LTE3603 Unit I Session 2

LTE3603 – Unit I Session 2: Writing
Unit 1
SESSION 2
Writing
What is a Paragraph
A paragraph is an essential unit of writing. Sometimes it may consist of only a single

sentence. However it is usually a group of sentences that develop one main point or
controlling idea. The sentence which expresses the main idea is also called the topic
sentence.
A good paragraph usually has 3 features:
i) Coherence : the organisation of a paragraph should follow a definite

plan.
ii) development : the sentences should adequately explain or qualify the

main point.
iii) unity : all sentences should be relevant to the main point.
Thus a good paragraph is a sequence of sentences that are clearly related to a topic
sentence.
When writing a paragraph
i) think of the main idea which you wish to discuss in it.

ii) then state it at the beginning of your paragraph,
iii) After that develop your supporting details.
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Copyright © 1994, The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL)
1.2.(1). Exercise
Here are a few general topics. You have been asked to write a paragraph on each
topic.
Write out a) what you wish to present as a main idea - for each topic.
b) write out, at least 4 supporting details.
(i) has been done for you as an example.
Topics
i) The importance of English

ii) Television in Sri Lanka
iii) Writing a letter of application for a job.
iv) The Open University of Sri Lanka.
v) A person 1 will never forget.
Example
Topic - The importance of English.

Main idea - English is important to Sri Lanka because it is an
international language used all over the world.
Supporting Details
a) English is used in every country on every continent. Apart from the US,
Britain, Canada, Australia, even Japan, China and Russia are
increasingly turning to English.
b) All professions and technical occupations need English Commerce,

Medicine, Technology, Science, Law, Social Sciences are all disciplines
requiring a good knowledge of English.
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c) International transport also uses English. Pilots need to know English

because all airports use English to help pilots land and take off.
Similarly shipping also uses English.
d) Entertainment - films, music, drama are all highly developed in English.

The most well- known songs are English 'pop' songs.
Now write out main ideas and supporting details for the other topics.
(ii) Topic - Television in Sri Lanka
Main Idea - ………………………………………………..
Supporting Details: ………………………………………………..
(iii) Topic - Writing a letter of application for a job
Main Idea - ………………………………………………..
(iv) Topic - The Open University of Sri Lanka
Main Idea - ………………………………………………..
(v) Topic - A person I will never forget
Main Idea - ………………………………………………..
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1.2.(2) Here is an article on 'Parental Rights and Duties’. Read through the article,
and answer the following questions.
It is much easier to define a 'normal' family - a husband

and wife and the children of their marriage - than it is to
define the rights and responsibilities of the people in it. Although modern
statutes often mention parental rights, powers or duties, the law does not provide
us with a neat little list of them. There is only a patchwork of legislation and
decided cases on particular points. In any event, legal relationships between
parents and children can never be quite like those between adults.
A legal right assumes that someone else has a corresponding duty to respect it,
and that the courts will enforce that duty if the right-holder asks. But nowadays
the courts will refuse to force anyone, whether the other parent, an outsider, or
even the child himself, to respect the parent's rights unless this is in the child's
best interests. Similarly, however, who has the right to enforce parental duties?
Their whole object is to provide for the upbringing of someone who is not only
too young to bring himself up but also too young to force others to do it for him.
Parental responsibilities therefore depend largely upon the ability of other
people or the authorities to oblige the parents to adopt acceptable standards of
child care. And often the only way in which they can do this is through the
partial or even total removal of the parents' right. Finally, what of the child's
rights? The outsiders' intervention may have been designed to secure things to
which the child is thought to have a right, but again his right will not be like
other rights. He will usually have to accept what others think good for him.
Children may have greater claims to the care and protection of others than have
adults, but they will rarely have the freedom of choice which adults enjoy.
Parental rights and duties therefore involve a complicated inter relationship

