UNIT 2:WRITING

1. WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH?
2. WHAT IS AN ESSAY?
3. PRACTISING WRITING THE
INTRODOCTORY AND
CONCLUDING PARAGRAPHS
WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH?
A paragraph has 3 structural parts: a topic
sentence, supporting sentences and a
concluding sentence.
The topic sentence states the main idea of
the paragraph. It not only names the topic of
the paragraph, but it also limits the topic to
one or two areas that can be discussed
completely in the space of a single paragraph.
The specific area called the controlling idea.
Notice how the the topic sentence of the
model states both the topic and the
controlling idea.
E.g., Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two
A TOPIC SENTENCE
A topic sentence is a complete sentence that it
contains a verb, and (usually) a complement.
A topic sentence contains both a topic and a
controlling idea. In names the topic and then
limits the topic to a specific area to be
discussed in the space of a single paragraph.
E.g.,
a. Driving on freeways requires skill and
alertness.
b. Making new friends in a new school can be a
frustrating experience for new students.
Notes of a topic sentence
 A topic sentence shouldn’t be too general or too specific.
E.g, a ) American food is terrible.
b) American food is tasteless and greasy because
Americans use too many canned, frozen, and
prepackaged foods.
c) American food is tasteless and greasy.
Do not include too many unrelated ideas in your topic
sentence; if you do, your paragraph will not be unified.
E.g., d) San Fransico is famous for its temperature climate,
its many tourist attractions, and its cosmopolitan
atmosphere.
e) San Fransico is famous for its many tourist attractions
Recognizing topic sentence
A. Later on, people began to write on a pieces of
leather, which were rolled into scrolls.
B. In the earliest times, people carved or painted
messages on rocks.
C. In the Middle Ages, heave paper called parchment
was used for writing books were laboriously
copied by hand.
D. With the invention of the printing press in the
middle of the fifteenth century, the modern
printing industry was born.
E. Some form of written communication has been
used throughout the centuries.
E- B- A- C- D
RECOGNIZING TOPIC SENTENCES
 Paragraph 1:
a) Furthermore, researchers are continuing to work on
the development of an efficient, electrically powered
automobile.
b) Researchers in the automobile industry are
experimenting with different types of engines and
fuels as alternatives to the conventional gasoline
engines.
c) One new type of engines, which burns diesel oil
instead of gasoline, has been available for several
years.
d) Finally, several automobile manufacturers are
experimenting with methanol, which is a mixture of
gasoline and methy alcohol, as an automobile fuel.
e) A second type is the gas turbine engine, which can
RECOGNIZING TOPIC SENTENCES
A. If there had been a big storm on the day of a baby’s
birth, the baby might have been named Thunder
Cloud.
B. American, Indian names are very descriptive, for
Indians were usually named for a physical attribute,
for an occurrence in nature, or for an animal.
C. Grey Eagle, Red Dog, Big Bear, and Spotted Wolf are
examples of Indians named after animals.
D. Indians with distinctive physical characteristics
might be given such names as Big Foot or Crooked
Leg.
B- D- A- C
IDENTIFYING PARTS OF A TOPIC SENTENCE
1. Driving in Tokyo requires an aggressive
attitude.
2. Living in a dormitory may cause severe
culture shock for some foreign students.
3. Owning a large automobile is quickly
becoming an expensive luxury.
4. A good topic sentence has two essential
parts.
5. Communicating in English is a major
problem for foreign students.
Writing topic sentences
1. The effect(s) of watching TV on children.
E.g., TV is harmful to children because it
teaches them violence as a way of life.
Or TV is harmful to a child’s reading ability.
2. The effect(s) of smoking on a person’s
health.
3. The benefits of foreign travel.
4. The importance of passing a university
entrance exams.
5. The cause(s) of a current problem in your
country.
Writing topic sentences
2. The effect(s) of smoking on a person’s
health.
Smoking is very dangerous for people’s
health because smoke can cause many
diseases.
3. The benefits of foreign travel.
Going abroad helps us to understand
more about their cultures
Foreign travel will help you to improve
your language skills/ will improve your
Writing topic sentences
4. The importance of passing a
university entrance exams.
Passing a university entrance exams is
important to your future career/
determines your future career.
5. The cause(s) of a current problem
in your country.
The increasing of using means of
transport cause s/ results in heavy
traffic jam.
