Paragraph Writing Version1

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Classroom Management Plan for Unit 1

Topic: What is a Paragraph?

1. Definition of a Paragraph
2. Paragraph Components

2.1 Unity
2.2 Coherence
2.3 Support
3. Paragraph Organization
2.1 A Topic Sentence
2.2 Supporting Sentences
2.3 A Concluding Sentence
4. Paragraph Formatting Elements
4.1 A Title
4.2 Margins
4.3 Indenting
4.4 Spacing
4.5 Connected Sentences

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Objective:

1. To enhance students’ understanding in the definition of a paragraph
2. To develop students’ ability in writing paragraph components
3. To improve students’ skills in organizing a good paragraph
4. To strengthen students’ writing skills in using correct formatting elements

Teaching Method and Instructional Activity:

1. The teacher stimulates students’ background knowledge about the topic.
2. The teacher presents the basic knowledge about a paragraph to the students.
3. The students discuss in groups about the contents in the teaching material
and handout.
4. The representatives from each group present their work on the given topic
from the group discussion.
5. The teacher gives productive feedback to the students and provides more
information with extra examples from various sources.
6. The students do exercises in the teaching material and other handouts and
the teacher facilitate the students during classroom practice.
7. The teacher has the question-and-answer session with students.
8. The teacher assigns the students individual writing tasks to work at home for
further practice.

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Material needed

1. Teaching Material of Paragraph Writing course
2. Handouts
3. Power Point presentation and online extra information
4. Related books and worksheet

Assessment and Evaluation

1. Group presentation records
2. Practices from the teaching material and handouts

3. Writing assignments

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Unit 1

What is a paragraph?

1. Definition of a Paragraph

A paragraph is a group of sentences that work together to develop a main idea.
Paragraphs are organized differently depending on their purposes. And narrative,
descriptive and expository are three main types of a paragraph. (Boardman and
Frydenberg, 2002)

A paragraph is the smallest unit of academic writing. It is a group of sentences
(about 8-15 sentences long) and contains one single thought or one main idea which
controls the direction of all sentences in one paragraph. (Boardman, 2008)

Moreover, Kalchayanant (2016) stated that a paragraph is a group of logically
related sentences that presents one unit of thought or a single idea. Also, it can be
independent or be a part of an essay.

In sum, a paragraph is a group of related sentences that is controlled by a main
idea. Therefore, to create a good paragraph, the essential components, the organization
and the formatting elements should be considered.

2. Paragraph Components

In English, there are three essential components in a paragraph: unity, coherence
and support. (Kalchayanant, 2016) In the same way, Strunk and White (2000) mentioned
that unity, coherence and development are effective components in writing a paragraph.
Although support and development are different words, both emphasize the enough

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space, support or reasons to develop the topic sentence. Thus, three paragraph
components which are unity, coherence and support will be focused in this teaching
material.

2.1 Unity: All sentences in a paragraph must hold one main idea. Besides, the
irrelevant sentences about the main idea should be omitted.

2.2 Coherence: All sentences need to be well connected and put in good order
according to its type. (This will discuss more in the following units.)

2.3 Support: All sentences in a paragraph should give the clear picture, details,
information or discussion in order to support and develop the main idea of the
paragraph.

To produce a good paragraph, essential components need to be emphasized.
The following paragraph is an example of a well-organized paragraph.

Paragraph Example 1: Analyzing Paragraph Components

Green
There are three main reasons why green is my favorite color. First, no
other color gives the strong sense of the peacefulness as green does. I feel
calm at heart whenever the green appears in my sight. Second, it represents
the genuine nature. The most of natural resources that benefit all lives on the
earth are green such as plants, trees, forests and mountains. Last but not
least, green symbolizes Islamic community, my community. As you can see,
green is used in several national flags of Muslim countries. These can truly
prove how much I love green.

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The independent paragraph as shown in paragraph example 1 is considered a
good paragraph according to the three essential components mentioned: unity,
coherence and support.

- Unity: This paragraph contains one main idea which is three reasons why green
is my favorite color. And all sentences are relevant to the main idea. They give more
details and show clear examples about the main idea. Thus, this paragraph shows strong
unity.

- Coherence: The sentences in this paragraph are logically connected by using
transitional words—first, second and last but not least. These transitional words help
the readers follow the paragraph development easily since all sentences are well
connected to one another with appropriate transitional words.

- Support: The main idea of this paragraph (three reasons why green is my
favorite color) is well supported by clear details for each reason--giving the strong sense
of peacefulness, representing the genuine nature and symbolizing the writer’s
community. Moreover, the details for each reason are further given with examples—
feeling calm at heart, being beneficial resources for human life and being used as the
main color in the flags of Muslim countries. Therefore, all details strongly support the
main idea.

3. Paragraph Organization

A paragraph consists of three main parts: a topic sentence, supporting sentences
and a concluding sentence.

