Download Writing is easy if you plan it. Planning helps you

Paragraphs
We divide our writing into paragraphs. Each paragraph is about ONE TOPIC.
For example:
Writing is easy if you plan it. Planning helps you organise your thoughts. If you write a little
mind map or just take ordinary notes or write down key words this will help you. Planning even
makes the grammar easier.
Many grammar problems come from disorganised thinking. If your thinking is clear the grammar
will be easier. For example, if you have a clear topic sentence idea it is easier to write. Therefore
it is useful to know what you want to say before you start writing.
Organising your paragraph
I have written each type of sentence on a different line so you can see it.
Writing is easy if you plan it.
Planning helps you organise your thoughts.
If you write a little mind map or just take ordinary notes or write down key words this will
help you.
Planning even makes the grammar easier.
Many grammar problems come from disorganised thinking.
If your thinking is clear the grammar will be easier.
For example, if you have a clear topic sentence idea it is easier to write.
Therefore it is useful to know what you want to say before you start writing.
Writing is easy if you plan it.
This is the main idea.
We call it the topic sentence because it is the sentence that is about the topic of the paragraph.
Each paragraph is about one topic and it has one topic sentence.
The topic sentence is often the first sentence. This helps the reader to understand what the
paragraph is about. The topic sentence is usually short and easy to understand.
Planning helps you organise your thoughts.
This is the explanation of the main idea.
We say WHY.
It helps us understand the idea better.
If you write a little mind map or just take ordinary notes or write down key words this will
help you.
This is the reason/example sentence. We give examples to support the idea in the topic sentence.
Planning even makes the grammar easier.
This is the last sentence or conclusion sentence. This sentence refers back to the idea in the topic
sentence and links this idea with the NEXT topic sentence in the following paragraph.
Writing is easy if you plan it. Planning helps you organise your thoughts. If you write a
little mind map or just take ordinary notes or write down key words this will help you.
Planning even makes the grammar easier.
Many grammar problems come from disorganised thinking. If your thinking is clear the
grammar will be easier. For example, if you have a clear topic sentence idea it is easier to
write. Therefore it is useful to know what you want to say before you start writing.
So we have this organization:
TOPIC SENTENCE (MAIN IDEA)
EXPLANATION SENTENCE
REASONS/EXAMPLES SENTENCE
CONCLUSION/LINK SENTENCE
Another important thing is how we LINK ideas from one sentence to another.
Writing is easy if you plan it. Planning helps you organise your thoughts. If you write a little
mind map or just take ordinary notes or write down key words this will help you. Planning even
makes the grammar easier.
Many grammar problems come from disorganised thinking. If your thinking is clear the grammar
will be easier. For example, if you have a clear topic sentence idea it is easier to write. Therefore
it is useful to know what you want to say before you start writing.
The italics in the paragraph above show the links between ideas.
Example:
Exercise is good for you. This is because our bodies need it. Without exercise our
muscles lose their strength.
‘This is because’ (sentence 2) refers to ‘exercise is good for you’ (sentence 1). ‘Without
exercise’ (sentence 3) refers again to exercise (sentences 1 and 2). We keep ideas going from one
sentence to another.
Now look for the links:
Fast food is unhealthy. There are several reasons for this. One is the high salt, sugar and fat
content. Another is the lack of fibre and vitamins. Fast food may also contain many chemical
additives. These are designed to make it tasty and make it last longer. However, they are not
good for your health.
There are two main ways to organize information in a paragraph.
Let’s call them AAA and ABABAB.
In AAA the first part of the sentence stays the same:
Music is a pleasure. Music makes my day better. Music is how I live. Without music my life
would be very dull indeed.
Here the idea ‘music’ is the subject of every sentence and we repeat it a lot.
What about the other pattern, ABAB?
In this pattern the second part of sentence one becomes the main idea of sentence two.
Music wakes me up every day. Every morning I dance. I dance to wake up. When I am awake I
have breakfast. Breakfast is something I never miss. Missing breakfast would ruin my day.
Can you see how the idea carries on?
Try writing some sample paragraphs on your blog.
Remember to include a topic sentence, explanation sentence, reason/example
sentence and conclusion/link sentence.
Decide how to organize the information: AAA or ABAB (much more common).
Write as many small paragraphs as you can.
Here are some samples. Look for the patterns in them. We are looking for two patterns:
1. Topic sentence, explanantion (why) sentence, reason/example sentence, conclusion (link)
sentence
2. AAA or AbAB repetition patterns
Social media have become very popular in recent years. Nowadays there is almost nobody who
is not connected through a mobile device. The cost of phones and tablets has come down and the
number of applications has increased. These factors make it much easier to be part of the social
media scene.
Cooking is an essential skill. It is easy to learn and fun to do and we need to eat every day. If you
cannot cook it is difficult: you have to eat fast food or get somebody to cook for you. If you can
cook life is easier and your food is better quality.
Public transport saves you time and money. It is faster and more efficient than travelling by car.
You do not need to buy, maintain and fuel an expensive vehicle. Nor do you need to wait in
traffic jams. Trains do not have traffic jams and buses have dedicated bus lanes, free of cars. You
have far less chance of being in an accident. Public transport makes your life easier and save you
lots of time, money and effort.
Traditions are important in life. Traditions keep us anchored: we know who we are and where we
come from. We inherit the wisdom of the past,. We enjoy the food and the experiences of the
past as well, the music, the poetry, the outdoor life. Traditions may change, but we need to
reflect carefully on what we are changing and why.
Could you find the patterns?
Why not try writing some different types of paragraphs yourself. Ask your friend to find
the patterns. Keep the sentences simple and short.