THE CONCLUDING SENTENCE
A good concluding sentence :
 signals the end of the paragraph such as “ In
conclusion, in summary, finally…”
Summarizes the important points briefly.
Concluding sentences
Synonyms, words that have the same basic
meaning, do not always have the same
emotional meaning. For example, the words
“stingy” and “frugal” both mean “careful with
money.” However, to call a person stingy is an
insult, while the word frugal has a much more
positive connotation. Similarly, a person
wants to be slender but not skinny, and
aggressive but not pushy. Therefore, you
should be careful in choosing words because
many so-called synonyms are not synonymous
at all.
Concluding sentences
There are numerous everyday words in English
that have come from other languages. Americans
relaxing at home, for example, may put on
kimonos, which is a Japanese word. American
who live in a temperature climate may take an
afternoon siesta on an outdoor patio, without
even realizing that these are Spanish words. In
their garden, they may enjoy the fragrance of
jasmine flowers, a word that came into English
from Persian. They may even relax on a chaise
longue while sipping a drink made with volka,
words of French and Russian origin,
respectively. …………………………..
Writing concluding sentences
There are two major differences between the European
and American university systems. In European
universities, students are not required to attend classes.
In fact, professors in Germany generally do not know
the names of the students enrolled in their courses. In
the United States, however, students are required to
attend all classes and may be penalized if they don‘t.
Furthermore, in the European system, there is usually
just one comprehensive examination at the end of the
students’ entire four or five years of study. In the
American system, on the other hand, there are usually
numerous quizzes, tests, and homework assignments,
and there is almost always a final examination in each
course at the end of the semester…………
WHAT IS AN ESSAY
3 main parts of an essay:
An introductory paragraph
A body (at least one, but usually
two or more paragraphs)
A concluding paragraph
An introductory paragraph
consists of 2 parts:
A few general statements about your
subject to attract your reader’s
attention.
A thesis statement: to state the
specific subdivisions of your topic
and/or the plan of your paper.
Like a topic sentence for a
paragaraph
Body
consists of one or more paragraphs
Each paragraph develops a
subdivision of your topic, so the
number of paragraphs in the body
will vary with the number of
subdivisions. The paragraphs of
the body are like the main
supporting points of a paragraph.
Conclusion
Likes the concluding sentence
in a paragraph, is a summary or
review of the main points
discussed in the body.
Writing concluding sentences
Alternative energy sources are becoming increasingly
attractive as the energy crisis becomes more severe.
Solar heating systems, which use the sun’s radiation as
a source of energy are a promising alterative energy
source. Nuclear power plants are already in operation
in several parts of the country. Government and private
industry are even investigating the possibility of
capturing the power of ocean waves and tides for
conversion into usable energy. Coal is once again
becoming an acceptable fuel as the nation searches
for solutions to the energy shortage. Even garbage is
seen as a potential source of energy. In some
communities, garbage is burned to heat buildings and
light city streets……………………..
Writing an essay: Advantages Vs Disadvantages
Topic:
In many parts of the world, families were
larger in the past because people had more
children.
Do you think there were more advantages
or disadvantages to being part of a large
family in the past?
Give reasons for your answer and include any
relevant examples from your own knowledge
and experience. Write at least 250 words.
What you must do in this essay?
Write about the past
Discuss whether families were larger in the
past
Compare families today with families in the
past
Write about the advantages and
disadvantages of having a lot of people in the
family
Give your opinion and explain why
Write 250 words or more.
Reading a sample essay
What are the advantages:
1. Getting support from family members
(workload and finance)
2. Increasing the family relationship
What are the disadvantages:
1. Overspending
2. Differences in lifestyles and opinions

Read the sample and circle the correct words

Advantage vs disadvantage template essays
Introduction:
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Conclusion:
Practicing writing
Topic:
In the past, most people lived in small
villages where everyone knew everyone
else. Nowadays, most people live in large
cities where they only know a few people
in their area.
What do you think were the advantages
and disadvantages of living in a small
community.
DISCUSSION
ADVANTAGES:
1. Friendly people/inhabitants:
2. Safer living environment: less crime
3. Cheaper price: no stress for earning money
DISADVANTAGES:
1. No privacy
2. Lack of modern facilities
3. Low level of literacy
SAMPLE ESSAYS
Until recently, the majority of people lived in the
village where they were born. However, now people
tend to live in large cities and, as a result, the way
people live has changed. I, myself, prefer living in a
small community for the advantages it offers, though
it still has some disadvantages.
