IYR: LECTURE - 3
B.Sc. 4-Year Programme
Scientific Communication:
Improve Your Writing
The Paragraph
Dr. Min Pun
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Unit I: Selected topics from “Improve Your
Writing”
1. The Sentence
- The Effect of Scientific Temperament on Man (by
Bertrand Russell)
2. The Paragraph
- Gods in the Godless Universe (by Russell)
- Pollution and Superpollution (by Gordon Rattray)
- Science and Survival (by Barry Commoner)
3. The Composition
- Man and Nature (by J. Bronowoski)
- Man and His Environment (by Robert Arvill)
- The Cost of Solar Heat (by H.A. Bethe)
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4. The Paragraph
A paragraph is a distinct section of a piece of
writing, usually dealing with a single idea
and indicated by a new line or indentation.
Generally, a paragraph contains about two to
eight sentences.
Usually, shorter paragraphs are used to
emphasize a particular point and longer
paragraphs are used in professional or
technical writing.
A good paragraph has a clear idea or topic,
elaborates it, and examines it critically.
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5. Three Basic Requirements for a Good Paragraph
Unity
Coherence
Emphasis
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6. Three Basic Requirements for a Good Paragraph
a) Unity (Harmony/singleness)
Unity is the combination or arrangement of
parts into a whole or singleness. To achieve
unity in a paragraph, the entire paragraph
should start from or lead to the topic sentence.
A paragraph is usually developed around a
topic sentence. A topic sentence is a sentence
that states the main idea of the paragraph.
Every topic sentence should be developed in
an orderly manner.
The topic sentence usually occurs at the
beginning, but sometimes occurs at the end
and sometimes in the middle of the paragraph.5
Example: (first sentence as topic sentence)
A culture is something that each of its
members learns. It must be capable of
being learned by the young, and of being
taught by the old. Of course, there are
idiots and delinquents in any culture who
fail to learn, either for physical or for
psychological reasons. For the rest, they
can and do learn. For example, it seems
certain that the children of any tribe in the
world, white, yellow, brown, or black, can
learn to make the sounds of any human
language.
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Example: (last sentence as topic sentence)
Most people who live in the country now
demand social facilities and amenities comparable
to those found in towns. New types of rural
dwellers and different patterns of settlements
require a fresh approach in education and
planning. But an even stronger demand for
change in the countryside comes from people who
do not live there except during their holidays, who
do not work there for more than short periods or
who go there only for recreation. … As many of
the new rural populations of retired people and
commuters choose to live in such spots the result
is increasingly unsatisfactory for everyone. In
sum, this problem is one of too many people in a
few select localities, often concentrated together
in too short a time.
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Example: (middle sentence as topic sentence)
Science is not an impersonal construction. It is
no less, and no more, personal than any other from of
communicated thought. This book is not less scientific
because my manner is personal, and I make no
apology for it. Science searches the common
experience of people; and it is made by people, and it
has their style. The style of a great man marks not
only his own work, but through it the work of others
for generations. The style of Newton’s work, as much
as the content, dominated science for two centuries,
and in that time shaped its manner and its matter. But
style is not the monopoly of the great, nor is its
appreciation a vintage reserved for experts. The
schoolboy who can tell a neat proof from a dull one
knows the style, and takes pleasure in it. Indeed, he
finds it easier to appreciate the style of science than
the style of Shakespeare.
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EXERCISE 1:
There are three large banana trees
and two coconut trees that give shade.
Besides trees, there are numerous wellmanicured shrubs that outline the
backyard and give it some aesthetic
shape. In addition to the shrubs, countless
flowers are positioned along each dirt well,
magnifying the whole scene with
resplendent color. This greenery adds a
priceless peace and tranquility to an
otherwise crowded and noisy city.
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EXERCISE 2:
The gathering stage consists of
researching, brainstorming, and analyzing in
order to come up with a thesis. The next
stage, organization, requires you to think
about a logical and persuasive arrangement
for your various ideas. The writing stage
requires you to sit down and, following and
outline, construct your essay. The fourth
and final stage involves endless revision:
going over and over what you've written to
make it better.
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EXERCISE 3:
Specially trained dogs provide valuable
services for various law enforcement agencies. The
Drug Enforcement Administration trains dogs to find
even trace amounts of various types of illegal
substances. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and
Firearms uses dogs to search for and locate bombs
and other weapons, especially at large public
events or arenas. Additionally, several local and
federal agencies use dogs to track missing people
or fugitives who may be found in a specific,
localized area. Cadaver dogs, similarly, are trained
to ignore the scent of live humans and search for
human remains. These dogs are valuable assets to
our country’s law enforcement organizations.
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Answers of Above Exercises (Topic Sentence):
1. This greenery adds a priceless peace and
tranquility to an otherwise crowded and
noisy city.
2. The gathering stage consists of
researching, brainstorming, and analyzing
in order to come up with a thesis.
3. Specially trained dogs provide valuable
services for various law enforcement
agencies.
