BBI 3421
EXPOSITORY WRITING
Paragraph Organization
A paragraph:
☼ is a group of related sentences that develops a major idea
☼ has 3 parts:
- a beginning: Topic sentence
- a middle:
Body (Supporting points)
- an end:
Concluding sentence
☼ the series of sentences comprise logical and interrelated
pieces of information.
A good paragraph
TOPIC
SENTENCE
SUPPORTING
SENTENCES
CONCLUDING
SENTENCE
Superstitions affect several aspects of my life. First of all, I have a lot of
superstitions about school, especially tests. For example, I always wear the
pearl necklace that my grandmother gave me when I have to take a test. I think it
brings me good luck, and I am afraid that I will do poorly if I forget to wear it. When I
get to school, I always find a seat right in the middle of the room, sit down, and then
switch my watch to my right wrist before the test begins. In addition, I am very
superstitious about travelling. I will never start a trip on a Friday because I am sure it
will bring me bad luck. When I have to stay in a hotel, I refuse to sleep in a room on
the 13th floor. For me, 13 is an unlucky number. In addition, I always wear
something green, my lucky colour, on the first day of the trip. Finally, like many
ther athletes, I am especially superstitious when it comes to my sport, tennis. When
I dress for a match, I always wear the same T-shirt with my initials on it. I also use
the same shoelaces in my sneakers that I have had since I first started playing
tennis. As soon as I buy a new pair of sneakers, the first thing I do is replace the
laces with my lucky ones. I am also superstitious about my breakfast on the day of a
match. I always eat the same things: eggs and muffin. All in all, I am superstitious
about many aspects of my life.
A POORLY CONSTRUCTED PARAGRAPH
Japan is a nation of workaholics. Japan has more national holidays than
the United States or Germany. The average worker uses only nine of his or her
eighteen days of paid vacation every year. Many Japanese are uncomfortable
taking vacation days when their coworkers have to be at work, according to
Japanese sociologists who have studied the problem. “I wish I could take more
than a week,” said office worker Masako Tanaka, “but the environment at work
doesn’t really let you do that.” Americans who work for Japanese companies
quickly learn to put in the same long hours as their Japanese colleagues.
Japanese schoolchildren go to school every other Saturday, and they spend
most evenings, weekends, and holidays attending study clubs or cram schools.
The Japanese government wants government workers to take more time off
because people spend more money on vacation, which would help the
Japanese economy. Many Japanese enjoy hark work and long hours; if they
didn’t, they wouldn’t do it. Japanese get used to working long hours when
they are schoolchildren.
Topic Sentences
A topic sentence comprises 2 parts:
☼ a subject
☼ a controlling idea / focus
A topic sentence must be a complete sentence.
An effective topic sentence must fulfill 2 things:
☼ specific enough to narrow down a subject into an idea
☼ general enough to be expanded and elaborated by the rest of the
sentences in the paragraph
Examples:
1. Keeping wild animals in captivity is cruel.
2. Preparing Maggi mee is simple.
3. There are several reasons why I hate to go shopping during weekends.
Supporting Points
☼ After you have stated your point in a topic
sentence, you need to support it with reasons, facts,
and examples. As a writer, it is your job to provide
enough support to prove the point you made in your
topic sentence. Your supporting sentences should be
as specific as possible.
☼ Supporting sentences that are vague or that
merely repeat the point you made in the topic
sentence are not effective.
Exercise 1
Compare the two paragraphs
Paragraph 1
The repairs on my car
were much expensive than I
had anticipated. When I saw
the final bill, I was in shock.
It was twice as much I had
planned on. I had to pay
RM395 to get the brakes
repaired and another
RM100 to get the wheels
aligned. The engine oil
change was RM30, and the
replacement of the air filter
was another RM20.
Paragraph 2
The repairs on my car
were much more expensive
than I had anticipated. The
mechanic did a good job,
but I think I was
overcharged for everything.
I never imagined that the
final bill would be so high.
In fact, I had to borrow
some money from my
friend to pay it. The next
time my car needs repairs,
I’ll go to a different garage.
Exercise 2
Compare the two paragraphs
Paragraph 1
Our family trip to Costa
Rica last summer was very
exciting. Every day we saw
something new and different.
One day we went hiking, which
was really an incredible
experience. Another day we
took a rafting trip down a river.
We saw lots of unusual plants
and animals that we had never
seen before. We did many
things that we will never forget.
Everyone agreed that this was
the best trip we have ever taken.
Paragraph 2
Our family trip to Costa Rica
last summer was very exciting. We
were there for two weeks, and not
a day went by without something
unusual happening. On our second
day, a boa constrictor swam right in
front of us while we were rafting
down the Rio Claro. Another day,
spider monkeys threw branches as
us deep in the rain forest. Hiking
on the primitive trails in Corcovado
National Park, we saw brilliant
scarlet macaws and toucans with
huge yellow beaks. Whenever we
look at the pictures from our trip,
we all agree that it was the most
exciting one we have ever taken.
Unity and Coherence
Unity
☼ Every sentence within the paragraph
should relate to the topic and develop the
controlling idea / focus. If a sentence does not
relate to the topic, it is irrelevant and should
be deleted from the paragraph.
☼ A paragraph which has sentences that do
not relate or discuss the controlling idea lacks
unity.
A paragraph which lacks unity
I love the location of my new house. For one thing, it is a
very safe neighborhood, and I am not afraid to go out alone.
There is almost no crime, and most people do not even lock
their doors. In addition, the neighborhood is in a convenient
location. Lots of stores, schools, and restaurants are nearby.
Within a few miles, there is also a library, health and fitness
center, and movie theater. Most of all, I really like the people
who live in this neighborhood. They are friendly and helpful
and seem to want to keep our community safe and clean. My
new house is roomy, comfortable, and sunny, but I need to
buy more furniture.
Introduction to Essay Writing
Basic Plan of a Typical Five-Paragraph Essay
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
Background Information
Gets reader’s attention using one or more of the following:
☺Anecdotes
☺Quotations
☺Questions
☺Facts and statistics
Thesis Statement
States the subject and focus of the essay
1st SUPPORTING PARAGRAPH
Topic Sentence: States first supporting point
Provides supporting details, examples, facts
nd
2 SUPPORTING PARAGRAPH
Topic Sentence: States first supporting point
Provides supporting details, examples, facts
rd
3 SUPPORTING PARAGRAPH
Topic Sentence: States first supporting point
Provides supporting details, examples, facts
CONCLUSION
Makes final comments by doing one or more of the following:
☺Restating main points
☺Asking a question
☺Suggesting a solution
☺Making a recommendation
☺Making a prediction
Outline of an essay
Why people save books?
Introduction
Thesis Statement: Why do people save their books? There may several reasons, but
three stand out.
Body
Supporting Paragraph
Topic Sentence: One reason people save their books is to use them as reference
materials.
Supporting Paragraph
Topic Sentence: Another reason some people save books is to make a good
impression.
Supporting Paragraph
Topic Sentence: While some people may keep books for practical reference and for
conveying an impression, I suspect that there is a deeper reason.
Conclusion
In fact, if you think about it, security is at the bottom of all these reasons.
(summarizing)