Com WRITING 3 VB1 TVTTUNG WEEK 1 6

It is the key sentence because it names the subject and the controlling idea: the writer’s main idea, opinion, or feeling about the topic.. Parts of a topic sentence: A topic sentence ha

Course: Writing 3

Teacher: Tran Vo Thanh Tung

Duration: 60 periods

Week 1 UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO PARAGRAPH WRITING

Lesson aims : help students know the following points

 Definition of a paragraph

 Structure of a paragraph

 How to format a paragraph

Time allocation table :

1 Definition + format of a paragraph 1 period

Lesson forcuses :

 Structure of a paragraph

 How to format a paragraph

Warming up activitiy: Read the following paragraph, what is it about ?

Smoking cigarettes can be an expensive habit Considering that the average price per pack of cigarettes a day is a bout $2.50, people who smoke two packs of cigarettes a day spend $5 per day on their habit At the end of one year, these smokers have spent at least $1,825.00 But the price of cigarette is not the only expense cigarette smokers incur Since cigarette smoke has an offensive odour that permeates clothing, stuffed furniture and carpeting, smokers often find that these items must be cleaned more frequently than those of non-smokers Although it is difficult to estimate the cost of this additional

expense, one can see that this hidden expense does contribute to making smoking an expensive habit

1 Definition of a paragraph

A paragraph is a group of related sentences that develops one main idea, which is the topic of the paragraph

2 Structure of a paragraph

A paragraph is made up of three kinds of sentences that develop the writer’s main

idea, opinion, or feeling a bout a subject These sentences are (1) the topic sentence, (2)

supporting sentences, and (3) the concluding sentence The writer may add a final comment after the conclusion

2.1 Topic sentence:

The topic sentence is the most general statement of the paragraph It is the key

sentence because it names the subject and the controlling idea: the writer’s main idea, opinion, or feeling about the topic

Practice 1: Read the following paragraph and answer the questions below

Barefoot Boy

I had a scary experience when I was a young boy One evening while my parents were eating dinner, I was playing barefoot in the yard with my toys Even now I still remember the perfume of the flowers and the moisture of the grass While I was sitting on the grass and playing with a truck, I lucked up at the sky, and my attention was distracted by the beauty of the stars Then I felt something cold and smooth slide over my feet I stayed perfectly still, but I looked down at my feet Then I saw a snake slowly slithering over

my toes I felt terrible and afraid, so my heart beat very fast After the snake moved away,

I screamed to my parents for help, and they captured the snake and took it away The experience frightened me, and I never went outside barefoot again

1 What is the topic sentence? Write it below

………

2 How many supporting sentences are there?

3 In your opinion, do the supporting sentences explain the topic sentence?

4 Write the concluding sentence below

………

5 Does the concluding sentence repeat the information in the topic sentence in a new way?

Practice 2: Put a check () next to the group of sentences that makes a good

paragraph Why are the other groups of sentences not good paragraphs?

My best friend has many different hobbies, such as skiing, cooking, and playing the piano, and she is very good at all of these activities For example, she has played the piano for ten years and has won in three piano competitions She also likes to spend time traveling, and she has been to many different countries in the world She grew up

speaking Spanish and English, but now she can also speak French and Italian I like my best friend very much

Classes in literature are useful no matter what job you intend to have when you finish university Books are about life People who study literature learn the skill of reading carefully and understanding characters, situations, and relationships This kind of understanding can be useful to teachers and business people alike Literature classes also require a lot of writing, so they help students develop the skills of clear communication

Of course, a professional writer needs to have this skill, but it is an equally important skill for an engineer Finally reading literature helps develop an understanding of many

different points of view Reading a novel by a Russian author, for example, will help a reader learn more about Russian culture For anyone whose job may bring them into contact with Russian colleagues, this insight can help encourage better cross-culture understanding Studying literature is studying life, so it is relevant to almost any job you can think of

One good way to learn another language is to live in a country where that

language is used When you live in another country, the language is around you all the time, so you can learn to listen to and speak it more easily

