LOGICAL DIVISION OF IDEAS PARAGRAPH

Academic Writing Group Assignment

Lecturer: Dr. Effrina Yuricki

Written by:

1. Meilani Arum Kusumastuti (20187479117)

2. Nurise (20187479198)
3. Nurrohmah (20187479087)
4. Retno Indriyani (20187479199)

English Education Graduate Program

Indraprasta PGRI University - Jakarta

April 2019

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 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Writing is the fourth skill in English after reading, listening, and speaking. As part of
a language writing functions as a mean of communication to convey our ideas and thought
through symbols (alphabets). People communicate through text massages, letters, e-mail,
social media or other publications – all are in written form.
Writing is also probably the most difficult and frustrating skill to master since it
acquires many aspects to create a g ood writing. It is the most challenging task for students
to create a piece of writing. They might worry about many things such as grammar,
sentence structure, spelling or punctuation. However, the essence of a good writing is
more about good thinking rather than grammar, spelling or punctuation. 1 We do not say
the later are not important, but do not make them a burden when we write. Put our ideas,
thought and logic as a foundation of our writing before the details. We can always polish
our writing.
Different languages use different writing styles of organization. English writing is the
simplest one. It uses direct line from the beginning to the end. When we read an article in
English, for example, we will expect the beginning of the article tells what the article is
going to be about, the middle tells the topic or the article and the end tells what the article
was about.2 It is shown in the diagram of the English style of writing.

This is what I will write about.

I am writing about it here.

This is what I wrote about.

1
Ron Fry, Improve Your Writing, (London: Kogan Page Limited, 1996), Page 55
2
Cynthia A. Broadman, Writing to Communicate, (New York: Pearson Education Inc. ,2008), Introduction page
XV

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 The English writing itself has several organizational patterns: chronological order,
order of importance or logical division of ideas, compare and contrast, and cause and
effect.3 In chronological order we write based on timeline. In order of importance or
logical divisions of ideas we write the most important point first then continued with the
second most important and so on, we divide a topic into points and discussed each point
separately. In compare and contrast we write about the similarities or differences between
two objects or ideas. In cause and effect we describe or explain an event or thing that
cause or create an effect(s).
In the next Chapter we will focus our discussion on order of importance or logical
division of ideas organizational pattern. Chapter II will explain about the definition of
logical division of ideas paragraph, the paragraph organization, coherence, the use of
transitional signal to show coherence, structure errors like run-ons and comma splices and
the writing process of a logical division of ideas paragraph.

3
Angela Janovski, Organizational Patterns for Writing: Purpose and Types obtained on 6 December 2019 at
18.43 from https://study.com/academy/lesson/organizational-patterns-for-writing-purpose-and-types.html

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 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION

This chapter will discuss about the definition of logical division of ideas paragraph, the
organization, coherence, run-ons and comma splices as structure errors and paragraph writing
process using logical division of ideas pattern.

A. Definition of Logical Division of Ideas

This chapter discusses about how to organize a paragraph using the logical
division ideas pattern. According to Hogue and Oshima (2007) the logical division of
ideas is a pattern of organization which we divide a topic into several points and discuss
each point separately. We can use this pattern to organize many topics such as reasons
for learning Academic Writing, types of books we like/do not like,
advantages /disadvantages of living in big cities or qualities of a good EFL teacher.
Usually the topic are divided into two or three categories.

B. The organization of Logical Division of Ideas

Like any other English writing, a paragraph using the logical division ideas
pattern is divided into three parts, topic sentence, supporting sentences, and concluding
sentence.
We can begin our paragraph with a topic sentence like “A good EFL teacher has
three qualities” or “Living in big cities has several advantages” for instance. By referring
to the topic sentence, the reader will expect the next sentences be about several aspects
related to the topic will be discussed in the next part of the paragraph. In supporting
sentences we discussed each point one after the other. We can use transitional signals
such as The first, The second, Furthermore, In addition to introduce each new point. We
should support each point with convincing details. We cannot expect our reader to
believe that our topic sentence is true just because we say so – we must back up our point
with quotes from experts, research statistics, examples from research or our own
experience or detailed descriptions. We end our paragraph with concluding sentence. We
can use phrases like “To sum up,” “In brief, “or “For all these reasons,” to start the
paragraph conclusion.

