Writing Academic English 4th Edition

Chapter 1 IParagraphStructure 3

MODElL.

Paragraph
Structure

WritingTechniqueQuestions

1.Whatis thetopicoftheparagraph?

2. Whattwomainpointsdoesthewritermakeaboutthetopic?


3. Inwhichtwosentencesdoesthewritersaythattherearetwomainpoints?


4. Whatexamplesdoesthewriterusetosupporteachpoint?

TheThreePartsofa Paragraph.

Allparagraphshavea topicsentenceandsupportingsentences,andsomepara-

graphsalsohavea concludingsentence.

Thetopicsentencestatesthemainideaoftheparagraph.Itnotonlynamesthetopic

oftheparagraph,butit alsolimitsthetopictoonespecificareathatcanbediscussed

completelyinthespaceofa singleparagraph.Thepartofthetopicsentencethat

announcesthespecificareatobediscussediscalledthecontrollingidea.Noticehow

thetopicsentenceofthemodelstatesboththetopicandthecontrollingidea:

TOPIC CONTROLLINGIDEA

@apreciousmetal,is prizedfortwoimportantcharacteristics.

Supportingsentencesdevelopthetopicsentence.Thatis,theyexplainorprove

thetopicsentencebygivingmoreinformationaboutit.Followingaresomeofthe

supportingsentencesthatexplainthetopicsentenceaboutgold.

Firstofall,goldhasa lustrousbeautythatis resistanttocorrosion.

Forexample,a Macedoniancoinremainsasuntarnishedtodayastheday

it wasmade 25 centuriesago.

Anotherimportantcharacteristicofgoldisitsusefulnesstoindustryandscience.

Themostrecentuseofgoldisinastronauts'suits.

llustrous:glowing

2corrosion:chemicaldamage

3untarnished:unchangedincolor