WRITING TECHNIQUES

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The Paragraph

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Punctuation rules

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Capitalization rules

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Parts of a composition

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Proofreading

 

The Paragraph

 

A paragraph is a basic unit of organization in writing in which a group of sentences develops one main idea. The number of sentences a paragraph contains is not important. It can be as short as one sentence or as long as nine sentences, the most important thing is that the idea stated at the beginning is clearly developed.

Parts of a Paragraph

Three essential parts compose any paragraph: a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a concluding sentence.

  1. Topic Sentence: it states the main idea of the paragraph. It contains the name of the topic that is to be carried out. This sentence has to be precise, but avoid telling everything in the first sentence or your reader will lose interest. The topic sentence serves to limit the topic to one or two areas that will be discussed entirely in the space of one paragraph. The area is what we call the controling idea.
  2. Supporting Sentences: they come after the topic sentence, making up the body of a paragraph. they help develop the topic sentence. It means that these sentences explain the topic by giving reasons, examples, facts, statistics, and quotations.
  3. Closing Sentences: itīs the last sentence in a paragraph, it indicates that the paragraph is ending and sums up important points to remember or reprises the main idea. You write it restating the main idea of a paragraph but using different words.

In adition to the three parts of a paragraph, a good paragraph also needs two important elements: unity and coherence. Unity: it means that in your paragraph you discuss one and only one main idea which is stated in the topic sentence and then developed by the supporting sentences. Coherence: it means that your paragraph is easy to read and understand because:

bulletyour supporting sentences are in logical order
bulletyour ideas are connected by the use of a appropriate transition signals.

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How to Write a Paragraph

 

Prewriting a Paragraph

The prewriting stage is when you think carefully and organize your ideas for your paragraph before you begin writing. There are six steps involved in this process. They are the following:

 

  1. Think carefully about what you are going to write. Ask yourself: "What question am I going to answer in this paragraph or essay? How can I make this paragraph interesting? What facts can be stated to support this topic?
  2. Write your answers to the above questions and do not need to spend a lot of time doing this. Just write enough to help you remember why and how you are writing.
  3. Collect facts related to your topic. Write down facts that will help you answer your questions.
  4. Write down your own ideas. Ask yourself: What other things can I include about this topic? Why should people be interested in this topic? Why is this topic important?
  5. Find the main idea of your paragraph: Chose the most important point. If you cannot decide which is the most important one, just chose one and stick to it throughout your paragraph.
  6. Organize your facts and ideas to develop your topic, find the best way to tell the reader about it. Decide which facts will support the main idea.

Writing a Paragraph

The writing stage is when you turn your ideas into sentences and you communicate them. Some important steps are the following:

bulletWrite a topic sentence, some supporting sentences, and one closing sentence
bulletMake sure that the sentences are clear, simple, and they express what you really mean
bulletFocus on the main idea of your paragraph
bulletRe-read what you wrote and see if the idea is clear and you can read it with ease

Editing a Paragraph

The editing stage is when you check your paragraph for mistakes and correct them. Do not forget to do the following:

bulletCheck your grammar and spelling
bulletRead your text again and make sure each sentence makes sense
bulletSee if your paragraph is interesting to read

 

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Punctuation Rules

One of the most important aspects to take into consideration when you write is punctuation. It will tell your reader when to stop or when to change the interpretation of your paper. Speakers use intonation and writers use punctuation. Some of the most common marks in English are the following:

 

bulletPeriod

- Use a period after a statement or command.

Turn on the television.
We are studying English.

- Use a period after most abbreviations.

Mr.
Ms.
Dr.

Exceptions:

UN
NATO
IBM
AIDS

 

bulletQuestion Mark

Use a question mark in an interrogative statement. In a direct quotation, the question mark goes before the quotation mark.

He said, "Are you coming home?"

 

bulletComma

- Use a comma before a conjunction (and, or, so, but) that separates two independent clauses.

She wanted to learn to cook, so she decided to buy herself a book.

- Don't use a comma before a conjunction that separates two incomplete sentences.

She worded in the library and studied at night.

- Use a comma to separate interrupting expressions from the rest of the sentence.

Do you know, by the way, what time it is?

- Use a comma after yes and no in answers.

Yes, my father is a doctor.