between private law, which governs legal relations between individuals, and
public law, and state authorities.
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Early private law had little interest in how children were brought up. It was
designed mainly to serve the dynastic needs of the landed classes and so
concentrated on the identification of reliable heirs through the concept of
legitimacy and the preservation of their property through guardianship and the
control of marriage. The husband obviously enjoyed a great deal of practical
power over both his wife and their youthful progeny, and the courts eventually
recognised this to the extent of translating it into 'rights' which they would
enforce against the wife, the child and the outside world in almost every case.
They recognised that fathers had concomitant obligations, but they were baffled
by the problem of enforcing them: the child was too young to do so, the mother
was regarded as one person with her husband and thus unable to challenge him,
and the outside agencies which might have been given the right to interfere
simply did not exist. A few limits were recognised. The child would come of
age at 21 and gain his freedom. Habeas corpus would not be issued to help a
father regain possession of an unwilling child once the child had reached the
'age of discretion,' apparently 14 for boys and 16 for girls. The law of tort
(actionable wrong doing) always recognised the child as a person, provided that
a 'next friend' would sue on his behalf, so that a child might sue for excessive
punishment. The father never became entitled to his child's property, and
although he might have management powers the child could sue him for
misusing them.
Questions
a) Read the first paragraph very carefully. What is the main idea? (topic sentence)
What are the supporting details?
b) What is the main idea of Paragraph 4? What are the supporting details?
If you pay attention to what you read and notice how writers build up
paragraphs, you will be able to improve your own writing.
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Working out the Main Idea
In 2.1.(1) we dealt with writing a main idea for a topic, which is presented in
the topic sentence, and then developing supporting details for this idea.
However one of the problems facing a writer is how does one work out the main
idea.
When working out the topic sentence, you should remember the following
points.
i) This sentence introduces the idea.
ii) This sentence is the most important sentence in the paragraph.
iii) This sentence contains the idea that controls the rest of the
paragraph.
Let us look at the topic sentence on the topic 'The Importance of English'.
Here what the writer is saying is that English is important to Sri Lanka for a
certain reason. Notice that this writer A has chosen to discuss the importance of
the language to one country, ie. Sri Lanka. However another writer B, may
decide to write about the importance of English to education. The topic sentence
written by B therefore would obviously differ from that written by A. However
in the case of B (as well as A), it is the topic sentence that will control the other
sentences. In B's case, therefore, all the supporting sentences would deal with
aspects of education.
Remember that one can even write about the negative aspects of a topic. In A
and B above, both writers chose to emphasise the positive aspect of the
importance of English.
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However a third writer C may be of a different opinion. He may therefore write

that the importance of English is over - rated, especially in Sri Lanka, for there
are a number of other languages such as Arabic and Japanese which are equally
important in today's world.
When writing a topic a sentence, therefore you must first think out what
your attitude or opinion is on the topic, and then write a suitable sentence
which contains that attitude/opinion.
1.2.(3). Exercise
Here are a few topics. Write out 2 sentences for each topic; Sentence A should
contain a positive opinion.
Sentence B should contain a negative opinion.
1) Free Education in Sri Lanka.

2) The OUSL Course in English for Legal Studies
3) Private Transport
4) The Newspaper that I read weekly
Writing the Topic Sentence
In the section above, we discussed how one begins to work on the main idea for
a paragraph, and we stated that to start writing the paragraph, one needs to work
out one's own ideas and opinions. One essential element of writing therefore is
careful planning and thought.
Another very important point to remember is that there are different types of
writing, descriptive, argumentative, expository, etc. (These are discussed in
greater detail below in Unit 2). The choice of topic sentence should therefore be
appropriate to the type of writing. For example, when writing a scientific
description of an object or an experiment, one has to be factual and
accurate. In expository writing however, facts alone are not enough. This kind
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of writing is expected to contain opinions and attitudes. An essay for

example, is a piece of expository writing. Therefore when writing about the
topic 'Computers', scientific writing will demand exact detail while expository
writing will express opinions and ideas about computers. It would hence be
inappropriate to use the following topic sentence in scientific description.
'The computer is one of the most useful tools in the history of mankind.'
This topic sentence is more suitable for an essay or an article on 'Computers'

because it states an opinion.
1.2.(4). Exercise
Write (a) a statement of fact

(b) a statement of opinion
about the following topics.
i) The Open University of Sri Lanka
ii) Sports
iii) Public Holidays
iv) Industrial Pollution
v) The Cost of Living today
Which of the sentences would you use for the following situations. Support your
choice with a reason.
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2) a) You have to write an essay on 'Environment and Law'.
b) You are the Secretary to the Minister of Justice. You have to write a
memorandum on 'Laws Delays'.
c) You are a housewife. You have decided to write a 'Letter to the Editor' on the
high cost of living.
i) Developing Supporting Details
We have dealt with the topic sentence. Now let us look at the supporting details.
There are two basic ways of developing the supporting details or relating the other
sentences to the topic sentence.
i) Using list structure - Treating your supporting sentences as items in a