Practice 3: Read this paragraph It is the beginning of an article about Indonesia in

a student newspaper Then answer the questions

Indonesia – Something Interesting at Every Turn

In fact, there are around 300 different ethnic groups! Most Indonesians are Malay, but others are Javanese, Balinese, Chinese, or Indian All these groups make Indonesian culture very interesting Finally, Indonesian has many cities and historical sights to see

a

b

c

Jakarta, the capital city, is fast becoming a modern center of commerce, yet the ancient temples on the island of Bali show that the country’s old traditions are still alive All the people, places, and things to see make Indonesia a great place for vacation

1 What is the topic of the paragraph?

3.5 Title

A paragraph by itself usually has a title This is one word or a group of words that tells what the topic is

Practice 5: Read the paragraph Then label the formatting elements of the

paragraph Use the words in the box

a margin b double spacing c indent d title

This paragraph is about………

to live life in a strong way, so I think I will always admire the color red

later, ancient historians say he ordered the execution of dozens nobles It is said that Moctezuma II saw a comet in 1517 that foreshadowed the downfall of the Aztec empire

In 1910, a wave of hysteria swept over the United States amid reports that Earth was about to pass through Halley’s tail

This paragraph is about………

………

3 When we attributions about ourselves or about others, we tend to attribute the behavior

in question to either internal or external forces When you see some one crash his car into

a telephone pole, you can attribute that unfortunate piece of behavior either to internal or external causes You might conclude that the person is a terrible driver or emotionally upset (internal causes), or you conclude that another car forced the diver off the road (external causes) If you fail an examination, you can attribute it to internal causes such

as stupidity or a failure to study, or you can attribute it to external causes such as an unfair test or an overheated room

This paragraph is about………

Week 2 UNIT 2: WRITING THE TOPIC SENTENCE

Lesson aims : help students know the following points

 Definition of a topic sentence

 Position of topic sentence

 Parts of a topic sentence

Time allocation table :

1 Definition + position of a topic sentence 1 period

Lesson forcuses:

 Parts of a topic sentence

1 Definition of a topic sentence:

The topic sentence is the most general statement of the paragraph

2 Position of the topic sentence:

The topic sentence can come at the beginning or at the end of a paragraph You should write your topic sentence as the first sentence of your paragraph for two reasons First, it will tell the reader what you are going to say Second, you can look back at the topic sentence often as you write the supporting sentences It will help you stay on the subject

as you write

3 Parts of a topic sentence:

A topic sentence has three main parts: a topic (subject), a verb, and a controlling idea

3.1 The topic

The topic is the subject of the paragraph It is what the paragraph is about

3.2 The verb

The verb is used to connect the topic and the controlling idea in grammatical form

3.3 The controlling idea

- The controlling idea is the writer’s idea or attitude about the topic It helps narrow down the topic All the other sentences in the paragraph should relate to and develop the

controlling idea

Ex: Smoking cigarettes can be an expensive habit

Topic verb controlling idea

- With the same topic, there can be different controlling ideas

Ex: topic controlling ideas

- My friend is an honest person

- My friend is the funniest person I know

- My friend has a terribly dangerous job

- A topic sentence must not be a simple fact or a specific detail The controlling idea must say something about the topic that can be supported, developed or

demonstrated in the supporting sentences The controlling idea must also not be too general, or the topic sentence will be unclear

Ex: - A surprise party is a kind of party (too general)

- There were 14 guests at my surprise birthday party (too specific)

- My classmates gave me an unforgettable surprise party for my 18th birthday

The last topic sentence is effective because it introduces the topic and has a

controlling idea that can be developed in the supporting sentences The paragraph will probably tell the story of the party

