ESOGU

SCHOOL OF FOREIGN
LANGUAGES
WRITING PACK

A. INTRODUCTION TO THE PARAGRAPH .............................................................. 1

1. PARAGRAPH FORMAT ......................................................................................... 1

2. DEVELOPING IDEAS FOR WRITING A PARAGRAPH......................................... 2

3. PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION ............................................................................. 5

3.1 TOPIC SENTENCE ........................................................................................... 6

3.2 SUPPORTING SENTENCES ............................................................................ 9
3.3 CONCLUDING SENTENCE............................................................................... 12

4. UNITY, COHESION AND COHERENCE IN A PARAGRAPH.................................. 15

5. MAIN IDEA................................................................................................................ 23
 3. PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION

As it is already mentioned, a paragraph is a group of related sentences that develops one main idea. It has a specific
organizational pattern. This means that a paragraph consists of three basic parts;

● The topic sentence introduces the topic and tells what the writer will say about the topic.
● The supporting sentences further explain and support the topic sentence.
● The concluding sentence often repeats the information in the topic sentence in a different way.

Sample Paragraph 1

Topic Sentence
Supporting Sentences
Concluding Sentence
Travelling to a foreign city requires some planning beforehand. Besides
getting your passport, you should buy a phrase book and learn a few key
phrases in the foreign language. Using these phrases shows a willingness to
learn about the people who live in a foreign city. It is also necessary to read
about the city and the places you would like to see. In addition, you should know
about the weather so that you can pack appropriate clothes. Then make sure
that your camera is in good working order and that you have lots of film. Finally,
get yourself a good pair of walking shoes before you leave. In short, taking a
few precautions before you leave can make your trip to a foreign city more
enjoyable.

Sample Paragraph 2

Topic Sentence
Supporting Sentences
Concluding Sentence
Television can be an excellent teacher for everyone from very young
children to the oldest of viewers. First of all, television entertains young children
with educational programs and songs. It can also provide company for older
viewers who are alone at home with no one to talk to. In addition, new
immigrants can learn the local language just by turning on the television. To
sum up, television is a good learning tool for all people of all ages.

3.1 The Topic Sentence

Topic sentence serves as an introduction to the paragraph because it reveals the topic and tells the reader what to
expect next. Remember that an effective topic sentence contains only ONE main idea. In order to be able to write a
topic sentence, first you should decide on a topic and narrow it down. Here are two examples:

1. Topic:

Education → Universities → Universities in Turkey → ESOGU → Advantages of ESOGU

Topic sentence: Being a student at ESOGU has three main advantages.

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2. Topic:

Education → Types of education → Informal education → Education through TV→ TV Programs

Topic sentence: TV educates people through different programs.

3. Topic:

Technology → _________________ → _________________ → _________________ → _________________

Topic sentence: ______________________________________________________________________________

Things to pay attention to while writing a topic sentence:

1. Think before you begin. Ask yourself:

What topic do I want to discuss? (topic)

How am I going to limit and control the topic? (controlling ideas)

2. Write a sentence which brings together the topic and the controlling ideas you have chosen.

Example: Smoking (the topic) is harmful (controlling idea) for human health in many ways (controlling idea).

3. Check that your topic sentence is a complete sentence. It CANNOT be a question.

Topic : The importance of being honest

NOT a topic sentence : Why is it important to be honest?
Topic Sentence : Being honest is important for two main reasons.

4. Check to make sure that your topic sentence expresses an opinion or idea; it does not simply announce the topic.

Topic : Effects of radiation

NOT a topic sentence : I am going to discuss the effects of radiation.
Topic Sentence : There are several unpredictable effects of radiation.

5. Check to make sure that your topic sentence is neither too general nor too narrow.

Topic : Effects of smoking

NOT a topic sentence : Smoking can be harmful for a person’s health and it is also unpleasant to watch
someone smoke. (too narrow)
Topic Sentence : Smoking is harmful for a person’s health in numerous ways.

6. Check to make sure that your topic sentence expresses an opinion, not a fact.

Topic : Istanbul
NOT a topic sentence : Istanbul is the most densely populated city in Turkey.
Topic Sentence : Being the most densely populated city in Turkey, Istanbul has many problems.

ACTIVITY 4. Underline the controlling idea(s) in each topic sentence below.

a. A blind date can be disastrous for several reasons.

b. Violence in football destroys the quality of the game.

c. Steam can be used in two ways to improve oil production.

d. Fixing a flat tire on a bicycle is easy if you follow these steps.

e. The creativity of pre-school children can be developed with special activities.

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ACTIVITY 5. Read the following topic sentences and decide whether they are well-written or not. Rewrite the
ineffective ones.

1. People get divorced for a wide variety of reasons.

__________________________________________________________
2. Colors have a great influence.
__________________________________________________________
3. Garbage is collected at 7 p.m. every day in Eskişehir.
__________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 6. Choose the best topic sentence for each of the following paragraphs.

