Topic Sentence
• Main idea of the paragraph
• The point you are making
• It is YOUR opinion
You are trying to persuade the reader to
accept that opinion.
William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
• Statements of facts usually make poor topic
sentences.
William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
• Statements of facts usually make poor topic
sentences.
Francis Bacon wrote Hamlet.
• Statement of opinion.
If you structure your topic sentence well
and support it well with details you are
more likely to persuade the reader to
accept your idea.
A good topic sentence has two parts:
• Limited subject
• Precise opinion about that subject
A good topic sentence has two parts:
• Limited subject
• Precise opinion about that subject
In front of me on the table set a beautiful pure
white bowl, simplistic in design, hiding a decadent
surprise inside.
Unity in Paragraphs
• Each idea in a paragraph should support the
“one main point or the topic sentence”
If I am writing a descriptive paragraph about my
son, I would not add that my car’s airair-conditioning is
broken.
Unity in Paragraphs
• Use transition words for coherence
Next, second, third, for example, however, but,
instead, therefore, and, also
The Practical Writer with Readings - Page 40
The Writing Process
Prewriting Gathering your thoughts and preparing to write.
• Spend a few moments jotting down what ever comes to
mind.
• Let your thoughts flow
• Don’t stop to think … keep writing
Write a Draft
• Get all your ideas down on paper
• Write freely
• Organize what you want to say, but don’t
worry about all the details
Revise the Draft
• Read it again and make changes in the order of
words or sentences
• Add or remove words
• Look for the changes that will make your ideas
clear for the reader.
Edit and Proofread
• Make sure you chose the right words.
• Are sentences complete?
• Are spelling, capitalization, grammar and
punctuation correct?
Descriptive Paragraph
• Describes someone or something
• Has a main idea, details and adjectives
• Has colorful words that create images that
helps the reader see, hear, feel smell or taste
something.
Descriptive Paragraph
Use Clear Adjectives
• Adjectives are words that describe nouns
• Use strong adjectives
The creature hiding in the cave was big.
The gigantic creature was hiding in the scary cave.
Descriptive Paragraph
Figurative Language
The use of words in an imaginative rather
than a literal since.
Figurative Language
The use of words in an imaginative rather
than a literal since.
Simile and Metaphors are the main
figures of speech.
Simile
A comparison of two un-like things using
the words like or as.
He was like a piece of rare and delicate
china which was always being saved from
breaking and finally fell.
Alice Walker, “To Hell With Dying”
Metaphor
An implied comparison of two un-like
things without using the words like or as.
Making tacos is a graceful dance.
Denise Chavez, A Taco Testimony
Graphic Organizer
Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite. My
mouth waters when ever I view these tasty
morsels. I can smell the aroma of the rich
chocolate. I can taste the moist, sweet filling;
smooth and creamy in my mouth. My taste
buds are rejoicing in the fudgy, sticky, chewy
goodness. The sweetness lingers long after
the cookie is gone. Chocolate chip cookies are
better than a warm blanket on a winters day.
Descriptive Organizer