WRITING SESSION 1: BASICS

Heishman- Rm 315 WBHS

Paragraphs

Every essay is made
Did you Know?
up of paragraphs.
Paragraphs have been

Each paragraph plays around since 4th
an important part in century b.c.- it was
used in ancient Greece
essay construction.
to mark each place a

A good paragraph new topic was
consists of at least 5 introduced. Today, we
sentences of varying use them in essays to
length. divide or separate
thoughts.
Parts of the Paragraph

Main idea- the main thought of a group of
sentences

Topic Sentence- a statement of the paragraph’s
main idea

Supporting Sentence- elaborate on and support the
topic sentence

Clincher Sentence- concluding sentence in a
paragraph (not always present)
Types of Paragraphs

Introductory
Paragraph

Body Paragraph

Concluding Paragraph
Typical Body Paragraph Structure

Topic
Sentence

Support,
Support,
Support

Clincher
Sentence
An Example….
In the summer, hosts of big red-and-yellow
grasshoppers, with heads shaped like horses, will
descend and eat holes in all the softer leaves. Walking
sticks fly like boomerangs. Shining brown leaf-shaped
palmetto bugs scurry like cockroaches. Spiders like tiny
crabs hang in stout webs. The birds snap at small moths
and butterflies of every kind. A blue racer, the snake
that moves across the cleared sand like a whiplash, will
with one flick destroy the smooth, careful cup of the ant
lion in the hot sand. The whole world of the pines and
of the rocks hums and glistens and stings of life.
What makes a good paragraph?

Unity. All parts of the paragraph work together as
a unit to express and support one main idea.

Coherence. The ideas in the paragraph are
arranged and connected in a way that will make
sense to readers. (created by paying attention to
the order or organizational pattern of the ideas,
and the connections made between paragraphs.

Elaboration. The paragraph’s main idea is
developed or expanded using plenty of supporting
details.
To create a good paragraph….
…focus on the order of your ideas.

Chronological • Relate events in the order they happened

(explain a process, tell a story, explain a
Order cause and effect)

• Used to describe things according to where

Spatial Order they are located (ex: middle, left, right, east,
west)

Order of • Show importance of details in relation to one

another (pay attention to what a reader
Importance reads first and last)

• Group related ideas (compare and contrast,

Logical Order define a subject)
Transitional Words and Phrases

A transition in writing- With nervous hands he
whether a word or lowered the piece of
phrase- connects canvas which served
ideas. They include as his door, and
conjunctions and pegged it at the
prepositions. The type bottom. Then quickly
of connection you and quietly he slipped
desire is dictated by the records into the
the transition word or case .
phrase you choose.
 Comparing Ideas • Also, and, another, moreover, similarly, too

• Still, but, yet, in spite of, instead, however, on the

Contrasting Ideas other hand, although, nevertheless

Showing • After, then, next, before, eventually, finally, first,

Chronological Order meanwhile, at once, at last, thereafter, when

Showing Spatial • Into, next, over, in, here, above, across, behind,
Order before, inside, beyond, down, around, there, under

Showing Order of • First, last, mainly, then, to begin with, more

Importance important
The End!