Para Writing Exe

8/12/2019 Para Writing Exe

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EXERCISES ON PARAGRAPH WRITING

A) TOPIC SENTENCES

The topic sentence is the most important sentence of a paragraph. It states themain idea and

introduces the reader to the topic.

1. CHOOSING TOPIC SENTENCES

Choose the best topic sentence for each ro!p of s!pportin sentences. Write it on the

"ine pro#i$e$.Example: ___________b_____________. I usually go skiing every weekend in the wintereven though it is expensive. I love the feeling of flying down a mountain. The views are

beautiful from the top of a mountain and along the trails. Even the danger of falling and

getting hurt cant keep me away from the slopes on a winter day.

a !kiing is expensive.b !kiing is my favourite sport.

c !kiing is dangerous.

". _________________________________________________. #orth $mericans send cards fmany occasions. They send cards to family and friends on birthdays and

holidays. They also send thank%you cards& get well cards& graduation cards& and

congratulation cards. It is very common to buy cards in stores and send them throughthe mail& but turning on the computer and sending cards over the Internet is also

popular.

a !ending cards is very popular in #orth $merica.b 'irthday cards are the most popular kind of card.

c It is important to send thank%you cards.

(

(. _____________________________________________ . I en)oy summer sports likewater skiing and baseball. The weather is usually sunny and hot& so I can go to the

beach almost every day. *ardening is my hobby and I spend many summer days

working in my garden. +nfortunately& the days pass too ,uickly in summer.

a I like to garden in summer.b !ummer is my favourite season.

c !ummer is to short.-. ________________________________________ . irst of all& we need money to

repair old roads and build new roads. /e also need more to pay teachers salaries and

to pay for services such as trash collection. inally& more tax money is needed to give

financial help to the poor citi0ens of the city. It is clear that the city will have seriousproblems if taxes are not raised soon.

a /e should raise city taxes.

b 1ity taxes are too high.c 1ity taxes pay for new roads.

2. _________________________________________ . or example& a person can havebreakfast in #ew 3ork& board an airplane& and have dinner in 4aris. $ businesswomanin 5ondon can instantly place an order with a factory in 6ong 7ong by sending a fax.

urthermore& a schoolboy in Tokyo can turn on a T8 and watch a baseball game being

played in 5os $ngeles.a $irplanes have changed our lives.

b $dvances in technology have made the world seem smaller.

c The fax machine was an important invention.


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9. ___________________________________________ . ne thing you must consider is

the ,uality of the universitys educational program. 3ou also need to think about theschools si0e and location. inally& you must be sure to consider the universitys

tuition to make sure you can afford to go to school there.

a It is expensive to attend a university in the +nited !tates.b There are several factors to consider when you choose a university to attend.

c 3ou should consider getting a good education.-

%. WRITING A TOPIC SENTENCE

Write a topic sentence for each pararaph. &a'e s!re (o!r topic sentence epresses

the *ain i$ea of the pararaph.

Example: ;iami is the perfect place to take a vacation. It is always sunny and warm. Thebeaches are gorgeous& with soft white sand and beautiful water. There are many fine

restaurants in the ;iami area& and most of the hotels offer terrific entertainment nightly.

Its no wonder that ;iami is my first choice for a vacation destination.". ___________________________________________________ . 6e has

collected stamps and coins ever since he was a child. 6e is very proud of his

valuable collections. 4aul also en)oys painting and drawing. player is completely broken. Iwish I could get a new car.

2. __________________________________________________ . irst and mostimportantly& the work is very interesting. I learn new things every day and I get

to travel a lot. In addition& my boss is very nice. !he is always willing to help

me when I have a problem. I have also made many new friends at my )ob. 5ast&

but not least& the salary is fantastic.9. ____________________________________________________ . To start

things off& my plane was six hours late. /hen I finally got to my hotel& I was

very disappointed. It was small and dirty. n the third day& my wallet was2

stolen& and I lost all my credit cards. It rained very day except one& and on thatday I got a terrible sunburn. $ll in all& it wasnt a vacation to remember.

+) S,PPORTING SENTENCES

The supporting sentences develop the main idea in the topic sentence. They

add details to the topic.


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-. RECOGNIING S,PPORTING SENTENCES

Rea$ the fo""o/in pararaphs an$ !n$er"ine the s!pportin sentences.

