GENERAL ENGLISH PROGRAM

Level: 8A, Unit 04

PARAGRAPH WRITING
(REVISION)

Exercise A
Direction: For each statement below, circle the topic and underline the controlling idea.

1. Mahatma Gandhi was an influential leader.

2. E-mail is a great way to stay in touch with your family and friends.
3. The clothes we wear often reflect a lot about our personality.
4. The Japanese subway system is very efficient.
5. My older brother is a pefectionist.
6. Golf is a difficult sport to master.
7. Being a twin has both advantages and disadvantages.
8. The new shopping mall has brought many economic benefits to our community.
9. Superstitions affect several aspects of my life.
10. Exercising every morning has several positive effects on my health.

Exercise B
Direction: Read the statements and put a tick next to the ones that can be effective topic
sentences. If they are NOT good topic sentences, state your reason. (Is it too general
or too specific?)

1. Swimming is fun......................................
2. I swim for 30 minutes every morning.......................
3. My round-trip plane ticket to Ankara, Turkey, cost over € 900.......................
4. The first published collection of African- American music appeared in 1867................
5. Holidays are very expensive...........................
6. Learning how to write an academic essay is essential for students who are planning to attend
college.................................
7. Having my friends and family together at my wedding was an amazing
experience.................................
8. Everyone needs a hobby.................................
9. The Chinese language has over 50,000 characters.......................................
10. Russian is a difficult language to learn.......................................

Prepared by: T. Kay Chansotheara 1

GENERAL ENGLISH PROGRAM
Level: 8A, Unit 04

Exercise C
Direction: Write a topic sentence for the given paragraphs.

1 ........................................................................................................................................
Most often, they keep them for pleasure and companionship. In fact, many people consider their
pet to be part of the family. In addition to their value as loved and loving companions, pets
serve practical purposes, such as protecting homes, destroying insects and even providing
means of transportation. They may also serve as emotional outlets for the elderly and childless.
Recently, the benefit of pet-facilitated psycotheraphy has been demonstarted. Finally, some
people keep pets for their beauty or rarity or in the case of birds, for their songs.

2...........................................................................................................................................
For instance, climate affects the kinds of clothes we wear and even the colors we choose to
wear. Since it affcets the kinds of crops we can grow successfully, it influences our eating
habits. Architecture is also affected by climate. Engineers and architects must think about
climate when they make decisions about the construction, materials, design and style of
buildings. Even our choices in transportation are determined by the climate in which we live.
Climate also plays a big part in economic development. A climate that is too hot, too cold or too
dry makes farming, industry and transportation difficult and slows down economic
development.

Exercise D
Direction: Read the paragraphs and write down the supporting details.

1. The repairs on my car were much more expensive than I had anticipated. When I saw
the final bill, I was in shock. It was twice as much as I had planned on. I had to pay € 300 to
get the brakes repaired and another € 100 to get the wheels aligned. The engine oil change was
€ 30 and the replacement of the air filter was another € 30.

Supporting details
a........................................................................................................................................
b........................................................... .............................................................................
c.........................................................................................................................................
d.........................................................................................................................................

2. My chemistry course is very difficult and time consuming. First of all, we are
responsible for two labs every week, which means of a minimum of ten hours a week in the
lab. To make matters worse, the professor gives at least three tests per month. The questions
are very tricky, and we have to memorize long, complicated formulas. Finally, the reading
load is quite heavy, as much as twenty pages a night. I often spend all my free time doing
the required reading.

Supporting details
a..........................................................................................................................................
b.........................................................................................................................................
c..........................................................................................................................................
d..................................................... ...................................................................................

Prepared by: T. Kay Chansotheara 2

GENERAL ENGLISH PROGRAM
Level: 8A, Unit 04

Exercise E
Direction: Write supporting sentences for the given topic sentences.

1. Summer is my favourite season.

a.................................................................................................................................
b.................................................................................................................................
c..................................................................................................................................

2. There are several ways of keeping fit.

a...................................................................................................................................
b..................................................................................................................................
c...................................................................................................................................

Exercise F
Direction: Read the paragraphs and underline the sentences that do not support the topic
sentence.

1. Jay Gatsby was my favourite character in the novel The Grat Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
This is a classic American novel. One of the qualities I liked most about him was his
generosity and loyalty to his friends and neighbours. For example, he gave many extravagant
parties and never thought about the cost. He invited anyone he knew and liked regardless of
their social status. His large home was situated on the water on Long Island. In fact, he
befriended a stuggling young man and offered to help him earn more money. This book is
required reading in many college courses because it reveals the lifestyles of the 1920s.
Although this young man remained faithful to Gatsby, others took advantage of his good
nature. (4 irrelevant sentences)

2. Having my friends and family together at my wedding was an amazing experience. I had not
seen some of my uncles, cousins and aunts for many years. My cousin Tom lives in London,
where he works as an engineer. Both my mother and father were born in different countries,
so my relatives are scattered all over the world. I really like travelling and have been to Europe
and Asia. Although we try to get together for important occasions, this was the first time
everyone could attend. Most importantly, my good friends had never met my relatives.
Developing good friendship takes alot of work. Watching them all dancing, laughing and
having a wonderful time will stay in my memory forever. (3 irrelevant sentences)

Prepared by: T. Kay Chansotheara 3

GENERAL ENGLISH PROGRAM
Level: 8A, Unit 04

Exercise G
Direction: Combine the following sentences using the expressions from the box.

Furthermore – in contrast – therefore – for example – however.

1. I want to study in Italy for a year to learn about art. I started Italian classes.
............................................................................................................................................
2. E-mail makes it fun and easy to get in touch with far away friends. It is convenient and free.
..............................................................................................................................................
3. His first novel was not a success. His second work became a bestseller.
................................................................................................................................................
4. English is the language of sports and entertaintment. It is the official language of both the
Olympics and the Miss Universe Pageant.
.................................................................................................................................................
5. Academic writing requires a knowledge of standard grammar, sophisticated vocabulary and
proper organization. E-mail messages use abbrevations, symbols and slang.
..........................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................

Exercise H
Direction: Read the following paragraphs and identify the method of organization used in each
one. (time- space – order of importance)

1. My anthropology teacher likes a classroom layout that encourages interaction among

students. He sets up the classroom so that it encourages us to interact with each other as
much as possible. He likes to have his desk in the center of the room. That means that the
students surround him and everyone can always see everyone else. As you walk into the
room, the firt thing you see is the enormous windows directly opposite the door. If you look
to the left, you will see his bulletin boards, which take up the entire back wall of the room.
To the right is the computer station with enough computers for ten students. Behind you as
you face the windows are the chalkboards. Above the boards, ready to be rolled down
whenever wee need them, are many different maps of the world. This type of classroom may
not work for every teacher but it works very well for Mr. Carter

Method of organization..........................................................................................................

Prepared by: T. Kay Chansotheara 4

GENERAL ENGLISH PROGRAM
Level: 8A, Unit 04

2. The story of the Earth’s oceans begins 200 million years ago when the Earth was just a ball
of hot rocket. At first, its surface was covered with erupting volcanoes, which released huge
amounts of gas, including a gas made up of water particles, called water vapor. Eventually
the Earth cooled, causing the water vapor to turn back into liquid water and fall from the
skies as torrential rain. The rain lasted for thousands and thousands of years. Finally,
rainwater filled at the hollows around the Earth’s surface and over 97 percent of all this
water is stored in the Earth’s four huge oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Actic
Oceans.

Method of organization.............................................................................................................

Prepared by: T. Kay Chansotheara 5