An essay is a group of

Essay paragraphs.

Paragraph A paragraph is a group of

sentences about a topic.
Sentence
A sentence is a group of words,
primarily includes a subject and a
verb.
Descriptive paragraph: the writer describes a person, a place or a
thing by using clear details to help readers imagine the subject.
Example paragraph: the writer explains a topic by giving
examples.
Process paragraph: the writer explains how to do something (a
process or a task) step by step.
Opinion paragraph: the writer expresses his or her feelings, ideas,
and opinions about a topic.
Narrative paragraph: the writer tells a story.
• Margins: A paragraph must have a margin on the right and on the
left.
• Spacing: A paragraph should be double-spaced
• Indenting: The first sentence of a paragraph must be indented. It
means that a new paragraph is beginning.
• Connected Sentences: The sentences in a paragraph should follow
each other.
• Title: A paragraph by itself usually has a title. This is one word or a
group of words that tells what the topic is.
A well-written paragraph has a topic sentence, supporting
sentences, and a concluding sentence.
• The topic sentence introduces the topic and tells what the writer
will say about the topic.
• Supporting sentences are the sentences that follow the topic
sentence. They give more information to further explain and
support the topic sentence.
• The concluding sentence often repeats the information in the
topic sentence in a different way.
 Barefoot Boy
I had a scary experience when I was a young boy. One evening
while my parents were eating dinner, I was playing barefoot in the yard
with my toys. Even now I still remember the perfume of the flowers and
the moisture of the grass. While I was sitting on the grass and playing
with a truck. I looked up the sky, and my attention was distracted by the
beauty stars. Then I felt something cold and smooth slide over my feet. I
stayed perfectly still, but i looked down at my feet. Then I saw a snake
slowly slithering over my toes. I felt terrible and afraid, so my heart beat
very fast. After the snake moved away. I screamed to my parents for
help, and they captured the snake and took it away. The experience
frightened me, and I never went outside barefoot again.
1. What is the topic sentence?
2. How many supporting sentences are there?
3. In your opinion, do supporting sentences explain the topic
sentence?
4. Write the concluding sentence!
5. Does the concluding sentence repeat the information in the
topic sentence in a new way?
• The topic sentence is usually the first or second sentence in a
paragraph.
• It introduces a new idea.
• It presents the topic and explain what the writer will say about the
topic. This explanation is called the controlling idea.
• The controlling ideas explain what the writer will say about the
topic and tell the reader what to expect in the supporting
sentences.
• My friend is an honest person
• My friend has a terribly dangerous job

 A topic sentence must not be a simple fact or a specific detail.

 The controlling idea must say something about the topic that can
then be supported, developed, or demonstrated in the supporting
sentences.
 The controlling idea must also not to be too general or the topic
sentence will be unclear
• A surprise party is a kind of party (too general)
• There were 14 guests at my surprise birthday party (too specific)
• My classmates gave me an unforgetable surprise party for my 18th
birthday.

The last topic sentence is effective because it introduces the

topic and has controlling idea that can be developed in the supporting
sentences. The paragraph will probably tell the story of the party.
1. Hiking is the best way to explore nature closely.
2. My uncle had a frightening experience as a young man.
3. Text messaging has become popular among teenagers.
4. Effective time management requires four easy steps.
5. Every collage student should take a computer course.
• Introductory sentence is a sentence that opens a paragraph and
precede the topic sentence.
• Introductory sentence provides the background about the topic,
but not developed throughout the paragraph.
 Barefoot Boy
I have many experiences. One of them is a scary experience when
I was a young boy. One evening while my parents were eating dinner, I
was playing barefoot in the yard with my toys. Even now I still remember
the perfume of the flowers and the moisture of the grass. While I was
sitting on the grass and playing with a truck. I looked up the sky, and
my attention was distracted by the beauty stars. Then I felt something
cold and smooth slide over my feet. I stayed perfectly still, but i looked
down at my feet. Then I saw a snake slowly slithering over my toes. I felt
terrible and afraid, so my heart beat very fast. After the snake moved
away. I screamed to my parents for help, and they captured the snake
and took it away. The experience frightened me, and I never went
outside barefoot again.
• Smart phones
• Smoking
• My hometown
• Soccer
• Hospital
• Sentences form the building blocks of written communication.
• A complete sentence must have a subject and a verb.
• The verb must agree in number with its subject.

