ENG 001 – English I

WRITING PORTFOLIO 2
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME

Identify and order topic, supporting, and concluding sentences in a short paragraph.

Portfolio Objectives

● Identify topic, supporting, and concluding sentences in paragraphs.

● Order topic, supporting, and concluding sentences to make a coherent paragraph.

KEY GRAMMAR CONCEPTS WRITING MECHANICS

1. Verb ‘Be’ 1. Capitalization

2. Simple Present Tense 2. Punctuation

3. Simple Past (regular/irregular verbs) 3. Spelling

4. Signal Words (Included in this Writing 4. Indention or Indentation

Portfolio discussion)

Note: All grammar concepts are separately studied Must have been included in the lectures and
in class. practices

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

A paragraph is a group of related sentences about one main idea.

A paragraph has three main parts:
1. a topic sentence
2. supporting sentences and details
3. a concluding sentence

Paragraph Rules
1. Indent the first line of the paragraph.

2. Leave margins (space on both sides of the paragraph)

3. Begin sentences with a capital letter.

4. End each sentence with a period, question mark, or

exclamation point.
 5. Do not start each new sentence on a new line.

I. The Topic Sentence

✔ The topic sentence is the most important sentence of a paragraph. It tells the main idea of the
paragraph and is usually the first sentence of the paragraph. Like any sentence in English, the topic
sentence must have a subject, a verb, and a meaning.

✔ A topic sentence has two essential parts: the topic of the paragraph and the controlling idea.
o The topic tells the subject of the paragraph (what the paragraph is about).
o The controlling idea limits the paragraph.
Examples

1. Yanbu is famous for two reasons. [Topic: Yanbu; Controlling Idea: famous for two reasons]
2. Colors have different meanings around the world.
3. In Saudi cuisine, taste and appearance are very important.

REMEMBER: A topic sentence …

▪ MUST be a complete sentence. [A news reporter uses.] X

▪ CANNOT be too general. [I like Yanbu] X
▪ CANNOT be too specific. [I was born in 2003.] X

Practice #1: Circle the topic and underline the controlling idea in each sentence.

a. People move for many reasons.

b. Written exams make me nervous.
c. Growing up in a small town has three advantages.
d. Cell phones make communication easier.
e. Our handball team has a horrible coach.
f. Advances in technology have made the world smaller.

Practice #2: Read the paragraphs below and underline the topic sentence in each.

PARAGRAPH 1

A news reporter uses technology in many ways. He researches stories online with a computer.

He also contacts people through the Internet. When he talks to people, he saves their answers on his
phone. Then he downloads the information onto a computer. He writes the story and sends it to
editors electronically. Sometimes he uses recording technology. He makes a podcast so people can
listen to his story on the Internet.

PARAGRAPH 2
 More men are now doing jobs that traditionally were for women. For example, there are now

twice as many male nurses as there were ten years ago. The number of stay-at-home fathers in the
United States has increased from 98,000 in 2003 to more than 300,000 today. Similarly, there are
many more male secretaries, elementary school teachers, librarians, and bank tellers than ever
before. It is clear that traditionally female occupations have changed.

II. Supporting Sentences

✔ The supporting sentences develop the main idea stated in the topic sentence.
✔ The purpose of the supporting sentences is to help the reader understand more about the main
idea.
✔ Supporting sentences give examples, facts, explanations, or reasons.

Practice #3: Read the paragraph below and say how many supporting sentences there are in it.

There are many reasons why people move. Some people move to find better jobs or to advance their
careers. Others are attracted to places with better weather. Still others want to move to a place with less crime.
Finally, people often want to move to a place with a lower cost of living. For these reasons, millions of people
move to new places every year.

Number of supporting sentences ____________

Practice #4: Highlight /Underline the sentence in each group that is NOT related to the topic
sentence.

Topic Sentence 1: People prefer small cars for a number of reasons.

a. They are cheaper to buy.

b. They use less gas than bigger cars.

c. They are easier to park.

d. Some small cars do not have enough legroom.

Topic Sentence 2: Different people spend their free time in different ways.

a. A lot of people spend their free time going to movies.

b. The price of movies has increased recently.

c. Some people like to read.

d. Many people enjoy sports.

III. The Concluding Sentence
✔ The last part of a paragraph is the concluding sentence.
✔ It usually starts with a signal word that tells the reader the paragraph is about to finish. [Examples
of signal words: To conclude; In conclusion; To end; To finish; To sum up; All in all; etc.]
✔ The concluding sentence ends the paragraph and reminds the reader of the main idea of the
paragraph.
✔ The concluding sentence (a) summarizes the main points of the paragraph or (b) makes a final
comment about the topic. (You may warn the reader, make a prediction, write about your feelings,
or give an opinion about the topic.)
✔ BE CAREFUL: Do NOT introduce a new idea or topic in the concluding sentence.

