Transitional expressions

Look in the left column of the table for the kind of logical relationship you are trying to express. Then look in
the right column of the table for examples of words or phrases th at express this logical relationship.

Keep in mind that each of these words or phrases may have a slightly different meaning. Consult a dictionary
or writer’s handbook if you are unsure of the exact meaning of a word or phrase.

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 Types of Paragraphs

Let’s start………….

1. The Descriptive Paragraph: This type of paragraph describes something and shows

the reader what a thing or a person is like. The words chosen in the description often appeal to
the five senses of touch, smell, sight, sound, and taste. Descriptive paragraphs can be artistic and
may deviate from grammatical norms.

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 Best Friends Forever
As a child at the age of two, my sister and I had pictures taken together. My sister and I are ten

months and three weeks apart. In this special family picture was look identical. Our big, dark

blue and brown eyes and smile resemble two calm little girls, enjoying the moment with peaceful

smiles on our faces. In our long, dark red and blue dresses we sit straight up in front of a farm

surrounded by green plants. Our dark brown, wavy hair even matched. We both had baby pink

bows off to the side of our heads that resemble a blooming flower. Growing up our family

consisted of our father, my sister, and I. My sister and I have both been there for each other

through “the thick and the thin.” My photograph of my sister and reveals how close we are in age

and through this paragraph it also reveals how close we are when it comes to love and friendship.

Gregory
Gregory is my beautiful gray Persian cat. He walks with pride and grace, performing a dance of

disdain as he slowly lifts and lowers each paw with the delicacy of a ballet dancer. His pride,

however, does not extend to his appearance, for he spends most of his time indoors watching

television and growing fat. He enjoys TV commercials, especially those for Meow Mix and 9

Lives. His familiarity with cat food commercials has led him to reject generic brands of cat food

in favor of only the most expensive brands. Gregory is as finicky about visitors as he is about

what he eats, befriending some and repelling others. He may snuggle up against your ankle,

begging to be petted, or he may imitate a skunk and stain your favorite trousers. Gregory does

not do this to establish his territory, as many cat experts think, but to humiliate me because he is

jealous of my friends. After my guests have fled, I look at the old fleabag snoozing and smiling

to himself in front of the television set, and I have to forgive him for his obnoxious, but

endearing, habits.

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2. Listing Order paragraph: A listing paragraph is a paragraph

containing different ideas that all connect to one main idea. It is perhaps easiest to

think of this as the “Firstly” “Secondly” “Thirdly” paragraph.

In good paragraphs, sentences are arranged in logical order. There is no

Sample of listing order paragraph

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Sample 2

Sample 3

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Sample 4

Sample 5

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 1. EXAMPLE PARAGRAPH TECHNIQUE/ EXAMPLE PARAGRAPH

The illustration (examples) paragraph is useful when we want to explain or clarify something,
such as an object, a person, a concept, or a situation. When we illustrate, we show how
something is as we point out. When we illustrate with examples, we give instances that show or
prove to the readers so they can see for themselves how something is as we claim it to be.

SAMPLE

Favorite childhood games

When I was a little boy in elementary school, the neighborhood kids and I all looked forward to
playing so many games in my backyard during the long summer holidays between grades. For
instance, one of our favorite games was whiffle ball, a kid's version of baseball. All we needed
was a cheap plastic bat and a cheap plastic ball and we could entertain ourselves in the backyard
from morning to afternoon. Or if we broke the bat or lost the ball, we would play "Red Rover,
Red Rover." To play this game, we would join hands in two opposing lines and hurl ourselves at
the locked wrists of the opposing team, trying to break through their line. Once the sun set, our
favorite game was hide-and-seek. My backyard was perfect because there were lots of bushes
and trees where we could hide out of sight of the kid who was "it." Even on rainy days, we had
fun activities out in the garden shed in the corner of the backyard. For instance, we would often
act out our favorite TV game shows, like "Let's Make a Deal," or sing along to the theme song
from "The Monkees," a popular TV show about a rock-and-roll band, on my little record player.
Even now, fifty years later, I still look back on all those fun summertime games out in my
backyard with a lot of fondness.

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 Favorite childhood toys
History Toys My favorite childhood toys reflect the places I lived in when I was young. My

favorite toy as a child of seven years old was the dried fallen branches in the woods. There was a

small one behind our house and it provided endless fun for me and my brothers and sisters.

Collected sticks and branches became our castle, our fort, and our play home. Wood pieces gave

us play swords, fishing rods, umbrellas, and jungle gyms. They were my best childhood toy

because they contained so many other toys. What I most loved to play with at eight years old was

dirt marbles. We lived in a neighborhood where there was an eternal pit of mud on the strip of

grass in front of our apartment. My brothers and I would mix the smooth mud with sand from the

side of the road, roll it into balls and leave them to dry in the hot afternoon sun. We would hit

them against each other to gain points and arm our slingshots with them. The toy of my last year

of elementary school that I obsessed about was stickers. At that time we lived in a narrow alley

with shophouses all long it and we children would buy from there stickers and products that

included free stickers of robots, cartoon characters, and spaceships that we would collect, trade,

or compete for in sticker flipping games. My cherished toy as a new teenager was my bicycle.

We lived in a soi with lots of pavement and no cars. I was head of the bike gang and we would

set up ramps for jumps and design obstacle courses for racing. Now I have started university and

am no longer a child but I think happily of these toys of childhood which show a history of

where I have been and what Bangkok used to be, thankful for the young adult that I am because

of them.

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 2. CLASSIFICATION TECHNIQUE PARAGRAPH/CLASSIFICATION
PARAGRAPH

Writing a paragraph using the classification technique involves organizing a topic into categories and
then explaining each category in detail. The goal is to group similar items together, show how they fit
within each category, and explain how each group contributes to the overall understanding of the topic.

SAMPLE
Reading books can be classified into three main categories: fiction, non-fiction, and educational
books. Each category offers unique benefits and appeals to different interests. Fiction books,
such as novels or short stories, allow readers to immerse themselves in imaginative worlds.
These books stimulate creativity and provide an escape from reality. For example, novels like
The Great Gatsby transport readers to the Jazz Age, giving them a deeper understanding of the
era’s culture and society. Non-fiction books, on the other hand, offer factual information on
various subjects. They include biographies, self-help books, and history books. A book like
Becoming by Michelle Obama not only tells a personal story but also educates readers on
important social and political issues. Lastly, educational books focus on learning specific skills
or gaining expertise in a subject. Textbooks or manuals on topics like science, technology, or
languages fall into this category. For instance, The Elements of Style by Strunk and White is an
essential guide for anyone looking to improve their writing skills. By classifying books into these
categories, we can better understand how they cater to different interests, whether for enjoyment,
knowledge, or skill development.

1. My first memory

2. My dream apartment

3. Describing my family members

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4. My best friend

5. My favorite teacher

6. My pet

7. A Day at the beach

8. A favorite restaurant

9. A museum

10. An embarrassing moment in your life

11. Describe your favorite store

12. My childhood

13. My favorite decoration in my room

14. Describe your favorite person.

15. Describe one of your friends.

16. Describe your pet.

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