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3.1 A Topic Sentence: It is the main idea of the paragraph. It consists of two
parts: the topic (the subject of your writing) and the controlling idea (what you are
writing about the subject). So, the controlling idea is very helpful for the writer to set the
direction of the paragraph and for the readers to predict what is going to happen in the
paragraph. A good topic sentence must not be too broad because supporting details of
the paragraph can be unfocused and weak. Also, it must not be too narrow since the
main idea can be hardly developed, which affects the length of the paragraph.

Paragraph Example 2:

My First Airplane Ride
My first airplane ride is one of the most exciting experience I have
ever had. All my life I had wished I could fly in an airplane. Then, one day my
wish came true. I had a chance to take a trip to Hong Kong. I was so excited
the moment I stepped into the airplane. I sat in the window seat and
fastened my seat belt. Ten minutes later, it was ready to take off. I can
remember the exact moment when it started to take off. As it started racing
down the runway, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. When it lifted
into the air, my stomach tickled and my ears popped. As it went higher and
higher, I could see the buildings, cars, houses, and people on the ground
grow tinier and tinier. Though many years have passed, I can still remember
every small detail from my first flight. It was a really thrilling experience for
me.

Taken from Chalermpatarakul, C. (2008: 6)

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The bold information (My first airplane ride………) is the subject of the writing. And the
underlined information (……….is one of the most exciting experience I have ever had) is
what the writer is talking about. This means the whole paragraph will be talking about
the subject (the first airplane ride) in the thrilling way since the word “exciting” refer to
the excitement that have happened in the writer’s life.

3.2 Supporting Sentences: They are the sentences that follow the main idea.
They display the details, information or discussion in order to support the topic
sentence of the paragraph.

Paragraph Example 3:

The Reasons Why My Brother is Healthy
My brother is a healthy person due to three reasons. First, he eats good
food and never skips meals. He likes eating vegetables and fruits and stays
away from unhealthy food such as fast food, instant noodles, sweets and soft
drinks. Second, he exercises regularly which makes him stay fit and firm. He is
so strong that he always wins many marathon competitions. Third, he sleeps
7-10 hours a day. With no doubt, he is an early bird not a night owl. He goes
straight to his bed after he comes back from his evening workout. Having
enough time to rest makes his body recover from daily damage. By all these
reasons, he hardly gets sick.

From paragraph example 3 above, the underlined information is the supporting
sentences. As you can see, all three reasons (the first, the second and the third) are the
explanation of the first sentence which is the topic sentence.

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3.3 A Concluding Sentence: It is the last sentence in a paragraph. It is often a
restatement (a paraphrase) of the topic sentence. Moreover, it can be a summary of the
important points, the additional comment or the result of the paragraph. (This will
discuss more for each paragraph type in the later unit)

From paragraph example 3, the bold information (By all these reasons, he hardly
gets sick.) is a concluding sentence of this paragraph. It shows the result of the action as
the final part of the story. It also emphasizes the topic sentence that he’s so healthy
that he hardly gets sick.

Next, another example of a well-organized paragraph is presented as follows.

Paragraph Example 4: Analyzing Paragraph Organization

Collecting Coins
There are many benefits of collecting coins. First, you can get a lot of
knowledge from these little metal things. For instance, you can learn about
the history of foreign countries from the stamped pictures on the coins. Also,
you can learn its production process-- how it was rimmed, stamped and
beveled. Next, You can increase your social skills. Attending the coin club
provide you chances to make new friends. Besides, you are able to chat and
share things with people having the same interest. Finally, the hobby of your
choice can bring you many good feelings. You can spend much time on
collecting coins with tons of excitement. Importantly, you can feel
accomplished when you see your new collection. Thus, if you are looking for
an amazing hobby, let’s try collecting coins!

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The independent paragraph above is considered a well-organized paragraph due
to having all organizing ideas for a paragraph: a topic sentence, supporting sentences
and a concluding sentence. And the organization of this paragraph is analyzed in the
following diagram.

Paragraph Outline

Topic There are many benefits of collecting Main idea
Sentence coins
Supporting
Sentences 1. You can get a lot of knowledge. -> Supporting sentence 1

- The history of foreign countries from Details for supporting
the stamped pictures on the coins sentence1

- Its production process

2. You can increase your social skills -> Supporting sentence 2

- Make new friends from attending the

coin club Details for supporting
- Be able to chat and share with Sentence2
people having the same interest.

3. It can bring you many good feelings. -> Supporting sentence 3

- Feeling excited while collecting Details for supporting
- Feeling accomplished when having Sentence2
new collection

Concluding Thus, if you are looking for an amazing Giving opinion/

Sentence hobby, let’s try collecting coins! Convincing

Figure 1.1 Analyzing Paragraph Organization (Paragraph: Collecting Coins)

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4. Paragraph Formatting Elements

In academic writing, paragraph format is important for a good paragraph. There
are 5 formatting elements for paragraph writing: a title, margins, indenting, spacing and
connected sentences.

