Tiếng Anh – Viết 2 =: English - Writing 2 / Đinh Thị Thùy Trang, Nguyễn Văn Nguyên

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TIẾNG ANH - VIẾT 2

ENGLISH – WRITING 2

July, 2022

Biên soạn: ThS. Đinh Thị Thuỳ Trang

ThS. Nguyễn Văn Nguyên

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PREFACE

This book is a comprehensive supplementary material for Writing 2 course,

which is for English-major students at intermediate level.

The Writing 2 course aims at providing learners knowledge of paragraph

structure and at the end of the course, learners must be able to write a complete

paragraph of approximately 150 words about familiar topics. However, the current

coursebook, Macmillan Writing series – Writing paragraphs, has some limitations. For

example, the theory about paragraph writing is not detailed enough and the book also

lacks comprehensive tasks for learners to improve their paragraph writing skills.

Therefore, the primary goals of English-Writing 2 are to address these gaps. The

material provides both theory and practice of paragraph writing in a straightforward

manner, using a step-by-step approach. Clear, relevant models illustrate each step, and

varied exercises reinforce each lesson.

The first part of the book offers a detailed overview of the components of a

paragraph, including topic sentences, supporting sentences, and concluding sentences.

The second part of the book introduces four types of paragraphs, as well as exercises to

enable learners to write a complete paragraph using suggested vocabulary and ideas.

The book could be used along with the main coursebook, Macmillan Writing

series – Writing paragraphs in class, for homework assignment or for students’ self￾study.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE ....................................................... 4

CHAPTER 1: THE COMPONENTS OF A PARAGRAPH ......................................... 5

I. Definition ................................................................................................................. 5

II. Paragraph components .......................................................................................... 6

CHAPTER 2: TOPIC SENTENCES .......................................................................... 10

I. Definition ............................................................................................................... 10

II. Practice ............................................................................................................... 11

CHAPTER 3: SUPPORTING SENTENCES ............................................................. 18

I. Definition ............................................................................................................... 18

II. Practice ............................................................................................................... 23

CHAPTER 4: CONCLUDING SENTENCES ........................................................... 33

I. Definition ............................................................................................................... 33

II. Practice ............................................................................................................... 34

CHAPTER 5: COMMON PROBLEMS IN PARAGRAPH WRITING...................... 38

SECTION 2: DIFFERENT KINDS OF PARAGRAPHS............................... 43

CHAPTER 6: FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGES FOR PARAGRAPHS ....................... 44

CHAPTER 7: WRITING PRACTICE........................................................................ 54

I. Descriptive paragraphs ............................................................................................ 54

II. Opinion paragraphs ............................................................................................. 55

III. Explanatory paragraphs....................................................................................... 55

IV. Compare and contrast paragraphs ........................................................................ 56

SUGGESTED ANSWERS ............................................................................................ 58

REFERENCES.............................................................................................................. 92

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SECTION 1: PARAGRAPH

STRUCTURE

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CHAPTER 1: THE COMPONENTS OF A

PARAGRAPH

I. Definition

A paragraph is a fundamental unit of communication. A paragraph can be any

length, although it generally contains at least three sentences to develop a topic or one

main idea to some degree.

In terms of structure, a paragraph is a separate unit, marked by indenting the first

word for the left-hand margin, or by leaving extra space above and below the paragraph.

Below is the example of how a paragraph might look like.

1. Title: A paragraph usually has a title which is one word or a group of words

that tells what the topic is.

2. Indenting: The first sentence of a paragraph must be indented from the left

margin, which shows the reader that a new paragraph is beginning.

3. Margins: A paragraph must have a margin on the right and a margin on the

left. It begins 1 inch or 1 ¼ inches from the edge of the paper.

4. Double spacing

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II. Paragraph components

Most paragraphs contain one main idea to which all sentences relate. There are

generally three parts that make up a paragraph:

The topic sentence states the main idea.

The body of the paragraph (= the supporting sentences) develops and

supports this main idea with facts, details, and examples.