Practice 1: In each topic sentence below, circle the topic and underline the

controlling idea

1 Hiking is the best way to explore nature closely

2 My uncle had a frightening experience as a young man

3 Text messaging has become popular among teenagers

4 Effective time management requires four easy steps

5 Every college student should take a computer course

6 Another way to reduce the rate of inflation is to balance the federal budget

7 A final advantage Martina Navratilova had on the court was her constant

11 Some seeming English-Spanish equivalents are deceptive

12 Another reason air pollution is hazardous is that it damages the earth’s ozone layer

Practice 2: In each sentence below, circle the topic and underline the controlling idea If the sentence does not contain an effective controlling idea, write an  in the blank For the effective topic sentences, write what you think the supporting

sentences will be about

1………My doctor is very kind to his patients

The writer will give examples of ways in which his doctor is kind to patients

2.…… Fried rice is easy to prepare if you follow some simple steps

……… 3.…… I’m going to write about my country

……… 4.…… I had an adventure in the jungle last year

……… 5.…… Video games are not bad for children

………

Practice 3: Study the following pairs of sentences and check the one you think would

be a good, clear topic sentence for a paragraph The first one is done for you

Explain your choice

1 Snow skiing on the highest mountainsides requires great skill

2 Snow skiing is fun

3 Exercise is healthful

4 Jogging is healthful for several reasons

5 Camping is a great outdoor activity

6 Camping requires a variety of special equipment

7 The legal age for drinking alcoholic drinks should be 21 for several reasons

8 Drinking is dangerous to your health

9 Small cars are popular

10 Driving a VW Rabbit saves money

11 Hong Kong is an exciting city

12 Hong Kong is a shopper’s dream world

13 The violence on television can affect children’s emotional well being

14 Watching television is a waste of time

15 Smoking is a bad habit

16 It is difficult to quit smoking for three reasons

Practice 4: Study each of the following paragraphs Write out the topic sentence for the paragraph, underlining the topic and circling the controlling idea If the topic sentence is implied, write one out

1 Another interesting area this research has to do with is the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation We are intrinsically motivated when we do something “for the fun of it”, or for no other reason than to perform the behavior We sing in the shower, not because we expect applause or because we are trying to earn money, but merely because

we like to do it We do crossword puzzles, paint pictures, and look at the sunset because

it is intrinsically rewarding to do so We do not expect an external reward Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, refers to situations in which we do act because we expect some external reward We may only show up at the office because we need the money

We may only go to school to please to please our parents We may be exceptionally polite to a particular individual because we want something from her

Topic sentence: ………

2 In 1944, The United States signed a treaty with Mexico guaranteeing that country 1.5 million acre-feet of Colorado River water a year But the big division of the Colorado’s precious water had occurred in 1922 under the Colorado River Compact, signed by the seven states along the river and the federal government What makes the agreement shaky

- some describe it as “a house of cards” - is that it is based on an overly optimistic

estimate of the river’s average flow About 15 million acre-feet of water was originally apportioned to the states; actually, the average annual supply is only 13.8 million In addition, the Compact did not take into account Mexico’s right to any Colorado River water at all, so the 1.5 million acre-feet later guaranteed to Mexico widens the gap

between demand and supply The Colorado is, in short, over booked

Topic sentence: ………

3 Tigers are generally believed to have evolved in southern China more than a million years ago and then to have prowled westward towards the Caspian Sea, north to the snow-filled evergreen and oak forest of Siberia, and south across Indo china and

Indonesia, all the way to the lush tropical forest of Bali Their modern history is

admittedly dispiriting Into the 1940s, eight supposed subspecies persisted in the wild Since then, however, the tigers of Bali, the Caspian region and Java have vanished, and the South China tiger, hunted as vermin during the regime of Mao Zedong, seems poised

to follow them into extinction; fewer than 30 individuals may now survive outside zoos, scattered among four disconnected patches of mountain forest, probably too few and far between to maintain a viable population ever again

He was recognized by it even in a crowd The treasure made one think that in his

previous life he had been a collie or an anteater In addition, his nose was as thin as a razor If he had flown like a jet, he could have divided the clouds His body was also very skinny He looked as if he had not eaten for ten days He was a heavy eater, but one couldn’t imagine where he kept food in his body Finally, on a windy day, he was blown away and gone, like Mary Poppins

Topic sentence: ………

5 We write because we want to understand our life That is why my closet is filled boxes and boxes of musty and journals It is why I found pages of poetry under my stepdaughter Kira’s mattress when she went off to camp It is why my father tells me he will soon begin his memoirs As John Cheever explains, “When I began to write, I found this was the best way to make sense out of my life.”

