The Paragraph

• The Topic Sentence• The Subject Development• The Summary Sentence

The General subject and the specific parts

1.The recent improvement in the American economy can be seen

in the car, housing, and electronics industries.

2. After a large star cools and collapses,

a black hole is formed in space.

3. Over a million people visit Hawaii each year

because of its beautiful weather and wonderful scenery

1. Foreign students come to the United States for two main reasons.

2. Kobe Bryant is the most exciting basketball player today.

general subject is given but no specific parts to develop.

1. what are the 2 main reasons?

2.Why is Kobe Bryant the most exciting basketball player today?

1.Foreign students come to the United States primarily to experience American culture and to attend an American university.

2.Kobe Bryant’s ball handling, creativity, and shooting make him the most exciting basketball player today.

1. The camera as several important parts. (which parts?)

The camera has several important parts, such as the lens, the focus, and the aperture.

2. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. (Why?)

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world because it requires little equipment and has simple rules.

general subject + specific parts

3. The internet can have negative effects on children. (What effects?)

Wasting time surfing and seeing sexually inappropriate web sites are some of the negative effects the internet has on children.

4. The 20th century has had some of the worst dictators in history. (which ones?)

Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin were some of the worst dictators in history.

5. The developing countries are faced with many problems. (what problems?)

Overpopulation, weak economies, and exploitation by industrialized countries are some of the problems facing developing countries.

6. Scientists must develop new forms of energy. (Which forms?)

Scientists must further develop solar, wind, and geothermal energy sources.

Subject development

Topic sentence

Subject development

Summary Sentence

Kobe Bryant’s ball handling, creativity, and shooting make

him the most exciting basketball player today

1. ball handling2. creativity3. shooting

Activity 2

Topic sentence

Subject development

Summary Sentence

Foreign students come to the United States primarily to

experience American culture and to attend an American

university.

1. experience American culture2. attend an American university

Activity 3

Topic sentenceSubject developmentSummary SentenceProblems with outline: items are not in correct sequence, yearly bonuses omitted

Businesses can offer their employees many benefits such as health insurance, vacation

time, yearly bonuses, and housing.

1. vacation time 1. health insurance2. housing 2.vacation time3. health insurance 3.yearly bonuses 4. housing

The Summary SentenceMethod 1: Repeat the main ideas of the paragraph in a new way.

Method 2: Give a conclusion based on the information in the paragraph.

write a strong summary sentence because it is the last sentence the reader sees.

summarizing with a question will provoke your reader to further thinking

an exclamatory sentence may add emphasis to your idea

Creating continuous connections between sentences

A paragraph is a group of sentence that logically develop one subject. Because each sentence in the paragraph is about the same general subject, each sentence must be connected tightly to the sentence before it and to the sentence after it.

Creating continuous connections between sentences

• To make the connections tight in your paragraphs, use continuing connectors and transition connectors. Every paragraph should have continuing and transition connectors.

Continuing Connectors

• A continuing connector is a word or phrase that shows that the specific subject of the sentence is still being discussed in the next sentence. There are three kinds of continuing connectors.

Continuing Connectors: 1. Repeated words and Phrases

The gravitational force is so strong that no light or matter can come out from the point of collapse. Finally, because no light can be seen at the point of collapse, this area of space is called a black hole.

Continuing Connectors:2. Demonstrative adjectives (this, that, these, those)

The first people probably came to North America from northern Asia about 12,000 years ago. These people crossed over a land bridge from northern Asia and traveled down through northwestern Canada into America.

Continuing Connectors:3. Pronouns

These people crossed over a land bridge from northern Asia and traveled down through northwestern Canada into America. They remained by themselves for thousands of years.

Transition Connectors

1. Comparison (likeness): similarly, in the same way2. Contrast (difference): but, however, on the

contrary, on the other hand, conversly3. Example (illustration): for example, for instance, in

other words4. Consequence (result): therefore, thus, as a result

5. Restatement (repetition): in other words6. Addition : in addition, also, moreover, furthermore7. Concession (even though): nevertheless, nonetheless8. Sequence (order): first, second, third, to begin with, next,

after9. Summary (conclusion): in conclusion, to summarize, in

summary