list.
ii) Using chain structure - Treating your supporting sentences as links in a

chain.
i) Using List Structure
First let us look at a paragraph which uses a list structure.
Paragraph I
From early days man has harnessed water for various purposes. Long ago water was
diverted to fields by means of canals for cultivation. It was also stored in reservoirs for
use during the dry seasons. Falling water was used to turn the wheels at flour mills
where grain was ground into flour. Today this water is used to rotate the turbines which
help generators produce electric power.
This paragraph begins with a topic sentence about the harnessing of water by man.
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Topic Sentence
From early days man has harnessed water for various purposes.
The supporting sentences list how man used water.
1) Long ago water was diverted to fields by means of canals for cultivation.
2) It was also stored in reservoirs for use during the dry seasons.
3) Flowing water was used to turn the wheels at flour mills, where
grain was ground into flour.
4) Today this water is used to rotate the turbines which help generators
to produce electric power.
You will notice that all the sentences relate to the first one - the connecting
word being water or it. All the sentences describe how man used water.
Study the paragraph given below which deals with the objectives of the Mahaweli
Project.
Paragraph II
The Mahaweli Project was launched with

many objectives in view. The foremost
being the diversion of water to bring more land
under cultivation. It also aimed at facilitating regular cultivation during the dry season.
Another important factor was the generation of more electricity to meet the growing
needs of the country. Further it meant the provision of various types of employment.
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Now write out the topic sentence.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Next write out the supporting sentences and underline the words/ phrases which
connect each sentence to the topic sentence.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Given below are two topic sentences. Write a few sentences giving supporting details
for each using the list structure.
a) It is commonly acknowledged that before a man commits an offence he goes

through three different stages.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
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b) The family laws of Sri Lanka are controlled to a great extent by three native
laws and two foreign systems.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
ii) Using the Chain Structure
In the Chain Structure too there is a main sentence. This is linked with the
sentence that comes next. Then each supporting sentence is linked to the one
that goes before it.
Study the following paragraph on cleanliness which uses the Chain Structure.
Cleanliness is an important health habit which

should be inculcated in childhood. Children do not
see the need to be clean. Also there is a limit to what
children may be expected to learn. Therefore training
in cleanliness cannot be done quickly. It involves first
the home and later the school. Habit formation, good
example and praise are important features of this
training.
The sentences in this paragraph are like the links in a chain.
Let us look at the structure of this paragraph.
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Topic sentence
Cleanliness is an important health habit that should

be inculcated in childhood.
a: Children do not see the need to be clean.

b: Further there is a limit to what they may be expected to learn.
c: Therefore training in cleanliness cannot be done quickly.
d: It involves first the home and later the school.
e: Habit formation, good example and praise are important features of this
training.
This paragraph begins with the topic sentence. However only the second
sentence is directly linked to the topic sentence. Each of the other sentences is
linked to the one, just before it and would make no sense if it came right after
the topic sentence.
The advantage of the chain structure is that each sentence tends to generate the
next one.
Difference between list Structure and Chain Structure
The difference between the two structures is that while a list-structure

paragraph piles up details to support its main point the chain structure leads
to the bringing in of new associations and new ideas related to the main point.
1.2.(5). Exercise
1) Here is another paragraph using chain structure. Read it carefully and

find the topic sentence. Then underline the words/ phrases which link
the topic sentence to the second one. Next underline the words/ phrases
which link each sentence to the next one.
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The process of Learning is essential to our lives. All higher animals seek
it deliberately. They are inquisitive and they experiment. An experiment
is a sort of harmless trial run of some action which we shall have to
make in the real world; and this, whether it is made in the laboratory by
scientists or by baby animals outside their lair. The scientist experiments
and the cub plays; both are learning to correct their errors of judgement
in a setting in which errors are not fatal. Perhaps this is what gives them
both their air of happiness and freedom in these activities.
1.2.(6). Exercise
(2) Using chain structure, develop the following paragraph by adding at

least three more sentences to it. Make sure that each new sentence is
linked to the one before it.
Topic Sentence
In the next hundred years, the exploration of outer

space will undoubtedly change man's relation to the
earth.
A: Earth will be just one of many places where man may choose to live.
B: …………………………………………………………………………
C: …………………………………………………………………………
D: …………………………………………………………………………
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1.2.(7). Read the following paragraphs and identify
a) the structure-chain or list.