". +se of the internet has grown very ,uickly. In "?@-& there were 9A( computers

connected to the Internet. 'y the turn of the century& there were B(.- million

computers in (2B countries on%line. Experts say that the Internet is now growing ata rate of approximately 2C percent a year. $s time goes on& the Internet is

becoming more and more popular.(. There are many reasons I hate my apartment. The plumbing doesnt workproperly and the landlord refuses to fix it. I also have noisy neighbours who keep

me up all night. urthermore& there are so many bugs in my apartment that I could

start an insect collection. I really want to move.

-. 8egetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy diet. irst& fruits andvegetables are packed with the vitamins and minerals you need to keep your

body functioning smoothly. In addition& they give you the carbohydrates you

need for energy. ruits and vegetables have lots of fiber to help your digestivesystem work properly. inally& many scientists believe that the nutrients in

fruits and vegetables can help fight diseases. If you eat a diet rich in fruits and

vegetables& youll be on the road to better health.9

C) IRRE0EANT SENTENCES

Every supporting sentence in a paragraph must relate to the main idea stated inthe topic sentence. $ sentence that does not support the main idea does not

belong in the paragraph& thus such a sentence should be omitted. /hen a

sentence does not belong in a paragraph& it is called an irre"e#ant sentence.

Example: The students in the class come from many different party of the world. !ome arefrom European countries& such s rance& !pain& and Italy. thers are from ;iddle Eastern

countries like !audi $rabia and Israel. !till other students were born in $sian countries&

including Dapan and 7orea. 2orean foo$ is $e"icio!s. The largest number of students is from

5atin $merican countries like ;exico& 8ene0uela and 4eru. The class is an interesting mix ofpeople from many different countries.

3. RECOGNIING IRRE0EANT SENTENCES

There is one irre"e#ant sentence in each pararaph that fo""o/s. 4in$ that sentence an$

cross it o!t.

". There are several ways people can conserve natural resources. ne way is to turn

lights off and appliances when they are not in use. $nother way is to drive cars less.;y favourite kind of car is convertible. 4eople can also insulate their houses better.

inally& by reusing things like bottles and plastic bags& people can reduce the amount

of waste. 'y practicing these simple guidelines& we can save our natural resources.(. 1ats make wonderful house pets. They are very loving and friendly. 1ats are also

clean. They dont eat much& so they are not expensive. +nfortunately& some people areallergic to their hair. 1ats look beautiful and theyre fun to have in your home.-. The capital city of a country is usually a very important city. The government offices

are located in the capital city and political leaders usually live there nearby. There are

many different types of governments in the world. The capital may also be the centreof culture. There are often museums& libraries& and universities in the capital. inally&

the capital city can serve as a centre of trade& industry and commerce& so it is often the

financial centre of the country.


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A

2. The Dapanese automobile industry uses robots in many stages of its production process.In fact& one large Dapanese auto factory uses robots in all of its production stages.

!ome Dapanese universities are developing medical robots to detect certain kinds of

cancer. $nother automobile factory in Dapan uses them to paint cars as they come offthe assembly line. urthermore& most Dapanese factories use robots to weld the parts of

the finished car together.9. The packaging of many products is very wasteful. ften the packaging is twice as bigas the product. 4ackaging is used to protect things that are breakable. ;any food items&

for example& have several layers of extra packaging. ;ost of these extra layers could

be eliminated.

5) CONC0,5ING SENTENCES

!ome paragraphs end with a concluding sentence. This sentence states the

main idea of the paragraph again using different words. It summari0es the

main points of the paragraph& or makes a final comment on the topic.1oncluding sentences are not always necessary. In fact& short paragraphs that

are part of longer pieces of writing often do not have concluding sentences.

6. WRITING CONC0,5ING SENTENCESWrite a conc"!$in sentence for each pararaph.

". There are many reasons why I like wearing a uniform to school. irst of all& it

saves time. I dont have to spend time picking out my clothes every morning./earing a uniform also saves money. Its cheaper to purchase a new uniform than

to go out and buy lots of school clothes. In addition& I dont have the pressure of

keeping up with the latest styles. ;ost importantly& wearing a school uniform

gives me a sense that I belong. I really think that it adds to the feeling of schoolspirit and community. _____________________________________________ .

B

(. There are many reasons why I am against wearing a school uniform. or one thing&

I dont like they style of the uniform. The navy bla0er and plaid skirt are tooconservative for me. !econdly& the uniform isnt comfortable. I prefer to wear

baggy pants and a sweater instead of a skirt and a )acket. inally& I want thefreedom to express my individuality through my style of dressing.

____________________________________ .

-. 1redit cards have a lot of advantages. irst of all& credit cards are convenient

because you dont have to carry a lot of cash around. 3ou can buy the productsand services you need even if you do not have cash in your pocket. In addition&

credit cards are very helpful in emergencies. inally& you can become a better

money manager as you learn to use credit cards responsibly.______________________________________ .

