adp l2 writing good paragraphs

ADP Lesson 2Writing an Academic Paper

Writing Styles There are many types of writing styles. Informal styles

Blog Chat or chat message Diary or journal

Formal styles Academic papers Letters when applying for jobs Business reports

Academic Writing Has a target audience with knowledge about

the topic Based on research or literature review Provides information, data, analysis Usually for presentation or publication Uses paragraph form Is written in complete sentences

Writing Paragraphs A paragraph is an organized group of

sentences about a single topic or idea. A paragraph contains three main parts

Topic sentence Supporting sentences Concluding sentence

Begin a new paragraph when writing about a new idea

Topic sentence The topic sentence explains the main idea

or thesis of the paragraph. The topic sentence is usually the first

sentence or near the beginning of a paragraph.

The reader should be able to understand what the paragraph is about by reading the topic sentence.

Topic Sentence Examples

My hometown, Honolulu, Hawaii is famous for amazing natural features that attract tourists all year.

Currently, more universities are using Facebook for educational purposes.

Kansai University students are motivated to learn English to improve their writing and presentation skills.

Supporting Sentences Supporting sentences provides details or information

that support the topic sentence. Sometimes uses transition words or phrases,

Similarly In particular On the other hand In contrast Hence

First, second, third

Furthermore In addition However As a result

Supporting Sentences Example

Topic SentenceMy hometown, Honolulu, Hawaii is famous for amazing natural features that attract tourists all year.

Supporting SentencesMany people from around the world visit Waikiki Beach, a beautiful stretch of white sand and blue ocean, where they swim and surf. Beside beaches, Honolulu has a well-known volcano, Diamond Head, that has a popular hiking trail. Many Japanese tourists also like to visit Moanalua Garden, where there is a huge monkey pod tree that is popular on a television show sponsored by a company called Hitachi.

Types of Supporting Sentences

Cite data (For example, facts, statistics, evidence, details)

Use examples and illustrations Give quotes or evidence of what experts say Evaluate causes and reasons Compare and contrast Examine effects and consequences

Concluding Sentence

In conclusion In summary Therefore

Thus In the final

analysis As a result

The concluding sentence summarizes the idea of the paragraph.

The concluding sentence is similar but not the same as the topic sentence.

Words or phrases that can be used in a concluding sentence

Concluding Sentence Examples

Therefore, many tourists like Hawaii because they can go swimming, surfing, hiking and sightseeing in nature.

In conclusion, Facebook is no longer only used for social purposes, but is growing in use in universities.

As a result, Kansai University students are using English in speaking, reading and writing.

Group Discussion Activity

Write a paragraph that describes your group members.

Be sure to have A topic sentence Supporting sentences A concluding sentence

When you are finished, post your paragraph on the ADP Facebook Group page.

Writing an Experimental Report

Kansai University, Spring 2011

Overview Abstract Body Introduction

MethodsResults

Discussion

Conclusion

Introduction Opening Statement (General)

Introduce the problem Use simple English

Literature Review What previous studies have shown Only related to your work What your work shows that others do not

Study Overview State your hypothesis clearly Methods used in your research

Sample Introduction Introduce the topic

Recently, mobile phone use has increased in Japan and America. Newer models of mobile phones have features that allow users access the Internet, take videos and post comments to online sites.

Sample Introduction Give background

information Facebook has become a popular Social Networking

System (SNS) all over the world. According to

Yamamoto and Kubota (2010), Facebook is used by

______ people in _____ countries.

Note: When you use abbreviations (for example, SNS),

always the words first with the abbreviation in

parenthesis. After that you can use the abbreviation.

Sample IntroductionExplain the purpose of

the research The purpose of this study is to

compare the use of mobile phones in Hawaii and Japan.

The purpose of this paper is to find the SNS used most often in Hawaii and Japan.

Discussion Explain to the class your topic

of interest or about the research that you want to do as a graduate student.

Ask each other questions to clarify ideas.

HomeworkBefore the next class,

Write a general paragraph (first part of introduction) about your research topic or area of interest.

Introduce the problem What is the main topic? What is the purpose? Why was this topic selected? What are important relevant facts? What are problems or issues? Introduce the problem

Post your paragraph in Google Docs

Success!