{"id":102,"date":"2026-05-05T23:54:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T03:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/essaywriting\/chapter\/chapter-4-paragraph-writing\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T21:58:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T01:58:57","slug":"chapter-4-paragraph-writing","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/chapter\/chapter-4-paragraph-writing\/","title":{"raw":"Chapter 4: Paragraph Writing","rendered":"Chapter 4: Paragraph Writing"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\nWhat you will do in this chapter:\r\n\r\n<em>1. Review paragraph format and structure<\/em>\r\n<em>2. Learn about and practice writing concluding sentences<\/em>\r\n<em>3. Write a paragraph and proofread your writing<\/em>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h1><em>Review It!<\/em><\/h1>\r\nReview the paragraph format and structure explained in Chapters 2 and 3.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Exercise 1: Read this paragraph and discuss the questions together with classmates. (*Note: There are no grammar or spelling mistakes.)<\/strong><\/em>\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\nPlaying video games is good, so I will talk about two reasons. In fact, I enjoy playing video games,<em> like Fortnite, whenever I can.<\/em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"indent\"><em>By playing video games, students can get to know each other. They can enjoy chatting and laughing<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"indent\"><em>while they play. This can help them make friends in college.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Second, students can relax and forget their stress. By the way, students are very busy studying,<\/p>\r\ndoing club activities, and working at part-time jobs. They are very busy and stressed. So they can feel\r\n\r\nrelaxed and refreshed.\r\n<p class=\"indent\">They can also enjoy time with their friends.<\/p>\r\nIn this way, video games are a good way for students to spend their free time.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<strong>Discussion Questions<\/strong>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>a. Can you identify any problems with the format of this paragraph?<\/em> (circle them)\r\nb<em>. Is the controlling idea of the topic sentence clear, too specific, or too general?<\/em>\r\n<em>c. Can you identify any problems with unity in this paragraph? d. Can you identify any problems with coherence in this paragraph?<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<h1><em>Learn It!<\/em><\/h1>\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 23\">\r\n<div class=\"section\">\r\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\r\n<div class=\"column\">\r\n<h2>Concluding Sentence<\/h2>\r\nTo understand concluding sentences better, learn their location, function, and features.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 23\">\r\n<div class=\"section\">\r\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\r\n<div class=\"column\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><em>Location<\/em> - last sentence of a paragraph<\/li>\r\n \t<li><em>Function<\/em> - 1) sums up a paragraph; 2) often connects a paragraph to the following paragraph<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 23\">\r\n<div class=\"section\">\r\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\r\n<div class=\"column\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><em>Features<\/em> - 1) restates (paraphrases) the topic sentence, or makes a final comment about the controlling idea; 2) commonly begins with some transitional words or phrases<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<em>Concluding sentence transitional words\/phrases:<\/em>\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">To conclude, To sum up, As mentioned above, In short, For these reasons,<\/h2>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example topic sentence:<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 There are several reasons why students at Kyoto University should study academic writing.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example concluding sentence:<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 To sum up, Kyoto University students need to practice academic writing seriously.\r\n\r\n<strong>Exercise 2: For each topic sentence below, write a concluding sentence with a transitional phrase.<\/strong>\r\n\r\n1) Topic sentence: While tourism benefits cities economically, it can have serious negative effects as well.\r\n\r\nConcluding sentence: __________________________________________________________________\r\n\r\n____________________________________________________________________________________\r\n\r\n2) Topic sentence: To address contemporary society\u2019s dependence on plastics, there are several interesting developments in the fields of chemistry and biology.\r\n\r\nConcluding sentence: __________________________________________________________________\r\n\r\n____________________________________________________________________________________\r\n\r\n3) Topic sentence: By using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, researchers have found that listening to a story has two significant effects on the brain.\r\n\r\nConcluding sentence: __________________________________________________________________\r\n\r\n____________________________________________________________________________________\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<h1 class=\"textbox__title\">FYI<\/h1>\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 24\">\r\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\r\n<div class=\"column\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Corresponding with teachers<\/strong>\r\n\r\nImagine you are preparing to write an assignment and you log onto KULASIS\/PandA for information your teacher sent out to the class.... But wait! Where is it? You can\u2019t find it! What will you do? Most likely you will have to write to your teacher via email. Writing an email is not the same as sending a text message using a messaging application. Just as with academic writing, there are certain guidelines to follow:\r\n\r\n1. Be sure to write a <strong>subject<\/strong> in the subject line.\r\nIf an e-mail arrives without a subject, it looks unprofessional, careless, and suspicious.\r\n\r\n2. Be sure to put a <strong>greeting<\/strong> at the beginning of the e-mail.\r\nSome appropriate greetings for a formal e-mail to your teacher are:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 Dear Professor _(Name)______,\r\n\u2022 Professor _(Name)______,<\/p>\r\n3. Be sure to use <strong>spellcheck<\/strong>.\r\nNot using spellcheck makes you look unprofessional, lazy, and\/or careless.