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Handout 5
The Writing Process- Stage 2
This handout covers Clo4
• Formulate the controlling idea and organize
support.
http://ect.ac.ae/elearn
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Objectives
Upon successful completion of this unit the
learner should be able to:
1. Write the topic sentence
2. Organize the supporting ideas.
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4.1. Introduction :The Writing Process
 The writing process consists of different strategies that will help you proceed
from idea or purpose to the final paragraph or essay. These different strategies
move from:
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4.1.The Writing Process: Stage Two :Topic Sentence &Paragraph Organization
This stage comprises of the following parts:
1. Writing the controlling idea. (The topic sentence
for the paragraph and thesis statement for the
essay).
2. Organizing and developing support.
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4.2. Defining the Controlling Idea?
*An effective controlling idea ,called the topic sentence for a paragraph and the thesis for an
essay, has both a subject and a treatment.
-The subject is what you intend to write about.
-The treatment is what you intend to do with your subject.
Example: public schools do as well academically as private schools.
subject
treatment
*Your topic sentence or thesis should not be vague, too narrow or too broad.
Vague: Public schools are great.
subject
treatment
Better: public schools do as well academically as private schools.(more specific)
subject
treatment
Too broad: public schools are too crowded.
subject
treatment
Better: Bidwell elementary school is too crowded. (limiting the subject to a particular school)
subject
treatment
Too narrow: American public schools were first published in Philadelphia.
subject
treatment
Better: The first public schools in America were founded to meet certain practical needs.
subject
treatment
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Writing Topic Sentences- Practice exercises
In the following controlling ideas(topic sentences),underline and label the subjects(S)
and the treatments(T).Also judge each one as effective (E)or ineffective(I):
* Example: ---I----Rome is the capital of Italy.
S
T
1. --------------The quarterback in football and the general of an army are alike in
significant ways.
2. --------------The internet has changed the way many people shop.
3. --------------The world is a place of many contrasts.
4. --------------Basketball is an interesting sport.
5. --------------Life in the ocean has distinct realms.
6. --------------United Arab Emirates is an Arab country.
7. --------------My physical education teacher is called “coach”.
8. --------------Rome has had a glorious and tragic history.
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Writing Topic Sentences- Practice exercises
*Convert the following subjects(topics) into a topic sentence:
1. Rising the cost of college education ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Dieting-------------------------------------------------------------------------3. Using a computer------------------------------------------------------------4. Smoking-----------------------------------------------------------------------5. Health care-------------------------------------------------------------------6. Educated citizens-----------------------------------------------------------7. Rudeness---------------------------------------------------------------------
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Organizing Support
*once you come up with an effective topic sentence that
attracts the reader to read more, you need to support it
with supporting details.
Supporting details may include:
- Explanations
- Reasons
- examples
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Organizing Support-Practice
Example:
*Topic: College education
*Topic sentence: College education is important for several reasons.
*Support: - provides contacts that may be satisfying later.
- provides better job opportunities.
- improves different skills among students like language,
computer skills, communication skills…etc.
- provides a degree
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Organizing Support-Practice Exercises
 Provide the following topic sentence with an effective support.
*Topic: Job interview
*Topic Sentence: A successful job interview depends on many factors.
*Support: *Topic: Technology
*Topic Sentence: Technology has brought a lot of dramatic changes to our lives.
*Support: -
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Topic Sentences &supporting details-Practice
One sentence in each of the following pairs would make a good topic sentence. The
other sentence would make a good supporting detail. Write TS for the topic
sentence and SD for the supporting detail sentence.
Example: _TS_ My friends and I enjoy playing soccer during lunch time.
_SD_ Most of the time I play forward.
1. ______ Last Saturday I went to the state fair.
______ I won a stuffed bear at one of the stands.
2. ______ Davy Crockett was a famous frontiersman.
______ He could track deer even in the snow.
3. ______ Now he can make Italian bread, tomato sauce, and spaghetti.
______ Steve's mother is teaching him how to cook.
4. ______ The flower garden was a riot of color.
______ The lavender roses caught everyone's eye.
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Cont. Topic Sentences &supporting details-Practice
5. ______ First, make sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes.
______ Going on a hike can be fun if you are prepared.
6. ______ Books tell us all kinds of interesting things.
______ Some of them describe how people live in other lands.
7. ______ My brother is getting used to being a cadet at West Point.
______ He's having trouble getting up so early in the morning.
8. ______ In fact, they are dry and smooth.
______ Snakes are not slimy creatures.
9. ______ I was so excited when Mom bought me a new sewing machine.
______ The first thing I'm going to make is a blouse.
10. ______ I can do the back stroke, the breast stroke, and the Australian crawl.
______ After years of lessons I can finally swim very well.
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Cont. Topic Sentences &supporting details-Practice
All of the following sentences could be written in a paragraph, but they are missing a
topic sentence. Write a topic sentence that would express the main idea of the
paragraph.
1. a. Helmets protect your head from injury.
b. Baseball caps shade your eyes.
c. Service caps show your rank.
d. Fancy hats make you look pretty.
e. Sombreros protect you from the sun.
Topic Sentence:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2.
a. The curtains are grimy and torn.
b. The posters on the wall are old and torn.
c. Marks’ bed is unmade.
d. Dirty dishes and coffee mugs litter Mark’s desk.
e. Clothes are flung over chairs and even on the floor.
Topic Sentence: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Cont. Topic Sentences &supporting details-Practice
3.
a. Pizza and spaghetti are Italian.
b. Hamburgers originated in Germany.
c. Sushi is Japanese.
d. Egg rolls and fortune cookies are Chinese.
Topic Sentence: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.
a. Stay in bed.
b. Take two aspirin.
c. Drink a lot of fluids.
d. Keep warm.
e. Try to sleep.
Topic Sentence: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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1- Read the following paragraph carefully:
All insects have three main body parts: the head, the thorax, and the
abdomen. The head has a pair of antennae, and a pair of compound eyes.
The thorax is the middle region of the body, and it bears the legs and wings.
The abdomen contains many body organs, such as the heart, respiratory
system, digestive system and reproductive system. Even though there are
many different sizes, shapes, and colors of insects, they all have the same
body.
1. Find the Topic sentence: ……………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Find the supporting details:
1- ……………………………………………………………………………………
2- …………………………………………………………………………………….
3- …………………………………………………………………………………….
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2- Read the following paragraph carefully:
I had a wonderful summer this year. I went to visit my aunt and
my cousins in San Diego. My aunt is a Ballet instructor. I took
Ballet lessons from her. I went to see the famous San Diego Zoo
with my cousins. We went to the beach almost every day. We
stayed up late watching TV and playing card games. I wished my
summer would never end!
1. Find the topic sentence:
……………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………..
2. Find the supporting details:
1- …………………………………………………………………………
2-…………………………………………………………………………
3- ………………………………………………………………………….
The Writing Process-Stage TWO
References
Paragraphs and Essays with integrated Readings
By
Lee Brandon &Kelly Brandon
Boston,USA
Chapter 4 –Slide 17