2. Characteristics of Good Writing In addition to proper grammar, the following four characteristics demonstrate good writing skills. This lesson will focus on the first characteristic. Coherence: A paragraph has coherence when the supporting sentence are ordered according to a principle based on the type of paragraph. The sentences are put in order so that they reader can understand your ideas easily. Unity: A paragraph has unity when all the supporting sentence relate to the topic sentence. Sentences that do not belong in a paragraph are called irrelevant sentences.
3. Characteristics of Good Writing Completeness: A paragraph has completeness when there are sufficient details and examples to support the topic sentence. Cohesion: A paragraph has cohesion when all the supporting sentences connect to each other in their support of the topic sentence.
4. Coherence: Outlining your response In the previous module, we learned about the first step of the writing process. Now that you know various methods to brainstorm some ideas, the next step will be to organize them into a logical order and develop good coherence.
5. English Writing Style English uses a straight line from beginning to end. It is normal for a reader to expect a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning should say what the article is about, the middle should talk about the topic, and the end should say what the article was about. This is what I will write about. I am writing about it here. This is what I wrote about.
6. Know your reader It is common that different languages have different ways of organizing their writing. The Japanese style of writing can be circular at times with the topic appearing at the end of the article. It is also possible that the writer does not say what the topic is, but instead gives hints to help the reader guess the topic. Do you agree with this description? It is important to keep in mind who your reader will be and what style of writing they will be expecting. The next set of slides will be about organizing and outlining your writing using the standard English style of writing mentioned on the previous slide.
7. Building a paragraph A paragraph should start with a sentence that introduces the topic and the main idea of the paragraph in a topic sentence. The middle of the paragraph is called the body, and is consists of sentences that explain or support the topic sentence. These sentences are called supporting sentences. There are two types of supporting sentences: major and minor The major supporting sentences support the topic sentence. The minor supporting sentences support the major supporting sentences. The last sentence is called the concluding sentence, which ends the paragraph and by reminding the reader of the main point of the paragraph.
8. Helpful hints Make sure that you answer the question clearly. The topic sentence should be the first sentence in the paragraph. All supporting ideas should directly relate to the topic sentence. Include both major and minor supporting sentences. Use clear examples to support your ideas. Your concluding sentence should not introduce any new ideas. Apply your understanding of sentence structure and use mostly complex sentences.
9. Let’s apply what we know… Click on the link below to download your first mini-case study. This assignment will require some time, so please do not wait until the last minute. When you are done with the assignment, look for the link to upload the document.
