Theoretical Introduction to English

Composition Course
LECTURER
Mohammad Mujahid “Ibrahimi”
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Mujahid Ibrahimi
WhatsApp: 0093799601531
 LECTURE 4
How To Structure Paragraph
Its Parts and Tips
Transitional Words
 Learning Outcome
Students will be able to learn:
The concept of paragraph
 The basic principles for writing a paragraph
 Parts and types of Paragraph
 How to structure paragraph
 Learn about how transitions contribute to a better paragraph
 Better understand what makes a coherent paragraph
 Effective steps about writing paragraph
 Writing Academic Paragraph
 Paragraph is composed of two words “Para” which means writing and
“Graph” which means picture, so paragraph means writing of Picture.
Definition:
 Paragraph is a group of related sentences that deals with a single topic. In
other words, A paragraph is a collection of related sentences dealing with a
single and main topic or theme.
 Paragraphs have varying length depending upon various factors. An
average paragraph in an academic essay is about six to eight sentences.
Reasons to Write a Paragraph
1. Describe something

2. Tell a story

3. Explain something

4. To Persuade

5. To compare and contrast something

5. To describe the cause and effect

 Basic Principles for Writing a Paragraph
 A paragraph is unified, coherent, and well-developed.
 All sentences must be relevant.
 It should be about a single topic.
 It contains a clear topic sentence.
 There must be supporting sentences or details about topic sentence.
 Transition words should be used to connect ideas.
 It should have concluding sentence that restates topic sentence.
 Use correct grammar, proper punctuation, and sentence structure.
 Four C’s of Paragraph
A good paragraph is:
- Consistent:
• All the sentences should be about the same or single topic.
- Complete:
• Well-developed and contains all parts and enough details.
- Clear:
• All the sentences are clear and concise to understand.
- Coherent:
• Sentences are connected in logical order and transition words are used.
 Fundamental Parts of Paragraph
Paragraph generally has three main parts which are as follows:
1) Topic Sentence

2) Supporting Sentences

3) Concluding Sentences
1. The Topic Sentence:
 Also called; introductory sentence, opening sentence, focus sentence.
 Topic sentence is the first sentence of paragraph which includes the
central or main idea of a paragraph upon which the rest of sentences fall.
In other words, topic sentence initiates the paragraph and states the main
idea of the paragraph.
 What Makes a Good Topic Sentence?
A good topic sentences should:
• contain a subject, a verb, and a complement.
• contain both a topic and a controlling idea or opinion.
• be specific, but does not give any specific details.
• be clear and easy to follow.
• not have supporting details.
• engage the reader by using interesting vocabulary.
• It is a focus sentence in paragraph.
• Provides accurate indication what will the rest of the paragraph will be about.
 Exercise
Write one topic sentence for each of the following topic:
1) Global warming
2) Climate change
3) English Language
4) Importance of computer
5) Importance of exercising
6) Unemployment
7) Internet
8) Why not to have a Credit Card
 Examples of a Topic Sentence
- There are many possible contributing factors to global warming.
- There are several reasons that why English is international language.
- Computer plays a vital role in our social and academic life.
- Physical exercise plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy body and mind.
- There are several reasons that why Canada is one of the best countries to live in.
- There are many reasons why unemployment continues to increase.
 Fundamental Parts of Paragraph
2. The Supporting Sentences (The Body):
 Supporting sentences provide extra or more information and details
about the topic sentence to prove, illustrate, clarify, or explain the topic
sentence. This is done through the evidence or supporting arguments.
 The topic sentence is usually supported by three to five supporting
details or arguments such as explanations or illustrations, examples, facts
and reasons.
 Supporting sentences start with transitional words and phrases such as
first (firstly), second (secondly) third (thirdly) for example, in addition,
moreover, furthermore, initially, for instance etc…
 What Makes Good Supporting Sentences?
Supporting sentences or ideas should:
1. have unity, relevance and coherence

2. be connected by transitional words.

3. be supported by reasons, examples,

4. be arranged in logical or chronological order.

5. be simple, clear and easy to understand.