Topic sentence: ………

6 Sometimes on Friday, our Sabbath day, my father would take us to the Old City,

marked by Bab el-Metwalli, or Gate of the Holy Man, named after the Sufi sheikh who reportedly sat there centuries before, performing miracles for passersby For all that Cairo

is my hometown, I never cease to marvel at the sights and the exotic history that made up

my city The streets of the Old City, far too narrow for automobiles, were choked instead with the traffic of horse, donkeys, and even people laden down with loads of fresh

vegetables, firesticks, vases of copper, and brass to be sold in the bustling Khan el-Khalili bazaar Cairo had been the greatest trading centre in the world for centuries, and it was here in the caravanserai of the Khan el-Khalili that medieval traders from all over the Arab world had unloaded their camel trains It was near here also that the Fatimid sultans had kept a zoo for giraffes, ostriches and elephants sent to them as tribute from kingdoms

in Africa

Topic sentence: ……… Practice 5: Read each of the following topic sentences Rewrite each one to make it more specific You can narrow down the topic and/or controlling idea The first one

is done for you

1 The Honda Civic is an excellent car

The Honda Civic is economical to maintain

2 My hometown is a wonderful place

8 Watching television is bad for you

1 One of my closest friends, named Ken, is a person I can trust

2 My friend Ken is a very successful student

3 I admire my friend Ken because he doesn’t give up

Paragraph b

……… Many children begin learning to play soccer when they are very young You often can see them playing at school or in the street around their houses In high school, students may play soccer on a team and compete in tournaments If a player is very good, he might go

on to play for a professional team People in my country love to watch soccer on television and also go to the games whenever they can Many people have a favorite or player, and everyone love to talk about matches and competition Soccer is really like a national sport in my country

1 I love to play soccer, and I hope I can become a professional player one day

2 There are many popular sports in my country, but the most popular sport is soccer

3 Soccer is a difficult sport to learn to play well

Practice 7: Read the supporting and concluding sentences of the following

paragraphs and then think of a suitable topic sentence and write it in the blank given

Paragraph 1

………

It happened a long time ago before my father got married and moved out My parents had seven children All seven of us pile in one car for summer holiday by the beach We

traveled in that crowded car for two days! Finally, we arrived at a small house near the beach It had one big room with many beds and another room for eating and cooking The kids spent all day out side We played together in the water Sometimes, my mother made

a picnic diner We sat on the sand to eat and watch the sun go down One night, we brought out blankets and slept by the water Love that time We talked and looked at the stars until late at night This wonderful summer holiday was the best time of my life

Paragraph 2:

………

He is the owner of a bakery called “The Family Bread Factory” The bakery has been his profession since he was young He started working there at the age of 13 He learned many recipes The most delicious and secret recipe uses oatmeal and other ingredients that only he knows This bread made him famous Nowadays, he makes some bread only once in a while because his legs bother him, and he gets tired easily Instead, he sit at a table, and the people of the town come to buy bread and to pay their respects Everyone admires him very much because he is an honest and hardworking man

Practice 8: Write a topic sentence for the following topics

a A favorite place to relax

Practice 9: The sentences are mixed up part of one paragraph Number the parts in order: 1 topic sentence, 2 supporting sentences and 3 concluding sentence

What should I study at university?

a…………It wasn’t an easy decision, but for the reasons listed above, I have decided to study journalism

b…………It can be difficult to choose a subject to study in college because there are so many choices, but by considering my skills and interests, I have decided to study journalism

c…………I have always enjoyed writing, so it is sensible to choose a major that involves writing When I begin working, I would like to have the opportunity to travel, and travel

is often an important part of a journalist’s job Finally, I’m also interested in photography, and pictures are very important in journalism

Practice 10: Use words or phrases in the box to complete the sentences

a The………is usually the first sentence in a………It gives the……… and the………

b The first sentence of a paragraph should be………

c The………come after the topic sentence, and they explain the topic sentences

d The………comes at the end of a paragraph

Unit 3: WRITING SUPPORTING SENTENCES

Lesson aims:

On completion of this unit, students can

 Identify the general and specific ideas

 Get knowledge of different kinds supports so as to make a good use of them for their own writing

