Welcome. This semester's class will be easier than last semester's class. Instead of writing long pieces, we will spend the first half of the semester on writing a good paragraph. Each week you will write one paragraph.
Here's the basic idea:
Choose a topic. It should be something you care about, and also something specific. If it's too general, like "the countries of the world", you will have a very long paragraph to write. "Japan is my favorite country" makes a much neater topic for a paragraph.
Brainstorm. Make some notes about the topic. Without caring about grammar or even complete sentences, write down whatever you think is important about that idea.
Choose a topic sentence that will tell the reader what you're talking about. It does not have to contain all the information you will give, of course. But every other sentence should relate to that topic sentence in some way. So make some kind of general statement that relates to all the other ideas you will present.
Write three or four "supporting sentences" which show what you mean by the topic sentence, or explain why it is true. These should usually be more specific than the topic sentence. Each one is just one part of the topic, whereas the topic sentence sort of covers the whole topic in a general way.
Write a concluding sentence that sums up the information you've given and tells us a little bit more. "SO WHAT?" your reader might ask. The concluding sentence answers that question. The concluding sentence is also a supporting sentence, but it goes beyond the topic sentence, the way a dog's tail extends beyond its body. It's the way you tell us how to think about what you have already written.
The topic sentence is very important. Every paragraph must have one. We will work on this next time.
Remember, when you have finished your paragraph, you can e-mail it to me for correction. This will save time in class. (If you don't get it to me by e-mail, it's still okay to bring it to class, and if you don't have time to do your homework, you can still come to class anyway.)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Back to the Paragraph
I tried to go too fast. We will spend our remaining classes working on the creation of a single, well-constructed paragraph. If you follow a few rules carefully, you will be able to do it.
1) After you have written a few ideas down, make a topic sentence. KNOW that this is your topic sentence, and make every other sentence fall under it's umbrella.
2) Decide if the topic you're writing on is in the past, present or future. If the topic itself is in the past, you may also use other tenses, but you should know that most of your verbs will be past tense.
3) Cover your topic. If your topic sentence is "I like dogs," you have a lot of territory to cover. It's usually better to choose a smaller territory, such as "Cute little dogs make me happy." Or, better, "My cute little dog, Scruff, makes me happy." But whatever topic you have selected, you should discuss its major important aspects. Moving from one aspect to another, you should cover the most important parts of that topic before you are finished.
4) Your conclusion should tell us what the rest of the paragraph means. If your topic sentence was "Little dogs make me happy," then you should have discussed the major ways in which they make you happy. In your conclusion, you should say what this fact will lead to... SO WHAT? E.g., "Pretty soon, I'm going to have to buy a little dog of my own."
5) Remember that our Western style of writing is very aggressive. Your topic sentence asserts that something is true, and all your other sentences (except perhaps the conclusion) tell us why this assertion is true. It's as though your enemy says to your topic sentence "That's a lie!" and you have to prove that what you have said really is true. The conclusion comes after you have proved that the topic sentence is true: it tells us why your assertion is important. If your topic sentence is that lychees are the world's most luscious fruit, we should be hungry for some by the time you're finished. Your conclusion could be: "And I just happen to have some for sale at a very reasonable price."
Here's a sample paragraph, using all these rules:
I have just met the most wonderful woman. Cynthia is a straight-A student, majoring in Biology at National Taiwan University. She plays the piano, the gu chen and the flute, all of them with great virtuosity. She is also an excellent dancer. But what's more, Cynthia is the most beautiful woman I have ever met, with a firm, round body and long, wavy hair. I'm crazy about her, and although she does not yet know my name, some day I am going to marry her.
1) Topic sentence: I have just met the most wonderful woman. (All of the supporting sentences show that Cynthia is "the most wonderful woman".)
2) All of the verbs are in the present tense, except the topic sentence (which is present perfect) one other in present perfect (have...met) and the last, which contains a future element. She is, she plays, she is, she is, I'm ... she does not...
3) We learn many of the important things about her (brains, talent, body), thus "covering the territory".
4) SO WHAT? The author is planning to marry her, because she is so wonderful.
5) If the author is successful, everyone who reads this should agree that she sounds like a very worthwhile girl. If the author is really successful, the reader will want to go meet Cynthia, and possibly compete with the author.
By the way, we need to make more progress on selecting a grammar book.
1) After you have written a few ideas down, make a topic sentence. KNOW that this is your topic sentence, and make every other sentence fall under it's umbrella.
