A composition can either be a paragraph or

an essay.

PARAGRAPH – a group of interrelated

sentences that talk about one main idea

ESSAY – a group of paragraphs that

talk about one central idea
 PARAGRAPH ESSAY
Organized around a topic
Organized around a thesis
sentence

Contains introductory Contains introductory

sentence paragraph

Uses sentences to explain Uses paragraphs to explain

major points major points

May use a concluding Always uses a concluding

sentence paragraph
 INTRODUCTION
A lead or attention-getter is the first statement
in the essay which aims to hook the readers.
This is followed by a transitional statement or
the sentence which links the lead to the thesis
statement.

The last part of the introduction is the thesis

statement which states the main idea or
argument of the essay.
 TRANSITIONAL PARAGRAPH
In some cases, a paragraph that does not
directly provide support to a thesis statement
is included in an essay and it is called a
transitional paragraph.

Its major function is to bridge one paragraph

to another.
 BODY
The body is the meat of the essay. It discusses
the thesis statement in detail through its
paragraph. This where the topic is developed
and where the arguments are laid out and
discussed.
 CONCLUSION
The concluding paragraph begins with the
restatement of the thesis statement using a
different structure and wording to uphold the
language style.
It is followed by transitional statement that talks
about the recommendations, benefits of ideas
presented, or purpose of writing the essay.

Finally, a closing statement is used to wrap up

the essay.
 Making Your
Paragraphs
Effective:
Characteristics of an
Effective Paragraph
 Characteristics of an
Effective Paragraph
1. UNITY
It means that all of the sentences in the
paragraph are related to the topic sentence.
－ The whole paragraph should begin
and end with one focus only.
－ Each of the details should have a clear
and consistent connection to the topic
sentence.
A short activity on UNITY
Ordinary Filipinos can easily promote our country to foreigners via
social media by supporting the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) “It’s
more fun in the Philippines” campaign. First, they can share and like
official publicity materials from the DOT’s Facebook page. Each time a
post is shared and liked, it becomes increasingly visible on Facebook
and can reach a wider audience. Next, they can tweet their experiences
in various local tourist destinations on Twitter using the hashtag like
#ItsMoreFunInPH. When many users tweet using a specific hashtag, it
becomes a trending topic and can be viewed by Twitter users around
the world. They can also tell stories to their foreign friends by talking to
them and volunteering to tour them around in our top tourist
destinations. Finally, they can share their own travel photos on
Instagram. Because pictures can be worth a thousand words, their
pictures can reveal to foreigners the beauty of the travel destinations
the Philippines is blessed with. These, and so much more, are just some
examples of how Filipinos can participate in the DOT’s campaign
through social media.
 Characteristics of an
Effective Paragraph
2. ADEQUATE DEVELOPMENT

It means the topic sentence in the paragraph

should be elaborated on using concrete evidence,
different examples, relevant facts, and specific
details.
Having specific details helps readers become
interested in the topic, understand the message,
and convince them of the validity of the topic
sentence.
A short activity on ADEQUATE DEVELOPMENT

VERSION 1:
I dislike PE. Why is it that we have to waste class time playing sports that we
have no choice in? Who said basketball is the best sport? I hate PE because it
makes me tired. It makes my skin dark. Finally, I hate it because I look stupid
when I play sports.

VERSION 2:
I am one student who has a strong dislike for PE. First, I do not like how we
have little choice in the sports we play in. We usually play basketball, volleyball,
or other team sports. I am someone who prefers one-on-one games because I
am shy and I find it hard to work in a team. Second, most sports we choose
involves outdoor settings. My skin is sensitive to the sun and I get allergies and
become dark easily when exposed to sunlight for too long. Finally, most sports
we play are spectator sports. They are meant to be played before a cheering
audience. As someone who is self-conscious when playing sports (especially
since I am not sporty), I am uncomfortable when all eyes are on me. Overall, I
believe I will enjoy this subject more if we had more options in the sports that
we take up.
 Characteristics of an
Effective Paragraph
3. COHERENCE
 It means that the sentences are arranged in a logical
manner, making them easily understood by the reader.
 It is achieved when ideas flow smoothly within and
between paragraphs.

