Paragraph Writing

(An Introduction)
Prof. Karim EL Hiani
karim.elhiani19@[Link]
 What is a paragraph?

 A paragraph is the combination of sentences and words that express an idea/ a

meaning.

 It is a process of expressing ideas and conveying messages with a meaningful

structure.

 “A paragraph is a group of sentences about a topic. A typical paragraph begins with a

topic sentence, which introduces the topic, the supporting sentences that follow
support the idea in the topic sentence with explanations, reasons, and other details.
The concluding sentence brings the paragraph to an end.” (Savage & Mayer, 2005, p.2).

 In Academic writing, the usual number of sentences in a single paragraph is between 5

and 10 sentences, but the topic can make the paragraph longer or shorter.
Why is ‘Paragraph writing’ important
for university students?

 Learners need to demonstrate their competence and awareness of

different topics in an organized/structured written language.

 It is a prerequisite for academic writing, monographs and research

projects.

 Students need to abide by common rules and form of writing, which are
basic in the academic field.
 Units of the course

 Writing a paragraph: important stages

 The structure of a paragraph
 The topic sentence
 Connectors
 Unity and coherence in a paragraph
 Narrative paragraphs
 Descriptive paragraphs
 Opinion paragraphs
 Comparison/ Contrast paragraphs
 Summative questions

 In your own words: what is a paragraph?

 Why is it important to learn about paragraph writing at the

university level?

 In what areas will paragraph writing help you in the future?

 Recommended Readings

 Savage, A., & Shafiei, M. (2007). Effective Academic Writing 1: The

Paragraph. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 Zemach, D. E., & Islam, C. (2004). Paragraph Writing: From Sentence to

Paragraph. London: Macmillan Education.

 Zemach, D. E., & Rumisek, L. A. (2003). College Writing: From

Paragraph to Essay. London: Macmillan Education.
 Paragraph Writing
(Writing a Paragraph: Important
Stages)
Prof. Karim EL Hiani
karim.elhiani19@[Link]
 Pre-writing
Brainstorming

Editing & Stages of

Proofreading Writing

First draft

Second draft
 Pre-writing

 Analysing the question and the purpose of writing.

 Identifying key words/expressions of the question/topic.

 Deciding on the type of writing: description, opinion, comparison…

 E.g. draw a comparison between distance and face-to-face learning.

a. The topic sheds light on two major learning environments.
b. key words: distance learning, face-to-face, comparison
c. comparison paragraph
 Brainstorming

 Thinking about all possible ideas about the topic.

 Writing all relevant information that can enrich the topic.

 Thinking about any numbers, statistics, percentages…which can

support your ideas.
 First draft

 First attempt to write the paragraph

 Picking all relevant information from the brainstorming stage.

 Organising the ideas in terms of the major idea and the details.

 Using connectors to have a logical relationship between sentences.

 Second Draft

 Reconsidering the first draft to check the style and ideas.

 This stages can include deleting irrelevant ideas and sentences, adding
a relevant idea, changing inappropriate words and/or expressions.

 Writing another draft based on the remarks on the first draft

 Editing & Proofreading

 Checking mistakes (spelling, grammar…), style, connectors (addition,

contrast, concluding…), punctuation...

 Reading the content/ideas and questioning the relationships between

the major ideas.

 Final reading before handing in. Proofreading might include exchanging

your piece of writing with other classmates and colleagues.
 Practice

Write a brief paragraph about the differences between distance

and face-to-face learning environments by going through all the
previous writing stages.
 Paragraph Writing
(The Structure a Paragraph)
Prof. Karim EL Hiani
karim.elhiani19@[Link]
What is the topic of the paragraph?........
What is the main idea about the topic?....
What ideas help explain the main idea?....
 Paragraph Organization
The topic sentence:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This is the main idea
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
of the paragraph. It is
usually the first XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
sentence and the most XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
general sentence of XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
the paragraph XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The supporting
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
sentences: They talk
about and explain the
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
topic sentence. They XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
are more detailed XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
ideas sentence XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The concluding sentence:
It is usually the last
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
sentence of the XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
paragraph. It can XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
summarize the main idea
or give a general opinion
about the topic.
 The topic sentence: what is it?

 It is the sentence that gives the main idea about the topic.

