SỞ GIÁO DỤC & ĐÀO TẠO TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC
PHÒNG GIÁO DỤC & ĐÀO TẠO HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH
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THE STUDY

“HOW TO WRITE A GOOD PARAGRAPH”

Họ và tên : NGUYỄN THỊ HÀ
Chức vụ : Giáo viên
Đơn vị
: Trường THCS Lập Thạch – huyện Lập Thạch
Tỉnh Vĩnh Phúc.
Đối tượng học sinh bồi dưỡng: HS lớp 8,9.
Số tiết bồi dưỡng: 12

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PART I:
KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS, BASIC METHODS, AND ILLUSTRATIVE
EXAMPLES

A, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
As we know, many students in Viet Nam cannot use English in communication after
leaving high schools or universities, which is a big problem for our education system.
The authorities really concern about teaching and learning English in Viet Nam, so
they motivate the National Foreign Languages 2020 Project to help Vietnamese
students improve and use English fluently. However, during my teaching I realize our
students’ skills are not good. One of the four skills that students find it difficult and
confusing is writing skill, especially writing paragraphs. Although many students are

In this example you can see that the first paragraph is about where John lives
and the second paragraph covers another topic or idea, which is what he looks like.
When examining a paragraph you can always ask yourself, what is the main idea in
this paragraph? If you see two ideas as in the above example you might have to
create two paragraphs. Although, in order to understand what a paragraph is and how
to write one, you need to know how a paragraph is constructed.
II, Elements of a paragraph
A paragraph should contain some structures and particular elements, which are listed
below in relative order:
1.A Topic sentence- motivates the reader to want to read more.
Every good paragraph has a topic sentence, which clearly states the topic and the
controlling idea of the paragraph.
A topic sentence is the most important sentence in a paragraph. It briefly indicates
what the paragraph is going to discuss. For this reason, the topic sentence is a helpful
guide to both the write and the reader. The writer can see what information to
include. The reader can see what the paragraph is going to be about and therefore
better prepare to understand it. For example, in the model paragraph on gold, the
topic sentence alerts the reader to look for two characteristics.
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 made 25 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, such as photography and dentistry. The most
recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for
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causes E.coli bacteria. It is too clear for us to continue our ideas.
Eg3: It is hard to know which foods are safe to eat nowadays.-> This is the best
topic sentence. It limits the paragraph to talk about only safe foods

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*Notice:
A topic sentence is usually (but not always) the first sentence in a paragraph.
Sometimes a topic sentence comes at the end. But the best spot is usually right at the
beginning. The reader who are used to the English way of writing want to know what
they will read about as soon as they begin reading.
2, Body: Supporting sentences
2.1, Supporting sentences:
- Supporting sentences develop the topic sentence. That’s, they explain or prove the
topic sentence by giving more information about it. One of the biggest problems in
student writing is that student writers often fail to support their ideas adequately.
They need to use specific details to be thorough and convincing.
- Good supporting sentences are specific and factual.
- There are several kinds of specific supporting details: examples, statistics, facts
and quotations.
Following are some of supporting sentences that explain the topic sentence about
gold.
First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion.
For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was made
25 centuries ago.
Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science.
- Paragraphs in English often have more than two supporting ideas. At minimum, you
should have at least five to seven sentences in your paragraph
2.2, Unity:

be no sudden jumps.
There are four ways to achieve coherence:
1. Repeat key nouns
2. Use consistent pronouns.
3. Use transition signals to link ideas.
4. Arrange your ideas in logical order.
- Arrangement of support sentences might be based on importance (usually least to
most), time (usually first to last), or even space (far to near, near to far) -- just about
anything, as long as it serves the writer's purpose. Transition words are often used to
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improve coherence and to reinforce the order in which supporting points are
presented. Sometimes writers use simple transitions such as these to connect support
sentences:
•

"My first challenge at Wilson High School . . . "
"The second challenge I encountered . . . "

•

"My final challenge in high school . . . "

•

These sentences not only use transition words (first, second, final), but also repeat the
key word challenge. This repetition of key words helps the reader keep in mind
the main idea of the paragraph.
a, Repeat key nouns:

Each of the U.S. manned space exploration projects had specific major goals.
The Mercury project was designed to test whether or not human beings could
survive and function in outer space. The Mercury project tested rockets with the
new Mercury space capsule, which could hold one person. The Gemini project was
intended to find out whether two people could work in the weightless environment
of space. Gemini astronauts took "spacewalks." They floated outside their
spacecraft in a spacesuit, connected to it by a tether. Gemini astronauts tried out
new flying skills. Some astronauts flew two spacecraft extremely close together;
this procedure was called "rendezvous." On some Gemini flights, astronauts
physically linked two spacecraft together. Linking, or "space docking," was a
major goal of the Gemini program. The Apollo project, with three astronauts, was
intended to test spacecraft and skills so that people could actually fly to the Moon
and land on it. Performing scientific experiments on the lunar surface and
collecting rocks for study on Earth were goals.
-Was this paragraph a little confusing to read? Now consider the same paragraph
with a few changes:
Each of the U.S. manned space exploration projects had specific major
goals. For example, the Mercury project was designed to test whether or not human
beings could survive and function in outer space. In addition, the Mercury project
tested rockets with the new Mercury space capsule, which could hold one person. As
another example, the Gemini project was intended to find out whether two people
could work in the weightless environment of space. One way of doing this was by
having Gemini astronauts take "spacewalks." That is, they floated outside their
spacecraft in a spacesuit, connected to it by a tether. Gemini astronauts also tried out
new flying skills. For example, some astronauts flew two spacecraft extremely close
together; this procedure was called "rendezvous." On some Gemini flights, astronauts
physically linked two spacecraft together. This linking, or "space docking," was a
major goal of the Gemini program. Finally, the Apollo project, with three astronauts,
had the goal of testing spacecraft and skills so that people could actually fly to the
Moon and land on it. Other goals included performing scientific experiments on the

