Paragraph Writing Strategies段落寫(xiě)作策略

1、Paragraph Writing StrategiesAdvanced CompositionParagraph Tips from the Purdue Writing CenterlOne main idea per paragraphlBe sure to include a topic sentence. This sentence indicates the main idea, focus or thesis of the paragraph. Not all paragraphs have clear topic sentences; the topic sentence ca

2、n be inferred.Common Problems in Academic Paragraph WritinglNo topic sentence or implied topiclEvidence is not includedlEvidence is vaguelEvidence is not introduced lEvidence is not discussedlLogic is faultylPoint of view slips into second personlTangential information is included, which violates un

3、ity of paragraphHow do writers develop paragraphs?lThe topic introduced in the paragraphs needs to be fully developed by:lUsing examples and illustrationslCiting data (facts, statistics, evidence, details, etc.)lExamining testimony (quotes and paraphrases from experts)lUsing an anecdotelDefining ter

4、ms in the paragraphlComparing and contrastinglEvaluating causes and reasonslExamining effects and consequenceslAnalyzing the topiclDescribing the topiclOffering a chronology of an eventHow long is an academic paragraph?lAim for five or more sentences per paragraphlInclude two to three typed paragrap

5、hs per pagelMake sure paragraphs are proportional to your paper (i.e. short paragraphs for short papers and long paragraphs for long papers)lIf you have a few very short paragraphs, combine them into a longer paragraph, join each one with a different longer paragraph, or add more details to support

6、the point and create a fully developed paragraphlWhen proofreading look for visual balance in the length of your paragraphsUnity and Coherence: What are they and why do they matter?UnityWork to achieve unity. Unity means each paragraph has a single focus and details that support only that focus.All

7、sentences relate to the main idea stated in the topic sentence.All sentences related to an implied idea.All sentences relate to a sequence of events.Which sentence violates the unity of the paragraph below?Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) was more than a gifted novelist. She was also a perceptive stud

8、ent of her culture, an author of two notable books of folklore, and a member of the American Folklore Society and American Anthropological Society. Anthropology is now a popular and growing major in American universities. Hurstons work as an anthropologist is, in fact, directly related to her creati

9、ve writing. All her novels show not only her gift for storytelling, but also her interest in Southern folk customs. This connection between storytelling and Southern folk customs is especially clear in the language and characters of her first novel, Jonahs Gourd Vine.CoherencelWork to achieve cohere

10、nce. Coherence means the paragraph is easy for the reader to understand. lCoherence can be created through clear organization strategies, such as order of importance, spatial order, chronological order, or logical order. These methods of organization may overlap and be used in combination. Logical a

11、nd Verbal BridgeslCoherence can also be created by using logical bridges and verbal bridges. lA logical bridge is when the same idea is carried over from sentence to sentence. It helps when successive sentences are constructed in parallel form.lA verbal bridge can be created through lRepetition of k

12、ey words in several sentenceslSynonymous words used in several sentenceslClear pronoun references - pronouns refer to nouns in previous sentenceslTransition words and phrases are used to link ideas between sentences (e.g. next, on the other hand, for example, however, most important, finally, theref

13、ore, etc.)lFind examples of logical bridges in “DemocracylFind examples of verbal bridges in “Democracy PARAGRAPH STRUCTURES (“Writing Paragraphs 68)lTRI patternTopic, Restriction, IllustrationlThe topic sentence states the general topic of the paragraphlThe restriction sentence limits, or restricts

14、, the general topic to the specific topics developed within the paragraphlThe illustration sentences develop the specific topic through examples, reasons, data, descriptive details, evidence, expert opinions or other information.Sample TRI Paragraph (“Writing Paragraphs 68)Political and technical de

15、velopments are rapidly obliterating all cultural differences and it is possible that, in a not remote future, it will be impossible to distinguish human beings living on one area of the earths surface from those living on any other, but our different pasts have not yet been completely erased and cul

16、tural differences are still perceptible. The most striking difference between an American and a European is the difference in their attitudes toward money. Every European knows, as a matter of historical fact, that in Europe wealth could only be acquired at the expense of other human beings either b