Practice #5: Highlight/Underline the correct concluding sentence for the following paragraphs.
PARAGRAPH 1

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After sleeping all night, breakfast gives your

body the boost of energy it needs to start the day. Eating a healthy breakfast helps you think more
clearly and even improves your memory. Studies show that children who eat a nutritious breakfast
are more alert and do better in school. Similarly, adults who eat breakfast perform better at work.
_______________________________________.

a. To end, some people skip breakfast and eat a big dinner.

b. To conclude, children who study hard usually do better in school.

c. In summary, my mother was right all along when she said, “Remember to eat a good
breakfast.”

PARAGRAPH 2

I feel happy whenever I am at a train station waiting for someone who is close to me. I was the

youngest child in my family, so my older brothers and sisters left home before I did. However, they
always returned for vacations and holidays. My mother, father, and I were always at the train station
to greet them. I enjoyed the smell of the train and the roaring noise it made as the big black engine
pulled into the station. I would jump up and down trying to see while everyone crowded around the
doors. “There they are!” my mother would cry. I would run to jump into the arms of my beloved
brother or sister. ______________________________________________________________.

a. In conclusion, I always had an enjoyable visit with my brothers and sisters.

b. In conclusion, my whole family likes train stations.

c. Now I am an adult, but I still enjoy it when I go to the train station to meet someone I love.
 PUTTING IT TOGETHER!
Practice #6: Read the following paragraph and answer the questions.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. First, fruits and vegetables are
packed with the vitamins and minerals you need to keep your body functioning smoothly. In
addition, they give you the carbohydrates you need for energy. Fruits and vegetables have lots of
fiber to help your digestive system work properly. Finally, many scientists believe that the nutrients
in fruits and vegetables can help fight diseases. If you eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you’ll
be on the road to better health.

a. What is the topic sentence?

____________________________________________________
b. How many supporting sentences are there in the paragraph? _______
c. What is the concluding sentence?
_____________________________________________

Practice #7: JUMBLED PARAGRAPH

The sentences below are part of a paragraph but they are in the wrong order. On the lines provided,
writei “TS'' in front of the topic sentence, “SS” in front of the supporting sentences, and “CS” in front
of the concluding sentence.

My Favorite Cultural Food

_______ What I also like about eating burritos is how they feel soft and squishy.

_______ My favorite food is Mexican food for several reasons.

_______ I also love tamales because I like how it tastes with chicken.

_______ I like how burritos warm me up when they are hot, but at home, I have to wait until it gets warm.

_______ I love eating the hard tacos.

_______ Overall, Mexican food is the best!

_______ I love tamales because it is soft.

_______ I love how crunchy they are.

_______ I like eating burritos.

_______ What I also love about the hard tacos is when you take down a bite, it makes a crispy crack sound
that makes me smile.
 (https://blogs.egusd.net/mralfonso/2009/04/15/my-favorite-food-is/)

Be Yourself!

____ Most parents want us to be the best we can be.

____ Or they may not be as good-looking, but they have more money.

____ They mean well, but the message we often get is that we’re not good enough.

____ There will always be someone out there who is better than we are at something.

____ It is impossible for us to be better than everyone else all the time.

____ They sometimes try to encourage us to do better by comparing us to others.

____ We begin to believe that the only way we can be special is by being better than someone else, but we
are often disappointed.

____ There are plenty of people around who may not be as smart as we are but who are better at sports.

Longman Stories

WRAPPING IT UP!
(Final Draft)

Practice #8: Now, rewrite the two paragraphs with the sentences in the correct order. Please
observe proper indentation, capitalization and punctuation.

My Favorite Cultural Food

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
 ___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

Be Yourself!

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

★ STUDENTS’ SELF-ASSESSMENT

N
Yes Self-Assessment
o

Does my topic sentence tell the main idea?

Do my supporting sentences support the topic sentence?

Does my concluding sentence summarize the paragraph or give the final comment?

Is my paragraph indented?

Does every sentence begin with a capital letter?

 Does every sentence have a punctuation at the end?

Are all my words correctly spelled? (Check the dictionary if you are not sure. )

Are the lines of my paragraph properly aligned?

★ TEACHERS’ ASSESSMENT

Note: It is the teacher’s discretion to give middle scores, e.g. 1.5, 2.5.

REVISING

Feedback Options:

1. The teacher can share the WP as a google doc with the students in a shared google drive folder, so
the students will be able to write on their copies and give feedback to each other's assignments.

2. The teacher can select some sentences for correction and paste them on the google doc to let the
students work in pairs or small groups.

3. The teacher can present the two jumbled paragraphs in class and students discuss the correct
sequence. The teacher will confirm the correct organization and answer students’ questions and
clarify students’ confusion.
4. The teacher can present ideal paragraphs in class and let students discuss the correct organization
of the parts.

-- END OF WRITING PORTFOLIO --

Note to the Teacher:

As student levels vary across sections, feel free to make any changes you see fit.