4.1 A title: It is stated in the center above the paragraph. It is a word or a group
of words describing the topic. The title should be capitalized since it is considered “the
face” or the reader’s first view of the paragraph. A good title can attract the reader to
decide what to read and it is also help the reader to foreshadow what is going to be
read.

4.2 Margins: They are on the right and left of the paragraph. It is considered “the
border line” of the paragraph. It displays the space between the paragraph and the edge
of the paper.

4.3 Indenting: It means that the first sentence of the paragraph should begin five
spaces in from the left margin. It is interpreted as the beginning of a new paragraph.
“The Tap Key” on the computer keyboard can be used for indenting.

4.4 Spacing: It means that a paragraph should be double-spaced —skip every
other line.

4.5 Connected sentences: In a paragraph, sentences should follow each other
back-to-back. And the writer does not need to move to the new line to start a new
sentence.

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Paragraph Example 5:

Title Colors and Personality Margin
Indenting The color you like can say a lot about your
personality. For instance, if you prefer yellow, you are Connected
Margin probably happy, easy-going and creative. If blue is your Sentences
color, you are a relaxed person. You are also cheerful and
Spacing positive with things around. If red is your color, you tend
to be a competitive person. Also, you are very active in
everything you do. If you like green, you are a healthy
person who devotes yourself for volunteer work. Your
wish is to make the world a better place for everyone. In
sum, your favorite color can represent who you are.

Taken from Boardman, Cyntia A. (2008: 62)

The independent paragraph above is considered a good paragraph due to having
all necessary formatting elements: a title, margins, indenting, spacing and connected
sentences.

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In conclusion, a paragraph is a group of sentences that relates to one another. It
was developed by the main idea which controls the direction of the paragraph. A well-
organized paragraph consists of three main parts: a topic sentence, supporting sentences
and a concluding sentence. Moreover, there are certain components to develop a fine
paragraph: unity, coherence and support. Lastly, to write a paragraph in English, the
writer should follow the correct format. And the paragraph formatting elements include
a title, indenting, margins, spacing and connected sentences. Thus, a complete
paragraph can be easily done by following the mentioned information.

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Practice 1: Paragraph Components

A: Circle the supporting sentence that does not relate to the topic sentence.
1. Topic sentence: A proper diet helps us stay healthy.

A. We live longer.
B. We stay away from diseases.
C. We are cheerful and happy.
D. We have strong bones and teeth.

2. Topic sentence: Having a car costs a lot of expenses.
A. The price of the fuel multiples.
B. We have to spare some money for the maintenance and repair.
C. The parking space needs to be paid in some areas.
D. The used car is cheap.

3. Topic sentence: There are million tourists visiting Thailand due to wonderful weather
and beautiful scenery.
A. The hot weather on the island is good for sunbathing.
B. The beaches are white and crystal clear when facing the sun.
C. It will be very muddy during rainy season.
D. There are most stunning nature and green mountains in the north.

4. Topic sentence: Internet has many benefits for education.
A. Knowledge can be reached in rural areas via distance learning.
B. Learners have freedom in accessing all restricted contents they want.
C. We can register an online course provided by foreign universities.
D. We can get and share knowledge with classmates easily.

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Practice 2: Paragraph Organization

A: Directions : Identify the paragraph organization of the following paragraph.

To Mary or Not to Mary
There are many benefits of getting married. For example, married
people live longer than single people. It’s better for your emotions to be
married. And happier emotion helps you have a healthier body. Another
benefit is that you have someone to share the household work with. It’s
hard to do everything by yourself. Another example is that when you are
married, you have someone to enjoy life with. In sum, these benefits
show that being married is better than being single.

Taken from Boardman, Cyntia A. (2008: 62)

1. A topic sentence:
______________________________________________________________________
2. Supporting sentences:

2.1__________________________________________________________________
2.1__________________________________________________________________

2.3__________________________________________________________________

3. A Concluding Sentence:
______________________________________________________________________

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Practice 3: Paragraph Organization

A: Directions : Complete the given paragraph outline according to the paragraph
organization .

Paragraph Organization

Topic There are many benefits of social Main idea
Sentence network.

Supporting 1. You can reach people living far away -> Supporting sentence 1
Sentences
easier and faster.
1.1 _______________________________ Details for supporting

________________________________ sentence1

2. You can entertain yourself when you -> Supporting sentence 2

have free time.

2.1 _______________________________ Details for supporting
________________________________ Sentence2

3._________________________________ -> Supporting sentence 3

3.1 _______________________________ Details for supporting
________________________________ Sentence3

Concluding 4.__________________________________ Giving opinion/
Sentence __________________________________ Convincing

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Practice 4: Paragraph Formatting Elements

A: Directions : Label each number (1-5) with the correct formatting elements (A-E).