- Use a comma to separate an apposite form the rest of the sentence.

Mr. Smith, the new teacher, really knows how to teach.

Would you like to try a taco, a traditional Mexican dish?

 

bulletQuotation Marks

- Use quotation marks at the beginning and at the end of exact quotations.

He said, "I'm going to get married."

- Use quoation marks before and after titles of stories, articles, songs, and TV shows.

Do you want to watch "Friends" on TV?

My favorite song is "Disappear" by INXS.

 

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Capitalization Rules

We use a capital letter in the following cases:

 

  1. First words

    - Capitalize the fist word of every sentence.

    - Capitalize the first word of a quotation.

     

  2. Personal Names

    - Capitalize the names of people including initials and titles of address.

    - Capitalize family words if they appear alone of followed by a name.

    Let's go, Dad.
    Where's Grandma?

    - Do not capitalize family words with a possessive pronoun or article.

    My uncle
    An aunt

    - Capitalize names of God.

    Allah
    Jesus Christ

     

  3. Place Names

    - Capitalize the names of countries, states, provinces, cities, lakes, rivers, islands, mountains

    Mexico
    Mt. Everest
    the Amazon
    Lake Ontario

    - Do not capitalize the names of seasons

    summer
    spring
    fall
    winter

     

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PARTS OF A COMPOSITION

A composition is a piece of writing usually short (3 to 10 pages), written in prose, and that may be on any subject. The essay is generally based on other people's statements. In the essay you can include your personal opinion, and some examples to illustrate your point of view. It is written about one topic, just as a paragraph is.

You must divide the topic into several paragraphs.In general, compositions have three basic parts: introduction, body and conclusion.

 

  1. The Introduction

    It is the first section of your essay. This makes it extremely important, because first impressions are often lasting ones. It consists of two parts: a few general statements about your subject to attract your reader's attention, and a thesis statement, that states the specific subdivisions of your topic and/or the "plan" of your paper. The introduction then, begins with remarks to interest people. As it progresses, it should present general ideas or facts to orient the reader. Then, it will narrow its focus, and move from general to specific facts smoothly and logically.

     

  2. The body Paragraphs

    They are the longest section of you essay.

    In a short essay there are usually three body paragraphs, each one presenting one aspect of the essay's controlling idea. This is called a three-point essay.

    At the beginning of your text you introduce your idea which is called the topic sentence that tells what the rest of your text is going to be about.

    Once you present your topic, you need details and facts to support it. Your reader needs to be convinced that your point of view is valid an accurate. 

     

  3. The Conclusion

    The ideas in this part must be consistent with the rest of your essay.

    Remind your public about the major points you were trying to make.

    You do not introduce your points in your conclusion.

 

(The previous has been adapted  from

English on the Run, http://www.geocities.com/gob72/writingtechniques.html)

 

 

Proofreading:

(taken from The Language Teacher Online, http://langue.hyper.chubu.ac.jp/jalt/pub/tlt/98/mar/south.html

 

The Procedure

The first step, of course, is for students to brainstorm and freewrite, getting all their ideas on paper. Then, if they are to correct their own papers, they should be told to set the drafts aside for a day or two, then go back and peruse them for each item on the list. An alternative would be for the teacher to collect the first drafts, keep them for a day or two, then return them with instructions on how to self-edit. In order to make sure students actually use the checklist, the teacher can require the submission of both first and second drafts.

Marking Codes

After the second draft is written, the teacher can focus primarily on content and rhetoric and use codes similar to those recommended by Raimes for errors. Codes combined with the checklist give students more practice in understanding and finding their own mistakes. After the teacher reviews the second draft, the students do another revision. I most often find this draft to be far more comprehensible than the first.

The Value to Students and Teachers

Self editing with a checklist gives students information on the nature of their errors: they must read error descriptions, reread their drafts and reflect upon what corrections to make. Conversely, when student errors are just corrected by the teacher, students often pay little attention to them (Lalande). The process described above saves teachers valuable time, helps students understand and correct their own mistakes, and puts responsibility for learning on the students.

It also shows the teacher--via a review of the two drafts--which mistakes students are catching and which ones they are not, thereby identifying problems to cover in class. But perhaps the biggest advantage is that if students self-edit properly, the teacher can focus on content and rhetoric.