b) the topic sentence
c) the supporting details
(1) Wrestling is a sport where two opponents try to pin each

other's shoulders to the mat. A good wrestling match displays
many different kinds of holds. Once a wrestler is pinned, the
match is over.
(2) Sports help in developing

desirable, behaviour patterns in
children. Sports assist in enhancing self-esteem, developing self-discipline and
preparing for competitive social life. Moreover in the sports field, an individual
learns to work for the good of the group or team and recognises that individual
effort should be geared for the general good of the team. This training could
easily be transferred to everyday activity.
(3) Sloan Watson, an excellent test taker, always prepares for tests in this way.
First, he skims quickly through the material on which he is going to be tested.
As he skims, he asks questions and makes guesses about possible answers.
Then, he reads the material carefully, stopping at key places to think about or
recall what he has just read. Finally, Sloan always reserves time
for one final review just before a test.
(4) Young people and women are often accused of being poor
drivers. This criticism is unfair and inaccurate. Insurance records
show that women are better drivers than men as a rule. Some young people are
not as careful as they should be behind the wheel. Most young people, however,
have very good driving records and should be judged individually like everyone
else.
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Writing Paragraphs II
In 1.1, we discussed the structure of a paragraph. We noted that a good paragraph has a well -
organised structure which reflects the thoughts of the writer. We therefore begin a paragraph,
with a sentence containing the main idea, and then use supporting details to help the reader
understand the main idea. In this Unit, we will discuss different types of paragraphs, and
consider how each type of paragraph has its own particular kind of organisation.
The Narrative Paragraph
The word 'narrative' means 'a story'. Narrative writing therefore is the type of writing used in
telling a story. For example, look at this paragraph:
'There once was a little girl, very pretty and delicate, but so poor
that in the summer time she always went barefoot, and in winter,
wore large wooden shoes so that her little ankles grew quite red
and sore. In the same village where the little girl lived, dwelt a
shoemaker and his old mother. One day the old mother sat down,
and cut out a pair of red shoes from some pieces of old cloth that
she had. She sewed up the shoes and gave them to the little girl.
The shoes were not "sewn very well but they fitted the little girl's
feet and so she wore them...'
[The Red Shoes - Hans Christian Andersen]
This paragraph is a narrative paragraph because it describes a sequence of actions. 'There once
was' 'She always went.' 'dwelt a shoemaker and his mother..' 'She sat down and cut out a
pair of red shoes ...' 'She sewed up the shoes and gave them...'
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Here the actions are described in sequence, and because the events happened long ago, they are
described in the past tense.
A narrative paragraph describes actions according to the time in which they occurred. Thus not
only past actions, but present actions and future actions too can be described in narrative
paragraphs.
Review Question : Is this paragraph an example of link structure or chain

structure?
Give reasons for your answer.
Narrative paragraphs are not used only in short stories or novels but used in any context where
action has to be described. Given below is an extract from a newspaper, which is also an
example of a narrative paragraph.
'The commissioning of the Ambatale Water Treatment

