school work part or full time to cover tuition and feesi'Develop the paragraph with examples.

2. Write a paragraph using the topic sentence "Fame can be destructivej'Give examples of
people who damaged their health or reputation after becoming famous.

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph 89

 Illustrations and Anecdotes
It is not always necessary to give several examples to support the controlling idea;
sometimes, one example that is explained in greater detail will suffice to support the
controlling idea. This kind of extended example is called an illustration. Study the
followin gparagraph:

One energetic and committed person can bring real change to their
community and the world. The story of Wangari Maathai underscores this point.
ln L977, she formed the Green Belt movement in response to the environmental
degradation that she saw around her in Kenya. The Green Belt Movement
organizes and pays women to plant and protect trees. The women gain an income
and the trees reduce erosion and, when sustainably cared for, provide food for
animals and people, lumber for building, and firewood. Maathai's small nursery has
grown so much that her organization is credited with the planting and protecting
of more than 30 million trees. In 2004, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Ptize.
To celebrate, she went out and planted yet another tree.

Another type of illustration is an anecdote. An anecdote is a brief story that

dramatizes the point made in the generalization. In other words, it is a brief
narrative. Study the paragraph on page 91; note the topic sentence and how the
p ar agr aph is orga nized.

90 Refining Composition Skills

 There is a story, possibly apocryphal, about a psychologist who shut a
chimpanzee in a soundproof room filled with dozens of mechanical toys. Eager to
see what playthings the aPe would choose when he was all alone in this treasure
house, the scientist bent down on his knees and put his eye to the keyhole. What he
sawwas one bright eye peering through from the other side of the aperture. If this
anecdote isnt true, it certainly ought to be, for it illustrates the impossibility of
anticipating exactly what an animal will do in a test situation.
Beach, Frank A. "Can Animals Reason?"
Natural History, March 1948.

EXERCISE 12 WRITING Choose one of the following topics and then write a well-supported expository
paragraph.

1. Every culture has proverbs. Some popular ones in the United States are "The early bird
catches the worm" and 'A stitch in time saves nine." Think about a popular proverb in your
native language and then translate it into English. Using the proverb as your topic sentence,
write a paragraph with an illustration that shows the truth of this statement.
2, lmagine that some of your friends are preparing to buy something expensive that you know
something about, such as a car, jewelry, a computer or another electronic device, clothing,
or something else of your choice. They have written to you for advice. You may want to start
your paragraph with a topic sentence such as:"The most important thing to remember
when shopping for.. . !'

Connect to the Internet

You may find that you need to do some reading in order to gather sufficient
support for the controlling idea of your paragraph. This is one reason professors
give writing assignments-in writing a paragraph or essay, you learn more about the
topic. Follow these steps to practice using reading as an invention technique.
l. As a class or on your own, choose a current news story.
2. Visit two or more news Web sites and then read articles about the story.
Notice that news stories are written in very short paragraphs of one or two
sentences. They rarely have a topic sentence or controlling idea. The most
important facts usually come early in the article, with details coming toward
the end.
3. Make a list of important facts about the news story or create a cluster.

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph gl

 4. Look for related information that you could use to support a topic sentence in
an expository paragraph.

5. Write the topic sentence. Be sure that the topic sentence has a controlling idea.

Note: If you are assigned to write aparagraph,you must make sure that you do
not plagianze. Plagiarism means to use others' words and ideas without giving them
credit. Flagiarism is considered "stealirg" and is a serious offense; the information
and exercises in Appendix 2 will help you to avoid this problem.

Composition Skills
Organization of Details and Examples
When a paragraph contains several details and examples, it is necessary to
consider theorder of their presentation. The ordering depends on the subject and
often on the author's logic. However, there are some common patterns that might be
considered guidelines.

Order of Importance: Saving the Best for Last

Often, when you are developing a topic sentence with details and examples, one of
the examples is more impressive than the others. Because readers generally remember
what they read last and because it is a good idea to leave a good impression on the
reader, it is wise to place the most impressive example at the end of the paragraph.
Study the following paragraph, and note that the last example is the most startling one.