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 We can see a model of logical division of ideas paragraph below 4 to see how it is
organized.

topic Controlling ideas

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 purpose. Gold never need
to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a
Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was made 25
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, such as photography and dentistry. The most recent
use is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for
protection when they go outside spaceships in space. In conclusion, gold is
treasured not only for its beauty but also its utility.

The topic first sentence is topic sentence which points out the topic, gold, and the
controlling ideas, two important characteristics. The second sentence points out the first
characteristics, resistant to corrosion. This supporting ideas is backed up with some fact
and example in sentence 3 to 5. The sixth sentence points out the second controlling idea,
its usefulness in industry and science. Furthermore, some facts and examples are given to
back up the second controlling idea in sentence 7 to 9. This paragraph is ended with a
concluding sentence which restates the topic sentence.

C. Coherence
Along with unity, a good paragraph should have coherence. In a coherent paragraph,
the readers can follow our ideas easily from the beginning to the end; it flows smoothly
and there is no sudden jump. This is also important in building logical division of ideas
paragraph. Since the supporting points of the topic are explained separately, we need to
glue them together to create a coherent paragraph. Here come the functions of transitional
signals as cement to our ideas or sentences. Another way to make our paragraph coherent
is by using nouns and pronouns consistently throughout the paragraph 5. Pronouns are
4
Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, Writing Academic English: Fourth Edition, (New York: Pearson Education Inc.,
2006) page 22

5
Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue. Introduction to Academic Writing, (New York: Pearson Education Inc., 2007)
page 79

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 used to avoid wordiness in our writing. If we start our paragraph with “we” for instance,
we should use “we” until the end of the paragraph. Do not suddenly change it with “you”,
“I” or other pronouns. It also would be better to use plural nouns or pronouns to describe
a group of people rather than singular ones to avoid awkwardness in our writing.
The paragraph below shows inconsistency in using pronouns to replace the subject
of the paragraph.6

A marathon runner must be strong not only in body but also in mind. She or
he has to train for years to achieve the necessary endurance to compete in his or her
sport. This requires great discipline and self-sacrifice. In addition, marathon runners
have to train their minds in order to endure the long hours of solitary running. This,
too, requires great discipline. In other word, you must be in top condition, both
mentally and physically, if you want to run in marathons.

The subject of the paragraph was introduced as “a marathon runner” (a singular

noun). This leads to awkwardness when replace it with a pronoun (he or she?). Moreover, in
the fourth sentence, the subject was changed with “marathon runners” (a plural noun). This
clearly shows inconsistency. In addition, the last two sentences use “you” to refer to
marathon runners. In order to keep the use of pronouns consistently, it is better to introduce
the subject in plural form (marathon runners). Thus, it will avoid awkwardness in using
gender preference for pronoun.

After some revisions on noun and pronouns department, the previous paragraph
become like the following:

Marathon runners must be strong not only in body but also in mind. They
have to train for years to achieve the necessary endurance to compete in their sport.
This requires great discipline and self-sacrifice. In addition, they have to train their
minds in order to endure the long hours of solitary running. This, too, requires great
discipline. In other word, they must be in top condition, both mentally and physically,
if they want to run in marathons.

