UNIT 3: WRITING THE SUPPORTING SENTENCES Lesson focuses: Identifying the general and specific ideas Kinds of supporting materials Patterns of organization Time allocation table: 8 periods Order Contents Time 1 - Report on the home work of The Topic Sentence 1 st and 2 nd period 2 - Introduction to the supporting sentences - Identifying the general and specific ideas 3 rd and 4 th period 3 - Kinds of supports - Kinds of logical orders 5 th and 8 th period 1.1. Introduction to the supporting sentences([2], p.17 &[3], pp.8) Supporting sentences add information about the topic and the controlling idea. Supporting sentences develop or explain the topic sentence by giving reasons, examples, facts, statistics, and quotations. Activity 1: Read each of the following paragraphs and say how the topic sentence is explained. Gold Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronaut wears gold-plated heat shields for protection outside spaceships. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility. 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
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UNIT 3: WRITING THE SUPPORTING SENTENCES
Lesson focuses:
Identifying the general and specific ideas
Kinds of supporting materials
Patterns of organization
Time allocation table: 8 periods
Order Contents Time
1 - Report on the home work of The Topic
Sentence
1st and 2
nd period
2 - Introduction to the supporting sentences
- Identifying the general and specific ideas
3rd
and 4th
period
3 - Kinds of supports
- Kinds of logical orders
5th
and 8th
period
1.1. Introduction to the supporting sentences([2], p.17 &[3], pp.8)
Supporting sentences add information about the topic and the controlling idea.
Supporting sentences develop or explain the topic sentence by giving reasons,
examples, facts, statistics, and quotations.
Activity 1: Read each of the following paragraphs and say how the topic sentence is
explained.
Gold
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold
has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry,
coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain
beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the
day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is
its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of
industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronaut
wears gold-plated heat shields for protection outside spaceships. In conclusion, gold is
treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.
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 at the sky, and my attention was
distracted by the beauty of the stars. Then I felt something cold and smooth slide over 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.
1.2. Identifying the general and specific ideas([1], pp.10-15),[2], p.22 &[3], pp.8-9)
Activity 2: Identify topic sentences and supporting sentences
For each set of sentences, write TS next to the topic sentence. Write SS next to the
supporting sentences
1.
……. a Mosquitoes are attracted to heat.
……. b Mosquitoes will fly several miles to find food.
……. c Only the female mosquito bites.
……. d Mosquitoes are interesting insects.
2.
…… a One of my hobbies is listening to international music.
…… b I have a large collection of world music recordings.
…… c My friends and I like to introduce each other to new international artists we
discover.
…… d I enjoy going to concerts by musicians from different countries.
3.
…… a I like the way people decorate their homes and stores.
…… b I enjoy going shopping in cold weather.
…… c I enjoy the parties and celebrations of the winter holiday.
…… d I really like the winter holidays.
4.
…… a My new apartment has big closets.
…… b My new apartment is perfect for my roommate and me.
…… c My new apartment is close to school and work.
…… d My new apartment is not too expensive for students.
Activity 3: The following sentences belong to 2 different paragraphs about San
Francisco. Identify the topic sentence and the supporting sentences of each
paragraph and put them in 2 groups. Write the number of the sentence only.
1. San Francisco is usually warm and pleasant during the day.
2. Some of the country’s most famous restaurants and hotels are in San Francisco.
3. There are many things to see and do in San Francisco.
4. The city has many interesting tourist attractions.
5. There are many excellent art galleries.
6. The weather in San Francisco is very pleasant.
7. It is never too hot, nor too cold.
8. The nightlife is exciting.
9. San Francisco has a ballet company, an opera house, and a symphony orchestra.
10. It is cool and breezy at night.
11. The winters are mild and it rarely snows.
Group 1
Topic sentence:…………………………
Supporting sentences:
…………………………………………..
Group 2
Topic sentence:…………………………
Supporting sentences:
…………………………………………..