also, and, as well, besides, equally important, finally, furthermore, in
addition, moreover, then, too,…
in like manner, in the same way, likewise, similarly,…
agreed, certainly, granted, obviously, of course, to be sure,…

at the same time, but, conversely, even so, even though, however, in
contrast, nevertheless, nonetheless, on the one hand, on the other
hand, still, yet,…
Providing an as an illustration, as can be seen by, for example, for instance, in
example
other words, namely, specifically, to illustrate,…
afterward, before, currently, eventually, finally, first, (second, third,
Relating time
fourth, fifth?), immediately, in the future, in the past, later, less
and order of
important, meanwhile, most important, next, often, sometimes, soon,
ideas
subsequently, then, today, when,…
Resulting
accordingly, as a result, consequently, so, thereby, therefore, thus,…
from the
Contrasting
ideas

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previous idea
Showing
relative

-The short paragraph in this lesson is a fairly complete paragraph, but it lacks details.
Whenever possible, you should include enough details in your paragraphs to help
your reader understand exactly what you are writing about. In the paragraph about
Wheaton, three natural landmarks are mentioned, but we do not know very much
about them. For example, we could add a sentence or two about Wheaton river
concerning HOW wide it is or WHY it is beautiful.
Consider this revision (and note the additional details in bold):
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My hometown, Wheaton, is famous for several amazing natural features. First, it
is noted for the Wheaton River, which is very wide and beautiful. On either side
of this river, which is 175 feet wide, are many willow trees which have long
branches that can move gracefully in the wind. In autumn the leaves
of these trees fall and cover the riverbanks like golden snow. Second, on the other
side of the town is Wheaton Hill, which is unusual because it is very steep. Even
though it is steep, climbing this hill is not dangerous, because there are some
firm rocks along the sides that can be used as stairs. There are no trees
around this hill, so it stands clearly against the sky and can be seen from many
miles away. The third amazing feature is the Big Old Tree. This tree stands two
hundred feet tall and is probably about six hundred years old. These three
landmarks are truly amazing and make my hometown a famous place.
- If we wished, we could also add more details to the paragraph to describe the third
natural feature of the area, the Big Old Tree.
- Why are details important? Consider the example of the hamburger. If the
hamburger buns are the topic and concluding sentences, then the meat, the cheese,
the lettuce, and so on are the supporting details. Without the food between the
hamburger buns, your hamburger would not be very delicious! Similarly, without
supporting details, your paragraph would not be very interesting.
d, Arrange your ideas in logical order.

The parents work all day and the children learn whole day. They rarely spend time
for other members. In short, the traditional family differs from the modern one on
many aspects. There are both good and bad differences between the families.
 This paragraph uses comparison
Why is order important?
- Random sentences cause confusion.
- Without organization of your sentences, it's hard to tell what your main idea is.
- Order helps you make your point, and helps the reader follow along from one
idea to the next one, until you prove your conclusion
3, The Concluding Sentence:
A concluding sentence serves two purposes:
- It signals the end of the paragraph
- It leaves the reader with the most important ideas to remember. It can do this in two
ways:
+ By summarizing the main points of the paragraph.
+ By repeating the topic sentence in different words.

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- You can understand concluding sentences with this example. Consider a
hamburger that you can buy at a fast-food restaurant. A hamburger has a top bun (a
kind of bread), meat, cheese, lettuce, and other elements in the middle of the
hamburger, and a bottom bun. Note how the top bun and the bottom bun are very
similar. The top bun, in a way, is like a topic sentence, and the bottom bun is like the
concluding sentence. Both buns "hold" the meat, onions, and so on. Similarly, the
topic sentence and concluding sentence "hold" the supporting sentences in the
paragraph. Let's see how a concluding sentence (in bold font) might look in our
sample paragraph about Wheaton:
My hometown is famous for several amazing natural features. First, it is


Topic sentence

Supporting sentences

Concluding sentence

Topic Controlling idea Examples Facts Statistics Quotations

Unity

and

coherence

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III. The differentiation between a paragraph and an essay.
-The principles of organization are the same for both:
Both a paragraph and an essay basically have 3 parts: an introduction, a body, and
conclusion. However, they also have different parts.
Paragraph
Have only one paragraph
The three parts of a paragraph:
1. A topic sentence:
The topic and the controlling idea

2,Body: Supporting sentences
(Give details/examples, statistics,

A. Paraphrase of thesis

- Repeat the topic sentence in different
words.

