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WRITING SESSION 1: BASICS
Heishman- Rm 315 WBHS
Paragraphs
� Every essay is made
up of paragraphs.
� Each paragraph plays
an important part in
� Did you Know?
� Paragraphs have been
around since 4th
century b.c.- it was
used in ancient Greece an important part in
essay construction.
� A good paragraph
consists of at least 5
sentences of varying
length.
used in ancient Greece
to mark each place a
new topic was
introduced. Today, we
use them in essays to
divide or separate
thoughts.
Parts of the Paragraph
� Main idea- the main thought of a group of
sentences
� Topic Sentence- a statement of the paragraph’s
main ideamain idea
� Supporting Sentence- elaborate on and support the
topic sentence
� Clincher Sentence- concluding sentence in a
paragraph (not always present)
Types of Paragraphs
� Introductory
Paragraph
� Body Paragraph
� Concluding Paragraph� Concluding Paragraph
Typical Body Paragraph Structure
Topic Sentence
Clincher Sentence
Support, Support, Support
An Example….
In the summer, hosts of big red-and-yellowgrasshoppers, with heads shaped like horses, willdescend and eat holes in all the softer leaves. Walkingsticks fly like boomerangs. Shining brown leaf-shapedpalmetto bugs scurry like cockroaches. Spiders like tinypalmetto bugs scurry like cockroaches. Spiders like tinycrabs hang in stout webs. The birds snap at small mothsand butterflies of every kind. A blue racer, the snakethat moves across the cleared sand like a whiplash, willwith one flick destroy the smooth, careful cup of the antlion in the hot sand. The whole world of the pines andof the rocks hums and glistens and stings of life.
What makes a good paragraph?
� Unity. All parts of the paragraph work together as a unit to express and support one main idea.
� Coherence. The ideas in the paragraph are arranged and connected in a way that will make sense to readers. (created by paying attention to sense to readers. (created by paying attention to the order or organizational pattern of the ideas, and the connections made between paragraphs.
� Elaboration. The paragraph’s main idea is developed or expanded using plenty of supporting details.
To create a good paragraph….…focus on the order of your ideas.
• Relate events in the order they happened (explain a process, tell a story, explain a cause and effect)
Chronological Order
• Used to describe things according to where they are located (ex: middle, left, right, east, Spatial Order they are located (ex: middle, left, right, east, west)
Spatial Order
• Show importance of details in relation to one another (pay attention to what a reader reads first and last)
Order of Importance
• Group related ideas (compare and contrast, define a subject)Logical Order
Transitional Words and Phrases
� A transition in writing-
whether a word or
phrase- connects
ideas. They include
conjunctions and
With nervous hands he
lowered the piece of
canvas which served
as his door, and
pegged it at the conjunctions and
prepositions. The type
of connection you
desire is dictated by
the transition word or
phrase you choose.
pegged it at the
bottom. Then quickly
and quietly he slipped
the records into the
case .
• Also, and, another, moreover, similarly, tooComparing Ideas
• Still, but, yet, in spite of, instead, however, on the other hand, although, neverthelessContrasting Ideas
• After, then, next, before, eventually, finally, first, meanwhile, at once, at last, thereafter, when
Showing Chronological Order meanwhile, at once, at last, thereafter, whenChronological Order
• Into, next, over, in, here, above, across, behind, before, inside, beyond, down, around, there, under
Showing Spatial Order
• First, last, mainly, then, to begin with, more important
Showing Order of Importance
The End!