Activity 4: Arrange the sentences in each group in a logical order to have a meaning
paragraph.
Activity 5: The following are the supporting sentences of these topic sentences. Read
the supporting sentences carefully and then decide among the supporting ideas,
which ones are general and which ones are specific. In given blanks, write GI for the
general ideas and SI for the specific ones.
1. An automated teller machine (ATM) is a convenient miniature bank.
……It enables customers to do several banking transactions twenty- four hour a day.
……In addition, a customer can transfer funds between accounts or get a cash advance
on a credit card.
……For example, a customer can use an ATM to deposit money and withdraw a limited
amount of cash.
2. Great whites do not usually attack humans, but when they do, they always cause
serious injury and even death.
……After an attack by a great white shark, 462 stiches were required to sew an
Australian scuba diver.
……Nevertheless, one did just that near a public beach in Australia in 1985.
……Even when they attack humans, however, great whites do not usually eat them.
……It bit in half and totally devoured a young female swimmer.
3. The automobile revolutionized the American way of life.
……Another important change was that people had the freedom to live and work
wherever they wanted.
……The earliest significant change was for farming families, who were no longer
isolated.
……The final major change brought by the automobile was the buildings or
superhighways, suburbs, huge shopping centers, and many theme parks such as
Disney World in Florida.
……The automobile enabled them to drive to towns and cities comfortably and
conveniently.
…….In fact, people could work in a busy metropolitan city and drive home in the quiet
suburbs.
4. The formation of a volcano eruption is a dramatic series of events.
……In time, this melted part rises as magma.
……As the plate sinks, friction and the earth’s heat cause part of it to melt.
……The magma produces heat, steam, and pressure.
……First of all, most volcanoes are formed where two plates collide.
……Then, one of the plates is forced under the other and sinks.
……When the heat, steam, and pressure from the magma finally reach the surface of the
Earth, a volcanic eruption occurs.
1.3. Kinds of Supports([2], pp. 71-97)
In-concrete: Opinions or reasoning that are subjective statements based on a
person’s beliefs or attitudes.
Concrete: Specific or Factual details- examples, statistics, and quotations
Activity 6: The following are to support the idea about smoking. Decide which ones
are more persuasive. Say why.
1. Teenage smoking is on the rise.
2. In 1995, the US surgeon general reported that more than three million teenagers
smoked cigarettes.
3. Smoking can cause lung cancer.
4. The American Cancer Society reports that the number one cause of lung cancer
among men and women is smoking.
Activity 7: Decide whether each of the following statements is a Fact or an Opinion.
Write F for fact and O for opinion.
1. ……Smoking is relaxing and therefore enjoyable.
2. ……Dr. Kathleen Parker, a well-known cancer specialist, recently admitted in an
interview, “Although I see the harmful effects of smoking nearly every day
in my work, I still enjoy relaxing with a cigarette after dinner.
3. ……Early in the next decade, more women than men will die of lung cancer,
according to the American Cancer Society.
4. ……Smoking is attracting more and more adults.
5. ……According to a recent New York Times article, cigarette smoking is
increasing among adults in their forties as well as among the college
educated and those earning more than $ 35,000 annually.
6. ……Red-light runners must take a driver’s education class. Then they will become
safer drivers.
7. ……Red-light runners cause scores of accidents, including deaths and injuries as
well as millions of dollars in damages.
8. ……Nationwide, the number of red-light running accidents increased 18 percent
from 1991 through 1995. In 1991, 2.425 deaths resulted and in 1995, the
number rose to 2.866.
Activity 8: Discuss with your partner which statements need further supporting and
what specific supporting details you might use to support those statements.
1. What is the difference between Facts and Opinions?
2. Which one would be better to be used as supporting details-Facts or Opinions?
3. Which one is more likely to be used as the major supporting idea- Facts or
Opinions?