@THE 2E78

1. CHOOSING TOPIC SENTENCES8 1a9 %b9 -a9 3 b 6 b.

%. WRITING A TOPIC SENTENCE8

S!este$ ans/ers8

". Pa!" has *an( hobbies. Instead of Fmany you can use: a lot of& several

(. &( *other is reat coo'. Instead of Fgreat you can use similar ad)ectives:

very good& fantastic & also: ;y mothers cooking is very good.


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-. I ha#e :ot) prob"e*s /ith *( car. $lso: I have difficulties G troubles with

my car.2. I ha#e :ot) a reat ;ob. $lso: I have got a fantastic G perfect G a very good

)ob.

9. &( ho"i$a(s < #acations /ere a $isaster. $lso: ;y vacations G holidays weredisastrous G terrible.

-. RECOGNIING S,PPORTING SENTENCES". +se of the internet has grown very ,uickly. In "?@-& there were 9A( computersconnected to the Internet. 'y the turn of the century& there were B(.- million

computers in (2B countries on%line. Experts say that the Internet is now growing at

a rate of approximately 2C percent a year. $s time goes on& the Internet is

becoming more and more popular.(. There are many reasons I hate my apartment. The plumbing doesnt work

properly and the landlord refuses to fix it. I also have noisy neighbours who

keep me up all night. urthermore& there are so many bugs in my apartmentthat I could start an insect collection. I really want to move.

-. 8egetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy diet. irst& fruits and

vegetables are packed with the vitamins and minerals you need to keep your bodyfunctioning smoothly. In addition& they give you the carbohydrates you need for

energy. ruits and vegetables have lots of fiber to help your digestive system work

properly. inally& many scientists believe that the nutrients in fruits and vegetables?

can help fight diseases. If you eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables& youll be on

the road to better health.

3. RECOGNIING IRRE0EANT SENTENCES

". ;y favourite kind of car is convertible.

(. +nfortunately& some people are allergic to their hair.

-. There are many different types of governments in the world.

2. !ome Dapanese universities are developing medical robots to detectcertain kinds of cancer.

9. 4ackaging is used to protect things that are breakable.

=. WRITING CONC0,5ING SENTENCES

S!este$ ans/ers8

". I am happy that we have to wear a uniform to school. $nswers can vary.

(. I am not keen on wearing a uniform to school. G I dont like to wear a uniform toschool. G I am not fond of wearing a uniform to school. $nswers can vary.

-. 1redit cards are my favourite means of payment. G 1redit cards are the best means of

payment. $nswers can vary.!ource: 'lanchard& 7. in


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Classification Paragraph: Fujita ScaleRead the following paragraph carefully. Answer the questions that follow by typing your responses in the text boxes. Youmay want to scroll back to the paragraph or print a copy of the paragraph to refer to as you answer the questions. After yocomplete this exercise, click on Email to email your response to your instructor, or click on Print to print a copy of your worhe !u"ita #cale is used to categori$e tornadoes based on their si$e and intensity. he !% to !& categories reflect theamount of damage caused by the tornado and the length and the width of its path. An !% tornado is a gale tornado withwinds between '% and () miles per hour. #ome damage to chimneys, tree branches, and signs occurs. An !* tornado is amoderate tornado with winds from (+ to **) mph. his speed indicates the beginning of hurricane winds. obile homes,

mo-ing autos, and garages are displaced. A !) tornado is a significant tornado with wind speeds between **+ to *( mph/onsiderable damage to the frames of homes and trees occurs. obile homes become demolished. An !+ tornado is ase-ere tornado with winds between *0 and )%& mph. Roofs and walls are torn off houses1 most trees are uprooted. An !tornado, a de-astating tornado, has winds between )%( and )&% mph. 2ell3constructed homes are le-eled1 cars are throwthrough the air. An ! tornado, labeled an incredible tornado, occurs with winds speeds between )&* and +*0 mph. #trongframed houses and cars are lifted and carried considerable distances. #teel3 and concrete3reinforced structures are badlydamaged. !inally, an !& tornado, labeled as an inconcei-able tornado, occurs with winds between +*4 to +(4 mph. An !&tornado is -ery unlikely. 5f it were to occur, nothing in its path would remain or be recogni$able. he !' and ! winds thatwould surround it would produce mass destruction. he !u"ita #cale for categori$ing tornadoes has been in widespread ussince its inception in *4(*.