2) Decide if the topic you're writing on is in the past, present or future. If the topic itself is in the past, you may also use other tenses, but you should know that most of your verbs will be past tense.
3) Cover your topic. If your topic sentence is "I like dogs," you have a lot of territory to cover. It's usually better to choose a smaller territory, such as "Cute little dogs make me happy." Or, better, "My cute little dog, Scruff, makes me happy." But whatever topic you have selected, you should discuss its major important aspects. Moving from one aspect to another, you should cover the most important parts of that topic before you are finished.
4) Your conclusion should tell us what the rest of the paragraph means. If your topic sentence was "Little dogs make me happy," then you should have discussed the major ways in which they make you happy. In your conclusion, you should say what this fact will lead to... SO WHAT? E.g., "Pretty soon, I'm going to have to buy a little dog of my own."
5) Remember that our Western style of writing is very aggressive. Your topic sentence asserts that something is true, and all your other sentences (except perhaps the conclusion) tell us why this assertion is true. It's as though your enemy says to your topic sentence "That's a lie!" and you have to prove that what you have said really is true. The conclusion comes after you have proved that the topic sentence is true: it tells us why your assertion is important. If your topic sentence is that lychees are the world's most luscious fruit, we should be hungry for some by the time you're finished. Your conclusion could be: "And I just happen to have some for sale at a very reasonable price."
Here's a sample paragraph, using all these rules:
I have just met the most wonderful woman. Cynthia is a straight-A student, majoring in Biology at National Taiwan University. She plays the piano, the gu chen and the flute, all of them with great virtuosity. She is also an excellent dancer. But what's more, Cynthia is the most beautiful woman I have ever met, with a firm, round body and long, wavy hair. I'm crazy about her, and although she does not yet know my name, some day I am going to marry her.
1) Topic sentence: I have just met the most wonderful woman. (All of the supporting sentences show that Cynthia is "the most wonderful woman".)
2) All of the verbs are in the present tense, except the topic sentence (which is present perfect) one other in present perfect (have...met) and the last, which contains a future element. She is, she plays, she is, she is, I'm ... she does not...
3) We learn many of the important things about her (brains, talent, body), thus "covering the territory".
4) SO WHAT? The author is planning to marry her, because she is so wonderful.
5) If the author is successful, everyone who reads this should agree that she sounds like a very worthwhile girl. If the author is really successful, the reader will want to go meet Cynthia, and possibly compete with the author.
By the way, we need to make more progress on selecting a grammar book.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Five-Paragraph Essay
You have more space to work with in 5 paragraphs. But, unlike a magazine article or a book, the 5-paragraph essay does not offer enough space to present all of your ideas on one subject. You must still cut away ideas which lead nowhere, and just present the ideas that matter to your main point, which should be expressed in the concluding sentence. Use your extra words to develop that main point.
The big danger in expanding to 5 paragraphs, is that the reader may forget what you're talking about by the time you get to the 4th or 5th paragraph. So you need to organize carefully, and in the 4th paragraph you should remind the reader what it is you're talking about. That will lead into your conclusion, in the 5th paragraph, which answers: "SO WHAT?". The concluding sentence should reflect back to the introductory sentence, and lead onward in some direction.
The format I'm asking you to use this time is historical, and it works like this:
1) earliest time period
2) middle time period
3) later (perhaps recent) time period
4) Remind your reader of what you've been discussing in the first three paragraphs. In what direction is time pushing your idea? Will that direction continue, or change?
5) SO WHAT? Do you like the direction that has been expressed in the first three paragraphs? If it the direction will continue, what will the future bring? If the direction will change, what will be the result? And why does it matter?
For instance, you may discuss the progress of technology, from
(1) cavemen playing with fire and chipping stone tools, to
(2) ancient civilizations, with their pyramids, cities, irrigation and printed books, to
(3) modern civilization, in which technology has increased rapidly, to a high point.
Then in paragraph
(4) remind the audience that man has come a long way from the caveman days, and lives a much more complex life. If you think that's good, you might say so (and why). If you think there are problems with that, you could say so (and why). Will technology continue to advance rapidly, bringing ever-more-surprising innovations? (Many think so.) Or will it destroy itself by its own complexity, leading to nuclear war or a collapse of civilization?