A. Margin B. Spacing C. Indenting
D. Title E. Connected Sentences

1. Hotels in Phuket

2. There are three basic types of hotels in Phuket

according to your budget. If you have a lot of money, you

can stay at a luxurious hotel like the Metropole Hotel. It

3. costs you about 3,000 baht per night for a deluxe single 3.
room. However, if you have a more modest budget, you 5.

can stay at a mid-priced hotel such as Thavorn Hotel. It

offers you an air-conditioned room with a bathroom for

4. 500 baht per night. But if you have a very tight budget,

you can stay at the very cheap-priced hotel or a guess

house. You can get a clean room with a shared bathroom

for about 100 baht per night at Pengman Hostel. Thus, a

comfortable place based on your budget can be easily

found in Phuket.

Adapted from Janjaroensuk, P. (2008: 26)

1._________ 2._________ 3._________ 4._________ 5._________

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Practice 5: A Complete Paragraph

A: Directions : Choose one of the following titles and write down a short paragraph.

My Special Summer My Phone Daily Exercise

___________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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B: Directions : Clarify the organization of the paragraph written in Practice 5 A.

Topic Paragraph Organization
Sentence __________________________________________
__________________________________________
Supporting
Sentences 1. ______________________________________

_________________________________________

2. ______________________________________

_________________________________________

3. ______________________________________

________________________________________

Concluding _________________________________________
Sentence _________________________________________

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References

Boardman, Cyntia A. (2008). Writing to Communicate: Paragraphs. New York:
Pearson Education, Inc.

Boardman, Cyntia A., and Frydenberge, J. (2002). Writing to Communicate: Paragraphs
and Essays. 2nd ed. New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Chalermpatarakul, C. (2008). Paragraph Writing: A Process Approach: Paragraphs.
2nd ed. Bangkok: Thammasat University Press.

Janjaroensuk, P. (2008). Paragraph Writing. Bangkok: Dhonburi Rajaphat University.
Kalchayanant, T. (2016). Writing Paragraphs. 3rd ed. Bangkok: Thammasat

University Press.
Strunk, Wiliam Jr., and White, E. B. (2000). The Elements of Style. 4th ed. New York:

Longman.

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Classroom Management Plan for Unit 2

Topic: Types of Paragraph

Introduction to Paragraph Types
Types of Paragraph

1. A Narrative Paragraph
2. A Descriptive Paragraph
3. An Expository Paragraph

3.1 An Example Paragraph
3.2 A Definition Paragraph
3.3 A Process Paragraph
3.4 A Comparison Paragraph
3.5 A Classification Paragraph
3.6 A Cause and Effect Paragraph
3.7 A Problem and Solution Paragraph
3.8 A Persuasive Paragraph
3.9 An Argumentative Paragraph
3.9 A Reason Paragraph

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Objective:

1. To enhance students’ understanding in the definition and the purpose of each
paragraph type.

2. To develop students’ ability in differentiating the types of paragraph.

Teaching Method and Instructional Activity:

1. The teacher stimulates students’ background knowledge about the topic.
2. The teacher presents the knowledge about types of paragraph to the students.
3. The students discuss in groups about the contents in the teaching material
and handout.
4. The representatives from each group present their work on the given topic
from the group discussion.
5. The teacher gives productive feedback to the students and provides more
information with extra examples from various sources.
6. The students do exercises in the teaching material and other handouts and
the teacher facilitate the students during classroom practice.
7. The teacher has the question-and-answer session with students.
8. The teacher assigns the students individual writing tasks to work at home for
further practice.

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Material needed

1. Teaching Material of Paragraph Writing course
2. Handouts
3. Power Point presentation and online extra information
4. Related books and worksheet

Assessment and Evaluation

1. Group presentation records
2. Practices from the teaching material and handouts
3. Writing assignments

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Unit 2

Types of Paragraph

Introduction to Types of Paragraph

From the previous unit, we have learned about the meaning of paragraph, its
organization and its necessary elements. In this unit, the types of paragraph will be
introduced since the paragraph is a group of sentences that is organized differently
depending of its purpose. In English, there are three main types of paragraph: narrative,
descriptive and expository. (Boardman and Frydenberg, 2002)

1. A Narrative Paragraph: A narrative paragraph aims to tell a story in a period
of time and under one focused feeling. And the sentences in the paragraph are
organized following the time sequence as shown in paragraph example 1.

Paragraph Example 1:

My Worst Accident
Last month, I was in a shocking motorbike accident on the way to
work. It was raining so heavily that I could hardly control my motorbike. At
that time, I saw all the cars stopped due to the red light. When the light
turned green, all started to move. I was about to cross the T-junction when a
car drove fast towards me. I tried to slow down my motorbike but it was
hard to avoid the crash. After that the things went blank, and I found myself
at the hospital. I was lucky enough that I was still alive and got back in my
fine condition after a month. It was the worst accident that ever happened in
my whole life.