 Fundamental Parts of Paragraph
3. The Concluding Sentences:
Also called; Clincher, Closing and Summarizing Sentences.
 Concluding sentences; restates the topic sentence in different words.
It is the final sentence of a paragraph and sums up or concludes the
main points and restates the main idea in a different way.
 A concluding sentence serves three purposes:
1) It signals the end of the paragraph.
2) It summarizes the main points of the paragraph.
3) It gives a final comment on the topic.
How to write an effective paragraph
1) Choose the topic
2) Choose a topic sentence
3) Use transitional words
4) Provide supporting sentences
5) Use clear and vivid words
6) Use logical or chronological order
7) No run-on sentences
8) Sentences stick to the topic
9) Provide concluding sentences
 Exercise
Write a paragraph about the following topic which should include;
topic sentence, supporting sentences and concluding sentences.
TOPIC
Invention of internet
 Sample of Paragraph
The internet is one of the most important inventions of the 21st century
which has changed the way we communicate, access information, and
conduct business. Firstly, it has connected geographical gaps, allowing
people from different corners of the world to connect immediately
through social media platforms and messaging apps. Furthermore, the
vast amount of information available online has transformed education,
enabling students to learn from an excess of resources at their fingertips.
In addition, the internet has significantly impacted commerce by giving
rise to e-commerce, which allows businesses to reach global markets and
consumers to shop conveniently from home. Consequently, the internet
not only enhances our daily lives but also drives innovation and economic
growth, hardening its status as a basis of modern society.
 Exercise
Write a paragraph about the following topic which should include;
topic sentence, supporting sentences and concluding sentences.
TOPIC
Unemployment
 Sample of Paragraph
Unemployment is one of the most critical and serious issues which
can affect people in different ways. Firstly, when someone loses their
job, it can lead to financial problems for them and their family.
Moreover, being unemployed can cause stress and anxiety, making it
hard for individuals to find new work. Furthermore, high
unemployment rates can impact the economy as a whole, leading to
less spending and slower growth. On the positive side, some people
use this time to learn new skills or start their own businesses. In
conclusion, while unemployment brings many challenges, it can also
open doors for new opportunities.
 Exercise
Write a paragraph about the following topic which should include;
topic sentence, supporting sentences and concluding sentences.
TOPIC
Why not to have credit card
 Sample of Paragraph
There are three reasons I don’t have a credit card. The first reason is that using a piece of
plastic instead of cash makes it too easy for me to buy things I can’t afford. For instance, last
week I saw a $75.00 pair of pink sandals in my favorite shoe store. Of course, I don’t need
pink sandals, nor can I afford them. With a credit card, however, I would now own those
sandals and be worrying about how to pay for them. The second reason I don’t have a credit
card is that I would end up in debt like my friend Sara the shopaholic. Sara got a credit last
year, and she already owes $4,000. She buys things that she doesn’t really need such as
jewelry and designer sunglasses. Sara makes only minimum payments, so her balance never
decreases. She will be in debt for years. The third reason I don’t have a credit card is the
difficulty in understanding the fine print in the credit card contract. If I don’t read the fine
print, I can be surprised. For example, some credit companies will raise my interest rate if I
make payment even one day late. To sum up, credit cards may be a convenience for some
people, but for me, they are plastic ticket to financial disaster.
 PATTERNS OF IDEAS ORGANIZATIONS
There are three ways that we can organize ideas:
1. Logical Order:
It’s a kind of order in which ideas are arranged based on a clear and reasonable structure,
such as from general to specific or from specific to general, cause and effect and problem
and solution, compare and contrast. It is used in argumentative writing.
2. Chronological order;
It’s a type of order in which the ideas and events are presented in the order they happened
in time. In other words, step by step or one by one mentioning the events is called
chronological order. This is typically used in narrative writing.
3. Spatial Order; this is a kind of order which organizes the details or ideas based on
physical space or location. It is commonly used in descriptive writing.
 Transitional / Signal Words
Also called; linker words, transition words and conjunctive adverbs.
 Transition is a word or a group of words which is used to connect or
relate ideas, sentences and paragraphs.
 In other words, transitions are used to show relationship between
ideas within sentences and paragraphs because they take us from
one point to another.
 Transition words express agreement, opposition, cause and
effect, provide examples, or indicate time/sequence.
 Types of Transition Words
There are several types of transition words related to:
1) Sequence or order 8) time
2) additional information 9) summary or conclusion
3) contrast or opposition 10) emphasis
4) examples or illustration 11) repetition
5) cause and effect 12) qualification or generalization
6) comparison and similarity
7) place or location
 Types of Transition Words
1. Sequence or order related transitions:
 They are used to show or indicate sequence.
1. First 8. Finally
2. Second 9. Initially