Then, in paragraph
(5) you need to answer "SO WHAT?". Relate your reaction to the progress in paragraphs 1-3, and to the analysis in paragraph 4, to the introduction. "Now that I've told you all this stuff, you are ready to know my own conclusion about this theme." In paragraph 4, you analyzed the progression. If you stated that caveman technology was like a seed, and that the tree from which it sprang (civilization) will continue to grow and flourish, show us in paragraph 5 what the future is likely to bring:
flying cars, food factories in every refrigerator, robots serving our every need.
OR, on the other hand, if you stated that civilization is likely to crash, you might suggest that
future humans will possibly live like cavemen, in a simple existence stripped of modern luxury.
The first conclusion suggests that the trend shown in paragraphs 1-3 will continue like a straight line. The second conclusion suggests that the line will suddenly move in a different direction, because of ... what you stated in paragraph 4. In any case, your conclusion should relate the future back to the caveman ancestors and show where the whole progress of civilization will lead.
You can write about democracy in Taiwan, the progress of women's rights in the world, the biography of your grandfather -- or any topic that shows change over time. You can write about yourself, but stick to a particular theme in your life: your education, your study of English, or maybe your career. Here's my 5-paragraph essay:
How Lucky I Was to be Lucky
The world into which I was born contained only three billion people, and my own fortunate position gave me access to virtually all of its immense bounty. I grew up in mid-20th century America, perhaps the richest country that the world has ever known. Though my family was not especially wealthy, I had access to all the opportunities of forest, farm and city. I ate well, lived at peace, and got a good education.
Graduating from college, I did not worry about how I could make a living. The 1970s were a time of prosperity and opportunity in America, and I worked only occasionally as I travelled around the United States. With only a few hundred dollars, I moved to Hawaii. My little house on the Kona Coast was surrounded by fruit trees and coffee bushes and had a view of the ocean, yet I paid only $100 per month to live there. I worked part time in a vegetarian restaurant, hiking and swimming in the surf during my plentiful free time.
Eventually I grew bored of this paradise, and travelled to Asia, expecting that it would be the first leg of an immense journey around the world. My timing could not have been better: Taiwan, where I ended up, was experiencing an "economic miracle" that allowed foreigners to make good salaries teaching English part time. I hiked in the rural mountains whenever I could, studied the local culture and traveled to several nearby countries. What a life! My travels in Asia pointed toward success at a grand world tour, and it seemed that the sweet life would continue indefinitely.
Caught up as I was in my own pleasures, I did not really see the troubles that others experienced, or realize that my own freedom had any limit. Still very happy, I met an interesting girl, got serious, and stayed in Taiwan for more than ten years -- instead of travelling on to India, Africa and Arabia, as I had planned. Meanwhile, the population of the world topped 6 billion, resources became scarce, garbage piled up and corporations took over the world with the WTO. When I led my girlfriend (now wife) and our new baby to America, I was shocked to find that the land I had grown up in was gone: jobs were scarce, small businesses could not compete with gigantic firms, the forests had all been cut down and the rivers were badly polluted.
It was difficult to adjust to the idea that my career had been very special and fortunate. Not only had times now changed, but (I began to realize) most of the world had been experiencing much harder conditions, during the entire time I had been enjoying my easy life. I have now absorbed an important lesson: quality of life depends on conditions, which are not the same for all people, in all times and places. Now that I share the troubles of the world -- at least a little bit -- I have become much more sympathetic toward the nearly seven billion people now sharing the planet, and I've resolved to help them along as best I can.
......................................
In the first three paragraphs, I talk about three time periods, all of which reflect an easy life progressing in the direction of world travel and continuous enjoyment. Travel is a physical progression, and continuous enjoyment is more of a spiritual or psychic progression. Either one is fine, and both together can also be great. (NOTE: The topic sentence of paragraph 3 is the last one.)
In the fourth paragraph, I stop and see where the progression was going, and what happened to it. In this essay, the direction changed: it could not continue either physically (travel) or spiritually (continuous enjoyment). This leads me into the fifth paragraph, where I tell the result of this change.
Notice that the conclusion refers back to the introduction: to the population of the world, and to my own (now changed) condition in it. I started with 3 billion and a fortunate life, and ended with 7 billion and more troubles. My concluding sentence answers SO WHAT? -- I have learned a lesson and changed my attitude.
The big danger in expanding to 5 paragraphs, is that the reader may forget what you're talking about by the time you get to the 4th or 5th paragraph. So you need to organize carefully, and in the 4th paragraph you should remind the reader what it is you're talking about. That will lead into your conclusion, in the 5th paragraph, which answers: "SO WHAT?". The concluding sentence should reflect back to the introductory sentence, and lead onward in some direction.