 It provides a clear idea about what will be discussed in the rest of the
paragraph.

 It is usually the first sentence of the paragraph, but it can be in the

middle or at the end.
Choose the best topic sentence
Choose the best topic sentence
 The Supporting sentences

 They give more explanations and details to the topic sentence.

 Every supporting detail can include a supporting example, explanation,

statistics, percentages…

 The supporting sentences/details impact the length of the paragraphs

depending on how many details/clarifications are provided.
 The concluding sentence

 It gives a general summary of all what has been discussed.

 It can be a general opinion on the topic or a future expectation.

 The concluding sentence usually occurs at the end of the paragraph.

Read the paragraph again and Identify the topic sentence, the
supporting sentences, and the concluding sentence.
Choose the topic sentence (TS), The supporting
sentences (SS), and the concluding sentence (CS)
 References

 Zemach, D. E., & Islam, C. Paragraph Writing: From Sentence to

Paragraph. London: Macmillan Education.

 Zemach, D. E., & Rumisek, L. A. (2003). College Writing: From

Paragraph to Essay. London: Macmillan Education.
Paragraph Writing
(Connectors)
Prof. Karim EL Hiani
karim.elhiani19@[Link]
 Connectors: what? Why?

 Connectors/linking words are used to link different sentences,

expressions or a group of ideas together in a logical and meaningful
way.

 Connectors are essential for paragraph cohesion.

 Connectors include addition, results, purpose, conclusion, cause and

effect, time, contrast…
 ADDITION

 And
 In addition / Furthermore / Moreover / Besides
 In addition to / As well as
 Also / Too

 Examples
 I don´t feel like going out tonight. Besides, there is a good film on.
 She writes novels. In addition, she also writes poetry.
 They robbed a bank as well as a post office.
 They adore Indian food. I like Indian food, too.
 Result

 So
 Consequently / As a result / Therefore
 So / Such (a) ........... That

 Examples
 It was late, so I decided to take a taxi home.
 His wife left him. As a result, he became very depressed.
 The storm was so terrible that the roofs were ripped off.
 She was such a beautiful woman that he fell in love immediately.
 CONTRAST

 Although / Even though / But

 Despite / In spite of
 However / Nevertheless/ On the other hand – On the other hand

 Examples
 Although the car is old, it is still reliable.
 Despite / In spite of the rain, I went for a walk.
 Buying a house is expensive. However, it is a good investment.
 PURPOSE

 In order (not) to / So as (not) to + inf

 So that + subject + modal verb + inf

 Examples
 Anita phoned me in order to recommend a film she had just seen.
 I left early so that I would meet Dan at the cinema on time.
 CAUSE AND REASON

 Because / Since / As
 Because of / Due to

 Examples
 Since we arrived late, all the best seats had been taken.
 We were unable to go by train because of the rail strike.
 CONCLUSION

 In sum, in short, in brief, in summary

 Finally, to conclude, to wrap up,

 Examples
 In sum, family life, work environment, and entertainment are all
important for a successful life.
 To conclude, preparing for final exams require a good balance
between group work and individual preparation.
 TIME

 When / While
 / After / Before
 / As soon as / Until / By the time

 Examples
 While I was driving home, I saw a terrible accident.
 He went out after he had finished work.
 Practice (Use suitable connectors)
(1)
 ................................ their parents opposition, Tom and Ann decided
to get married.
 We’ll leave the note on the table……………………….he can see it.
 ..................................... I have a great respect for him, I don´t
particularly like him.
 Tim isn´t suitable for the job. He´s too old. ....................................,
he isn´t interested.
 ................................... there are no more questions to discuss, we
can finish the meeting.
 Brian is leaving the company .................................... his age.
 The sweater was .................. big .................... I couldn’t wear it.
 Practice (Use suitable connectors)
(2)
 He worked for the same company all his life ................................... he retired.
 Linkers are quite difficult to learn. ............................., they are worth studying.
 The temperature in Saudi Arabia can reach 50º C. ....................... , a lot of
business is done early in the day.
 I failed the exam precisely ................................ I didn´t have time to study.
 John, ............................ you speak French, I wondered if I could ask you some
words.
 Nora eats green vegetables .................................... they are good for her health.
 It was ............................ wonderful view ............................... we were left
speechless.
 ........................... the teacher was out of the class, some pupils wrote a message
on the board.
 There´s time to get a sandwich from the cafeteria............................. the next
class begins.
 Practice (Rewrite the foollowing sentences using
the conjunctions between brackets).
(3)