1.3.1. Examples and extended examples
Example:
Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication, or” body language”, is a
communication by facial expressions, head or eye movements,
hand signals, and body postures. It can be just as important to
understanding as words are. Misunderstandings-often amusing
but sometimes serious- can arise between people from different
cultures if they misinterpret nonverbal signals. Take, for
example, the differences in meaning of a gesture very common
in the United States: a circle made with thumb and index finger.
To can American, it means that everything is OK. To a
Japanese, it means that you are talking about money. In France,
Examples
Extended
Example
1) What is the difference between an example and an extended example?
1.3.2. Statistics
In business, engineering and the sciences, the statistics are often used for support.
Usually the statistics are got from charts and graphs
Example:
3
4
5
6
Billions of people
World Population Growth
The World’s Population has been increasing dramatically. According to a United
Nations chart of world population growth, the world’s population suddenly multiplied in
the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. At the beginning of the Christian era, the
estimated world population was 200 to 300 million. It took more than 1.800 years for the
population to reach one billion. Then in less than one hundred years, the figure doubled
to two billion by 1930. By 1975, when it reached four billion, it had doubled again in less
than fifty years. The United Nations has projected an increase to more than six billion by
the year 2000.
1.3.3. Quotations
There are two kinds of quotation: direct and indirect.
Direct quotation
Example:
Drugs and the Olympic Games
It is no secret that performance-enhancing drugs have been used by Olympic
athletes for decades. In 1993, the head of the International Olympic Committee’s medical
commission, Prince Alexandre de Merode of Belgium, stated,” I believe that as many as
10% of all Olympic athletes are regular users of performance-enhancing drugs”(qtd in
Bamberger and Yaeger 63). Despite rigorous drug testing of Olympic athletes, the use of
banned performance-enhancing substances has become more widespread than ever . It is
clear that if athletes want to win, they must consider using drugs. In a 1977 article in
Sports illustrated magazine, Dutch physician Michel Karsten is quoted as saying,” There
may be some sportsmen who can win gold medals without taking drugs, but there are
very few.” According to Dr. Karsten, who says he has prescribed anabolic steroids to
hundreds of world-class athletes over the last twenty-five years,” If you are especially
gifted, you may win once, but from your experience you cannot continue to win without
drugs. The field is just too filled with drug users”( qtd in Bamberger and Yaeger 62)
Indirect Quotations
Seeking a Spouse on the Web
1
2
1 A.D year
500 1000 1650 1900 2000
World population growth.( Source: United States estimates)
The global reach of the Internet is helping expatriate citizens of India find marriage
partners. Most Indians prefer their partners to come from the same region of India as they
and to have similar religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. For young Indians who
live abroad, searching for a suitable wife or husband becomes quite difficult. They often
must depend on their families back home in India to find them mates. However, computer
scientist Raj Baronia, who lives and works in Sillicon Valley in California, has developed
a site on the World Wide Web to help called Indolink. In an interview, Baronia said that
he had developed Indolink to allow Indians living abroad to take responsibility for
finding their own marriage partners rather than having their parents do it for them. He
estimated that half of Indolink ads were placed by marriage seekers themselves rather
than by family. Baronica also said Indolink allowed them to search not only in India but
also in expatriate communities around the world( qtd in Banley). For example, Sandeep
Gupta, a young computer programmer from Toronto, is seeking a wife through Indolink.
He is looking for intellectual women and, according to Gupta, anyone he meets on the
Internet will probably be professional and educated. He revealed that he was planning to
fly to New York soon to meet a young woman he met through Indolink(qtd in Bentley)
1) What are the similarities and differences between direct and indirect quotation?
Changing a direct quotation to an indirect quotation
- Omit the quotation marks
- Add subordinator That if necessary
- Change the verb tense if necessary
- Change pronouns if necessary
Activity 9: Rewrite the following direct quotations as indirect quotations.
1. Television channel KSA General Manager Jim Burns said, “Not everyone can
attend college in the traditional way; therefore, taking courses via television will
offer many more students the chance to earn a college degree.”