Paragraph Writing

Topic - 4

PARAGRAPH WRITING

INTRODUCTION

Paragraph writing is the most basic unit in any type of writing. A paragraph consists of several sentences that are grouped together and which discusses a single idea. Generally, paragraphs have three parts- a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a closing sentence. 

Topic Sentence

The topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph. It introduces the main idea of the paragraph. In other words, it indicates to the reader what the paragraph will be about.

Supporting Sentences

Supporting sentences occur after the topic sentence, making up the body of a paragraph. They give details to develop and support the main idea of the paragraph. Supporting sentences are used to talk about facts, details and examples which substantiate or illustrate the topic sentence. 

Closing Sentence

The closing sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph. It restates the main idea of the paragraph.

Now let us look at an examples and identify its parts.

Example

Example

There are five major types of paragraphs.

✓ Descriptive—when you describe something (product, place, person, scene, feelings, etc.)

✓ Narrative - when you tell a story or an incident

✓ Persuasive — when you try to convince or persuade other people

✓ Expository — when you explain something

✓ Creative – when you attempt to write something fictional (story, poem, etc)

Sample Paragraphs

Sample Paragraph-1- Status of Women in Indian Society

Indian society is a male dominated society. Man always considers himself superior to woman. The status of women has been changing in different periods of Indian history. She enjoyed a great and high status in ancient and Vedic times. Women were respected by every section of the society. But in the middle ages her position was down and her status was quite low in society. For quite a long time women have been exploited, she was termed as a mere slave and denied to every access of any comfort, facility, education. However, in the modern times, the status of women has been improved. Our constitution has termed her as man's equal. She has the equal rights of education, upbringing. Now parents are also aware and provide every facility to their daughters. Education has brought a revolution among the women. They are achieving every height in the life. They are now enjoying their freedom. Now we have woman legislatures, ministers, ambassadors, doctors, lawyers, teachers and officers. Women are marching shoulder to shoulder with men in every field of life. But this is only the one side of the coin, the other side is till ugly, disapproving. In the orthodox society and families women are still under pressure, exploited and weak. Man is the master of such families and women are confined in the four walls of the house. Early marriages, female foeticide, dowry system are still present in the modern society. A male child is always preferred and without a male child no family is considered as complete. Crime against women is also increasing. There is a lot to be done to impart equal status to women. People should leave their stereotyped mentality towards women and term them as their equal in practical life.

Sample Paragraph-2- Reading Books

Books are the most lasting product of human thought. They are the best friends of a man in all circumstances. Man being a social animal depends upon others for his development, fulfilment as well as entertainment. For this purpose, he needs guidance, company and support at various stages of life. Books are the best philosophers, associates and guides of man at every stage of life. Children enjoy them by colouring, solving puzzles and reading comics; young people find best companions in them while elderly persons pass their free time with them. Like true friends they remind us of our weaknesses and help us review our personality. In times of need, they directly talk to our mind and keep us fit. At the same time they are a vast storehouse of knowledge and learning. They supply us information, which can be stored in our memory for a long time and help us in mental as well as physical growth. We learn new words, ideas and expressions from them. Through books, we can share many things, which we cannot experience in reality. For instance, we can participate in sports events, beauty contests, quizzes, witness historical events, experience distant happenings, etc. They accompany us when we are alone. We can pass hours together reading, enjoying and learning them without getting tired of their company. They give us pleasure and joy for a long time. Therefore, it is rightly said, 'A world without books cannot be considered

Sample Paragraph-3- The Importance of Newspapers

Newspapers are the cheapest medium of information today. Also they are easily available to everybody. Newspapers are an important means of educating people. Those who read newspapers become well-informed about current affairs. The Editorial page discusses important questions and problems of national and international importance. Letters to the Editor give us the views of the readers on various subjects. The Sports page gives interesting information about games and sports. Newspapers also contain advertisements. These advertisements are very useful for businessmen and those who are in search of jobs. The matrimonial column helps people in finding the right kind of husband or wife. Thus newspapers are useful for almost everyone.

Sample Paragraph-4- Honesty is the best policy

All men desire peace, happiness and success in life. In an effort to discover how best man can conduct himself in life, it is pointed out that honesty is the best course of action. The type of honesty that is expected of men is very difficult to achieve and follow. One should not consider honesty in a narrow sense. It is not related to money matters alone or dealings in business. In its wider sense, honesty is found in every phase of life; in our thoughts, words, deeds, etc. Honesty breeds trust and confidence. One has to be true not only in his private life but also in his dealings with others. The structure of our society is so complicated that it is hard to follow the principle of absolute honesty in our daily lives. But if one becomes really honest he is certainly rewarded in the end. And it is sure that in long run everybody is bound to feel the value of honesty.