The format I'm asking you to use this time is historical, and it works like this:
1) earliest time period
2) middle time period
3) later (perhaps recent) time period
4) Remind your reader of what you've been discussing in the first three paragraphs. In what direction is time pushing your idea? Will that direction continue, or change?
5) SO WHAT? Do you like the direction that has been expressed in the first three paragraphs? If it the direction will continue, what will the future bring? If the direction will change, what will be the result? And why does it matter?
For instance, you may discuss the progress of technology, from
(1) cavemen playing with fire and chipping stone tools, to
(2) ancient civilizations, with their pyramids, cities, irrigation and printed books, to
(3) modern civilization, in which technology has increased rapidly, to a high point.
Then in paragraph
(4) remind the audience that man has come a long way from the caveman days, and lives a much more complex life. If you think that's good, you might say so (and why). If you think there are problems with that, you could say so (and why). Will technology continue to advance rapidly, bringing ever-more-surprising innovations? (Many think so.) Or will it destroy itself by its own complexity, leading to nuclear war or a collapse of civilization?
Then, in paragraph
(5) you need to answer "SO WHAT?". Relate your reaction to the progress in paragraphs 1-3, and to the analysis in paragraph 4, to the introduction. "Now that I've told you all this stuff, you are ready to know my own conclusion about this theme." In paragraph 4, you analyzed the progression. If you stated that caveman technology was like a seed, and that the tree from which it sprang (civilization) will continue to grow and flourish, show us in paragraph 5 what the future is likely to bring:
flying cars, food factories in every refrigerator, robots serving our every need.
OR, on the other hand, if you stated that civilization is likely to crash, you might suggest that
future humans will possibly live like cavemen, in a simple existence stripped of modern luxury.
The first conclusion suggests that the trend shown in paragraphs 1-3 will continue like a straight line. The second conclusion suggests that the line will suddenly move in a different direction, because of ... what you stated in paragraph 4. In any case, your conclusion should relate the future back to the caveman ancestors and show where the whole progress of civilization will lead.
You can write about democracy in Taiwan, the progress of women's rights in the world, the biography of your grandfather -- or any topic that shows change over time. You can write about yourself, but stick to a particular theme in your life: your education, your study of English, or maybe your career. Here's my 5-paragraph essay:
How Lucky I Was to be Lucky
The world into which I was born contained only three billion people, and my own fortunate position gave me access to virtually all of its immense bounty. I grew up in mid-20th century America, perhaps the richest country that the world has ever known. Though my family was not especially wealthy, I had access to all the opportunities of forest, farm and city. I ate well, lived at peace, and got a good education.
Graduating from college, I did not worry about how I could make a living. The 1970s were a time of prosperity and opportunity in America, and I worked only occasionally as I travelled around the United States. With only a few hundred dollars, I moved to Hawaii. My little house on the Kona Coast was surrounded by fruit trees and coffee bushes and had a view of the ocean, yet I paid only $100 per month to live there. I worked part time in a vegetarian restaurant, hiking and swimming in the surf during my plentiful free time.
Eventually I grew bored of this paradise, and travelled to Asia, expecting that it would be the first leg of an immense journey around the world. My timing could not have been better: Taiwan, where I ended up, was experiencing an "economic miracle" that allowed foreigners to make good salaries teaching English part time. I hiked in the rural mountains whenever I could, studied the local culture and traveled to several nearby countries. What a life! My travels in Asia pointed toward success at a grand world tour, and it seemed that the sweet life would continue indefinitely.
Caught up as I was in my own pleasures, I did not really see the troubles that others experienced, or realize that my own freedom had any limit. Still very happy, I met an interesting girl, got serious, and stayed in Taiwan for more than ten years -- instead of travelling on to India, Africa and Arabia, as I had planned. Meanwhile, the population of the world topped 6 billion, resources became scarce, garbage piled up and corporations took over the world with the WTO. When I led my girlfriend (now wife) and our new baby to America, I was shocked to find that the land I had grown up in was gone: jobs were scarce, small businesses could not compete with gigantic firms, the forests had all been cut down and the rivers were badly polluted.
It was difficult to adjust to the idea that my career had been very special and fortunate. Not only had times now changed, but (I began to realize) most of the world had been experiencing much harder conditions, during the entire time I had been enjoying my easy life. I have now absorbed an important lesson: quality of life depends on conditions, which are not the same for all people, in all times and places. Now that I share the troubles of the world -- at least a little bit -- I have become much more sympathetic toward the nearly seven billion people now sharing the planet, and I've resolved to help them along as best I can.
