The Techniques to Develop Paragraphs

段落扩展的方法

The development of the paragraphs is always according with the need of the main idea. The main idea governs the content of the paragraph, while at the same time it is governed by the mental activities of the human mind. With the development of the human brain, many thought patterns have already formed in the brain. To put these patterns into use, we have the following techniques to develop the paragraphs: description, exemplification, illustration, definition, classification, comparison and contrast, cause and effect.

Usually writers are using more than one of these techniques in their writing.

Description

As far as description is concerned, first of all it is important to describe the most obvious characteristics of the matter that is described; besides, it is also important to have a proper point of view and put the description in proper order. In addition, it is necessary to combine description and narration. But most important of all, the writer has to demonstrate his or her purpose in writing the passage through the description.

Description

In description, a spatial order is used to describe how something looks. It is also used to describe movement through space. For example, a spatial sequence is used by engineers to describe buildings. Spatial orders can be various, but whatever it might be, it has to be systematic and orderly. That is to say, the writer must have a clear order in his or her logical thought patterns. The writing moves from one item to another systematically in a prearranged plan. The major supporting sentences are those that move from one point of attention to another. For these sentences, it is extremely important to provide transitions to show the readers exactly where the passage is moving.

Exemplification Examples are always convincing. Examples

can make the abstract ideas more specific and easy to understand. Facts, statistics and experience are good for exemplification. Examples should be typical and representative.

Exemplification Today in China cigarette smoking is restricted in many ways. For example, when smokers are in restaurants, on trains and in public buildings, they may smoke only in designated areas. When they are on public buses, in theaters and in classrooms, they may not smoke at all. Cigarettes are not advertised on television or radio. A notice is on every package of cigarettes sold in China warning that smoking is dangerous to health. These regulations have reduced cigarette smoking very much since they were instituted. Smoking is on the decline.

Exemplification My Personal Experience

My personal experiences have shown me that American students do not care to be informed about the world situation. Their talk is always about themselves and their city. For instance, if I ask an American student what he thinks about the political regime of Ecuador, he will only change the conversation to what he was doing over the weekend. Many of these students do not even know where foreign countries are. For example, a friend of mine met an American girl, and she asked my friend where he was from, he said, “Colombia,” and she responded, oh, and “how is life in Africa?”

Exemplification Since I began to study English, I have noticed

three persistent errors in my speech. I think these errors are also the most common mistakes made by Chinese-speaking students. The first is that I speak sentences which are similar to Chinese. For instance, I will say, ___________ . Another mistake is that I often translate directly from Chinese. For example, I will say, ____________. My final mistake in spoken English is the grammatical problem of verb endings: I will often say __________________ . If I can correct these three problems in my English I think all the English-speaking people can understand me much better.

Everyone loves sports.

Illustration Illustration means to give explanation

or introduction to some matter,opinion, or concept. To illustrate an opinion, details are needed; to illustrate some reasons, the importance should be made clear; to illustrate a method to do something, orders are the first consideration.

Illustration Modern Teenagers A notable characteristic of modern teenagers

is their concern about the future. They worry about such things as entering a suitable occupation, becoming accepted in their community, and establishing a social and recreational life to match their vocational pursuits. In other words, they are not consent just to live from day to day to see what happens; they want to direct their lives. Planning for the future, then is a noticeable characteristic of the typical teenagers. They are not just happy-go-lucky characters. They are always giving thought to tomorrow.

Illustration

Fast Food Restaurant

Fast food restaurants are popular because they reflect modern life style. First, they are not formal restaurants. Customers wear any type of dress when they go to a fast food place. Second, they are fast. People who are busy do not want to spend time preparing their own food or waiting while someone else prepares it. In fast food restaurants the foods id usually ready before the customer even orders it. Finally, most food in a fast food restaurant is not expensive. Therefore, people can afford to eat at a fast food restaurant often, while they may not be able to afford a more traditional and more expensive restaurant very often.

Illustration and Exemplification Nonverbal communication expresses

meaning or feeling without words. Universal emotions, such as happiness, fear, and sadness, are expressed in a similar nonverbal way throughout the world. There are, however, nonverbal differences across cultures that may be a source of confusion for foreigners. For example, feelings of friendship exist everywhere but their expression varies. It may be acceptable in some countries for men to embrace each other and for women to hold hands; in other countries these displays of affection may be shocking.

