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What Is a Paragraph? The Topic Sentence

What Is a Paragraph? The Topic Sentence. Ku-Yaw Chang canseco@mail.dyu.edu.tw Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering Da-Yeh University. The Topic Sentence. State the topic and the controlling idea of the paragraph A complete sentence

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What Is a Paragraph? The Topic Sentence

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  1. What Is a Paragraph?The Topic Sentence Ku-Yaw Chang canseco@mail.dyu.edu.tw Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering Da-Yeh University

  2. The Topic Sentence • State the topic and the controlling idea of the paragraph • A complete sentence • Usually (not always) the first sentence in the paragraph Software Engineering

  3. Important Issue (1/3) • A complete sentence • A subject, a verb and (usually) a complement • Not complete sentences • Driving on freeways • The importance of gold • How to register for college classes Software Engineering

  4. Important Issue (2/3) • Contain both a topic and a controlling idea • Limit the topic to a specific area to be discussed • Examples • Driving on freeways requires skill and alertness. • Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. • Registering for college classes can be a frustrating experience for new students. Software Engineering

  5. Important Issue (3/3) • Give only the main idea, not specific details. • Examples • The Arabic origin of many English words is not always obvious. • The slang expression so long is probably a corruption of the Arabic salaam. • too specific • English is a difficult language to learn. • too general Software Engineering

  6. The Topic Sentence • Position • The first sentence • The last sentence • The first and last sentence of the paragraph • Sandwich-style Software Engineering

  7. Practice One • Step 1 • Decide which of the following sentences is the topic sentence of the paragraph • Step 2 • Write TS on the line next to that sentence • Step 3 • Decide the order of the supporting sentences and number them SS1, SS2, SS3, and so on Software Engineering

  8. Paragraph 1 • It enables customers to do several banking transactions twenty-four hours a day. • In addition, a customer can transfer funds between accounts or get a cash advance on a credit card. • An automated teller machine (ATM) is a convenient miniature bank. • For example, a customer can use an ATM to deposit money and withdraw a limited amount of cash. Software Engineering

  9. Paragraph 2 • After an attack by a great white, 462 stitches were required to sew up an Australian scuba diver. • With their razor-sharp teeth and strong jaws, great white sharks are very dangerous. • Nevertheless, one did just that near a public beach in Australia in 1985. • Even when they attack humans, however, great whites do not usually eat them. • In 1997, a great white shark bit a man surfing at a beach in California and left three shark teeth in his legs. • It bit in half and totally devoured a young female swimmer. • Great whites do not usually attack humans, but when they do, they always cause serious injury and even death. Software Engineering

  10. Two Essential Parts • The topic • Name the subject (or main idea) of the paragraph • The controlling idea • Makes a specific comment about the topic • Indicate what the rest of the paragraph will say about the topic Software Engineering

  11. Two Essential Parts • Convenience foods are easy to prepare. • The native foods of American’s immigrant population are reflected in American cooking. • The average American teenager consumes enormous quantities of junk food. Software Engineering

  12. Practice Two • Circle the topic and underline the controlling idea in each of the following sentences. • Driving on freeways requires nerves of steel. • The Caribbean island of Trinidad attracts tourists because of its calypso music. • Spectacular beaches make Puerto Rico a tourist paradise. • In my opinion, many TV commercials for cosmetics lie to women. • Owning an automobile is a necessity for me. Software Engineering

  13. Writing Topic Sentences • Neither too general or too specific • Too general • American food is terrible. • Too specific • American food is tasteless and greasy because Americans use to many canned, frozen, and prepackaged foods and because everything is fried in oil or butter. • Good • American food is tasteless and greasy. Software Engineering

  14. Writing Topic Sentences • Do not include too many unrelated ideas (not be unified) • Too many ideas • San Francisco is famous for its temperate climate, its many tourist attractions, and its cosmopolitan atmosphere. • Good • San Francisco is famous for its cosmopolitan atmosphere. Software Engineering

  15. The End

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