......................................
In the first three paragraphs, I talk about three time periods, all of which reflect an easy life progressing in the direction of world travel and continuous enjoyment. Travel is a physical progression, and continuous enjoyment is more of a spiritual or psychic progression. Either one is fine, and both together can also be great. (NOTE: The topic sentence of paragraph 3 is the last one.)
In the fourth paragraph, I stop and see where the progression was going, and what happened to it. In this essay, the direction changed: it could not continue either physically (travel) or spiritually (continuous enjoyment). This leads me into the fifth paragraph, where I tell the result of this change.
Notice that the conclusion refers back to the introduction: to the population of the world, and to my own (now changed) condition in it. I started with 3 billion and a fortunate life, and ended with 7 billion and more troubles. My concluding sentence answers SO WHAT? -- I have learned a lesson and changed my attitude.
Monday, November 2, 2009
More on the 3-Paragraph Essay
"Veni, vedi, vici," boasted Caeser to the Roman Senate in 47 BC, after a major victory in the Eastern Mediterranean. The English translation of this famous dictum is, "I came, I saw, I conquered." This captures the essence of the 3-paragraph essay.
We want to deliver three powerful, related ideas in one package:
When I was young...
After I grew up...
Now I understand ...
OR:
Society is divided beween two points of view. Some say:
Others say:
I think:
OR:
I have a dilemma: If I do this, this will happen...
If I do that, that will happen...
Perhaps what I need to do is ...
OR:
Dogs and cats are both popular pets, but I favor cats.
On the other hand, there's a lot to be said for dogs.
The reason I prefer to keep a cat is that ...
Please remember the importance of the topic sentence. It's how we know what you're trying to say. Every paragraph must have its own topic sentence.
The first sentence of the essay should usually introduce the whole essay. It may or may not be the topic sentence of the first paragraph. If it is not the topic sentence, the introductory sentence should support the topic sentence of the first paragraph, in addition to announcing your essay's intention.
The last sentence should conclude the essay by extending the idea you presented to start (the first sentence of the composition). It may be the topic sentence of the third paragraph, but usually will not be. If the concluding sentence is not the topic sentence, it must be a supporting sentence, and relate to the topic sentence of the third paragraph (as well as concluding the essay).
Print out these guidelines and follow them carefully, and you will write a clear, 3-paragraph essay every time. This is the simplest essay in the world, yet it must be concise and well-organized. If you learn this form, you will be able to communicate to English readers with great impact.
One warning: Don't try to convey all the information you have, or all the ideas you have about your subject. The 3-paragraph essay differs from a book precisely in its concision. Allow not one unnecessary word, and work on ways to say things briefly and clearly. Using conjunctions to relate your ideas will allow further concision: nobody wants to hear the same subject (e.g. "my father's dog") repeated three times in two lines. Stylistic revision should be done after the basic form is reached -- that is, after your composition is "finished". We will work on this.
We want to deliver three powerful, related ideas in one package:
When I was young...
After I grew up...
Now I understand ...
OR:
Society is divided beween two points of view. Some say:
Others say:
I think:
OR:
I have a dilemma: If I do this, this will happen...
If I do that, that will happen...
Perhaps what I need to do is ...
OR:
Dogs and cats are both popular pets, but I favor cats.
On the other hand, there's a lot to be said for dogs.
The reason I prefer to keep a cat is that ...
Please remember the importance of the topic sentence. It's how we know what you're trying to say. Every paragraph must have its own topic sentence.
The first sentence of the essay should usually introduce the whole essay. It may or may not be the topic sentence of the first paragraph. If it is not the topic sentence, the introductory sentence should support the topic sentence of the first paragraph, in addition to announcing your essay's intention.
The last sentence should conclude the essay by extending the idea you presented to start (the first sentence of the composition). It may be the topic sentence of the third paragraph, but usually will not be. If the concluding sentence is not the topic sentence, it must be a supporting sentence, and relate to the topic sentence of the third paragraph (as well as concluding the essay).
Print out these guidelines and follow them carefully, and you will write a clear, 3-paragraph essay every time. This is the simplest essay in the world, yet it must be concise and well-organized. If you learn this form, you will be able to communicate to English readers with great impact.