Definition It is an often used technique to give definition

to a concept or an idea in the writing, aiming at distinguishing the written topic and other similar matter. In this technique people usually add attributives or give explanation.

Definition which is used for measuring temperature.

used for measuring temperature.

for measuring temperature.

A thermometer is a device which measures temperature.

measuring temperature.

with which we can measure temperatures.

Definition Weather Reports

Scientist who study and predict weather are called meteorologists. They prepare weather reports. They also give warnings about storms and strong winds and keep records of the weather. They obtain information about the worlds weather form weather stations, satellites and weather balloons.

Emotions

All human beings have reactions, or feelings, to situations or to their own thoughts. These reactions are called emotions. Emotions can be positive ones that make a person happy---satisfaction, love, pleasure, and pride. But emotions can also be negative ones that make a person unhappy--- anger, fear, sadness, hate, disappointment and pain.

Modernization and Progress Modernization means that some aspects of the world is changed so that something new replaces something that has been in existence, perhaps for a long time. Progress, on the other hand, means that some aspect of the world is changed so that it is better than before. Thus, for example, modernization can simply mean adopting superficial practices from a country considered to be modern. Such a change may actually be harmful to a society—for instance, the use of western business suits in a tropical climate. The development of a new drug to cure serious disease or the creation of a new, safe clean source of energy represents progress.

Definition and illustration Transportation

Transportation can be defined as the act of moving people from one place to another. In prehistoric times, people traveled on foot and carried their belongings with them. Later, they learned to use animals to carry loads. As time passed on, wagons and sailing vessels became a popular means of transportation. In modern society, different methods of transportation make it possible to reach any place in the world in a relatively short period of time. No one could imagine how human civilization could be developed without transportation.

Definition and exemplification Generation Gap Generation gap is a term which means the “difference” between the old and the young. In likes and dislikes, for example, most of the young people in the present China are fond of wearing fashionable jeans, listening to pop music and dancing disco. On the contrary, few old people enjoy these things. In marriage and engagement, moreover, the young prefer to have their own right and freedom to choose their partners. The old, however, do not want their children to make their own decision without their permissions.

The Techniques to Develop Paragraphs (2)

Classification

Classification refers to the method to put the illustrated matter into different categories according to certain criteria. The criteria , according with the need of the expression, are mainly the following ones: 1. Regular criteria, which refers to the criteria that have been publicly recognized or those to which people have got used. 2. The different functions. 3. The different characteristics.

In practical writing, the method of classification often goes together with illustration and comparison.

The Regular Criteria

be divided into… fall into … be classified …

braches sorts classes kinds

Practice 1. Some scientists /applied scientists/ known as2. Scientists/ pure and applied/ into two groups/ can be divided3. Those who/ are called scientists/ do scientific research

_______________________. A pure or theoretical scientist does original research in order to understand the basic law of nature that govern our world. However, an applied scientists adapts this knowledge to practical problems. Neither is more important than the other because the two groups are very much related.

Practice 1. Education in the United States/ is usually divided into four levels/ secondary education/ and higher education/ elementary education/ early childhood education

2.Different people of different ages/ at different levels/ in the United States/ from elementary level to college level/ can receive education

3.In the United States, /including kindergartens,/ high schools and universities,/ there are many kinds of schools,/ elementary schools

_______ . The first level is for children under six. The second level is for children from age six to twelve or fourteen. Children learn various subjects and skills to prepare them for secondary education. The third level is for junior and senior high school students. Junior high school students are fourteen to seventeen or eighteen years old. The fourth level, higher education, continues the education process after high school.

The Functional Criteria To apply this method to the writing, the article

could have prominent key points, clear levels of expression and good organization.

Groups sections subdivisions categories

As a means of education as a tool of communication

As a medium of mass media as a form of entertainment

As an instrument of calculation

The Tape Recorder Tape recorder is useful in many ways. As

a means of education, it can be used in language teaching and learning. As an instrument of communication, it can be used to record important speeches and reports. As a medium of entertainment, it can be utilized to play music at home or in the public places like restaurants, department stores and railway stations.