D. Transition Signals
Transition signals are words or phrases that connect the idea in one sentence with
the idea in another sentence. Transition signals function like traffic signal in our writing;

6
Ibid, Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, ibid, page 80

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 they tell our reader when to stop, slow down or turn around (Oshima and Hogue: 2007).
The chart below show several kinds of transition signals and their functions.7
Transition Signals
Meaning/ Transition Conjunctive Coordinating Subordinatin Others
function Phrases Adverbs Conjunctions g
Conjunction
To introduce in addition furthermore and another
an additional moreover (+noun)
idea besides an
also additional
too (+noun)
To introduce on the other however but although in spite of
an opposite hand nevertheless yet though despite
idea or in contrast instead even though
contrast still whereas
nonetheless while
To introduce a in fact that is
restatement indeed
or
explanation
To list in first, the first,
order second, second,
third third, etc.
next, last, the next,
finally last, final
To introduce for example, an example
an example for instance of (+noun)
such as
(+noun)
To introduce a clearly
conclusion or in brief
summary in
conclusion
indeed
in short
in summary
To introduce a accordingly therefore so
result as a result consequently
as a hence
consequence thus

E. Sentence Structure: Run-Ons and Comma Splices

Run-ons and comma splices are similar errors that happen when you join sentences
incorrectly. Run-ons happen when you join two simple sentences without a comma and

7
Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, op.cit., page 27

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 without a connecting word. Comma splices happen when you join two simple sentences
with a comma alone. There are three simple ways to correct runs-ons and comma splices.
First, join the two sentences with a coma and a coordinating conjunction such as and, but,
or so. Second, separate the two sentences with a period. Third, separate the two sentences
and add a sentence connector (and a comma) to the second sentence if we want to show
the relationship between the two sentences.

Here is an example of run-ons and how to correct it.

Men like to shop quickly women like to browse.

Correction:
- Men like to shop quickly, but women like to browse. (add a comma and a
conjunction)
- Men like to shop quickly. Women like to browse. (separate the two sentences)
- Men like to shop quickly. However, women like to browse. (separate the two
sentences and add a sentence connector before the second sentence)

Here is an example of comma splices and how to correct it.

My best subject is English, my worst subject is statistics.

Correction:
- My best subject is English, and my worst subject is statistics. (add a conjunction)
- My best subject is English. My worst subject is statistics. (separate the two
sentences)

F. Writing Process
There are three steps to write a logical division of ideas paragraph. First, make an
outline to organize our ideas. Second, write a rough draft based on our outline. Third,

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 polish our first draft: check for any grammatical mistakes, errors in structure, spelling
mistakes or punctuation; we can ask a friend to check our draft and make some necessary
changes to make the second rough draft. Finally, write a final copy of our paragraph.
This part of the chapter will show you how the writing process is conducted.

Step 1: Outlining

Topic: a good EFL teacher

Topic Sentence: There are three requirements to be a good EFL (English as a Foreign
Language) teacher.
A. Being competent in English
1. Having the English skill
2. Knowing how the language works
B. Having pedagogy competence
1. Curriculum
2. Teaching language method
3. Classroom management and evaluation
C. Having personality competence
1. Physical appearance
2. Empathy
Concluding sentence: To be a good EFL teacher, we must be equipped with competence
related to language teaching and good personality.

Step 2: Writing the first rough draft

How To Be A Good EFL Teacher

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 There are three requirements to be a good EFL (English as a Foreign Language)
teacher. Good EFL teachers need to have competencies in English. Being competent in
English means the teachers have the skills such as reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
The teachers also have to know how the language works; the teachers should be familiar with
the aspects of linguistics. Good EFL teachers should have pedagogical competence. They
should know how to develop a curriculum, employ various teaching method and techniques
in our classroom. Good EFL teachers should be able to manage their classroom, and evaluate
the teaching/learning process to meet the objective of the teaching/learning. Good EFL
teachers should have personal competence. Personal competence includes your physical
appearance, personality and interpersonal skills. Good EFL teachers will dress up in a decent
style, show good personality and become empathetic individuals. Good EFL teachers are not
only skillful in English but also competence in pedagogical area and as individuals.