One warning: Don't try to convey all the information you have, or all the ideas you have about your subject. The 3-paragraph essay differs from a book precisely in its concision. Allow not one unnecessary word, and work on ways to say things briefly and clearly. Using conjunctions to relate your ideas will allow further concision: nobody wants to hear the same subject (e.g. "my father's dog") repeated three times in two lines. Stylistic revision should be done after the basic form is reached -- that is, after your composition is "finished". We will work on this.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Conclusions (again)
My plan was to move on to a 5-paragraph essay, but now it seems prudent to work a little longer on the 3-paragraph essay. Let's review the basics:
A paragraph must have a topic sentence, and all the other sentences must relate to that topic sentence.
The essay should begin with a strong statement. To some extent, this is the "topic sentence" of the whole essay, but each paragraph must have its own topic sentence. It need not be the topic sentence of the first paragraph, but usually it will be.
The concluding sentence should consider all the information in the essay, relate that information back to that first strong statement, and extend your ideas beyond what has already been presented.
Here's another three-paragraph essay, as an example.
Everywhere I go in Yilan, I see garbage all around me -- and that's just not right. It washes up on the beach, creating a line of trash at the high tide mark. The rice fields are full of plastic bags and bottles, and a thin film of oil can be seen when they are flooded. The garbage burning plant in Wu Jie releases dioxin and other harmful chemicals into the air. Ironically, Yilan is not much cleaner than the huge city of Taipei.
What we need are strict rules to restrict the production of garbage, so that we gradually eliminate the need to store or burn it. Ideally, factories would be prohibitted from producing anything at all that cannot be recycled. Plastics do not belong on the beach and in rice fields, and the dumping of gargage should be punished by large fines. With strong leadership from the national and county governments, the trend, toward ever more garbage littering Yilan, could be mitigated.
Such legislation, important as it is, will still leave an enormous amount of existing garbage, that will not go away by itself. We must cooperate to clean up the county, picking up gargage from beaches, fields, roads, streams and from around our own neighborhoods. With or without government leadership in our cleanup efforts, all of us should engage in this important activity. We should join together in groups to clean up specific locations, and celebrate together when that area is clean. I, for one, plan to pick up garbage on hiking trails whenever I encounter it, so that at least our most scenic paths will be clean and natural for the people behind me.
..................................
Okay, the first paragraph talks about the existing problem, and the topic sentence is the first one.
The second paragraph discusses the role of government, and the first sentence is the topic sentence.
The third paragraph is about what we can do as individuals. Here, the second sentence is the topic sentence. (The first one contributes to that idea, but is also a transition from the previous paragraph: government efforts are not enough, and there's still a problem.)
The last sentence both supports the topic sentence of its own (third) paragraph and answers the first sentence of the essay. Both sentences talk about "I": in the introductory sentence I note the problem with some disgust, and in the concluding sentence I respond with my own action. This carries the whole essay with it, encouraging others to follow my example. If you agreed with the introductory sentence, you will see value in the conclusion (and hopefully choose to do something like what I have done).
The concluding sentence does not just restate the material in the essay, but extends to a further conclusion, answering the question "So what?". I often see "conclusions" like this:
"And so, to sum up, I feel that it is very bad."
But that doesn't answer the question, "So what?".
Actually, the conclusion is usually the most important statement you will make in the essay, and is the one people will remember. The second most important statement is the first sentence (or the topic sentence of the first paragraph). To take an extreme example, you might begin with "Sex is good.", and end with "We both want to feel better, so why don't you come home with me tonight?" If your essay is successful, the answer will be "Sure, okay!". Your audience may forget what you wrote in the middle, but those two ideas will make a big impression.
Similarly, the idea that garbage is a problem needing a solution should be proved by my essay. But then the reader will ask "So what?". So I answer that question by volunteering to help (and implying that you should, too). The audience may not care much about government laws, but they will get the idea that (A) there's a problem and (B) the writer is doing something about it. That challenges the reader to do something too, if I'm successful.
A paragraph must have a topic sentence, and all the other sentences must relate to that topic sentence.
The essay should begin with a strong statement. To some extent, this is the "topic sentence" of the whole essay, but each paragraph must have its own topic sentence. It need not be the topic sentence of the first paragraph, but usually it will be.
The concluding sentence should consider all the information in the essay, relate that information back to that first strong statement, and extend your ideas beyond what has already been presented.
Here's another three-paragraph essay, as an example.