The Criteria According to Characteristics

To figure out the heads and lines in the confusing matters, this method enables us to express a clear logic to others.

Some useful expressions for this method: those who some others some…while

others types divisions factors aspects

Classification and Illustration Computers

Computers are being used in three important fields---space travel, aviation, and medicine. In space travel, rockets, satellites, and spaceships are guided by computers. In aviation, computers are used in the training of airline pilots. Computers also direct the flight of planes from one city to another, control their air speeds and altitudes, and eve lad them. In medicine, computers are used in analyzing blood samples, in diagnosing diseases, and in prescribing medications.

Comparison and Contrast

By this method, people can find the similarity in the different matters or figure out the difference in the the similar things. Even for the same matter, people can compare its conditions in different periods.

Traditional Families and Modern Families

The traditional family of yesterday and the modern family of today have several similarities. The traditional family was a nuclear family---father, mother and children----and the modern family is too. The role of the father in the traditional family was to provide for his family. Similarly, the father in the modern family is expected to do so also. The mother in the traditional family took care of the children’s physical and emotional needs just as the modern mothers do.

Some useful expressions

is the same as… like resembles similarity similarly share the

same… are the same/similar… in …

Bicycle

Compared with automobiles, bicycles do not need large space for parking. With no need of an engine to provide power, bicycles do not give off exhaust to pollute air. Although slower than automobiles, bicycles are a much safer means of transport. Moreover, riding is a kind of exercise, but driving does nothing good to ones’s health.

Women in Today’s World Woman is playing a different role in today’s

world. In the past, the woman may have worked for pay during her first years of marriage, however, after she became pregnant, she would quit her job. Her primary role was to take care of her family and home. In contrast, in many families today, the modern woman works outside the home even after she has children. She is doing two jobs instead of one, so she is busier than the traditional mother was. The traditional wife learned to live within her husband’s income. On the other hand, the modern wife does not have to because the family has two incomes.

Education and Training Education had to do with the transmission of

ideas and intellectual process for dealing with ideas, for solving problems, for interpreting information. Training, on the other hand, has to do with the transmission of information so that a particular process deriving from that information may be repeated in exactly the same way. When a person studies science and learns about scientific process and, as a result, becomes capable of doing science, he is participating in education. But when a person is taught how to assemble a television set without any concern for how the television set works, he is participating in training.

Cause and Effect

This method, as it is known to all, means to illustrate some phenomena or to express some points of view, by analyzing the cause and effect between matters. By discovering the relations between different matters, this method is very convincing.

Noise

Noise can have negative effects. It can cause partial or total deafness if people are exposed to high-intensity sound for long periods of time. Due to constant noise in their environment, children’s ability to read may suffer. High-intensity noise at work often leads to aggressive or interrupt sleep, people may develop nervous disorders. These are some of the negative aspects of noise.

Tennis The popularity of tennis is the result of several

factors. For one thing, it can provide plenty of exercise for the most energetic person, or it can be played in a more relaxed way and be just as much as fu. Moreover, tennis is an interesting game because people can always work to improve their skills. Every opponent has his or her weakness, and it is challenged to figure out how to take advantage of them. Furthermore, tennis requires very little equipment and money. Unlike some sports, it is a game people can play when they are older if they stay in good physical condition. This is why players can live a happier and longer life than those who do not play it.

Exercises EXERCISE 11. 各个学校开了各种各样的选修课。2. 学生选课有不同的原因 .3. 就我而言 EXAMPLEEXERCISE 2

1.1. 目前盗版的现象比较严重目前盗版的现象比较严重 ..

2.2. 造成这种现象的原因以及危害造成这种现象的原因以及危害

3.3. 我们应该怎么做我们应该怎么做 ??

词汇词汇 ::

piracy piracy 盗版盗版

Pirated products Pirated products 盗版产品盗版产品

Intellectual property rights Intellectual property rights 知识产权知识产权

Infringe sb.Infringe sb.’’s copyright; copyright infringgement s copyright; copyright infringgement 侵犯侵犯版权版权

That’s all for today!

Thank you for your attention!