17、y conquering them or by exploiting their labor in factories. Further, even after the Industrial Revolution began, the number of persons who could rise from poverty to wealth was small; the vast majority took it for granted that they would not be much richer nor poorer than their fathers. In conseque

18、nce, no European associates wealth with personal merit or poverty with personal failure. TRI Pattern PracticelSports may be hazardous to your healthlOver the years I have perfected the art of (studying, flirting, procrastination, etc.)lI believe in patriotismlThe U.S. should be more/less active in a

19、iding needy or developing countries.lThe wilderness is a precious resourceIRT ParagraphThe IRT paragraph starts with illustrations andincludes the topic sentence in the middle of theparagraph.Sample IRT Paragraph(“Writing Paragraphs 73)It took four years for Bernice Gera to walk onto that ball field

20、, fouryears of legal battles for the right to stand in the shadow of an “EnjoySilver Floss Sauerkraut sign while the crowd cheered and young girlswaved sheets reading “Right On, Bernice! and the manager of theGeneva Philies welcomed her to the game. “On behalf of professionalbaseball, he said, “we s

21、ay good luck and God bless you in yourchosen profession. And the band played and the spotlights shone and all three networks recorded the event. Bernice Gera had becomethe first women in the 133-year history of the sport to umpire aprofessional baseball game. - “Bernice Gera, First Lady Umpire by No

22、ra Ephron 1975IRT Practice (two paragraphs required)lInvert your TRI paragraph to create an IRT paragraph.lThen use a new topic to create a second IRT paragraph: Sports may be hazardous to your healthOver the years I have perfected the art of (studying, flirting, procrastination, etc.)I believe in p

23、atriotismThe U.S. should be more/less active in aiding needy or developing countries.The wilderness is a precious resourceCompare/Contrast ParagraphlCompare/contrast paragraphs discuss specific ways in which items or ideas are similar AND different.lThe things being compared must share some common e

24、lements.lEach major point made must be discussed for both.Compare/Contrast Paragraph Methods(Look at page 105 in purple textbook)Point-by-Point Method This method discussed one relevant feature for one subject and then the same feature with a different subject. Point-by-point method is usually used

25、to emphasize specific features and evaluate two different things using the same method of criteria.Block Method Each item is discussedseparately; features about each item are groupedtogether. The block method is most often usedto contrast.Sample Outline of Compare/Contrast(“Writing Paragraphs 74)Rug

26、byHistoryMajor CompetitionsKey PlayersMethod of Scoring/RulesFansGrid Iron FootballHistoryMajor CompetitionsKey PlayersMethod of Scoring/RulesFansSample Compare/Contrast Paragraph(“Writing Paragraphs 74).point-by-point or block?The romantic mode is primarily inspirational, imaginative, creative, int

27、uitive. Feelings rather than facts predominate. “Art when it is opposed to “Science is often romantic. It does not proceed by reason or by laws. It proceeds by feeling, intuition and aesthetic conscience. In the northern European cultures the romantic mode is usually associated with femininity, but

28、this is certainly not a necessary association. The classic mode, by contrast, proceeds by reason and by lawswhich are themselves underlying forms of thought and behavior. In the European cultures it is primarily a masculine mode and the fields of science, law and medicine are unattractive to women l

29、argely for this reason. Although motorcycle riding is romantic, motorcycle maintenance is purely classic. The dirt, the grease, the mastery of underlying form required all give it such a negative romantic appeal that women never go near it. - From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert

30、M. PirsigRomantic Mode vs. Classical ModeRomantic ModeClassical ModeCompare/Contrast PracticelClassroom ExerciseSkittles vs. M&Ms in class w/partnerlHomework Options:Compare/contrast two historical figures (presidents, rulers, inventors, philosophers, artists, writers)Compare/contrast two types

31、of relaxation or entertainmentCompare yourself on your best days as opposed to your worst days (getting up in the morning, going to school, etc.)What is an analogy? Why do people use analogies?lAn analogy is a type of comparison.lAn analogy compares two seemingly unlike things (metaphor, simile, per