Facilities Extension Project will be a major step in
achieving the declared objectives of 'Water for all by the
year 2010'. With the commissioning of this treatment
facility, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board will be able to meet the
daily requirements of, 100 million gallons for the residents in and around
Colombo. It will also be possible to cater to the needs of the expanding
population in outlying areas such as Maharagama, Pannipitiya, Battaramulla,
Kaduwela and Biyagama.'
[CDN 21/01/94]
In this passage, future tense verb forms are used because it describes an action in the future.
29
Organising a Narrative Paragraph
Writing a narrative paragraph is not very difficult as it involves only description of the sequence
of actions.
However there are two important points to be noted when writing a narrative paragraph. These
are
i) choosing an appropriate topic sentence
ii) beginning with the commencement of the action and ending with its conclusion.
It is often difficult to decide what details should be included at the beginning and what should
be omitted. For example in Andersen’s story quoted above, we do not know the exact year
when this story occurred, the name of the village or country, the name of the little girl etc. The
writer has decided that these details are not important. What is important for the reader is to
learn that there was a little girl, pretty and delicate who did not have proper shoes to wear.
The paragraph however starts with the girl having no shoes to wear and ends appropriately with
the girl being given a pair of shoes.
When writing a narrative paragraph therefore, these points must be kept in mind.
The exercise given below will help you develop narrative writing.
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1.2.(8). Exercise
Write a narrative paragraph on the topic.
'My First Day at the OUSL English Course’.
You can choose whatever details you would like to describe - the time/ date/
what you wore/ what the teacher wore/ what you thought/felt/ the weather etc.
Remember you should
a) write only one paragraph. Do not write more than 10 -12 sentences.
b) Make sure you begin and conclude the action within that paragraph.
Using Narrative Paragraphs
Narrative paragraphs can be used in any type of writing. It can be used to start
or describe a story, a series of actions, a process, a historical topic, an abstract
idea, in fact, about almost anything. For example if you have to write about
Religion (an abstract idea), you can start with an account of how your own
religion began, or with a history of all religions in the world. Similarly if you
are a journalist writing about an accident, that description too will contain
narrative paragraphs.
1.2.(9). Exercise
Pair Work Form pairs
a) Discuss which of the following topics require narrative writing.

b) Choose any 2 topics and write a narrative paragraph for each topic.
c) Read out your paragraphs to the rest of the class.
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Topics
i) The Esala Perahera
ii) Television in Sri Lanka
iii) The Importance of English
iv) Industrial Pollution.
v) Is War Necessary?
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LTE3603 – Unit I Session 2: Writing

A paragraph is an essential unit of writing. Sometimes it may consist of only a single

A good paragraph usually has 3 features:

i) Coherence : the organisation of a paragraph should follow a definite

ii) development : the sentences should adequately explain or qualify the

iii) unity : all sentences should be relevant to the main point.

When writing a paragraph

i) think of the main idea which you wish to discuss in it.

(i) has been done for you as an example.

i) The importance of English

Topic - The importance of English.

b) All professions and technical occupations need English Commerce,

c) International transport also uses English. Pilots need to know English

d) Entertainment - films, music, drama are all highly developed in English.

(ii) Topic - Television in Sri Lanka

Main Idea - ………………………………………………..

Supporting Details: ………………………………………………..

(iii) Topic - Writing a letter of application for a job

Main Idea - ………………………………………………..

Supporting Details: ………………………………………………..

(iv) Topic - The Open University of Sri Lanka

Main Idea - ………………………………………………..

Supporting Details: ………………………………………………..

(v) Topic - A person I will never forget

Main Idea - ………………………………………………..

Supporting Details: ………………………………………………..

It is much easier to define a 'normal' family - a husband

Parental rights and duties therefore involve a complicated inter relationship

Working out the Main Idea

i) This sentence introduces the idea.

ii) This sentence is the most important sentence in the paragraph.

However a third writer C may be of a different opinion. He may therefore write

Sentence B should contain a negative opinion.

1) Free Education in Sri Lanka.

Writing the Topic Sentence

of writing is expected to contain opinions and attitudes. An essay for

This topic sentence is more suitable for an essay or an article on 'Computers'

Write (a) a statement of fact

about the following topics.

i) The Open University of Sri Lanka

iii) Public Holidays

iv) Industrial Pollution

v) The Cost of Living today

2) a) You have to write an essay on 'Environment and Law'.

i) Developing Supporting Details

i) Using list structure - Treating your supporting sentences as items in a

ii) Using chain structure - Treating your supporting sentences as links in a

i) Using List Structure

First let us look at a paragraph which uses a list structure.

The Mahaweli Project was launched with

Now write out the topic sentence.

a) It is commonly acknowledged that before a man commits an offence he goes

ii) Using the Chain Structure

Cleanliness is an important health habit which

The sentences in this paragraph are like the links in a chain.

Let us look at the structure of this paragraph.

Cleanliness is an important health habit that should

a: Children do not see the need to be clean.

Difference between list Structure and Chain Structure