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WAYS/DEVICES TO ATTAIN UNITY IN A PARAGRAPH
AND WRITE A GOOD PARAGRAPH
1) Inductive Order:
2) Deductive Order:
3) Question to Answer Order:
4) Exposition:
5) Time Order:
6) Comparison and Contrast:
7) Enumeration:
8) Space Order:
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WAYS/DEVICES TO ATTAIN UNITY IN A PARAGRAPH
AND WRITE A GOOD PARAGRAPH
1) Inductive Order: In the paragraph which
has an inductive order, the writer moves from
particular statements to the general
statement. The writer gives details, examples
and explanations, which lead to the
conclusion. In this type of order, the topic
sentence comes at the end of the paragraph.
2) Deductive Order: In the paragraph which
has a deductive order, the writer moves from
the general statements to the particular
statement. The writer gives details, examples
and explanations after the topic sentence.
Usually, the topic sentence is given in the first
sentence of the paragraph.
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3) Question to Answer Order: In this type
order, the writer starts the paragraph with a
question which is answered within the same
paragraph. The topic sentence is not clearly
given but the beginning question indicates the
topic sentence.
Example:
Have you ever been judged by your
appearance? In The Outsiders, S. E. Hinton
gives readers a glimpse inside the tough
exterior of a social outcast.
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4) Exposition: In this type of order, the
topic sentence is usually the first
sentence. The author gives an
explanation in the whole paragraph.
Exposition is also used to explain how to
perform an operation or how to operate
a machine. This type of paragraph gives
definition, explanation, and comments.
5) Time Order: In this type of order, the
author describes the events in a
chronological order. So one event leads
to another.
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6) Comparison and Contrast: In this type of
order, the paragraph is written about two
subjects, trying to give similarities and
differences of two subjects. Mostly,
comparison and contrast can be developed in
different paragraphs where one paragraph is
written for one subject and another paragraph
for another subject.
7) Enumeration: In this type of order, we
usually list and describe things step by step.
We usually use list markers such as ‘firstly’,
‘secondly’, ‘thirdly’, ‘finally’, etc.
8) Space Order: In this type of order, the author
writes about the location of a place.
Sometimes, the author describes a particular
object.
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6. Three Basic Requirements for a Good Paragraph
b) Coherence
Coherence is the quality or state of connecting,
especially a logical, orderly, and aesthetically
consistent relationship of parts.
In a paragraph, every sentence should logically
linked to each other. There should be a
continuity of one idea in a paragraph.
There are four ways to get coherence in a
paragraph.
1) Pronouns
2) Repetition
3) Synonyms
4) Connectives
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There are four ways/devices to maintain
coherence in a paragraph.
1) Pronouns: A pronoun is used to substitute
for a noun. The pronoun is used as a
reminder of the noun in the earlier
sentence. It maintains the continuity of
idea or thought in the paragraph.
2) Repetition: The repetition of some key
words or phrases in the paragraph not only
gives the paragraph coherent but also to
emphasize the author’s idea. We should
use this device carefully because too much
use of repetition creates monotony in the
paragraph.
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3) Synonyms: Synonyms are used to
substitute for words that have similar
or the same meanings. This device is
used to avoid excessive repetition in
the paragraph.
4) Connectives: The words or phrases
which are used to connect one
sentence with the another sentence.
Connective words and phrases are
used at the beginning of a sentence.
Some connectives are ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘or’,
‘therefore’, ‘next’, ‘further’, ‘in this
way’, ‘in other words’, etc.
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6. Three Basic Requirements for a Good Paragraph
c) Emphasis
Emphasis is a special forcefulness of
expression or stress that gives importance to
something singled out.
Emphasis is used to make important points in
the paragraph. It is useful because the author
should give his or her most important idea
clearly.
There are six ways/devices to give emphasis to
important ideas in a paragraph:
1) Balance
2) Emphatic position 3) Space
4) Repetition 5) Contrast 6) Emphatic words
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1) Balance: Balance is a harmonious or satisfying
arrangement or importance of all parts or
elements. It means to give equal importance to
all parts, but emphasis should be given to one
or two ideas or statements. So we should
maintain balance in the paragraph.
2) Emphatic Position: This technique can be
used to give emphasis to the most important
idea in the paragraph. Usually the most
emphatic part of the paragraph is the last
sentence, but sometimes the first sentence can
be used as the second most important part of
emphasis.
3) Space: This device is used to give more space
to the idea to be emphasized. Space here means
to write more about a particular idea to be
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emphasized.
4) Repetition: Repetition is a device or
technique of writing that is used to give
emphasis to an idea. By repeating certain
key words or by using synonyms of words,
we can achieve emphasis in the paragraph.
5) Contrast: This technique is used in the
paragraph to give the opposite view of an
issue raised in the paragraph. By giving the
opposite point of view, the author gives
emphasis to his or her idea in the paragraph.
6) Emphatic Words: Sometimes, we can use
certain words to give emphasis to the
author’s idea. However, we should carefully
select the words for emphasis.
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Dr. Min Pun
Lecturer, Department of English
Tribhuvan University, PN Campus, Pokhara
[email protected]
www.minpun.com.np
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