PARAGRAPH

DEVELOPMENT:
Unity, Relevance & Coherence
The basic purpose of a paragraph is to communicate some
information to the reader.

A communicatively sound paragraph displays the three

essential qualities of:

Completeness: i.e. provides an optimal level of information

to the reader that aids in comprehension of the text.

Unification: i.e. built around a central theme and is

consistent in tone and point of view

Order: i.e. all ideas are related to one another and are
coherent.
 UNITY…
The Topic Sentence:

• provides the main point of the paragraph

• provides direction to the reader & clarifies the subject matter

• presents the purpose of the paragraph

The idea presented in the topic sentence needs to be developed

fully & this is achieved by all the sentences following it. These
sentences provide supporting evidence to the reader, evidence that
clarifies & develops the topic sentence.
Write a topic sentence that covers all of the following statements:

• In early grades we had spelling bees, and I would

be among the first to sit down.

• In sixth grade English, my teacher kept me busy

diagramming sentences on the board.

• In tenth grade we had to recite poems, and I

always forgot my lines.

• In my senior year, my compositions had more red

correction marks then anyone else’s.
Find the TS:

And at the same time the forces of American commercialism are

hugely dedicated to making us deliberately unhappy. Advertising
is one of our major industries, and advertising exists not to
satisfy desires but to create them – and to create them faster
than any man’s budget can satisfy them. For that matter, our
whole economy is based on a dedicated insatiability. We are
taught that to possess is to be happy, and then we are made to
want. We even are told that it is our duty to want. It was only a
few years ago, to cite a single example, that car dealers across
the country were flying banners that read “You Auto Buy Now.”
They were calling upon Americans, as an act approaching
patriotism, to buy at once, with money they did not have,
automobiles they did not really need, and which they would be
required to grow tired of by the time the next year’s models
were released
 Position of the Topic Sentence
• Topic sentences usually occur at the beginning or end of a
paragraph.

One reason has to do with emphasis: the paragraph's most

emphatic spots are its beginning and its end.

• Much less frequently, topic sentences may appear in the

middle of the paragraph or may simply be implied.

The interior position is not very emphatic, and hence topic

sentences are less frequently found there.
 Writing a Topic Sentence…
How to register for college classes.

• Topic + controlling idea

Registering for college classes can be a frustrating experience for
new students.

• Topic sentence should be neither too specific nor too general

Too general:
European food is terrible.
Too specific: European food is tasteless and greasy because …….
Good :
European food is tasteless and greasy.
 Umbrella Theory….
Topic Sentence
(most general but
detailed)

Major Idea Major Idea

(more specific) (more specific)

Supporting details Supporting details

(most specific) (most specific)

conclusion
(1) According to Faraday, dreams can have either a literal or a
symbolic interpretation. (2) If a dream image represents
someone the dreamer knows, or an event that has actually
occurred in the dreamer’s life, then this image can be taken
literally. (3) For example, if a person dreams of his or her
mother, then most likely the dream is indeed about the
person’s mother and the mother image should not be taken
to represent anyone or anything else. (4) However, if a dream
image does not represent a person or a thing that can be
found in the dreamer’s day-to-day existence, then the image
can be taken as a symbol of something else. (5) For example,
if a person dreams of a dragon or some other exotic animal
he or she never comes in contact with, then the dreamer is
free to interpret this image as a symbol of something else. (6)
Therefore, when interpreting dreams, Faraday recommends
looking for symbols only when a literal interpretation is
impossible.
Topic Sentence: My roommate is messy.

He doesn’t seem to mind that he can’t find any clean

clothes or dishes. He never puts anything back in its
proper place; he just drops it wherever he happens
to be. His side of the room looks as if a hurricane has
gone through.

His coffee cup is covered inside with a thick layer of

green mould. I can’t tell you what colour his easy
chair is; it has disappeared under a pile of dirty
laundry. When he turns over in bed, I can hear the
crunch of cracker crumbs beneath his body.
 My roommate is messy

He never puts
He doesn’t seem to His side of the
anything back in its
mind that he can’t room looks as if a
proper place; he just
find any clean hurricane has gone
drops it wherever he
clothes or dishes. happens to be through.

When he turns
His coffee cup is I can’t tell you over in bed, I can
covered inside what colour his hear the crunch
with a thick layer easy chair is; it has of cracker
of green mould disappeared crumbs beneath
under a pile of his body.
dirty laundry.
Add Minor Ideas: A Pushover Instructor

We knew after the first few classes that the instructor was a
pushover. First of all, he didn’t seem able to control the class.
__________________________________________________
________________________________________

In addition, he made some course requirements easier when

a few students complained.
__________________________________________________
________________________________________

Finally, he gave the easiest quiz we had ever taken.