A search through etymologies will reveal other examples of words which

have narrowed in meaning since their early days. Barbarian was originally a vague
designation for a foreigner of any kind; garuge, when it was borrowed from France,
meant "a place for storagel' In the United States, lumber has specialized to mean
"timber or sawed logs especially prepared for usei'but in Britain the word still
retains its more general meaning of "unused articlesl' which are stored, incidentally,
in a lumber room. Disease originally meant what its separate parts imply, dis-ease,
and referred to any kind of discomfort. The expression "to give up the ghost" and
the biblical reference to the Holy Ghost may be the only remnants of an earlier,
more general meaning for ghost, which once meant "spirit" or "breathl' Now ghost
has specialized to mean "a specter or apparition' of some kind. Perhaps the most
startling specialization has taken place with the word girl; even as late as Chaucer's
time, it was used to mean "a young person of either sex."
Lodwig, Richard R. and Barrett, Eugene F. The Dictionary
and the Language. New York Hayden, 1967.

92 Refining Composition Skills

Order of Familiarity: From the More Familiar to the Less Familiar
When the details in the expository paragraph are mostly factual, it is common to
begin with the most obvious or familiar detail and move toward the less obvious or
less familiar detail. Read this paragraph, and note how the writer connects the more
obvious examples to the more surprising one.

Although people in the modern Arab world may not trace their own
ancestry to Bedouin tribes, the distinctive characteristics of Bedouin life that are
memorialized in song, dance, poetry, stories, and artifacts are key to Arab collective
identity, both in the Arab world and in the diaspora. The idea of the Bedouin is
attractive in part because of key Bedouin values and moral codes, which include
bravery in battle, protection of the weak, hospitality toward the visitor, generosity
to the Pool loyalty to the tribe, and fidelity. The practice of sung poetryamong tire
desert tribes of Arabia predates the revelation of the Quranic verses and has
persisted throughout history to this day in the performance of epic poetry, the
composition of classical and popular songs, poems sung and recited at weddings,
and even in the work of hip-hop groups.

Adapted from Rasmussen, Anne. "The Arab Worldl,

Worlds of Musio3E. Boston: Wadsworth. 2010.

Order of Time: From the Past to the present

When the details and examples in a paragraph are taken from history or are
events that have taken place in the past, it is often a good idea to order the examples
chronologically.

The seventeenth century was a period of great advances in science.

For example, early in the seventeenth century, Galileo perfected the telescope and
in 1609 published "The Sidereal Messengerl'in which he reported the results of his
observations of the Milkf Wuy, the moon, and the planet fupiter. Only a few years
latel the Dutch scientist Anton van Leeuwenhoek performed pioneering research
with the microscope, discovering among other things that weevils, fleas, and other
minute creatures come from eggs rather than being spontaneously generated. Not
long after this, William Harvey, an English physician, discovered the method by
which blood circulates in humans and other animals and in L6zSpublished his
findings in the historic treatise "On the Motion of the Heart and Blood in Animalsl'
Finally, in the 1660s, Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravitation and the laws
governing the physics of light, and he also invented differential calculus.

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph 93

 EXERGISE 13 Study the topic sentences and their supporting details. Rearrange the support in a logical
way. Reorder the items by numbering them. Remember, there is no set order, but you must
be able to justifY Your choices.

l. China has suffered from some ofthe worst natural disasters in history'
a. worst disaster of all time occurred in 1931, when the Huang He River flooded,
killing 2'5 million or more people.
-TheOn January 23, 1556, 83O,OO0 people died in an earthquake'
b.
c. flooded, causing the death of 900,000 Chinese'
- |n 1887, the Huang He Riverdevastating earthquake. The Haiyuan quake killed
d. year 1920 saw another
- 230,000
PeoPle'
-The
e.-TherewasanearthquakeinTangshaninl9T6thatki|led242,000peop|e.
f. _ More recently, on May 12, 2008, an earthquake in Sichuan took the life of nearly
70,000.

2. American women have been fighting for equal rights for nearly two centuries'
a. Even in this century, it is still common for women to earn less than similarly
qualified men'
-
b.-|nlg20,theNineteenthAmendmenttotheconstitutionwasadopted.
This amendment gave women the right to vote'
(.-|n1976,theU.s'mi|itaryacademiesadmittedwomenforthefirsttime.
d. _Women began to fight for better working conditions in NewYork in 1868.
e, Congress passed an act forbidding discrimination on the basis of sex by employers
of l5 or more emPloYees in 1964.
f.
- Only in the 1990s did researchers begin to study the health conditions of women
as frequently as those of men.Trials of new medicines also began to regularly
- include women at that time.
g. _ In 1978, Congress passed the Pregnancy Disability Bill, which makes pregnancy an
insurable disabilitY.

