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ParagraphWritingParagraphWritingWhatisthestructureofaparagraph?TheTopicSentenceSupportingsentencesTheconcludingsentenceThisisthestructureofaparagraph!Generallyspeaking,thesethreedifferenttypesofsentencesplaydifferentrolesinaparagraph:1.Topicsentence;2.Supportingsentences;3.Concludingsentence.asentencetotellthereaderwhattheparagraphismainlyabout.sentencestogivemoredetailedinformationaboutthetopicsentence.asentencetoendaparagraphortosummarize(总结）theideas.(主题句)(扩展句/阐述句)(结论句/结尾句)TheTopicSentence•Thecharacteristicsofatopicsentence•ThepositionsofatopicsentenceTheCharacteristics1)Thetopicsentencemustbeacompletesentence.2)Thetopicsentenceshouldalwayscontainbothatopicandacontrollingidea.TheTopicSentence=Topic+ControllingIdea3)Thetopicsentenceshouldbeneithertoogeneralnortoospecific.Examples:1)Theimportanceofreadingwidely.Readingwidelyisveryimportantinimprovingone’sreadingcomprehension.2)Fireaccidentsinbigcities.Recentyearshavewitnessedamarkedgrowthoffireaccidentsinbigcitiesinourcountry.3)Tomakeallthedecisionsforchildren.ParentsinChinatendtomakeallthedecisionsfortheirchildren.Thetopictellsthereaderwhattheparagraphisabout.Thecontrollingideaisakeywordorphrasethatexpressesthebasicpointofaparagraph.Note:acontrollingideacommitstheparagraphtoaspecificaspectofthetopic.e.g.1)Conveniencefoodsareeasytoprepare.2)Alcoholicbeveragesshouldbebannedfromcollegecampusesfortworeasons.3)TherearequiteafewunusualsuperstitionsinChinaaboutmarriage.(general)(specific)Readthefollowingtopicsentencesandthenidentifythetopicandthecontrollingideaineachsentence•Peoplecanavoidburglariesbytakingcertainprecautions.•Thereareseveraladvantagestogrowingupinasmalltown.•MostUSuniversitiesrequirea550pointTOEFLscoreforanumberofreasons.•AirpollutioninMexicoCityistheworstintheworldforanumberofreasons.•Fixingaflattireonabicycleiseasyifyoufollowthesesteps.•Ridingabicyclegivespleasure.•ThereareseveralenjoyablewaystotravelbetweentheUSandQueretaro.•Animalsindangerofbecomingextinctcomefromawiderangeofcountries.•Effectiveleadershiprequiresspecificqualitiesthatanyonecandevelop.•IndustrialwastepouredintoLakeMichiganhasledtodramaticchangesinitsabilitytosupportmarinelife.•InordertofullyexplorethewreckoftheTitanic,scientistsmustaddressseveralproblems.Discussion:whichofthefollowingstatementisgeneral,specificorsuitable?Group11)Americanfoodisterrible.2)AmericanfoodistastelessandgreasybecauseAmericansusetoomanycanned,frozen,andpackagedfoodsandbecauseeverythingisfriedinoilorbutter.3)Americanfoodistastelessandgreasy.(toogeneral)(toospecific)(suitable)Group21)Manyvoterssupportedthecandidate.2)Manyvoterspassivelysupportedthecandidate.Group31)Toplayanykindofmusicalinstrument,oneneedstoknowsomethingabouttheinstrument.2)Toplayanykindofdrumrequiresagoodsenseofrhythm.(toogeneral)(toogeneral)(suitable)(suitable)Herearesomeexamplesofsentencesthatcannotbeusedastopicsentences.Canyoufigureoutwhytheyareinappropriate?1)MyhometownisfamousbecauseitislocatedbyWheatonRiver,whichisverywide,andbecauseitisbuiltnearanunusuallysteephillcalledWheatonHill.Analysis:Theproblemwiththissentenceisthatitcontainstoomanydetails.Topicsentencesaregeneral,anddetailsshouldappearlaterintheparagraph.Revised:Myhometownisfamousforseveralamazinggeographicalfeatures.2)Therearetworeasonswhysomepeopleliketobuycarswithautomatictransmissionandtworeasonswhyotherslikecarswithmanualtransmission.Analysis:Thissentenceisnotappropriateasatopicsentencebecauseitmentionstwotopics,notjustone.Paragraphsareusuallyaboutonemainthingandsotheirtopicsentencesshouldalsobeaboutonlyonemainthing.Revised:a)Therearetworeasonswhysomepeopleliketobuycarswithautomatictransmission.OR(inadifferentparagraph):b)Therearetworeasonswhysomepeoplelikecarswithmanualtransmission.3)Cloudsarewhite.AnalysisTheproblemwiththissentenceisthatitistoogeneral.Itisalsoveryboring!Wouldyouliketoreadaparagraphwiththistopicsentence?Mostpeoplewouldnot.Revised•Theshapesofcloudsaredeterminedbyvariousfactors.DifferentPositionsOfaTopicSentencetypeThepositionsofthetopicsentenceAtthebeginningofaparagraphAttheendofaparagraphInthemiddleofaparagraphNocleartopicsentenceWorkingroupsoffourandfindthetopicsentenceofeachparagraph!1Smokingcigarettesisharmfultoyourhealth.Experimentsshowthatcigarettesmokingcancausecancer.Besidesthemostseriousandterribledisease(illness)----cancer,cigarettesmokingcanalsocauseotherhealthproblems.Forexample,itcangiveonea“smoker’scough”.Finally,studieshaveshownitiseasyforcigarettesmokerstocatchcolds.Whetheryougetanunimportantcoldorterriblekiller,cancer,smokingisharmful.Isitworthit?2Oftennoonelooksmoreguiltythantheinnocent.Ontheotherhand,nobodymaylookmoreinnocentthanaprofessionalcriminal.Andthemanwhoknows“everything”mayreallyonlybetryingtohidehisownweakness.So,itisfoolishtotrytojudgeapersononlybyhisappearance.3Everybridewantsherweddingtobethemostwonderfuldayofherlife.Butperfectweddingsrequirecarefulplanning,whetherthebrideandbridegroomareplanningatraditionalweddingorjustaregistryofficeceremony.Payingforthewedding,whichisalwaysaproblem,willpartlydecidethechoice.Tomstudie