\r\n\r\n4. Be sure to make <strong>polite requests<\/strong>.\r\nSome polite phrases for making requests are:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 I would greatly appreciate it if you could... (e.g., reply at your earliest convenience; send me the information this week).\r\n\u2022 Would you mind... (e.g., checking the homework I have attached)?<\/p>\r\nSome impolite phrases for making requests are:\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\ud83d\udca3 I want you to\/I would like you to... (e.g., check my grammar).<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\ud83d\udca3 Please... (e.g., reply soon).<\/p>\r\n5. Be sure to make a <strong>polite closing remark.<\/strong>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Some examples of polite closing remarks are:\r\n\u2022 Thank you in advance for your assistance\/reply.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 Sincerely,<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 Thank you for your consideration of this matter.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 Regards,<\/p>\r\n6. Be sure to write your <strong>name, department, student number and class day\/period.<\/strong>\r\nThis is a common mistake, especially when using a smartphone. Whenever you contact your professors, you must clearly tell them who you are. Remember, they have many students.\r\n\r\nSee <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/back-matter\/appendix-7-example-of-a-polite-email-message\/\">Appendix 7<\/a> for an example.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1><em>Write It!<\/em><\/h1>\r\n<strong><em>Exercise 3: Write a paragraph based on one of the given topics, a topic of your choosing, or a topic assigned by your teacher.<\/em><\/strong>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">a. Tourist sites in Kyoto<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">b. A restaurant students enjoy<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">c. New technological advances in your field<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">d. A historical figure<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">e. Your topic: _________________________<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">f. Your teacher\u2019s topic: _________________________<\/p>\r\n<em><strong>Exercise 4: Use the list below to check your paragraph. If the answer to the question is \u201cYes,\u201d put a checkmark (\u2713) in the box.<\/strong><\/em>\r\n\r\n<em>Checklist<\/em>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 1. Does your topic sentence have a focus or controlling idea?<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 2. Does your topic sentence indicate the supporting points to follow?<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 3. Does each supporting sentence directly support the main\/controlling idea (unity)?<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 4. Does each supporting sentence start with a transitional word\/phrase (coherence)?<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 5. Does your concluding sentence restate the topic sentence?<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 6. Does your paragraph start with an indent?<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 7. Are the margins of your paragraph aligned correctly? 8. Is your paragraph one continuous block of text?<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 8. Is your paragraph one continuous block of text?<\/p>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p>What you will do in this chapter:<\/p>\n<p><em>1. Review paragraph format and structure<\/em><br \/>\n<em>2. Learn about and practice writing concluding sentences<\/em><br \/>\n<em>3. Write a paragraph and proofread your writing<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><em>Review It!<\/em><\/h1>\n<p>Review the paragraph format and structure explained in Chapters 2 and 3.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Exercise 1: Read this paragraph and discuss the questions together with classmates. (*Note: There are no grammar or spelling mistakes.)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p>Playing video games is good, so I will talk about two reasons. In fact, I enjoy playing video games,<em> like Fortnite, whenever I can.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"indent\"><em>By playing video games, students can get to know each other. They can enjoy chatting and laughing<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"indent\"><em>while they play. This can help them make friends in college.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Second, students can relax and forget their stress. By the way, students are very busy studying,<\/p>\n<p>doing club activities, and working at part-time jobs. They are very busy and stressed. So they can feel<\/p>\n<p>relaxed and refreshed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"indent\">They can also enjoy time with their friends.<\/p>\n<p>In this way, video games are a good way for students to spend their free time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Discussion Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>a. Can you identify any problems with the format of this paragraph?<\/em> (circle them)<br \/>\nb<em>. Is the controlling idea of the topic sentence clear, too specific, or too general?<\/em><br \/>\n<em>c. Can you identify any problems with unity in this paragraph? d. Can you identify any problems with coherence in this paragraph?<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h1><em>Learn It!<\/em><\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 23\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<h2>Concluding Sentence<\/h2>\n<p>To understand concluding sentences better, learn their location, function, and features.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 23\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>Location<\/em> &#8211; last sentence of a paragraph<\/li>\n<li><em>Function<\/em> &#8211; 1) sums up a paragraph; 2) often connects a paragraph to the following paragraph<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 23\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>Features<\/em> &#8211; 1) restates (paraphrases) the topic sentence, or makes a final comment about the controlling idea; 2) commonly begins with some transitional words or phrases<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Concluding sentence transitional words\/phrases:<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">To conclude, To sum up, As mentioned above, In short, For these reasons,<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example topic sentence:<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 There are several reasons why students at Kyoto University should study academic writing.