 Since Bill had lived in Spain for six years, he spoke Spanish fluently. (so)
 …………………………………….
 I am sick and tired of people phoning me during my favourite TV
programme. ( while)
 ………………………….
 I don´t know Helen very much. Nevertheless, I like her. (in spite of )
 ……………………………………
 The weather was very hot, so we all felt tired. (because)
 ……………………………………………
Practice (Rewrite the foollowing sentences
using the conjunctions between brackets).
(4)

 If you don’t want to wake up the baby, speak softly. (so as to)
 …………………………………………………………..
 We are old but we enjoy life. (despite)
 ……………………………………………………………
 The game was so easy that even a child could play it. (such)
 …………………………………………………………….
 They opened the window because they didn’t want the smoke to go in the
kitchen. (so that)
 ……………………………………………………………….
 He speaks Chinese and he can also read it. (furthermore)
 ………………………………………………………………
Paragraph Writing
(Unity and Coherence in a
paragraph)
Prof. Karim EL Hiani
karim.elhiani19@[Link]
 Why are unity and coherence
important?

 A good piece of writing needs a good balance between the writer’s

ideas, logical sequence of events, a logical relationship between facts.

 Academic writers use many drafts to make sure that all the supporting
details are related to the topic sentence. In addition, the concluding
sentence should be within the same context of the topic sentence and
the supporting details.

 “A paragraph has unity when all the sentences support a single idea”
(Savage and Mayer, 2006, p. 12).
 An example of Paragraph Unity
(Savage and Mayer, 2006, p. 12).

 Topic sentence
My Friend Macarena is generous
 Supporting sentences
she often let travelers stay in her home. She has hosted many students temporarily.
She sends money to her family in Chile every month to help them with their bills. She
always brings flowers or food to her friends when they are sick or have a need.
 Concluding sentence
Macarena is one of the most generous people I know.

Note that all the sentences are about Macarena’s generosity. A sentence about the way
she looks or about her job will not support the unity of the paragraph unless it somehow
relates Macarena’s generosity.
 Choose the sentence that does NOT
support the topic sentences

 Every kid in the world likes video games.

 They are very amusing in their free time.
 Kids improve their imagination through interactive games.
 Parents are upset with a lot of noise.
 They help students get rid of stress.

 Playing chess helps a lot of students improve critical thinking.

 For example, you can think about different possibilities to win
 It gives a good sense of humour when hanging out with friends.
 It activates the sense of predicting and analysing.
 Students think a lot before any move or step.
 Choose the sentence that does NOT
support the topic sentences

 Tea and Coffee are very different from each other.

 Coffee has more caffeine than tea does.
 Coffee and tea both have caffeine.
 People enjoy coffee and tea during social occasions.
 Tea is much more common around the world than coffee is.

 In my opinion, people spend too much money on cars.

 Some drivers spend a fourth of their income for a car payment, which is
unnecessary.
 Cars do not increase in value, so they are not a great investment.
 Car companies are always looking for ways to make vehicles safer on the road.
 People who do not pay cash must also pay interest, so they lose even more money.
 Write supporting sentences to the
following topic sentences

 The internet can help students in many ways.

o ……………………………………………………………………..
o ………………………………………………………………………
 To select a life partner, there are some essential criteria.
o ……………………………………………………………………….
o ………………………………………………………………………..
 Learning a foreign language can open up new opportunities
o ………………………………………………………………………..
o …………………………………………………………….................
 Playing sport can empower both body and mind productivity.
o …………………………………………………………………………
o ……………………………………………………………………………
 References

 Savage, A., & Shafiei, M. (2007). Effective Academic Writing 1: The

Paragraph. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 Zemach, D. E., & Islam, C. (2004). Paragraph Writing: From Sentence to

Paragraph. London: Macmillan Education.

 Zemach, D. E., & Rumisek, L. A. (2003). College Writing: From

Paragraph to Essay. London: Macmillan Education.
Paragraph Writing
(Narrative paragraphs)
Prof. Karim EL Hiani
karim.elhiani19@[Link]
Introductory notes