 Know how to paraphrase, summarize or quote a certain document or others’

written works to be used as the support in their own writing

 Know how to arrange the supporting ideas effectively in the paragraph

Lesson focuses:

 Identifying the general and specific ideas

 Kinds of supports

 Patterns of organization

Time allocation table: 12 periods

1 - Report on the home work of The Topic

2 - Introduction to the supporting sentences 2 Periods

concluding sentence indented main idea paragraph supporting sentences topic topic sentence

- Identifying the general and specific ideas

3 - Kinds of supports

4 - Report on the homework of writing

Activity 1: Read each of the following paragraphs and say how the topic sentence is explained

Gold Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits Astronaut wears gold-plated heat shields for protection outside spaceships In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility

Atlas Health Center You’ll love working out at the Atlas Health Center, and you’ll love what it does for you! We have state-of-the art exercise equipment in large, air conditioned rooms You can work out alone or with the health of one of our professional personal trainers If you like to exercise with friends, join an aerobics or swimming class – or even try kick boxing! Our staff nutrition experts are always on hand to talk with you about health issues When you’ve finished, you can relax with a whirlpool bath or a sauna Come exercise with us at Atlas, and you’ll soon be feeling strong and looking good

1 Introduction to the supporting sentences ([2], p.17 &[3], pp.8)

 Supporting sentences add information about the topic and the controlling idea

 Supporting sentences develop or explain the topic sentence by giving reasons, examples, facts, statistics, and quotations

2 Identifying the general and specific ideas ([1], pp.10-15),[2], p.22 &[3], pp.8-9)

Activity 2: Identify topic sentences and supporting sentences

For each set of sentences, write TS next to the topic sentence Write SS next to the supporting sentences

1

…… a Mosquitoes are attracted to heat

…… b Mosquitoes will fly several miles to find food

…… c Only the female mosquito bites

…… d Mosquitoes are interesting insects

2

…… a One of my hobbies is listening to international music

…… b I have a large collection of world music recordings

…… c My friends and I like to introduce each other to new international artists we

discover

…… d I enjoy going to concerts by musicians from different countries

3

…… a I like the way people decorate their homes and stores

…… b I enjoy going shopping in cold weather

…… c I enjoy the parties and celebrations of the winter holiday

…… d I really like the winter holidays

4

…… a My new apartment has big closets

…… b My new apartment is perfect for my roommate and me

…… c My new apartment is close to school and work

…… d My new apartment is not too expensive for students

5 …… a The calendars are different

…… b The weekend starts on Friday instead of Saturday

…… c The time is country because my country does not follow Greenwich time

…… d There are some very specific differences between my part of the world and the western countries

6

…… a I was traveling to Los Angeles to visit my cousin

…… b My plane was delayed, so I was stuck at the airport

…… c I experienced a strange coincidence last year

…… d I heard my math teacher from my old hometown calling my name

7

…… a I like several things about my English class

…… b I am meeting many new friends from different countries

…… c Every day, I learn new words, and I keep them in a notebook

…… d Sometimes we play games and laugh during the class time

Activity 3: The following sentences belong to 2 different paragraphs about San Francisco Identify the topic sentence and the supporting sentences of each

paragraph and put them in 2 groups Write the number of the sentence only

1 San Francisco is usually warm and pleasant during the day

2 Some of the country’s most famous restaurants and hotels are in San Francisco

3 There are many things to see and do in San Francisco

4 The city has many interesting tourist attractions

5 There are many excellent art galleries

6 The weather in San Francisco is very pleasant

7 It is never too hot, nor too cold

8 The nightlife is exciting

9 San Francisco has a ballet company, an opera house, and a symphony orchestra

10 It is cool and breezy at night

11 The winters are mild and it rarely snows

Group 1 Topic sentence:………

Supporting sentences:

………

Group 2 Topic sentence:……… Supporting sentences:

1 An automated teller machine (ATM) is a convenient miniature bank

……It enables customers to do several banking transactions twenty- four hour a day

……In addition, a customer can transfer funds between accounts or get a cash advance

……After an attack by a great white shark, 462 stiches were required to sew an

Australian scuba diver

……Nevertheless, one did just that near a public beach in Australia in 1985