The shop opens every day.

singular singular

The bridges open every day.

plural plural
Cook / cooks practice / practices
Own / owns do not work / does not work
Receive / receives take / takes

1. The team practices at the stadium each morning.

2. One of my brothers owns a brand new car.
3. Lina and Rika cook breakfast and dinner every day.
4. My sister and her friend don’t work on weekends.
5. Her fan club receives at least 100 letters a week.
6. Shella takes the train when she travels.
Active sentence: describes a sentence where the subject performs
the action stated by the verb.
•S+V

Passive sentence: the roles of subject and object reversed.

• S + to be + V3
Active sentence: S + V
Passive sentence: S + to be + V3

• He writes an essay. / They write an essay. / They write the essays.

• An essay is written. /The essays are written.

• The students conducted the experiment.

• The experiment was conducted by the students.

• The doctor will examine the patients.

• The patients will be examined by the doctor.
1. Tom plays basket.
Basket is played by Tom.
1. We did not see her yesterday.
She was not seen by us yesterday.
1. My family visits Lembang.
Lembang is visited by my family.
1. She will cook rice.
1. Rice will be cooked by her.
2. My friends and I do the practicum in the laboratory.
1. The practicum is done by us in the laboratory.
• The top and bottom
bun hold the stuff
inside together.
•What are the ingredients of a Big Mac Cheeseburger?

Top Bun Topic

Sentence
Lettuce
Tomato
Cheese Supporting
Onion Sentences
Special Sauce
Hamburger
Concluding
Bottom Bun Sentence
• Supporting sentences add information about the topic and the
controlling idea.
• Supporting sentences can include definitions, explanations, and
examples.
Example:
Topic Sentence:
Young people are too dependent on computers.
Giving the definition of the topic and controlling ideas.

Young people are too dependent on computers. Dependency

on computers means that young people cannot perform the normal
tasks and functions of daily life without them.
Giving the detail explanation of the topic and controlling ideas.
Young people are too dependent on computers. In the old
days, people memorized information, but today’s youth rely on their
computers, cell phones, and PDA’s to do assignments, record
numbers, and save important information. As a result, they can find
themselves unprepared in an emergency such as an electrical
blackout. Once their batteries die, these people will not be able to
communicate.
Giving more examples to support topic sentence

Young people are too dependent on computers. For example, I

do all my schoolwork on my computer. When my computer crashed
last week, I lost my only draft of an essay that was due the next day.
As a resulr, I got a bad grade.
1. ___ Mosquitoes are attracted to heat.
___ Mosquitoes will fly several miles to find food.
___ Only the female mosquito bites.
___ Mosquitoes are interesting insects.

2. ___ One of my hobbies is listening to international music.

___ I have a large collection of world music
recordings.
___ My friends and I like to introduce each
other to new international artists we
discover.
___ I enjoy going to concerts by musicians
from different countries.
3. ___ I like the way people decorate their homes and stores.
___ I enjoy going shopping in cold
weather.
___ I enjoy the parties and celebrations
of the winter holiday.
___ I really like the winter holidays.

4. ___ My new apartment has big closets.

___ My new apartment is perfect for my
rommate and me.
___ My new apartment is close to school
and work.
___ My new apartment is not too
expensive for students.
 High Blood Pressure – A Silent Killer

According to the World Health Organization over a billion

adults around the world suffer from high blood pressure. It is now
taking steps to fight against what is called a silent killer. High blood
pressure can lead to strokes and a heart attack. Almost 10 million
people die of these two diseases every year. They are the number
one causes of death globally. High blood pressure also leads to
kidney failure, blindness, and other illnesses. It often goes hand in
hand with diabetes and obesity, which increases health risks even
further. All in all, high blood pressure should never be ignored and
always be taken seriously.
 High Blood Pressure – A Silent Killer