32、sonification)lThe purpose of an analogy is to explain a difficult or unusual concept by comparing it with something similar.Sample Analogy(“Writing Paragraphs 77)“If a poem is concentrated, a closed fist, then anovel is relaxed and expansive, an open hand:it has roads, detours, destinations; a heart

33、 line,a head line; morals and money come into it. Where the first excludes and stuns, the openhand can touch and encompass a great deal inits travels.-Sylvia Plath “A ComparisonPractice Analogy WritinglHomework options:Explain your reading habitsExplain how a mechanical device works (e.g. car engine

34、)Explain how to play a game/sport (e.g. tennis, cricket, horseback riding, poker)Use a life process as an analogy to describe the rise and fall of a nation, an empire, or a sports teamCause and EffectlAnalysis by cause and effect is often subdivided into categories:Immediate causeUnderlying cause(s)

35、lCause and effect QuestionsWhy did this occur?What was the result?Sample Cause/Effect Paragraph AEven a slight drop in the normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees F causes hypothermia. Often produced by accidental or prolonged exposure to cold, the condition forces all bodily functions to slow down.

36、 The heart rate and blood pressure decrease. Breathing becomes slower and shallower. As the body temperature drops, these effects become even more dramatic until somewhere between 86 degrees and 82 degrees F the person lapses into unconsciousness. When the temperature reaches between 65 degrees and

37、59 degrees F, heart action, blood flow, and electrical brain activity stop. Normally such a condition would be fatal. However, as the body cools down, the need for oxygen also slows down. A person can survive in a deep hypothermic state for an hour or longer and be revived without serious complicati

38、ons. - Laura Black from Write for CollegeSignal WordslBecauselSolSo thatlIf.thenlConsequentlylThuslSincelForlFor this reasonlAs a result oflThereforelDue tolThis is howlNeverthelesslAccordinglySample Cause/Effect: Paragraph BHeres an explanation of why we often suppress the subject of death:I think

39、there are many reasons for this flight away from facing death calmly. One of the most important facts is that dying nowadays is more gruesome in many ways, namely, more lonely, mechanical, and dehumanized; at times it is even difficult to determine technically when the time of death has occurred. Dy

40、ing becomes lonely and impersonal because the patient is often taken out of his familiar environment and rushed to an emergency room. Whoever has been sick and has required rest and comfort especially may recall his experience of being put on a stretcher and enduring the noise of the ambulance siren

41、 and hectic rush until the hospital gates open. Only those who have lived through this may appreciate the discomfort and cold necessity of such transportation which is only the beginning of a long ordealhard to endure when you are well, difficult to express in words when noise, light, pumps, and voi

42、ces are all too much to put up with.Elisabeth Kubler-Ross On Death and DyingVocabulary Break!lDefine the following words before reading the cause/effect sample paragraph:lPurgeslDeportationlEuphemismlQuestion-begginglIncendiarylPacificationlRectificationlDeplorelCurtailmentlConcomitantSample Cause/E

43、ffect Paragraph CIn our time, political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible. Things like the continuance of British rule in India, the Russian purges and deportations, the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan, can indeed be defended, but only by arguments which are too brut

44、al for most people to face, and which do not square with the professed aims of political parties. Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness. Defenseless villages are bombarded from the air, the inhabitants driven out into the countryside

45、, the cattle machine-gunned, the huts set on fire with incendiary bullets: this is called pacification. Millions of peasants are robbed of their farms and sent trudging along the roads with no more than they can carry: this is called transfer of population or rectification of frontiers. People are i

46、mprisoned for years without trial, or shot in the back of the neck or sent to die of scurvy in Arctic lumber camps: this is called elimination of unreliable elements. Such phraseology is needed if one wants to name things without calling up mental pictures of them. Consider for instance some comfortable English professor defending Russian totalitarianism. He cannot say outright, “I believe in killing off your opponents when you can g