1. __________________________________________ It will be more difficult for you if you wait until just before
Christmas. Many stores run out of the more popular items, so it will be harder for you to find what you want. The
stores are also more crowded, and the lines are much longer.

a. Shopping is difficult for several reasons.

b. The stores are crowded at Christmas.
c. It is better to do your Christmas shopping early.
2. __________________________________________ North Americans send cards for many occasions. They send
cards to family and friends on birthdays and holidays. They also send thank-you cards, get well cards, graduation
cards, and congratulation cards. It is very common to buy cards in stores and send them through the mail, but turning
on the computer and sending cards over the Internet is also popular.

a. It is important to send thank-you cards.

b. Birthday cards are the most popular kind of card.
c. Sending cards is very popular in North America.

3. __________________________________________ First of all, we need money to repair old roads and build new
roads. We also need more to pay teachers’ salaries and to pay for services such as trash collection. Finally, more tax
money is needed to give financial help to the poor citizens of the city. It is clear that the city will have serious problems
if taxes are not raised soon.

a. We should raise city taxes for three reasons.

b. City taxes are too high because of several factors.
c. City taxes should pay for new roads for many reasons.

4. __________________________________________ For example, a person can have breakfast in New York, board
an airplane, and have dinner in Paris. A businesswoman in London can instantly place an order with a factory in Hong
Kong by sending a fax. Furthermore, a schoolboy in Tokyo can turn on a TV and watch a baseball game being played
in Los Angeles.

a. Airplanes have changed our lives in many ways.

b. Advances in technology have made the world seem smaller.
c. The fax machine was an important invention.

5. __________________________________________ I love to see all the interesting things there. The city is big,
exciting, and full of life. I always visit the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. I also visit Chinatown. At
night, I go to shows on Broadway. The food in the city is excellent, too. I truly enjoy New York City.

a. I’d like to see the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty
b. New York is a very big city.
c. My favourite city in the world is New York City.

6. __________________________________________. First of all, good teachers are patient. They never rush their
students. Good teachers explain things without getting bored. In addition, they are organized. They plan what happens
in every class. Good teachers are also encouraging. They help students understand the subject. Finally, good
teachers are fair. They treat all students the same. These are some of the most important qualities of good teachers.

a. All good teachers are patient. c. I like my teachers.

b. Some teachers are good, but some teachers are not so good. d. Good teachers have special qualities.

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7. ____________________________________________. Radio Station 97.5 FM plays Spanish music. For people
who like rock music, there is Station 98.1. The music on Radio Station 101.5 is all jazz. Station 103.6 plays blues
music during the day and jazz at night. Station 103.9 plays many different kinds of music. Young people listen to
Station 105.7 for dance music. Our city is certainly lucky to have so many kinds of music stations.

a. This city offers radio stations for everyone. c. I do not like rock music very much.
b. This city does not have many Spanish music stations. d. I like jazz a lot.

ACTIVITY 7. Each item in this exercise contains one main idea and a list of major supports. Write the topic sentence
yourself.

1. TS: ___________________________________________________________________
Main Idea: divorce because of financial problems
…. too low income …. overspending

2. TS: __________________________________________________________________
Main Idea: study habits
…work in a quiet place …underline when reading … look up unknown words

3. TS: __________________________________________________________________
Main Idea: fast-food: hamburgers
…full of fat …chemicals added …frozen vegetables used

ACTIVITY 8. Write a topic sentence for each paragraph.

Example: Miami is the perfect place to take a vacation. It is always sunny and warm. The beaches are gorgeous,
with soft white sand and beautiful water. There are many fine restaurants in the Miami area, and most of the hotels
offer terrific entertainment nightly. It is no wonder that Miami is my first choice for a vacation destination.

1.___________________________________________________ . He has collected stamps and coins ever since he

was a child. He is very proud of his valuable collections. Paul also enjoys painting and drawing. Recently he has
become interested in gardening. Out of all his hobbies, Paul’s favourite one is reading. He usually reads at least one
book every week. Paul keeps busy with all of his hobbies.

2. _________________________________________________ . I cannot wait to come home from school and eat the
delicious meals she has prepared. She is famous for her desserts like peach pie and chocolate soufflé. She is always
experimenting with new recipes and trying different ingredients. No one in the world can cook the way my mother
does.

3. ____________________________________________________ . To start things off, my plane was six hours late.

When I finally got to my hotel, I was very disappointed. It was small and dirty. On the third day, my wallet was stolen,
and I lost all my credit cards. It rained every day except one, and on that day I got terrible sunburn. All in all, it was not
a vacation to remember.

4. ____________________________________________________ .Young people tend to buy them because they

want to look ‘cool’ to their friends. It is much easier for a young person to impress other people with a fast sports car
than with your father's minivan. Wealthy people, however, enjoy sports cars because they want to show others that
they have status in their community. I have never seen a doctor or a lawyer driving around in an old station wagon.
Finally, sports cars appeal to adventurers. Adventurers are people who like to take risks on the road. Whatever the
reasons, I think sports cars are here to stay.