According to the World Health Organization over a billion

adults around the world suffer from high blood pressure. It is now
taking steps to fight against what is called a silent killer. High blood
pressure can lead to strokes and a heart attack. Almost 10 million
people die of these two diseases every year. They are the number
one causes of death globally. High blood pressure also leads to
kidney failure, blindness, and other illnesses. It often goes hand in
hand with diabetes and obesity, which increases health risks even
further. All in all, high blood pressure should never be ignored and
always be taken seriously.
1. Similarity (likewise, similarly, in the same way)
2. Contrast (On the other hand, In contrast)
3. Result (Thus, therefore)
4. Addition and Listing (first, secondly, finally)
5. Time (At first, then, later)
6. Exemplification (for instance, to illustrate, for example)
7. Explanation (namely, that is, in other words)
8. Emphasis (in fact, actually indeed)
9. Conclusion (In brief, in short, To sum up, all in all)
1. ___ Mosquitoes are attracted to heat.
___ Mosquitoes will fly several miles to find food.
___ Only the female mosquito bites.
___ Mosquitoes are interesting insects.

2. ___ One of my hobbies is listening to international music.

___ I have a large collection of world music
recordings.
___ My friends and I like to introduce each
other to new international artists we
discover.
___ I enjoy going to concerts by musicians
from different countries.
3. ___ I like the way people decorate their homes and stores.
___ I enjoy going shopping in cold
weather.
___ I enjoy the parties and celebrations
of the winter holiday.
___ I really like the winter holidays.
4. ___ My new apartment has big closets.
___ My new apartment is perfect for my
rommate and me.
___ My new apartment is close to school
and work.
___ My new apartment is not too
expensive for students.
• The concluding or final sentence of a paragraph usually reminds
the reader of the topic and controlling idea of the paragraph.
• The concluding sentence restates the main idea.
• It may also include what the writer has learned or why the topic is
important.
• Topic Sentence : I Love the color red
• Concluding sentence :
I like to live life in a strong way, so I think i will always
admire the color red.

Sometimes writers signal the concluding sentence

by using the phrase: In conclusion, In brief etc...
In conclusion, learning a second language has many
advantages.
• Warn the reader
If you do not follow these steps, you may
not get the grade that you want.
• Make a prediction
The automotive industry will change, and
soon everyone will be driving pollution-
free cars
• Give an opinion about the topic
Some people might disagree, but I think
lamb is the best meal for grilling.
1. The best way to see San Fransisco is by walking.
___ When you explore San Fransisco by foot,
you can experience all the city has to
offer.
___ When you walk, you experience the
different smells of the restaurants, the
plants and sometimes the ocean.
___ You can stop and look in the windows
of shops or sit on a bench for a short
while and look at interesting people.
___ In a car or a bus, you cannot stop easily if you
see something interesting because parking is
difficult.
2. An egg taco takes only five minutes to make.
___ Heat a flour tortilla in a small amount of
water.
___ Scramble two eggs with a little salt and
pepper.
___Your delicious egg taco is ready to eat
in just a few minutes.
___ When the eggs are done, slide them
into the warm tortilla and fold it over.
3. My paper is late because something happened to my
computer.
___ I almost finished writing my paper,
and I was checking it for errors.
___ Suddenly, my computer screen went
blank and the power was gone.
___ The accidents made me lose many
hours of work, so I could not turn in my
essay on time.
___ Later, I learned that a squirrel got on the
power line and disrupted the electricity.
 4. I enjoy the riverwalk in San Antonio.
___ The riverwalk is lower than the streets of
the city.
___ You can walk down stairs to a canal
with a stone path and plants on each
side.
___ There are many shops, restaurants and hotels along
the path.
___ The riverwalk is a pleasant place to
spend an afternoon or evening in San
Antonio.
Circle the word that best describes each of the concluding
sentences below!
1. If you follow these steps, you will never lose your keys
again.
2. Students who are not careful with credit cards can go
into debt quickly.
3. Venice, Italy, is the most beautiful city in the world.
4. You will be able to produce a beautiful paper crane
with only a little bit of practice.
5. There are many reasons why movie stars make poor
politicians.