Step 3: Polishing the rough draft

In this part, self-evaluation and peer-evaluation were done. There were several mistakes
identified such as redundancy, and lack of coherence. Some pronouns were used to avoid
repetition of Good EFL teachers and transition signals were employed to make the paragraph
coherent.

How To Be A Good EFL Teacher

There are three requirements to be a good EFL (English as a Foreign Language)

teacher. First, Good EFL teachers EFL teachers need to have competencies in English. Being
competent in English This means the teachers have the skills such as reading, listening,
speaking, and writing. The teachers They also have to know how the language works; the
teachers and should be familiar with the aspects of linguistics. Second, Good EFL teachers
they should have pedagogical competence. Therefore, they should know how to develop a
curriculum, employ various teaching method and techniques in their classroom. Moreover,
Good EFL teachers they should be able to manage their classroom, and evaluate the
teaching/learning process to meet the their teaching/learning objective of their
teaching/learning. Finally, Good EFL teachers they should have personal competence.
Personal This competence includes your their physical appearance, personality and

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interpersonal skills. Good EFL teachers They will dress up in a decent style, show good
personality and become empathetic individuals. To sum up, Good EFL teachers are not only
skillful in English but also competence in pedagogical area and as individuals.

Step 4: Final Draft

After removing some unnecessary words and adding transition signals, the final draft
was done.

How To Be A Good EFL Teacher

There are three requirements to be a good EFL (English as a Foreign Language)

teacher. First of all, EFL teachers need to have competencies in English. This means the
teachers have the skills such as reading, listening, speaking, and writing. They also have to
know how the language works and should be familiar with the aspects of linguistics.
Secondly, they should have pedagogical competence. Therefore, they should know how to
develop a curriculum, employ various teaching method and techniques in their classroom.
Moreover, they should be able to manage their classroom, and evaluate the teaching/learning
process to meet their teaching/learning objective. Finally, Good EFL teachers should have
personal competence. This competence includes their physical appearance, personality and
interpersonal skills. For example, they will dress up in a decent style, show good personality
and become empathetic individuals. To sum up, Good EFL teachers are not only skillful in
English but also competence in pedagogical area and as individuals.

CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION

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 Writing is a challenging task to do, but can be managed if we know the right steps to
do it. There are various types of paragraphs and various ways to make ones. One of the types
of the paragraphs is logical divisions of ideas. It is a paragraph pattern where you breaks
down your topic into several ideas and explain each idea separately one after another. To
make those separate ideas become a unity and coherent, we can use transition signals which
functions to smoothen our paragraph. Moreover, to make our paragraph more convincing, we
need to add data, examples, or expert comments to support our points. Furthermore, we also
need to be aware of error structures such as run-ons and comma splices in our paragraph.
These errors occurs when you intent to combine two simple sentences but forgot to put a
conjunction between them.
Moreover, writing a logical division of ideas paragraph includes three steps. It is
started with making an outline, and then writing the first draft (rough draft) of our paragraph.
The next step is self-evaluating or peer-evaluating to see if the rough draft needs some
revision. This step is called polishing. After some evaluation, revision, and changes done, we
finally arrive at the last step of our paragraph writing - the final draft. All in all, writing is not
that frustrating and intimidating.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Boardman, Cynthia A. (2008). Writing to Communicate 1: Paragraphs. New York: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Fry, Ron. (1996). Improve Your Writing. London: Kogan Page Limited
Janovski, Angela. Organizational Patterns for Writing: Purpose and Types obtained on 6
December 2019 at 18.43 from https://study.com/academy/lesson/organizational-
patterns-for-writing-purpose-and-types.html
Oshima, Alice & Hogue, A. (2007). Introduction to Academic Writing, Third Edision. New
York: Pearson Education, Inc.
Oshima, Alice & Hogue, A. (2006). Writing Academic English, Fourth Edision. New York:
Pearson Education, Inc.

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