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2. A descriptive Paragraph: A descriptive paragraph is written in order to
describe a person, a thing or a place. It aims to create the visual image in the readers’
mind.
Paragraph Example 2:

Kate, My Angelic Friend
My friend, Kate, is a superstar at school. She is tall, slim and very
good looking. Everyone thinks that she is a celebrity as she is so
glamorous. She has an oval face with sparkling big brown eyes. Also, her
hair is long and so smooth like silk. Importantly, more than her look is her
kind personality. She is good to everyone around her, which makes her so
famous and admirable. This can prove why she is called an angel on earth.

3. An Expository Paragraph: An expository paragraph is used to explain
something to the readers. The definition, instruction, examples, reasons, results or
opinions can be given in this paragraph type. And there are various ways to explain
something. Some of the methods are presented as follows.

3.1 An Example Paragraph: It aims to explain things by giving examples.
Paragraph Example 3:

Ancient System of Communication
Many ancient cultures had interesting ways of communicating long-
distance. For example, the Incas in South America used “quipus” to send

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messages from one village to another. “Quipus” were ropes that had a series
of knots tied into them. The color and number of knots gave information or
told a story. Second, smoke signals were used by the Chinese and Native
North Americans. They send simple messages by covering and uncovering
fires slowly and quickly. As a final example, native people in West Africa used
drums to carry messages across distances. The strength and tone of the beat
delivered different messages. In conclusion, in ancient times, there were
different ways of sending messages to people far away.

Taken from Boardman, Cynthia A. (2008: 57)

3.2 A Definition Paragraph: It explains the meaning of something.
Paragraph Example 4:

A Wristwatch
A wristwatch is a mechanical device which is used for telling the
time. Its main advantage over other types of time-telling devices such as
clocks or hourglasses is that it is small enough to be worn on the wrist, so
that one can easily know the time by looking down. Wristwatches come in
various shapes and sizes, but all have one thing in common: a band or
strap with which they may be attached to the wrist. In the United States,
where time is money, everyone practically wears a wristwatch.

Taken from Arnaudet, Martin L., and Barrett, Mary E. (1990: 137)

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3.3 A Process Paragraph: It aims to provide the instruction or steps to do something.
Paragraph Example 5:

How to Tidy Up Your Room
To tidy up your room, you can follow the four easy steps. First, get
rid of the unused things. You can give out the ones that are still usable to
people in need. Second, relocate the rest of your things in proper places.
Some items that you often use can be placed in the easy-to-find position.
For other things, you can put in the close position like wardrobes, drawers
or boxes. Third, don’t mess things up again! By four steps, you will have the
cleaner and nicer room.

3.4 A Comparison Paragraph: It aims to explain similarities or differences
of two things.
Paragraph Example 6:

Oceans and Lakes
Oceans and lakes have much in common, but they are also quite
different. Both are bodies of water, but oceans are very large bodies of salt
water, while lakes are much smaller bodies of fresh water. Lakes are
usually surrounded by land, while oceans are what surround continents.
Both have plants and animals living in them. The ocean is home to the
largest animals on the planet, whereas lakes support much smaller forms

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of life. When it is time for a vacation, both will make a great place to visit and
enjoy.

Taken from Admin (2017, unpaged)

3.5 A Classification Paragraph: It aims to explain things according to its
categories.
Paragraph Example 7:

Three Types of Political Space
The radio show explains three types of political spaces: the
conservative space, the liberal space, and the moderate space.
Conservative spaces tend to foster groups of people who want "things to
stay the same." They like what they are doing, how they are living, and
want things to remain. Liberal spaces tend to foster groups of people who
want "things to change." They want things to progress, to change, and to
see movement. Finally, moderate spaces tend to foster groups of people
who want to see the best of conservative and liberal spaces. They seek
conservation and change when appropriate.

Taken from Types of Paragraph (n.d., unpaged)

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3.6 A Cause and Effect Paragraph: It aims to analyze the causes and effects of
the certain situation.
Paragraph Example 8:

Global Warming
Global warming is one of the major problems that bring all lives
long-term dangers. It refers to the earth’s rising temperatures, which is
caused by the release and prevalence of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. These accumulating temperatures will affect the substantial
melting of Arctic and Antarctic glaciers. The increasing sea levels and the
decreasing fresh water are the harmful consequences. Finally, It will
possibly drive plants, animals and all species to extinction. So, all lives on
earth will get the direct effect from this phenomenon.

3.7 A Problem and Solution Paragraph: It aims to state the problem and
provide its solution.
Paragraph Example 9:

Global warming
Global warming is one of the major problems that should be
immediately solved by all countries. The global warming cause a rise of
the earth’s temperatures. With the rising heat, the Arctic and Antarctic
glaciers are melting down, which endangers all living species including

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human. To prevent ourselves from many serious consequences, we should
take some effective actions. First, the sources of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere should be reduced by setting up the restricted law and
punishment for producing pollutions and deliberately cutting down of
forests. Importantly, tree plantation program should be adopted to make
the earth heal itself. These can be successfully done by the cooperation
of all nations.

