Learning Journal on 10/16/2007

We talked about “The Parts of Paragraph”. A composition should have a title. The title introduces the reader to the composition, so it should give a clue to the main point of the composition. As we start a paragraph, indent the first line of each paragraph about an inch. A paragraph generally has three parts: a topic sentence, support, and a conclusion. First, the topic sentence is the main–idea sentence. Second, the support in a paragraph explains or develops the topic sentence. Finally, the conclusion of a paragraph summarizes or comments on the main idea.
There are three characteristics in a paragraph. One characteristic of a paragraph is “unity”. In a unified paragraph, all the sentences relate to the topic and develop the controlling idea. Another important characteristic of a good paragraph is “coherence”. In a coherent paragraph, the ideas are arranged logically. The ideas and sentences are in an order that makes sense to the reader. The reader will be able to follow a paragraph easily if the paragraph has a smooth flow. Smooth flow means that one sentence leads easily into the next sentence; the sentences are well–connected. This characteristic of a paragraph is called “cohesion”. One of the methods of cohesion is “connecting words”. Connecting words are words and phrases that show the relationship between ideas. There are four kinds of connecting words: key words in sentences, coordinators, transitional words, subordinators. All off the above are the main content in class.