B. Summary of viewpoint
C. General final statement/comment

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IV, Five criteria for a good paragraph
- Discuss the topic directly
- Have a good format( only one paragraph, have an indent at the beginning of a
paragraph )
- Unity and coherence
- Grammar and vocabulary (Don’t use many simple structures and
contractions. Use various vocabularies and different kinds of sentences.)
- Good ideas

PART II: PRACTICE

Exercise 1: Identify the sentences in the following paragraph by type: topic sentence,
support sentences, and detail/example sentences and transition signals.
(1) Four-year-olds are a challenge in every way. (2) First, they are a physical
challenge. (3) They move non-stop from the time they bolt out of bed at daybreak
until they are forced back into bed at night. (4) When did my daughter get to be so
fast? (5) Katelyn can dart away from me in a parking lot in a millisecond, zigzagging in and out of sight among a row of parked cars. (6) Next, of course, fouryear-olds are an emotional challenge, trying the patience of even their devoted
parents. (7) So, how does my daughter become so slow at times? (8) The path from
the front door to the car can stretch forever and involve inspecting the ground for

support sentences, detail/example sentences and transition signals
Computers have brought about beneficial changes to human life. However, they also
have some disadvantages. First of all, face to face communication has been lost
because people spend too much time at their computers. For example, children
spend hours playing games, chatting and emailing on the net, and adults doing their
own things on computers. As a result, family members rarely talk to each other as
they used to in the past. In addition, computers make people have health problems.
As people spend too much time sitting at computers, they tend to be inactive. This
inactiveness has caused obesity and many other diseases. Finally, immediate access
to information on the net can be spiritually harmful and counter-educational. For
example, within just a few seconds, children watch or read bad websites that are too
violent or not intended for their age. Consequently, more and more children tend to
misbehave because they are misguided by poor-quality information. To sum up, we
should be aware of these downsides so as to use computers to our great benefits.

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Exercise 4: Identify the unity of the passage
People and their favorite pets
There are many types of pets in an average household. People will often even choose
pets according to their personalities. Some people like small dogs that are easy to
take care of and do not demand a lot of attention. Some owners prefer strong or
vicious dogs, like bulldogs for example. Other people might like cats because they
are independent and really need no attention at all. Birds provide people with a lot of
company; if you like bird songs, but their cages need a lot of cleaning. A fish tank is
great to look at but the tanks must be cleaned often as well. Some people even treat
their plants like pets and talk to them. In a zoo, large animals, like polar bears, are
left to themselves in their cages.
ANSWER: The paragraph is all about house pets and why people have different

other days it is cold and this is very strange for me. I came to the U.S. to study and I
enjoy my classes and my teachers. I am adjusting living in the U.S. in many ways,
but it is not a problem for me because (I like to know about different places and
people.)

Exercise 7: Instruction: In groups of four, take turns reading these paragraphs
out loud. Together, determine if the paragraph has support, coherence and unity.
Vote for the best paragraph.
Paragraph 1
1 The punishment of criminals has always been a problem for society. 2
Citizens have had to decide whether offenders such as first-degree murderers should
be killed in a gas chamber, imprisoned for life, or rehabilitated and given a second
chance in society. 3 Many citizens argue that serious criminals should be executed. 4
They believe that killing criminals will set an example for others and also rid society
of a cumbersome burden. 5 On the other hand, other citizens claim that no one has
the right to take a life and that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. 6 They
believe that society as well as the criminal is responsible for the crimes and that
killing the criminal does not solve the problems of either society or the criminal.
Paragraph 2
1 It is a fact that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. 2 Statistics
show that in states with capital punishment, murder rates are the same or almost the
same as in states without capital punishment. 3 It is also true that it is more expensive
to put a person on death row than in life imprisonment because of the costs of
maximum security. 4 Unfortunately, capital punishment has been used unjustly. 5
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Statistics show that every execution is of a man and that nine out of ten are black. 6
So prejudice shows right through.
Paragraph 3:



In this passage students know how to use the connectors to link ideas and give the
ideas clearly.Supporting sentences prove and explain the topic.However, the
introdution is not good at expressing. Student uses contractions in this passage and
makes grammatical mistakes.

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Paragraph 2:

In this paragraph, student makes many mistakes: The format of a paragraph
grammartical structures and coherence and unity

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PART III: ACHIEVEMENT
Writing skill needs much time to practice. Teachers should encourage students to
spend more time practicing both at school and at home because teacher cannot guide
and correct all the students’ writing in 45 minutes. If students confirm the elements
of a paragraph, and know how to organize their ideas, their writing will become
better. After guiding the students the ways of writing a paragraph, my students feel
more confident in their writing. They are no longer passive in writing paragraph.
They know how to arrange detailed sentences with the coherence and unity to
support the main idea. As a result, many students get good grades for their
paragraphs and their writing skill improves day by day. I hope my study will help
students write paragraphs well.
Lập Thạch, ngày 01/11/2015