The concluding sentence tells the reader that the paragraph is finished, and it

completes the picture or story about the topic of the paragraph

III. Practice

Exercise 1: Identify the topic sentence, supporting sentence(s) and

concluding sentence of the following paragraphs.

E.g.

Jim Thorpe is a controversial sports figure in sports history. He won Olympic

gold medals in 1912, but he was not allowed to keep them. In the 1912 Olympics,

Thorpe won both the pentathlon (five events) and decathlon (ten events). However, a

month later, the U.S Olympic Committee took away his medals because Thorpe had

played baseball for money. An athlete who takes money for sports is called a

professional, and at that time, professional athletes were not allowed to take part in any

Olympic Games. In 1982, the U.S. Olympic Committee reversed this ruling. Seventy

years after his achievements, Thorpe’s name was finally returned to the list of 1912

Olympic winners.

The topic sentence: Jim Thorpe is a controversial sports figure in sports history

The supporting sentences: He won Olympic gold medals … reversed this ruling.

The concluding sentence: Seventy years after his achievements, Thorpe’s name

was finally returned to the list of 1912 Olympic winners.

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Paragraph 1.

A University Professor

A university professor has many duties. In the classroom, he or she lectures to

the students and answers questions. During office hours, students are free to visit the

professor for help on difficult material or problems. In addition, a professor may often

work for many hours in a laboratory doing a research project. Another professor might

spend his or her time writing a scholarly paper for a professional journal. Still another

one might spend time writing a book. In conclusion, a professor is always a very busy

person.

Paragraph 2.

Kids and Pets

At some point, most parents have to decide whether or not to allow their children

to have pets. Some parents believe that pets teach children a sense of responsibility

because children have to learn how to take care of their pets. In addition, many parents

believe that pets can be fun for the family. Pets can also help children become more

compassionate because children will develop a special bond with their pets. On the

other hand, some parents are afraid that their children might hurt the animals or that

these animals might hurt the children. Cats are good pets, but I do not like it when they

shed hair on the furniture. Often these parents do not allow their children to have any

kind of pet. Other families do not have the extra time or money that pets require. In

brief, although many children want a pet, parents are divided on this issue for a number

of significant reasons.

Paragraph 3.

Student Use of Computers

Computers are excellent machines to help students. Before computers, students

had to do their schoolwork on typewriters. Typewriters did not allow students to make

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major changes easily, so they had to use special correction fluid to fix mistakes. Today

computers let students move information around without retyping it and correct errors

with little effort. Computers also make research more convenient for students. For

example, before computers, students had to go to the library. Many times, they would

read for four or five hours in several sources before finding useful information.

However, students can now use the Internet from their home to obtain the information

that they need much more quickly. Some computers are very expensive. My friend

bought a computer that cost almost their thousand dollars. Computers have certainly

made students’ lives much easier.

Paragraph 4.

Simon Bolivar

Simon Bolivar (1783 – 1830) was one of South America’s greatest generals and

one of the most powerful people in world political history. In Spanish, Simon Bolivar

is often called El Liberator, which means “The Liberator”. Spanish is the main language

in at least twenty-two countries. This nickname is a very good one because his planning

and military actions helped to gain independence from Spain for six countries: Bolivia

(1809), Colombia (1819), Ecuador (1820), Panama (1821), Peru (1821), and Venezuela

(1811). In fact, Bolivia is named for Bolivar, making him one of the few people to have

a country named for him. These six countries are approximately the same size as

modern Europe, so the independence of such a large area was an amazing military and

political feat. Although Bolivar’s name is not as well-known outside Latin America,

people there remember him as perhaps the most important person in their history.

Paragraph 5.

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Why I Avoid Breakfast

Like many people, I prefer to skip breakfast. I’m not a “morning person,” so it is

very hard for me to wake up and then prepare breakfast. In addition, I do not like to eat

breakfast because it makes me feel full the rest of the morning. With this uncomfortable

feeling in my stomach, it is difficult for me to do my work well. Finally, I am very

concerned about my health, so I avoid fatty kinds of breakfast foods, such as scrambled

eggs, buttered toast, or fried sausage. Although others may not agree with my decision,

I choose to skip breakfast most of the time.