Sample Paragraph-5- The Importance of Advertising

For those whose ideal is ‘simple living and high thinking advertisement may appear to be wasteful. But in fact modern living and modern advertising are almost inseparable. Even in communist countries there are clever ways of advertising which take the form of propaganda. Of course, there is no competition there which is the main driving force behind advertising in capitalist countries. Each new item, a drug, a new toothpaste, an expensive model of a car, even a new children's magazine, needs advertisement. It has both sides to it-good as well as bad. It brings to our notice new things with qualities the earlier ones did not have, like a new drug which has less toxic effect on the body than those which were in use earlier. It can also create false needs and sell goods with deceptive labels carrying baseless claims, like the so-called wonderdrugs promising overnight return of youthful vigour, and children's foods claiming to be ideal substitutes for mother's milk. So advertisements are important for good and evil, whether we like them or not.

Practice Exercises

I. Read the following paragraph, and rewrite as two short paragraphs.

When we live in the environment and use the environmental resources, knowingly or unknowingly we put pressure on the environment. This pressure may lead to environmental problems if it exceeds a certain limit. The limit of natural repair or replacement. For example, we use groundwater. If we use it with prudence, it will continue to serve us indefinitely as nature has an inherent capacity to replenish. If we exploit this resource beyond its limit of replenishment, we may lose it forever. The same is true of any other environmental resource. Environmental resources are those that are present in our environment and which we use in our day-to-day life. These resources are both renewable and non-renewable. Renewable resources are those that are automatically renewed through natural processes and, hence, they may be considered to be available indefinitely. Non-renewable resources are those that are present in limited quantities and, hence, if these are consumed injudiciously. We may not find them again. Obviously non- renewable resources are more prone to depletion.

II. Read the following paragraphs and write an appropriate topic sentence for each one of them:

a. The lightest fraction of crude oil consists of gasses that boil below atmospheric temperature. The next fraction, normally refined into gasoline, boils between about 30 degrees and 200 degrees Centigrade. The fraction boiling above about 320 degrees Centigrade is commonly refined into heating diesel, and lubricating oils. The remaining and heaviest fraction is the residue, which supplies waxes, asphalts, and some fuel oils.

b. The attractive forces between the molecules of a solid are so large that a solid tends to retain its shape. This is not the case for a fluid, where the attractive forces between the molecules are smaller. There are plastic solids, which flow under proper circumstances, and even metals may flow under high pressure. On the other hand, there are certain very viscous liquids that do not flow readily, and it is easy to confuse them with plastic solids. The distinction is that any fluid, no matter how viscous, will yield in time to the slightest stress. But a solid, no matter how plastic, requires a certain magnitude of stress to be exerted before it will flow.

c. The image on the retina is not permanent but fades away after 1/20th of a second and overlaps the next image. This gives the impression of continuity. There is of course no film in the eye that records the images permanently as a photo film does. More importantly, the focal length of the eye lens is changed when its attached cilial muscles change their tension. When they are relaxed, the lens is thin and distant objects can be seen clearly. While looking at nearby-objects, the muscles compress the lens so as to the brain through the optic nerves. The brain interprets these signals as the sense of light. 

d. Dangerous pollutants such as ozone, aldehydes, and ketones are the result of a complex chain reaction caused by carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons emitted by motor vehicles. Moreover, the prolonged inhalation of carbon monoxide present in the toxic fumes reduces the carbon carrying capacity of blood, and may cause headache, sickness, and even death. Likewise, unburned fragments of hydrocarbons help to form smog and thicken the atmosphere with elements that may cause cancer. 

III. Each blank in the following paragraphs is numbered. Against each number four alternatives are given. One of these alternatives correctly fits into the blank so as to complete the paragraph. Find out the word.

1. Lack of ____1______diet mainly characterized by lack of animal protein, is found in most of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Even the_____2_____ of rich variety of cereals with technological advancement, has not ______ 3______ the average diet because of the consumption requirements of an ever_______4______ population. Millions of infants and pre-school children _____5_____ from malnutrition and consequential ailments which lead not only to stunted physical development ______6_______ to severe brain damage. 

2. In the future we can look_______1________ to the prospect of having cars which______2_____ automatically to any pre-selected destination. We will have our own computer terminals in the home to allow us to _______3_______ to banks, shops, libraries and other_______4 _____so that at the ________5_______ of a button we could carry ________6______ all our banking, shopping and pay bills by computers.

3. Indian women have through the ages been _____1 _____ to the four walls of the house. Home and _____2_____ have been considered to be the summum bonum of a ____3_____ life. After the Vedic Age, with the ____4___ of Indian society the status and______5_____ of woman too underwent a rapid _____6___. It came to be believed that woman was a weak who needed the protection and shelter of her father, husband and son.

4. Television in India made a modest_____1_____in September 1959. Its _____ 2_____ purpose at that time was to explore possibilities of its ___3____ in the sphere of imparting _____4_____ on a broad based level and to train cameraman, technicians and programme ______5_____for the ______6____.

5. “Cigarette smoking is______1_____ to health”, that_______2_______warning is carried compulsorily by all______3______ promoting cigarettes and all cigarette_ _____4_______being sold. Of course, the print of the _____5______ is small enough to render it _____6_____ negligible value.

IV. Write paragraph on the following topics: