INTRODUCTION TO PARAGRAPH WRITING

Writers get ideas from the world around them. They write about people they know, places they
visit, things they do and topics that interest them.

Writers look and listen. They notice things such as colors, sounds and smells.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD WRITERS

A. Good writers are list keepers.

B. Good writers use details to describe story characters.
1. How a character or characters look like

Dressed in white togas and with their diplomas in their hands, the 87 graduates marched
down the stage.

2. How the character acts or feels

I open my eyes upon the world knowing that I belong to the Filipino race. I was born in
the Pearl of the Orient Seas, the Philippines. It is an unexplainable feeling. The pure blood of a Filipino is
naturally in my veins. –adapted

3. What the character does or likes to do

Cory, as Ninoy’s wife, had always remained a silent, private and humble person. She
dutifully performed the role of a supportive wife. She remained always loyal to her beloved Ninoy.

-adapted

C. Good writers locate information and check their facts before they write.
D. Good writers support their opinions with strong reasons.
Opinion: Kids should not wear hats in school.

WEAK REASONS STRONG REASONS

 Hats look silly.  Hats block other people’s
 Hats are ugly. view.
 Kids play with their hats and
make trouble in class.

E. Good writers think about what they have written.

F. Good writers use correct capitalization and correct punctuation marks.
G. Good writers check their spelling and grammar.
A paragraph is a group of sentences linked together by a main idea.

A good paragraph…
a. has a strong beginning.

WEAK BEGINNING: STRONG BEGINNING:

When I looked out the window, I
It rained hard last night. knew that this would be a great day.

b. has only one idea.

c. has detail sentences that support the main idea.
d. has organized ideas or events.
e. ends with a closing sentence that makes the paragraph sound and feel complete.
Example:
We should all learn to value life the way it should be. Life is worth loving and worth living.

I may die and my body may be eaten by worms, my ribs ripped open and my heart torn apart,
but I will never be the same again for I have in my soul the knowledge of being able to comprehend life
in its true sense. –adapted

f. has a good title that sparks the readers’ interest.

Examples:
• Tracks in the Wild
• Mama Rocks, Papa Sings
• The Secret Path
• Feeding the Heart
• The Kitchen Drugstore

PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE WRITING

Paragraph Essay

– a group of interrelated sentences that talk
about one main idea.
Three major parts: topic sentence, the body and
the closing sentence
Organized around a topic sentence
Contains an introductory sentence
Uses sentences to explain the major point
May use a concluding sentence
– a group of paragraphs that talk about one
central idea.
Three major parts: the introduction, the body and
the conclusion
Organized around a thesis
Contains introductory paragraph
Uses paragraphs to explain the major points
Always uses a concluding paragraph
Topic sentence – contains the central idea of the paragraph. It can be a stand, a comment, an objective
statement or a question.

Supporting details – sentences that clarify and prove the main idea.

Closing Sentence – concludes the details that have been presented.

Essay

I. Introduction
a. Lead or attention-getter – aims to hook the readers.

How to write a good lead…

Begin with one or more questions that grab the reader's attention.
EXAMPLE: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel among the stars, or ride in a space
shuttle and be a part of NASA's famous astronaut team? Perhaps you could make your dream come true
just like a girl from California did in 1977; this famous astronaut's name is Sally Ride.

Begin with a startling statistic (number evidence) or unusual fact

In the Philippines, the problem of students dropping out in the public secondary schools is as
serious as ever. Statistics show that out of 56 students who finish Grade 6, only 43 or 77 percent enter
the first year of high school.

EXAMPLE:
Avoid starting out with a boring line like "In this essay I will explain why Rosa Parks was an important
figure."
Instead, try something like:
"A Michigan museum recently paid $492,000 for an old, dilapidated bus from Montgomery, Alabama."

Begin with a quote from an expert in the field or experienced person.

Example A:
"Our future lies with today's kids and tomorrow's space exploration," said Sally Ride, one of the
most famous women astronauts of our time. Not only has Ride spent her career traveling the stars, but
she has dedicated her life to helping students learn more about space and become our future explorers.

Example B:

“People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was
not physically tired, but I was only tired of giving in,” said Rosa Parks when asked about her historic act
of defiance that changed the face of America forever.

Begin with a short anecdote (story)

Example:
Imagine being such a good tennis player that you win a school scholarship to play. Imagine
dropping out of college to pursue a career in professional tennis. Imagine being this good at one thing,
then tackling another career too. That's exactly what a young girl named Sally Ride did. Although she
started on the road to being a tennis pro, Sally soon realized that her true calling was in astrophysics,
and she would become one of today's most famous women astronauts!

In the Introduction Paragraph

NEVER EVER EVER. . .
 bluntly announce the essay's intent ("In this essay I will...)

 make unreasonable statements
 apologize for the material that is being written ("In my humble opinion...")
 go into a detailed account of the writing
 include random information that has nothing to do with the essay
 use an encyclopedia or dictionary definition ("According to Webster's...)

b. Transitional Statement
-the sentence that links the lead to the thesis statement.
-provides a background on the topic.
-includes statement of the case and the arguments that will be refuted.
Examples:
1. Sally has lost an oar on her boat and she is in big trouble. To put it another way, Sally has to
find a different method of rowing or she will sink!

2. It will take two hours to go from Point A to Point B. Can you figure out how many hours it
is from Point A to Point C?

3. There are things that need to be done to improve the company. For instance, we can begin by
organizing the files.

c. Thesis Statement – states the main idea or argument of the essay.

II. Transitional Paragraph

-does not directly provide support to a thesis statement.
-is used to bridge one paragraph to another.

III. Body
-discusses the thesis statement in detail through its paragraphs.
-where the topic is developed and where the arguments are laid out and discussed.

IV. Conclusion
-begins with the restatement of the thesis statement using a different structure and wording.
-followed by a transitional statement that talks about the recommendations, benefits of ideas
presented or the purpose of writing the essay.

A closing statement is used to wrap up the essay.

Link the closing statement to the attention-getter in the introduction.