Everywhere I go in Yilan, I see garbage all around me -- and that's just not right. It washes up on the beach, creating a line of trash at the high tide mark. The rice fields are full of plastic bags and bottles, and a thin film of oil can be seen when they are flooded. The garbage burning plant in Wu Jie releases dioxin and other harmful chemicals into the air. Ironically, Yilan is not much cleaner than the huge city of Taipei.
What we need are strict rules to restrict the production of garbage, so that we gradually eliminate the need to store or burn it. Ideally, factories would be prohibitted from producing anything at all that cannot be recycled. Plastics do not belong on the beach and in rice fields, and the dumping of gargage should be punished by large fines. With strong leadership from the national and county governments, the trend, toward ever more garbage littering Yilan, could be mitigated.
Such legislation, important as it is, will still leave an enormous amount of existing garbage, that will not go away by itself. We must cooperate to clean up the county, picking up gargage from beaches, fields, roads, streams and from around our own neighborhoods. With or without government leadership in our cleanup efforts, all of us should engage in this important activity. We should join together in groups to clean up specific locations, and celebrate together when that area is clean. I, for one, plan to pick up garbage on hiking trails whenever I encounter it, so that at least our most scenic paths will be clean and natural for the people behind me.
..................................
Okay, the first paragraph talks about the existing problem, and the topic sentence is the first one.
The second paragraph discusses the role of government, and the first sentence is the topic sentence.
The third paragraph is about what we can do as individuals. Here, the second sentence is the topic sentence. (The first one contributes to that idea, but is also a transition from the previous paragraph: government efforts are not enough, and there's still a problem.)
The last sentence both supports the topic sentence of its own (third) paragraph and answers the first sentence of the essay. Both sentences talk about "I": in the introductory sentence I note the problem with some disgust, and in the concluding sentence I respond with my own action. This carries the whole essay with it, encouraging others to follow my example. If you agreed with the introductory sentence, you will see value in the conclusion (and hopefully choose to do something like what I have done).
The concluding sentence does not just restate the material in the essay, but extends to a further conclusion, answering the question "So what?". I often see "conclusions" like this:
"And so, to sum up, I feel that it is very bad."
But that doesn't answer the question, "So what?".
Actually, the conclusion is usually the most important statement you will make in the essay, and is the one people will remember. The second most important statement is the first sentence (or the topic sentence of the first paragraph). To take an extreme example, you might begin with "Sex is good.", and end with "We both want to feel better, so why don't you come home with me tonight?" If your essay is successful, the answer will be "Sure, okay!". Your audience may forget what you wrote in the middle, but those two ideas will make a big impression.
Similarly, the idea that garbage is a problem needing a solution should be proved by my essay. But then the reader will ask "So what?". So I answer that question by volunteering to help (and implying that you should, too). The audience may not care much about government laws, but they will get the idea that (A) there's a problem and (B) the writer is doing something about it. That challenges the reader to do something too, if I'm successful.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Writing the Concluding Sentence
Welcome to Advanced English Writing. We have so far reviewed sentence construction, conjunctions and basic paragraph construction. Now we are learning about the 3-paragraph essay.
Remember, each paragraph in your essay must have its own topic sentence. All the other sentences must relate to the topic sentence. If you have information that does not relate to the topic sentence, it must go in another paragraph.
This week, we'll work on conclusions. The third paragraph in a 3-paragraph essay is usually (but not always) about drawing conclusions from the preceding two paragraphs. Sometimes, the third paragraph continues in a logical series, without summing up the previous information. An example might be (Paragraph 1) Stone Age Humans, (Paragraph 2) Humans in 1900 and (Paragraph 3) Humans in the 21st Century. Even in this case, however, the last sentence of the third paragraph should relate to the introductory remarks in the first paragraph.
For instance, suppose my opening sentence was "Human society was extremely difficult and brutal during the Stone Age." I describe the hard life people had then, the violence, disease and poverty. Then I skip to 1900 in the second paragraph and describe the contrast: better diet, more opportunities, real efforts at world peace, longer lifespans, etc. In the 3rd paragraph I note that the 21st century has begun with even more opportunities and even longer lifespans, but also many serious problems. War in the 21st century could easily be nuclear, diseases might sweep the globe killing millions or even billions. And we're running out of all the resources that built our complex civilization. My concluding sentence must fit with the topic sentence of the third paragraph, but should also reflect some progress in the ideas presented in Paragraph 1: "Though we have attained a high level of complexity, there is reason to worry that all our progress may lead back to the simple, violent struggle of Stone Age peoples, unless we can overcome age-old human problems very soon."