__________________________________________________
________________________________________
 UNITY & RELEVANCE…
find the irrelevant sentence :
(1) Registration last semester was a nightmare. (2) I
stood in a long line for two hours, even though I arrived
at the time schedule for people with last names
beginning with M. (3) When I tried to sign up for two
courses required for my major, they were closed. (4) The
workers said I could register with the permission of the
instructors, so I went looking for them. (5) Their offices
were in the Dewey Building, on the other side of the
quad. (6) It was the ugliest building on campus. (7) I had
to wait for one of them to return from lunch, but finally I
contacted the instructors and persuaded them to sign
my registration slip. (8) I returned to the gym to
complete registration, and waited in another long line.
(9) I’m glad we register only once a semester.
 COHERENCE…

• Ideas are linked to one another.

• Sentences & paragraphs are in logical order.

Sentences are in logical order:

- Chronological
- Comparison / Contrast
- Logical Division
- Step-by-step (process)
- Cause & Effect
- Problem-Solution
- Spatial
….depends on your topic & purpose
Ideas are linked to one another(Coherence):

- Repetition of key terms

- Use of consistent pronouns
- Parallelism
- Echo words
- Transitional devices(sentence connectors,
clause connectors & mixed group)
Refer to the table on pg 166
 Repetition of Key Nouns
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important
characteristics. First of all, it has a lustrous beauty that is
resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for
jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. It never needs
to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For
example, a Macedonian coin remains as tarnished today
as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago.
Another of its important characteristics is its usefulness
to industry and science. For many years, it has been used
in hundreds of industrial applications. Its most recent use
is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear heat shields made
from it for protection outside spaceships. In conclusion,
it is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its
utility.
 Repeat key terms in key ideas…. Major ideas
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important
characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty
that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable
for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold
never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful
forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as
tarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three
centuries ago. Another important characteristic of
gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For
many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial
applications. The most recent use of gold is in
astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat
shields for protection outside spaceships. In
conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty
but also for its utility.
 Use consistent & Appropriate Pronouns
When scientific experiments do not work out as
expected, they are often considered failures until
some other scientist tries them again. Those that
work out better the second time around are the
ones that promise the most rewards.

Echo Words: Synonyms

Myths narrate sacred histories and explain sacred
origins. These traditional narratives are, in short, a
set of beliefs that are a very real force in the lives of
the people who tell them.
 Use Parallel Structure

The company is interested in making higher

sales, to lower overheads, and helping staff
reach their potential.

She is resolved to lose weight, to study hard,

and watching less TV.
 Use Transitional Devices
A difference among the world’s seas and oceans is that the salinity varies in
different climate zones. The Baltic Sea in Northern Europe has only one-
fourth the saline content as the Red Sea in the Middle East. There are
reasons for this. In warm climates, water evaporates rapidly. The
concentration of salt is greater. The surrounding land is dry and does not
contribute much fresh water to dilute the salty sea water. In cold climate
zones, water evaporates slowly. The runoff created by melting snow adds a
considerable amount of fresh water to dilute the saline sea water.

A difference among the world’s seas and oceans is that the salinity varies in
different climate zones. For example, the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe has
only one-fourth the saline content as the Red Sea in the Middle East. There
are two reasons for this. First of all, in warm climates, water evaporates
rapidly; therefore the concentration of salt is greater. Second, the
surrounding land is dry and consequently, does not contribute much fresh
water to dilute the salty sea water. In cold climate zones, on the other
hand, water evaporates slowly. Furthermore, the runoff created by melting
snow adds a considerable amount of fresh water to dilute the saline sea
A There are several reasons for concluding that no life exists on Mars.

B Moreover, the temperatures on Mars are usually below the freezing point of water.

C These “solar bullets” would abruptly terminate any vulnerable micro organisms that survived
the extreme cold.

D First, the Viking spacecraft detected no liquid water on the surface.

E Also, this frozen surface is continually bombarded by solar ultraviolet radiation due to the thin
Mars atmosphere.

F And it is well known that water in some form is necessary for life forms to originate and
survive.

G Finally, the Viking chemical analysis of Martian soil detected no organic molecules in two
widely separated locations on the planet.

H Such freezing temperatures would certainly prevent biochemical activity and retard the
growth of any micro organism.

I Since organic molecules are the components of life, their absence is the most compelling
reason of all to reject the idea of life on Mars.
 Task:
• Write a 300 – 350 words paragraph on one of
the topics given below:
• Childhood: Scary, dominated, controlled or it
was fun, magical, and full of fantasy
• Vulnerability: a strength or a weakness
• Submit the hardcopy in the next class
 Before the Next Session
Reading:

• The Essay (175 – 187)

• Writing Introductions & Conclusions (201-209)