3.8 A Persuasive Paragraph: It is used to persuade the readers to do something.
Paragraph Example 10:

School Fair
You should not miss the school fair due to the following reasons.
First, the school fair is a great value when compared with other forms of
entertainment. Also, your ticket purchase will help the school. When you
help the school, it helps the entire community. But that’s not all! Every
ticket you purchase enters you in a drawing to win fabulous prizes. And
don’t forget, you will have mountains of fun because there are many
great rides, fun games, and entertaining attractions! Spend time with your
family and friends at our school fair. Buy your tickets now!

Taken from Admin (2017, unpaged)

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3.9 An Argumentative Paragraph: To convince the reader to believe in the
proposed ideas, the argumentative paragraph presents the logical argument (such as
pros and cons of something) to make it have stronger influence on the readers.

Paragraph Example 11:

School Fair
The school fair is right around the corner and you should not miss it!
Even though you may be busy, you will still want to reserve just one day
out of an entire year to relax and have fun with us. Even if you don’t have
much money, you don’t have to worry. The school fair is a community
event, and therefore prices are kept low. Perhaps, you are still not
convinced. Maybe you feel you are too old for fairs, or you just don’t like
them. Well, that’s what my grandfather thought, but he came to last
year’s school fair and had this to say about it: “I had the best time of my
life!” While it’s true you may be able to think of a reason not to come,
I’m also sure you can think of several reasons why you must come. We
look forward to seeing you at the school fair!Buy your tickets now!

Taken from Admin (2017, unpaged)

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3.10 A Reason Paragraph: It explains the reasons or causes of a particular
situation.

Paragraph Example 12:

Why I stop Smoking
There are three main reasons that make me quit smoking. First, I
want to be a good role model for my son. As my son is growing bigger
each day, I do not want him to see smoking as a pleasant action and
become a smoker later. Second, I have been sick quite often recently. I
want to take care of my health before it is too late. Last, I want to save
up more money for my family. Since the cigarettes are expensive, I
waste most of my money on them. It would be better to stop wasting
money on harmful things for my life. In sum, all of these reasons exactly
help me reach my goal and become a better person.

To conclude, there are three main types of paragraph: narrative, descriptive and
expository. Although all types have the same organization--a topic sentence,
supporting sentences and a concluding sentence--, the methods used to convey the
ideas in supporting sentences are different. For instance, a narrative paragraph is used
to tell a story or an event while a descriptive paragraph is used to create the visual
image for the readers. For expository paragraphs, there are various methods to explain
the focused topic such as 1) giving examples, 2) illustrating similarities and differences,

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3) giving the definition of something, 4) showing the cause and effect of some
incidents, 5) stating problems and solution, 6) convincing the others to do something,
7) showing logical argument of certain opinions, 8) giving the reasons of particular
action or situation, 9) explaining the process of how to do something and 10)
explaining something according to its categories. As mentioned, there are many ways to
explain something in an expository paragraph. For process writing in the following
chapter, some of the beneficial methods will be chosen for students’ practice.

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Practice 1: Types of Paragraph

A: Directions : Identify the type of each paragraph.

My Father
My father is the most admirable person on earth. He is a middle-aged
teacher who works so hard at an orphanage school. He is short, chubby and
ordinary-looking. Despite his appearance, his great personality makes him
become special. He always puts on a gentle smile when his students call
him for help. Also, he has gentle voice that makes his student feel warm
and safe when talking or telling him about their problems. Importantly, he is
a good father for me and my sister, too. Although he is tired from work, he
always cooks us delicious meals right after he arrives home. Besides, he
sends us to bed almost every night and always tells us bedtime stories. He
never makes us feel incomplete although my mother passed away since I
was little. He is the man I love the most.

1. ________________________________

How to Make a Good Cup of Tea
Making a good cup of tea is exquisitely simple. First, the teapot is
heated by filling it with water that has just come to a boil. This water is then
discarded, and one teaspoon of loose tea per cup is placed in the teapot

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(the exact amount may vary according to taste). Fresh water that has just
come to a boil is poured into the pot. A good calculation is six ounces of
water for each cup of tea. The tea must now steep for three to five minutes;
then it is poured through a strainer into a cup or mug. A pound of loose tea
will yield about two hundred cups of brewed tea. Using a tea bag eliminates
the strainer, but it is still best to make the tea in a teapot so that the water
stays sufficiently hot. The typical restaurant service—a cup of hot water with
the tea bag on the side—will not produce the best cup of tea because the
water is never hot enough when it reaches the table and because the tea
should not be dunked in the water; the water should be poured over the
tea. Although tea in a pot often becomes too strong, that problem can be
dealt with very easily by adding more boiling water.

