Writing

Effective
Paragraphs
A paragraph is often defined as a group of
related sentences in which one single, main
idea is developed. In a typical paragraph, the
first sentence declares the main topic of the
paragraph and the rest of the sentences
develop or support the main idea. A
paragraph is most often a part of a longer
composition consisting of several
paragraphs.
 Unity: one idea per paragraph
 Development: sufficient detail (good writing is
25% ideas & 75% details!)
 Coherence: understandable, easy to follow
(logical order, effective transitions)
 Topic Sentence
 Usually first
 Contains TWO PARTS
Topic Controlling Idea
 Body
 The details which make your topic sentence
vivid to the reader, that prove your point
 What is the topic sentence?
The topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph.
 What does it do?
It introduces the main idea of the paragraph.
How do I write one?
 Summarize the main idea of your paragraph. Indicate to the reader what your
paragraph will be about.

 Example:
There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world.
First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to
medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of
education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to
continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently
managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live.
As a result, Canada is a desirable place to live.
 Example:
There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best
countries in the world. First, Canada has an excellent
health care system. All Canadians have access to
medical services at a reasonable price. Second,
Canada has a high standard of education. Students
are taught by well-trained teachers and are
encouraged to continue studying at university.
Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently
managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots
of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is a
desirable place to live.
 Example:
There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best
countries in the world. First, Canada has an excellent
health care system. All Canadians have access to
medical services at a reasonable price. Second,
Canada has a high standard of education. Students
are taught by well-trained teachers and are
encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally,
Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed.
Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for
people to live. As a result, Canada is a desirable
place to live.
 We are on our way to becoming a cashless, checkless society, a
trend that began with the credit card. Now some banks are
offering “debit cards” instead of the credit cards. That costs of
purchases made with these cards are deducted from the holder’s
bank account instead of being added in the monthly bill. And
checking accounts, which are mainly used for paying bills, are
going electronic. Now some people can make computer
transactions over their pushbutton phones to pay bills by money
from their account to the account of whomever they owe. Soon
we may be able to conduct most of our business without
signing a check or actually seeing the money we earn and
spend.
 "Zombies are becoming an important part of popular culture,
perhaps as a way of coping with some of the common fears in
modern North American culture. Films like Shaun of the Dead
and Fido blend comedy with aspects of horror and romance,
but still focus on zombies. Simon Pegg has gone on to do
other films and is a popular and talented comedic actor.
Hollywood is taking advantage of resurgence of interest by
remaking several old horror films as well. Television shows
like “The Walking Dead” are widely popular. Cable channels
like AMC and HBO are making more and more quality
television programs that deal with difficult and controversial
topics in a way that is both entertaining and enlightening.”
 [In the paragraph above, the main idea is set in the
first sentence, which suggests that the paragraph
will explore the socio-cultural reasons for the
popularity of zombies in popular culture. The
paragraph goes on to list some popular zombie
media, and then veers off into discussing cable
programming. Although some of these ideas may
be tangentially related to zombies and popular
culture, none of them prove, support, explain, or
illustrate the main idea that was given.]
 “Canadian software companies face several tough
challenges in the new millennium because of ‘brain
drain,’ and the monopoly held by their American
counterparts. However, the Canadian dollar is getting
stronger. ‘Brain drain’ is a bad thing. Our greatest
resources are leaving. Microsoft is squeezing out its
competitors. In comparison, if the ‘brain drain’
continues, Canadian companies will find it difficult to
produce innovative software. If the dollar doesn’t stay
strong, it will hurt us. It will help the Americans.”
[The paragraph above is incoherent because
it lacks unity, lacks variety in sentence
structure, organizes ideas illogically, lacks
transitions that show the connections
between ideas, alternates between formal
and informal style, and uses both third
person and first person point of view
inappropriately.]
 Descriptive – to tell/to describe
 Narrative - to express/to entertain
 Expository – to inform/to explain
 Persuasive – to influence/to persuade
 Opinion Paragraph-to opine
 My mother is a very special woman. She
always takes care of me . She helps me with
my homework. She cooks delicious food. She
loves me and I love her so much. My mother
is the best mom in the world.
My country is Ecuador . It is located in South
America. It is small but beautiful country. It
has many touristic places you can visit and
have fun like: the beaches, the mountains
and the Amazon. The climate is great.
Ecuador is a wonderful country
 MY LAST VACATION
My last vacation was very fun. First I went to
the beach with my cousins. We surfed and
swam in the ocean. Then went to my
grandparents farm and rode a horse. Next we
climb a big mountain. Finally we came back
home and rest . I had the best vacation ever.
 The best chocolate energy bar has arrived to
Ecuador. It is delicious, it has milk, almonds
and chocolate syrup. It also has many
vitamins that will help you grow and make
your teeth very strong. You can’t keep living
without trying this bar .Buy one today !!!
 The benefits of social networking websites have the potential to
outweigh the dangers of such websites. While social networking
does curb real life interaction with one's peers, it also provides shy,
introverted, or socially awkward youth with a new avenue of
communication that often makes it easier to connect and form
relationships. A sharp increase in cyberbullying is an unfortunate
result of social networking, but sites like Facebook also give
people the opportunity to build a larger network of support.
Additionally, while unmonitored teens and young adults may post
photographs and information that could damage their futures and
make them less desirable to potential employers, responsible and
well-guided youth have the chance to build working relationships
and create a stronger presence in the working world. Even though
there are a large number of risks and downfalls associated with
social networking, when the tool is used correctly and the youth
are instructed on correct usage, it offers considerable positives.
 Due to Tina’s poor nutritional progress and continued medical
complications despite receiving intensive outpatient treatment for
Anorexia Nervosa, it is our strong recommendation that she needs more
intensive psychiatric and nutritional treatment. The type of treatment
that Jane needs is offered only in a residential treatment program
specializing in eating disorders. We recommend a minimum of a sixty- to
ninety-day stay in a program that offers a tiered approach, with intensive
residential and transitional components that focus on the care of
adolescents and young adults with eating disorders. Tina requires daily
psychiatric, psychological, and nutritional treatment by therapists well
trained in the Treatment of her disease. She will be best served by a
program that is age appropriate for her, and not a program for much
older adults. In such a tiered program, Jane could get the residential
treatment that she so desperately needs, and then show that she can
maintain any progress in a transitional setting. We do NOT recommend
treatment in a non-eating disorder specific behavioral treatment center,
as Tina has a severe case of anorexia and deserves subspecialty-level
care.
 Coherence in writing means that all the ideas in a
paragraph flow smoothly from one sentence to the next
sentence. With coherence, the reader has an easy time
understanding the ideas that you wish to express.
 Well organized details
• Spatial
• Chronological
• Importance
• logical