3. Third 10. At first
4. Next 11. Following that
5. Then 12. Lastly
6. After that 13. In the first place
7. Subsequently 14. To begin with
 Types of Transition Words
2. Addition information related transitions:
 They are used to give more or additional information.
Furthermore As well as
Moreover Not only... but also
In addition Besides
Additionally Likewise
Also Further
Similarly In the same way
 Types of Transition Words
3. Contrast related transitions:
 They are used to express contrast, opposite or different ideas.
1. However 8. Even though
2. On the other hand 9. Despite (despite of)
3. In contrast 10. In spite of
4. Conversely 11. Whereas
5. Nevertheless 12. Yet / While
6. Nonetheless 14. Unlike
7. Although 15. On the contrary
 Types of Transition Words
4. Examples related transitions:
 These transitions are used to introduce or make examples.
1. For example 8. As an illustration
2. For instance 9. Specifically
3. Such as 10. To give an example
4. Including 12. Like
5. Namely 13. This can be seen in
6. To illustrate 15. To demonstrate
 Types of Transition Words
5. Cause and effect related transitions:
 These transitions are used to express cause and effect of something.
1. Because 8. Owing to 15. Causing
2. As a result 9. Since 16. In turn
3. Consequently 10. For this reason 17. So
4. Therefore 11. As a consequence 18. Accordingly
5. Thus 12. Resulting in 19. Given that
6. Hence 13. In light of 20. To this end
7. Due to 14. This leads to 21. In as much as
 Types of Transition Words
6. Comparison and similarity related transitions:
 These transitions are used to express the comparison and similarity.
1. Similarly 7. like 14. Analogous to
2. Likewise 8. As well as 15. As with
3. In the same way 9. Correspondingly 16. Not only... but also
4. Just as 10. In like manner 17. Both... and
5. Equally 11. Along the same lines 19. Just like
6. Comparable to 12. By the same token 20. In a similar fashion
7. In comparison 13. Resembling
 Types of Transition Words
7. Place or location related transitions:
 These transitions are used to indicate place or location.
1. Above 8. Next to 15. On the left/right
2. Below 9. Between 16. In the center of
3. Nearby 10. Within 17. Alongside
4. Adjacent to 11. Outside 18. Throughout
5. Beyond 12. Inside 19. Across from
6. In front of 13. At the top of 20. In the vicinity of
7. Behind 14. At the bottom of
 Types of Transition Words
8. Time related transitions:
 These transitions are used to show time relationship or sequencing.
1. Before 8. Eventually 15. Then
2. After 9. Initially 16. Prior to
3. During 10. At the same time 17. Following
4. Meanwhile 11. Simultaneously 18. As soon as
5. Subsequently 12. In the meantime 19. Until
6. Earlier 13. Soon 20. From that point on
7. Later 14. Now
 Types of Transition Words
9. Summary or conclusion related transitions:
 These transitions are used to summarize or conclude discussions or points.
1. In conclusion 8. Finally 15. In essence
2. To summarize 9. As a result 16. To conclude
3. In summary 10. Thus 17. On the whole
4. Ultimately 11. Therefore 18. In the end
5. Overall 12. Consequently 19. To wrap up
6. In brief 13. In short 20. As a final point
7. To sum up 14. All in all
 Types of Transition Words
10. Emphasis or support related transitions:
 These transitions are used to emphasize or support our main points.
1. Indeed 8. Particularly 15. For example
2. In fact 9. Especially 16. As a matter of fact
3. Certainly 10. Notably 17. Specifically
4. Undoubtedly 11. Significantly 18. Emphatically
5. Without a doubt 12. Importantly 19. To emphasize
6. Clearly 13. In particular 20. Moreover
7. Obviously 14. To illustrate
 Types of Transition Words
11. Repetition related transitions:
 These transitions are used to restate or repeat a point again.
1. Again 7. To put it another way 13. As previously mentioned
2. Once more 8. To emphasize 14. Notably
3. In other words 9. Reiterating 15. As a reminder
4. To reiterate 10. Similarly 16. For emphasis
5. As stated earlier 11. Likewise 17. To repeat
6. In summary 12. Furthermore 18. In essence
19. To restate
 Importance of Transitional Words
• Help carry your thoughts forward from one sentence / paragraph to another.
• Transitional words are like bridges between parts of your paragraph or essay.
• They are cues that help the reader understand your ideas.
• They indicate that a reader changes or changed the point or idea.
• They strengthen paragraph and make it easy to understand.
• Lack of transition words brings confusion or miscommunication.
• Transition words act like the glue that holds your text together.
• They assist in the logical flow of ideas.
 How to punctuate transition words?
• There are six ways that we can use transition words:

AT THE BEGINNING
Independent Clause + . + Transition word + , + Independent Clause +.
She studied diligently for the exam. Therefore, she achieved good grades.

IN THE MIDDLE
Independent Clause + . + subject + , + Transition + ,+ Independent Clause +.
She studied diligently for the exam. She , therefore, achieved good grades.
 How to punctuate transition words?
USING SEMI COLON
Independent Clause + ; + transition word + , + independent Clause +.
She studied diligently for the exam; therefore, she achieved good grades.

AT THE END
Independent Clause + . + Independent Clause +, + transition + .
She studied diligently for the exam. She achieved good grades, therefore.
 How to punctuate transition words?
USING COMMAS
Independent Clause +, + transition word + , + independent Clause +.
She studied diligently for the exam, therefore, she achieved good grades.

NO TRANSITION JUST SEMI COLON

Independent Clause + ; + independent Clause + .
She studied diligently for the exam; she achieved good grades.
 Any
Questions
?