This way, the whole composition is unified. It is one idea blossoming out in different ways, like petals of a flower from a single stem. The central idea is that humans have made progress away from our earlier limitations, but those limitations have not been conquered and may easily conquer us.
Here's a sample 3-paragraph essay. Note how the conclusion unifies the essay. Also note that the topic sentence of Paragraph 3 is not the first sentence, but the second.
Getting What I Want
When I have a desire, the natural impulse is to fulfill it as soon as possible. If I am hungry, I look around for food. If I feel attracted to someone or something, and I try to get closer. I feel frustrated if I try to get what I want, and cannot. Commonly, like most people, I will try again. In fact, I may keep trying until it's obvious (even to me) that I cannot succeed.
Buddhism teaches that desire is the cause of suffering, and I believe that is correct. Desires always seem good at the time we have them, but they often lead to troubles. If we do not get what we want, we may be upset. Even if we do achieve our desire, it may not satisfy. Or may satisfy so well, that when it is gone, we are heartbroken. If we cannot stop thinking about what we want, the rest of the world may seem boring and useless by comparison.
I think it's important to enjoy Life as it is, no matter what happens. Everybody experiences frustration and suffering, but why make it worse by crying, just because it's not what we prefer? I have found that, when I let go of strong desires, more good comes my way. Sometimes, I even get what I wanted, after some time goes by. Experience has taught me that, although I naturally want to make my dreams come true, it's best to be content with my lot, and see what heaven has in store for me.
Remember, each paragraph in your essay must have its own topic sentence. All the other sentences must relate to the topic sentence. If you have information that does not relate to the topic sentence, it must go in another paragraph.
This week, we'll work on conclusions. The third paragraph in a 3-paragraph essay is usually (but not always) about drawing conclusions from the preceding two paragraphs. Sometimes, the third paragraph continues in a logical series, without summing up the previous information. An example might be (Paragraph 1) Stone Age Humans, (Paragraph 2) Humans in 1900 and (Paragraph 3) Humans in the 21st Century. Even in this case, however, the last sentence of the third paragraph should relate to the introductory remarks in the first paragraph.
For instance, suppose my opening sentence was "Human society was extremely difficult and brutal during the Stone Age." I describe the hard life people had then, the violence, disease and poverty. Then I skip to 1900 in the second paragraph and describe the contrast: better diet, more opportunities, real efforts at world peace, longer lifespans, etc. In the 3rd paragraph I note that the 21st century has begun with even more opportunities and even longer lifespans, but also many serious problems. War in the 21st century could easily be nuclear, diseases might sweep the globe killing millions or even billions. And we're running out of all the resources that built our complex civilization. My concluding sentence must fit with the topic sentence of the third paragraph, but should also reflect some progress in the ideas presented in Paragraph 1: "Though we have attained a high level of complexity, there is reason to worry that all our progress may lead back to the simple, violent struggle of Stone Age peoples, unless we can overcome age-old human problems very soon."
This way, the whole composition is unified. It is one idea blossoming out in different ways, like petals of a flower from a single stem. The central idea is that humans have made progress away from our earlier limitations, but those limitations have not been conquered and may easily conquer us.
Here's a sample 3-paragraph essay. Note how the conclusion unifies the essay. Also note that the topic sentence of Paragraph 3 is not the first sentence, but the second.
Getting What I Want
When I have a desire, the natural impulse is to fulfill it as soon as possible. If I am hungry, I look around for food. If I feel attracted to someone or something, and I try to get closer. I feel frustrated if I try to get what I want, and cannot. Commonly, like most people, I will try again. In fact, I may keep trying until it's obvious (even to me) that I cannot succeed.
Buddhism teaches that desire is the cause of suffering, and I believe that is correct. Desires always seem good at the time we have them, but they often lead to troubles. If we do not get what we want, we may be upset. Even if we do achieve our desire, it may not satisfy. Or may satisfy so well, that when it is gone, we are heartbroken. If we cannot stop thinking about what we want, the rest of the world may seem boring and useless by comparison.
I think it's important to enjoy Life as it is, no matter what happens. Everybody experiences frustration and suffering, but why make it worse by crying, just because it's not what we prefer? I have found that, when I let go of strong desires, more good comes my way. Sometimes, I even get what I wanted, after some time goes by. Experience has taught me that, although I naturally want to make my dreams come true, it's best to be content with my lot, and see what heaven has in store for me.
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