 A clear, sensible connection

Linkers/connectors
When adding on information or ideas
In addition, Moreover, Furthermore, Besides In
fact, Meanwhile, Another way to... Whatsmore,
also; likewise ; in a similar way ; similarly

When adding contrasting information

On the other hand, In contrast, Nevertheless,

However, On the contrary, Despite, In the second
place,
Conversely,
Compare and Contrast
Nevertheless; yet ; by contrast ; all the same ; after all; conversely; however;
still ; rather ;for all that despite this; but; on the other hand ; on the contrary;
nonetheless ; at the sametime ; though; Similarly, Also, At the same time...
In addition to, In other words, Instead of...For the same reason,
When placing information in an orderly fashion
After that, Before... Just before... Before that, Then, Firstly, Secondly,
Thirdly, Next, Lastly,Eventually, Gradually, Finally; Meanwhile,
Furthermore,
To begin with, Summing up...When listing information as a result or a cause
of something,As a result, As a consequence, Consequently, Therefore, Thus,
Likewise, Moreover,Furthermore, Because ...This is why... That is why...
When adding a concluding information
In conclusion, In summary, Finally, Lastly,
When adding information that will serve as an example or
as an illustration
For example, For instance,
When adding information that describes a relationship
between things
Also, Incidentally, Likewise, Moreover, Next, Yet, Instead,
However, Therefore, Thus,Usually, Whatever... Accordingly,
In contrast, Although, Besides, Meanwhile,
Furthermore,Generally, Nevertheless,
When Explaining ideas
Namely; such as; as already stated ; for example in other words; that
is; for instance
Putting ideas in order
Firstly; meanwhile; initially; further; secondly; next; afterwards;
lastly; then; finally; later;most importantly
Cause and Effect
because ; consequently; in order that ; for ; thus ; so that ; for that
reason ; as a result
Conclusion
Therefore; hence; all in all ; all this evidence points to ; so; in
conclusion; finally ;consequently ; to sum up ; as a result Thus; all this
suggests that ; this resulted in ; all thisleads to.
The concept of fairness is central to understanding plagiarism. Fairness
means being fair both to yourself and others. Everybody both gives and
receives their proper due, and nobody has anything to complain about.
An incident involving unfairness could be taking someone else’s work
and passing it off as your own. The person whose work has been taken
receives no recognition or acknowledgment for their research and
thinking. Writers who plagiarise are not being fair to themselves either
because they are not developing their own independent academic skills.
Students who do their own work with due acknowledgement of the
work of others should develop their own academic skills and self
confidence far more than those who merely misuse the work of others.
The concept of fairness is central to understanding plagiarism. Fairness
means being fair both to yourself and others. Moreover, everybody both
gives and receives their proper due, and nobody has anything to complain
about. For example, an incident involving unfairness could be taking
someone else’s work and passing it off as your own. As a result, the person
whose work has been taken receives no recognition or acknowledgment for
their research and thinking. Furthermore, writers who plagiarise are not
being fair to themselves either because they are not developing their own
independent academic skills. Therefore, students who do their own work
with due acknowledgement of the work of others should develop their own
academic skills and self-confidence far more than those who merely misuse
the work of others.
 A sentence should contain no unnecessary w
ords, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences,
for the same reason that a drawing should ha
ve no unnecessary lines and a machine no un
necessary parts.
 Write a coherent paragraph on any three of
the following:
1. Life
2. Death
3. Healthcare in Pakistan
4. Malnutrition
5. Volunteerism
6. Exercise and Health