3. Changing attitudes toward food have given rise to a number of new food movements.

.. Locavores, people who eat food grown in their local community, see three benefits
to their choice: it saves energy otherwise spent on shipping foods long distances,
- supports the local economy, and means that the food is as fresh as possible'

b, Most people are familiar with vegetarianism, in which people do not eat meat.
c. Slow Food movement, which began in the 1980s as a reaction to fast food
- restaurants, emphasizes quality ingredients and care in food preparation'
d.
-TheOrganic foods are grown without the use of chemicals to control weeds and pests.
e. people
will eat meat, but take special care to ensure that the animals were
- Some
raised humanely, and not under harsh conditions'
-
f. _Vegans do not eat products from animals,like eggs and milk; some vegans do not
even use nonev.

94 Refining Composition Skills

Transitional Words and Phrases
Not only should sentences and ideas in a paragraph be logically arranged,
but they should also flow smoothly. Here are some transitioni thai help uihi.u.
coherence in the expository paragraph developed by example

To identify an example: An example of a brilliant scientist is Albert

an example of Einstein.
for example For example, take the tornado that hit
for instance Wichita Falls.

To highliqht the organization of examptes: The most significant example of a word that
the most significant example has specialized in meaning is"gtrl!'
the best-known example One of the best-known examples of fish
destruction in the United States took place
in 1955.

To introduce a series of examples: Another example of a brilliant scientist is

another example Georg Ohm.
a second example

To introduce an illustration: To illustrate how one person's choices can affect

to illustrate the envi ron ment, consider Cou rtney's efforts.
to begin with
To begin with, she simply placed a recycling
[Note: Infinitive phrases are generally placed bin in her dorm room but later decided she
at the beginning of a sentence.l wanted to do more.

To show chronological order: There are severalthings that I do not like

first about eating in the cafeteria. First, the lines
second are far too long. lt can take 20 minutes before
next a hungry student even gets in the door.
Second, the food is often cold or overcooked.
[Note:These are typically used when a
paragraph is organized chronologically.l Next, there are not enough choices, even if
you are not a picky eater.

To add more information: This tornado destroyed an entire block of

in addition homes.In addition, the tornado destroyed
moreover over 20 cars.
also
Moreover, the tornado caused the
besides that
destruction of over 20 cars.
[Note: These can be placed at the beginning of a Besides that, the tornado destroyed over 20 cars.
sentence or between two independent clauses.l

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph gs

 Remember, there are many ways to achieve coherence; do not rely entirely on one
way. Try to use a variety of coherence devices-a mixture of clauses, phrases, and
transitional expressions. Do not overdo the use of transitions; it could be repetitious.
Generally, two or three transitional expressions in a paragraph are sufficient.

EXERCISE l4 Complete the paragraph with transitions from the previous chart. Make a list of all of the
transitions that could fit in each blank.

Although the United States has become an advanced technological country,

many old-fashioned superstitions still remain. when

walking down a street in New York Crty past ingeniously built skyscrapers, you
might see a sophisticated New Yorker walk around instead of under a ladder.

Of course, he or she knows that walking under a ladder brings bad luck. Or should a

black cat wander from a back alley to that same bustling street, some people would
undoubtedlv cross to the other side of the street to avoid letting a black cat cross
their pat it is true that most buildings in the United
States do not have a thirteenth floor and many theaters do not have a thirteenth row.

Again, we all know that 13 is an unlucky number. (3) if you

take a drive through Pennsylvania Dutch country, you will see large colorful

symbols called hex signs attached to houses and barns. Of course, the people who

live there say they are just for decoration, but sometimes I wonder.

