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The structure of a paragraph

A paragraph is a body of text centered on a single idea. This idea is called the TOPIC SENTENCE. It is
placed at the beginning of the paragraph and it controls the whole paragraph.

The paragraph also includes SUPPORTING DETAILS and EXPLANATIONS. The supporting details
develop the topic sentence and the explanations bring more information .

At the end it has a CONCLUDING SENTENCE.

APPLICATION

Read the paragraphs below and draw the plan in your copybook.

UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION

The United Nations Organisation, which was formally established immediately


after World War H, has the following principal organs: the General Assembly,
the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. The function of the
General Assembly is to discuss world problems and to control UN finances,
conducting work through its seven committees. The primary responsibility of
the Security Council is to preserve world peace. Its members make
recommendations on disputes and take action against countries threatening the
world peace. The Economic and Social Council coordinates the work of
Specialised Agencies. These are numerous but the most important ones are the
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Health Organisation
(WHO) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
(UNICEF). The three principal bodies of the United Nations Organisation
contribute to the well-being of people all over the world.
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TYPES OF ECONOMIC SYSTEMS

Read the paragraph below and draw the plan in your copybook.

Although every economy is in some ways distinct, it is helpful to distinguish


three types: traditional, command, and market economies. In the traditional
economic system, the decisions concerning economic issues are made by elder
members of societies who refer to long-established traditions. in the command
system, on the other hand, economic behaviour is determined by some central
authority, which is responsible for producing a fully integrated economic plan.
For this to be done, the central authority has to analyse data about the current
economic situation and make predictions about future trends. In the third type of
economic system; i.e. the market system, the decisions are made without any
central authority, Instead, it is individual producers and consumers that make the
decisions by analysing the market signals and establishing coordination between
different sectors.

Study the following plans and write the corresponding paragraphs:

PRINT MEDIA

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NEEDS OF LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

USES OF THE LASER

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Types of paragraphs – revision

Read the paragraphs below and identify the topic sentences and supporting details:

1. According to the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung, every person's personality can
be placed somewhere on a scale running from extreme extroversion (i.e., an outgoing
personality) to extreme introversion (i.e., a withdrawn personality). 2The typical
extrovert is particularly fond of people and people-oriented activities: he is sociable,
likes parties, has many friends, needs to have people to talk to, and does not like
reading or studying by himself. 'The typical introvert, on the other hand, is a quiet,
retiring sort of person, introspective, fond of books rather than people. 'Unlike the
extrovert, who craves excitement, takes chances, and is generally impulsive, the
introvert shuns excitement, takes matters of everyday life with proper seriousness,
and likes a well-ordered mode of life. 'Whereas the extrovert tends to be aggressive
and loses his temper easily, the introvert tends to keep his feelings under close
control, seldom behaves in an aggressive manner, and does not lose his temper
easily, 'The introvert is more reliable and less optimistic than the extrovert. 'The
extrovert may often be subject to criminal or psycho- pathic behavior, in contrast to
the introvert, who may exhibit neurotic tendencies. °A further difference between the
two involves the ability to remember: studies have tended to show that the extrovert
learns faster than the introvert but, in the end, remembers less.'

a. Draw the plan of the paragraph in your copybooks.


b. What type of a paragraph is it?

2. A matter of considerable worry nowadays is what television has done to the


generation of American children who have grown up watching it. For one thing, recent
studies tend to show that TV stifles creative imagination. Some teachers feel that
television has taken away the child's ability to form mental pictures in his own mind,
resulting in children who cannot understand a simple story without visual illustrations.
Secondly, too much TV too early tends to cause children to withdraw from real-life
experiences. Thus, they grow up to be passive spectators who can only respond to
action, but not initiate it. The third area for concern is the serious complaint frequently

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made by elementary school teachers that children exhibit a low tolerance for the
frustrations of learning. Because they have been conditioned to see all problems
resolved in 30 or 60 minutes on TV, they are quickly discouraged -by any activity that
promises less than instant gratification. But perhaps the most serious result is the
impact of television violence on children, who have come to regard it as an everyday
thing. Not only does this increase their tolerance of violent behavior in others, but
most authorities now concede that under certain conditions, some children will imitate
anti-social acts that they witness on television.'

c. Draw the plan of the paragraph in your copybooks.


d. What type of a paragraph is it?

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