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!