EXERCISE 15 Add transitions to the following paragraphs wherever appropriate. Revise the paragraphs
on a separate piece of PaPer.

l. In the past severalyears, we have become much more aware of hazardous

conditions in the environment. Scientists recently reported that ozone, the natural
shield protecting us from the sun's ultraviolet rays, has declined significantly. Th.y
noted that a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has developed and blamed the
widespread use of certain chemicals for the ozone decrease. Scientists have warned
us about the greenhouse effect, the gradual warming of the earth because the heat
from the sun's rays is prevented from radiating back into space by a blanket of
artificial gases. The chief gas in the greenhouse effect is carbon dioxide, a byproduct
of burning fossil fuels in cars and factories. Waste disposal has become a significant
problem. We not only have tons and tons of household garbage to get rid ol but
we also have hazardous waste from nuclear facilities and plants. While all of these
are significant problems that must be solved in the near future, at least we are now
more aware of them.
**ntina;*d F

96 Refining Composition Skills

 2. When surnames began appearing in Europe 800 years ago, a person's identity
and occupation were often intertwined. A surname was a direct link between
who a person was and what the person did. Thylor is the Otd English spelling of
tailor, and Clark is derived from clerk, an occupation of considerable status Juring
the Middle Ages because it required literacy. The names Walker, Wright, Carter,
Stewart, and Tirrner indicate occupations. A walker was someone who cleaned
cloth; a wright was a carpenter or metalworker; a carter was someone who drove
a catt; a steward was a person in charge of a farm or estate; and a turner worked
a lathe. One of the few occupational surnames reflecting the work of women is
Webster, which refers to a female weaver.

Refining Grammar Skills

If you want further review of grammatical structures that will help you achieve
coherence and grammatical accu racy in your writing, see Unit 3: Refining Grammar
Skilk. The following sections are designed to coordinate with the exposit6ry paragraph.
The lndefinite Article: a, an, some pages 2g1_2g2
The Definite Article: the pages 292-294

The Present Perfect vs. the simple past pages 349-353

EXERCISE 16 EDITING Each of these sentences contains an error in article usage. Find and correct the
errors. There are 12 errors.

1. Wellness implies more than eating balanced meals, avoiding harmful substances,
and practicing
good grooming; it also means making time for the sleep, rest, relaxation, and exercise.

2. Sleep is a time for body to replenish its energy reserves and to heal itself.

3. The amount of time needed may vary with the individual or even with day.

4, A infant, of course, needs more sleep than does a young adult.

5. Rest, meaning conscious freedom from activity and worry, is just as important
as the sleep.
6, Only when an person is relaxed and at inner peace can that person rest.

7, Relaxation means doing something for a fun of it.

8. Examples of relaxation activities include reading a novels, reading to children, playing

cards
and other games, fishing, painting, or sewing or other handwork.

9. Many experts agree that a best rest follows planned exercises.

10. During exercise, heart rate and breathing increase, a circulation improves, and
muscles stretch.

11. Exercise is also a time to free a mind of anxiety-producing thoughts.

12, Whichever form of an exercise, rest, and relaxation is best for you, make time for it in each day.

Chapter 5: The Expository Paragraph 97

 Final Writing Assignment
Choose one of the following topics for your final assignment, Develop a topic sentence
and then write a paragraph with appropriate support: examples, illustration, or
anecdote.

1. Your early reading experiences

2' Your favorite leisure activity

t. Superstitions in Your familY

{. Polluting the environment
5. The significance of names in your culture
6. A generalization about a person you know. For example, you might begin with "My little
brother has done some amusing thingsl

Now follow these steps to complete the assignment:

l. Use one ofthe prewriting techniques you learned in Chapter 1 to generate ideas and support'
2, The controlling idea-or generalization-of an expository paragraph conveys the writer's
attitude about the topic. Ensure that your paragraph has a clear, focused generalization.

3. An expository paragraph supports the controlling idea with explanation, factt and illustrations'
Be sure you have sufficient details and examples'

Share your paragraph with a classmate and then complete a peer review. Use the
{. Peer

ReviewWorkheet in Appendix I or use the Peer ReviewWorkheet specifically for expository

paragraphs on the companion Web site'

5. using the feedback from the peer review worksheet, revise your paragraph. Read each

sentence for unity with the topic and controlling idea. Use appropriate
grammar structures

to achieve coherence.
5. Proofread your paragraph for accuracy.

ASSIG 1{ M E1{TS FROil TH E DISCI PLIT{ ES

Examine these writing assignments typical of those assigned in college classes. With
others in your class, discuss how you would approach this writing assignment. What is
the topic? What might the controlling idea be? What kind of examples or illustrations
would you use? What kind of transitions might you use?

l. From Accounting: An important part of any accounting system includes internal controls.
What are internal controls, and why are they important to a business? Use examples to
support your answer.
2, From Anthropology: ln a paragraph, explain the concept of reciprocity, and support your
explanation with examples from two or more cultures.

98 Refining Composition Skills