 A paragraph can become more coherent through the use

of logical order and signal devices.
How can a paragraph become more coherent through the
use of LOGICAL ORDER?

1. Chronological Order. The details are arranged in order

in which they happened.
2. Spatial Order. The sentences of a paragraph are
arranged according to geographical location, such as left
to right, up to down, etc.
3. Emphatic Order. The information found in a paragraph
is arranged to emphasize certain points depending on the
writer’s purpose.
 Characteristics of an
Effective Paragraph
How can a paragraph become more coherent through
the use of SIGNAL DEVICES?

 SIGNAL DEVICES are words that give readers

an idea of how the points in your paragraph are
progressing.
 Characteristics of an
Effective Paragraph
What are examples of SIGNAL DEVICES?
1. Transitions
－ words and phrases that connect one idea to
another
a. Time
first, immediately, afterward, before, at the same time, after,
earlier, simultaneously, finally, next, in the meantime, later,
eventually, then, meanwhile, now, subsequently, etc.

b. Sequence
moreover, furthermore, next, also, finally, last, another, first,
second, third, besides, additionally, etc.
 Characteristics of an
Effective Paragraph
What are examples of SIGNAL DEVICES?
1. Transitions
－ words and phrases that connect one idea to
another

c. Space
above, next to, below, behind, beside, etc.

d. Illustration
for instance, specifically, for example, namely, in this case,
to illustrate, etc.
 Characteristics of an
Effective Paragraph
What are examples of SIGNAL DEVICES?
1. Transitions
－ words and phrases that connect one idea to
another

e. Comparison
similarly, also, in the same way, still, likewise, in comparison,
too, etc.

f. Contrast
but, despite, however, even though, yet, on the other hand,
although, on the contrary, otherwise, conversely, etc.
 Characteristics of an
Effective Paragraph
What are examples of SIGNAL DEVICES?
1. Transitions
－ words and phrases that connect one idea to
another

g. Cause and Effect

because, as a result, consequently, then, so, since, etc.

h. Conclusion
thus, therefore, in conclusion, in short, etc.
 Characteristics of an
Effective Paragraph
What are examples of SIGNAL DEVICES?
2. Repetitions
－ repetitions of main ideas keep continuity and
highlight important ideas
3. Synonyms
－ words similar in meaning to important words or
phrases that prevent tedious repetitions
4. Pronouns
－ words that connect readers to the original word
that the pronouns replace
5. Parallelism
－ using similar sentence structures
 LANGUAGE USE
1. Use clear and concise sentences. On average, a
sentence is 18 words long. Note that this does not
every sentence to be composed of exactly 18
words.
2. Avoid redundancies, wordiness, cliches, and high
falutin language.
3. Avoid excessive use of “there” and “it” structures.
These sentences can be revised by dropping “there”
and “it” phrase and transforming the sentences
appropriately.
 LANGUAGE USE
4. Use precise vocabulary. Be accurate and condense
lengthy phrase into fewer words.
5. Be consistent with your pronoun’s point of view.
6. Avoid sexist language. This issue can be addressed
by usinf articles (a, an, and the), using plural pronouns,
using his or her instead of his, writing through a second
person point of view, or using gender-neutral nouns
(e.g. chairperson instead of chairman).
7. Use appropriate level of formality.
 MECHANICS
It is one of the properties of a well-written text and is
characterized as a set of conventions on how to spell,
abbreviate, punctuate, and capitalize a composition.
1. Always use Standard English.
2. Avoid contractions.
3. Avoid exclamation marks unless they are part of a
direct quotation.
4. Mention the full name of an institution or
organization with the abbreviation in parenthesis, in
first mention., Thereafter, use the abbreviation.
 MECHANICS
It is one of the properties of a well-written text and is
characterized as a set of conventions on how to spell,
abbreviate, punctuate, and capitalize a composition.
5. Numbers from zero to ten should be spelled out
while numbers higher than ten should be written in
figures.
6. Generally, citations are used in academic and formal
texts. However, they are sparingly used in business
texts.