Adapted from6 http677www.tornadopro"ect.com

Cause-Effect Paragraph: Smoki

Read the following paragraph carefully. 8otice that each sentence is numbered. Answer the questions that follow by typiyour responses in the text boxes. After you complete the exercise, click on Email to email your work to your instructor, click on Print to print a copy of your work.

Smoking9*: #moking has many serious effects. 9): he most ob-ious effect is the deterioration of a smoker;s health. 9+: #mokiincreases the risk of lung disease, increases blood pressure, increases the risk of heart attacks, and reduces the flowoxygen to the brain. 9': #moking creates respiratory problems. 9: A smoker;s cough expels phlegm, a thick mucus in tnose and the throat that wants to escape the body. 9&: Prolonged use may lead to emphysema and the need to hook up tomachine to pump enough oxygen into the lungs. 9(: Another effect of this habit is that smoking breeds halitosis1 a smokebreath always smells foul and repulsi-e. 90: #moking frequently results in social isolation because fewer people smokewant to be in the presence of second3hand smoke. 94: !riends and acquaintances often bluntly tell their smoking friends tthey don;t want the smell in their cars or in their homes. 9*%: he strong, offensi-e odor of smoke clings to smokers; clothinhair, and skin. 9**: he final effect of smoking is that it depletes the pocketbook. 9*): #moking is now an expensi-e haband the price of cigarettes continues to rise. 9*+: he effects of smoking are many, which lea-es one wondering wintelligent people do not find a way to break their harmful addiction.

Contrast Paragraph: Quilting TechniquesRead the following paragraph carefully. Answer the questions that follow the paragraph by typing your responses in the texboxes. After you complete this exercise, click on Email to email your work to your instructor, or click on Print to print a copyof your work.Quilting Techniqueshough the early /olonists taught quilting techniques to 8ati-e Americans, the /olonists; nlike the cra$y quilts, 8ati-e American quilting

was born out of the desire to express traditions through storytelling. 8ati-e American quilts depict tribal histories, pictorialrecords of people;s li-es and significant e-ents, and reflections of -isions and cultural beliefs. hey show traditional motifscolorful designs, detailed patterns, and fabrics selected specifically to enhance the design. 8ati-e American quilts showmeticulous attention to the consistency between each quilting stitch. hough stitched by hand, each stitch penetrates thefabric and the batting equally. 8ati-e American quilting is an art form that represents the cooperati-e effort of manyindi-iduals and often se-eral generations working together to finish the heirloom. hough both forms of quilting are differenin origin, purpose, and design, each is a -alued symbol of the past that is li-ing in the present.

Comparison Paragraph: Higher EducationRead the following paragraph carefully. Answer the questions that follow the paragraph by typing your responses in the tex


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boxes. After you complete this exercise, click on Email to email your work to your instructor, or click on Print to print a copyof your work.Higher Education

A high3school senior;s decision about whether to attend a community college or a four3year uni-ersity can be difficult sincesimilarities exist between both forms of higher education. At a uni-ersity, students work the first two years to complete theibasic education requirements. Emphasis is often on sur-ey classes plus writing, math, social science, and sciencesequences. After students fulfill these mandatory requirements, they begin to work on courses related to their ma"or orprimary field of study. At a community college, many two3year degrees require sur-ey courses and sequences of classes i

the areas of writing, math, social science, and science. After students complete these basic education requirements, theyearn an Associates ?egree and can then transfer to the uni-ersity to begin courses related to their ma"or or primary field ostudy. At a uni-ersity during the registration process, students usually ha-e a choice of classes, professors, and class time5f se-eral different sections of a course are a-ailable, students can select early morning, daytime, or e-ening classes. hecan often group their classes on onday, 2ednesday, !riday or uesday and hursday. he same is true during theregistration process at a community college. #tudents can select their classes, instructors, and class times as long assections of the courses are a-ailable. @ne additional similarity between the two forms of higher education in-ol-esexpectations. At the uni-ersity, professors expect students to be responsible, to study without being reminded orreprimanded, and to learn to balance the different demands and aspects of their personal and academic li-es. heseexpectations stun many students during the first term as a freshman. hey quickly ha-e to learn to beha-e and think morematurely and responsibly. he same is true for students attending community colleges. At the community college, instructoexpect students to be responsible for their work as well as with decisions in their personal li-es. hey expect students tostudy without being frequently reminded, lectured, or reprimanded. he responsibility for learning shifts to the students. hstudents need to learn to balance the different demands and acti-ities of their personal and academic li-es. ecause bothuni-ersities and community colleges are similar in so many ways, the decision to attend one or the other may best be mad

by looking at the differences rather than the similarities of the two forms of higher education.

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