There were a number of benefits to living in a small
village. Firstly, people knew each other and, in the
village my grandparents came from, everyone spoke
to everyone else, so no one felt lonely. Secondly, there
was always someone to look after the children and to
teach them good behavior, so children grew up being
polite and respectful. Also, they could play safely in
the street, and there was little crime and traffic. It
was a simple life, but everyone was happy.
SAMPLE ESSAYS
However, there were a number of disadvantages. The
nearest primary school was in the next village and
the nearest secondary school in a town some miles
away. This meant that most children did not get a
good education, an most people had to work in
agriculture. If young people were ambitious, they had
to move away from the village, and few people had
the chance to do this. Also, when someone was ill, it
was a long way to the nearest hospital.
All in all, I think people from my grandparents’
generation were happier. However, in the modern
world, with all the possibilities which exist today, I
think it is a pity to be limited to a small village.
Nowadays, there are more advantages of living in a
large city.
A second sample essay
In the modern life, most people live in big cities where
they barely know a few people in their neighborhood.
In the past, there were advantages and disadvantages
of living in a small community.
I believe there were three main benefits. Firstly,
because everyone lived in the small region they surely
knew their neighborhood well. They should interact
with everyone in case to fulfill their daily needs.
Secondly, people who lived in a small community
tended to have strong brotherhood, therefore, if their
neighbor had difficulties they would help and support
him/her sincerely. Thirdly, person who lived in small
community tended to be a less stressed person
because good’s price was cheap. It means they can
fulfill their life’s needs easily
A second sample essay
 However, there were three disadvantages. Firstly, they were
barely could not have any secrets, they could not have
problems without others wanted to know about it. It meant
that everyone could knew everything about other’s problem
including the problem that should be a private one.
Secondly, they had lack of knowledge about world’s
problems because they hard to get information from outside
their region and they also did not make an effort to get one.
Last, they were difficult to accept new things that came
from outside their community even it was a good one,
because they were head towards to their own principal and
culture.
 In my opinion, the disadvantages of small community were
greater than the advantages. The small community had
strong brotherhood. However, person in small community
had no privacy and had lack of knowledge. Also, they
tended to cover themselves from new things.
Essays written by students
The society is developing with a very fast
speed. People always change themselves to
suit with the modern life, so they tend to live
in a big city. However, I think living in a small
community is better although there are
advantages and disadvantages of living there.
Nowadays, more and more people leave their
village to come to the big cities with the
desire to change the life. I, myself, prefer
living in a big city to living in a small
community since the disadvantages of living
in a small village seem to outweigh the
advantages.
Advantages
I believe there were there main benefits.
Firstly, commonly, villager’s occupation was
related to natural source such as farming
and fishery. They worked together and shared
the income equally that is why this condition
formed a strong relationship among them.
Secondly, rural area had a beautiful
environment and fresh air, which was good
place for taking rest and pleasure. There was
less vehicle and less or even no pollution and
there were friendly forests and clear rivers
as one of great food resources. Thirdly,
village life was extremely simply and slow, so
villagers had no pressure for earning money.
Disadvantages
However, there were some disadvantages in
my opinion. Firstly, because they lived in a
small region and surely knew their
neighborhood, so they can’t have a good
privacy, something such as family, love,
studying and so on. Secondly, in a small
village, due to the lack of modern equipment,
so the people didn’t know more information
around the country or the world. Finally,
inhabitants in rural areas had low level of
literacy, so they not only found it hard to
learn and accept the new knowledge but
they were also easily cheated by bad people.
Families in modern life are smaller than in
the past because people have fewer children.
Although this has some disadvantages, its
advantages are much more significant.
There is convenience and disadvantages to
living everywhere, and here I would like to
talk about this.
It is wildly believed that, many families
around the world tend to have fewer children
than the past. At that time, there were lots of
advantages and disadvantages to being part
of a big family.
Topics
Topic 1:
Watching TV is one of the most popular means of
entertainment over the world.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of
watching TV.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant
examples from your own knowledge and experience.
Topic 3:
Nowadays, more and more people prefer living in
big cities.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of living
in big cities?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant
examples from your own knowledge and experience.
 Topic 1
Advantages Disadvantages
- entertainment - health effects
- Strengthen family - waste time/ time
bonds consuming
- Improve life skills - Reduced Social
- Widen knowledge Interaction
- update information - Negative Influence on
Children