Taken from Scarry, S. & Scarry, J. (2011: 415)

2. ________________________________

Studying English in a Private Tuition or in a Class

Some people think it is better to study English in a private tuition.
Others think it is better to study English in a classroom. There are three
main differences to decide which is better for you. The first difference is the
cost. It is much more expensive to study in a private tuition than to study in
a class. Another difference is that time spent with the teacher for each
lesson. In the tuition, you have more time to learn and understand each
lesson since there are less people in the private tuition than in the

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classroom. The last difference is learning mates. You have more confortable
friends in class than in the private tuition. If you want to have long-term
learning mates to practice your English with, the classroom can provide you
friendlier environment. In sum, since both offer you advantages and
disadvantages, you must decide which type of study is most suitable of
yourself.

Adapted from Janjaroensuk, P. (2008: 35)

3. _______________________________

First Night in Krabi Town
My first night in Krabi town was the most memorable moment for
me. On that day, I woke up very early and went straight to the bust station.
I bought the ticket and got on the bus with great excitement. It took me
about 7 hours by bus to Krabi. When I arrived at the hostel, I fell asleep
since I was very exhausted by the long ride. After 3-hour long sleep, I was
ready to explore the night life in Krabi town. Everything looked stunning and
amazing for me. First, I visited a night market and took many nice pictures of
both local people and tourists. After that I stopped by a nice café and spent
the rest hours there sipping a hot coffee while listening to my favorite
music. It was such a wonderful night for me that I will never forget.

4.________________________________

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Water Aerobics

Participating in water aerobics is beneficial to your body for many
reasons. First of all, water aerobics gets your heart beating fast. This is good
because it makes your heart strong. It also sends blood throughout your
body. Second, water aerobics builds up the strength in your muscles. It is
harder to move through water than through air, so you have to work harder.
Finally, water aerobics is good because it does not put a strain on your
joins. The water supports your weight, so your joints do not receive the
pressures of all your weight. In short, for these reasons, you should try
water aerobics.

Taken from Boardman, Cyntia A. (2008: 106)

5. ________________________________

A Healthy Life

To have a healthy life, we have to do as follows. First, sleep at least
7 hours a day as the night time is the healing time for the human body. So
having enough sleep could help us better prepare our body for the next
day. Second, eat proper meals. Since food is the great source of energy for
human, having the right amount of good food help us gain full energy and
have a fit and firm body. Last but not least, do regular exercises. It helps us
keep our blood flowing smoothly and decrease the risk of heart diseases.
Also, it prevents us from having serious health problems. Consequently, we

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can have a healthy life by having enough sleep, eating proper meal and
keeping regular exercise.

6. ________________________________

Park
"Park" is difficult to define in Florida, because there are so many kinds
of parks. Basically, a park is a place to go for outdoor recreation-to swim,
picnic, hike, camp, walk the dog, play tennis, paddle your canoe, and, in
some places take rides in miniature trains or swish down a waterslide.
Florida has a rich variety of parks, ranging from acres of RVs ringed around
recreation halls, to impenetrable mangrove wilderness. To make things
more complicated, not all of them are called "parks," and even the ones
called "parks" come in several varieties.

Taken from Grow, G. (2008, unpaged)

7. ________________________________

Poverty
Poverty makes people suffer psychologically. As poverty is originally
defined as the general scarcity of any material possession or money, it will
truly affect the loss of happiness in people’s life. With no enough
possession, the basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter cannot

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be afforded, which leads to desperation. To solve this, the government
should focus on policies that support the wellbeing of the people. For
instance, to promote economic growth by creating jobs is one way to raise
hope for people. Providing health and medical facilities at the minimal cost
can also relieve people’s stress since good health is the major tool in
fighting poverty.

8. ________________________________

Headaches

Recurring headaches can have initiate disruptive effects in a person's
life. Initially, in many cases, these headaches make a person nauseous to the
point that he or she must go to bed. Furthermore, sleep is often interrupted
because of the pain. Disrupted sleep worsens the physical and emotional state
of the sufferer. For those who try to maintain a normal lifestyle, drugs are often
relied on to get through the day. Such drugs, of course, can lead to other
negative effects. Drugs can inhibit productivity on a job, perhaps even causing
regular absences. Not only is work affected, but the seemingly unpredictable
occurrence of these headaches leads to disruption in family life. The
interruption to a person's family life is enormous: cancelling plans in the last
minute and straining relationships with friends and family. It is no wonder that
many of these people feel discouraged and even depressed due to the cycle of
misery reoccurring headaches cause.

Taken from Cause and Effect Paragraphs (n.d., unpaged)

9. ________________________________

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To Sell or Not to Sell the Handguns

All handgun sales should be prohibited. Nowadays, people can have
easy access to handguns, which lead to a rise of violence and crimes in our
society. If handguns are restricted to particular authorities, the tragic crimes
can be decreased. This can help to create a safer environment for people in
society. Although some may argue that the freedom to protect oneself is
taken away by this restriction, isn’t it worth to trade this fearful freedom
with the rightful freedom in living a better life? With this restriction law, the
more peaceful community will become true and more lives can be saved
from violence.