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example concluding sentence:<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 To sum up, Kyoto University students need to practice academic writing seriously.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Exercise 2: For each topic sentence below, write a concluding sentence with a transitional phrase.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1) Topic sentence: While tourism benefits cities economically, it can have serious negative effects as well.<\/p>\n<p>Concluding sentence: __________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p>____________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p>2) Topic sentence: To address contemporary society\u2019s dependence on plastics, there are several interesting developments in the fields of chemistry and biology.<\/p>\n<p>Concluding sentence: __________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p>____________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p>3) Topic sentence: By using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, researchers have found that listening to a story has two significant effects on the brain.<\/p>\n<p>Concluding sentence: __________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p>____________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<h1 class=\"textbox__title\">FYI<\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 24\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<p><strong>Corresponding with teachers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Imagine you are preparing to write an assignment and you log onto KULASIS\/PandA for information your teacher sent out to the class&#8230;. But wait! Where is it? You can\u2019t find it! What will you do? Most likely you will have to write to your teacher via email. Writing an email is not the same as sending a text message using a messaging application. Just as with academic writing, there are certain guidelines to follow:<\/p>\n<p>1. Be sure to write a <strong>subject<\/strong> in the subject line.<br \/>\nIf an e-mail arrives without a subject, it looks unprofessional, careless, and suspicious.<\/p>\n<p>2. Be sure to put a <strong>greeting<\/strong> at the beginning of the e-mail.<br \/>\nSome appropriate greetings for a formal e-mail to your teacher are:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 Dear Professor _(Name)______,<br \/>\n\u2022 Professor _(Name)______,<\/p>\n<p>3. Be sure to use <strong>spellcheck<\/strong>.<br \/>\nNot using spellcheck makes you look unprofessional, lazy, and\/or careless.<\/p>\n<p>4. Be sure to make <strong>polite requests<\/strong>.<br \/>\nSome polite phrases for making requests are:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 I would greatly appreciate it if you could&#8230; (e.g., reply at your earliest convenience; send me the information this week).<br \/>\n\u2022 Would you mind&#8230; (e.g., checking the homework I have attached)?<\/p>\n<p>Some impolite phrases for making requests are:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\ud83d\udca3 I want you to\/I would like you to&#8230; (e.g., check my grammar).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\ud83d\udca3 Please&#8230; (e.g., reply soon).<\/p>\n<p>5. Be sure to make a <strong>polite closing remark.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Some examples of polite closing remarks are:<br \/>\n\u2022 Thank you in advance for your assistance\/reply.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 Sincerely,<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 Thank you for your consideration of this matter.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2022 Regards,<\/p>\n<p>6. Be sure to write your <strong>name, department, student number and class day\/period.<\/strong><br \/>\nThis is a common mistake, especially when using a smartphone. Whenever you contact your professors, you must clearly tell them who you are. Remember, they have many students.<\/p>\n<p>See <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/back-matter\/appendix-7-example-of-a-polite-email-message\/\">Appendix 7<\/a> for an example.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1><em>Write It!<\/em><\/h1>\n<p><strong><em>Exercise 3: Write a paragraph based on one of the given topics, a topic of your choosing, or a topic assigned by your teacher.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">a. Tourist sites in Kyoto<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">b. A restaurant students enjoy<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">c. New technological advances in your field<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">d. A historical figure<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">e. Your topic: _________________________<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">f. Your teacher\u2019s topic: _________________________<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Exercise 4: Use the list below to check your paragraph. If the answer to the question is \u201cYes,\u201d put a checkmark (\u2713) in the box.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Checklist<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 1. Does your topic sentence have a focus or controlling idea?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 2. Does your topic sentence indicate the supporting points to follow?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 3. Does each supporting sentence directly support the main\/controlling idea (unity)?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 4. Does each supporting sentence start with a transitional word\/phrase (coherence)?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 5. Does your concluding sentence restate the topic sentence?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 6. Does your paragraph start with an indent?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 7. Are the margins of your paragraph aligned correctly? 8. Is your paragraph one continuous block of text?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u25fb\ufe0e 8. Is your paragraph one continuous block of text?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[50],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-102","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/102\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":661,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/102\/revisions\/661"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/102\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=102"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=102"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/academicwriting_1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}