10_________________________________

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References

Admin. (2017). Paragraph Examples. Retrieved from http://patternbased writing.com
/elementary_writing_success/paragraph-examples/

Arnaudet, Martin L. and Barret, Mary E. (1990), Paragraph Development: A Guide for
Students of English, 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 137.

Boardman, Cyntia A. (2008). Writing to Communicate: Paragraphs. New York:
Pearson Education, Inc.

Cause and Effect Paragraphs. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://academic.pgcc.edu/~jgerrity/
PowerPoint/Cause%20and%20Effect%20Paragraphs.ppt

Grow, G. (1999). Retrieved from http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow/modes.html
Janjaroensuk, P. (2008). Paragraph Writing. Bangkok: Dhonburi Rajaphat University.
Scarry, S. & Scarry, J. (2011). The Writer’s Workplace with Readings: Building College

Writing Skills. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Types of Paragraph. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://pingpdf.com/pdf-types-of-paragraphs-

basiccompositioncom.html

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Classroom Management Plan for Unit 3

Topic: Process Writing: A Narrative Paragraph

Introduction to a Narrative Paragraph
1. Generating ideas
1.1 Brainstorming
1.2 Questioning
1.3 Freewriting
2. Organizing ideas
2.1 A Topic Sentence
2.2 Supporting Sentences
2.3 A Concluding Sentence
3. Developing Cohesion
3.1 Clause Connectors
3.2 Sentence Connectors

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Objective:

1. To enhance the students’ ability in generating ideas for a narrative paragraph
2. To develop the students’ skills in organizing a good narrative paragraph
3. To improve the students’ capability in developing cohesion for a narrative
paragraph
4. To enable students to create a good narrative paragraph.

Teaching Method and Instructional Activity:

1. The teacher stimulates students’ background knowledge about the topic.
2. The teacher presents the effective process for writing a good narrative
paragraph to the students.
3. The students discuss in groups about the contents in the teaching material
and handout.
4. The representatives from each group present their work on the given topic
from the group discussion.
5. The teacher gives productive feedback to the students and provides more
information with extra examples from various sources.
6. The students do exercises in the teaching material and other handouts and
the teacher facilitate the students during classroom practice.
7. The teacher has the question-and-answer session with students.
8. The teacher assigns the students individual writing tasks to work at home for
further practice.

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Material needed

1. Teaching Material of Paragraph Writing course
2. Handouts
3. Power Point presentation and online extra information
4. Related books and worksheet

Assessment and Evaluation

1. Group presentation records
2. Practices from the teaching material and handouts
3. Writing assignments

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Unit 3

Writing Process: A Narrative Paragraph

Introduction to a Narrative Paragraph

There are many types of paragraphs in English. A narrative paragraph is a kind of
paragraphs used to tell a story about something that happened in the past such as
experiences or incidents. It can be used to explain something that occurs on a regular
basis such as a daily routine. Stories or event reported in newspapers or magazines are
also narratives that provide readers information that already happened. (Janjaroensuk,
2008). So, narrative paragraphs can be used in various occasions according to the writer’s
purposes. In this unit, three steps are presented to the learners in order to write a good
narrative paragraph:

1. Generating ideas: brainstorming, questioning and freewriting
2. Organizing ideas: a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a concluding
sentence
3. Developing cohesion: clause connectors and sentence connectors

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1. Generating ideas

To start a paragraph is the difficult task in writing since a paragraph contains one
focused idea which controls supporting ideas throughout a paragraph. Thus, the first
sentence which is always the controlling ideas is considered the hardest to write. This
step helps the writer to decide on a certain topic and generate the ideas about the
topic as much as possible in a specific amount of time. There are many ways to
generate the ideas. However, three effective ways are presented in this unit:
brainstorming, questioning and freewriting.

1.1 Brainstorming: In brainstorming, the writer can write down whatever comes
in his/her minds without worrying about what is being written down or if all pieces of
information will finally be used. It is like a stream of thoughts which helps the writer
recall memories without stopping midway. This process can be done individually or in
group. (Boardmanand Frydenberge, 2002)

Paragraph Example 1: Brainstorming

First day at school, kindergarten, 4 years old —good experience
Mom , me, Manao and teacher Kanda
Mom drove me to school, dad went to work somewhere.
Very scared, cried all the time, did not want mom to leave
New friends, new teacher, new place
One girl, Manao, held my hand, gave me candies
Teacher Kanda hugged me and showed me around the school
Colored the cat picture, I like cat a lot
My mom showed up first, hugged ---me, relieved and happy
Bring cat picture home, wanted to go to school again