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Major and minor points in an essay

Published on Nov 01, 2020

Learning Goals Learn how to . . . ■ Goal 1 Structure a paragraph ■ goal 2 Identify and select topics ■ goal 3 Read and write topic sentences ■ goal 4 Think critically about topic sentences

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

MAJOR AND MINOR POINTS IN AN ESSAY!

by: Rossana Guerra, Alma Pinzon and Diana Martinez

1. What is a paragraph?
It is a group of related sentences to create an idea. it is formed by 3 elements: topic, topic sentence and supporting details. As a writer, the paragraph allows you to express your ideas clearly. As a reader, it helps you to follow the lecture and understand it.

2. Visualizing the paragraph is a good technique to facilitate your progress. It will help you to recognize if your topic is too general or too narrow.

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3. Identify the topic sentence:
This will help you to understand the paragraph better. To find the topic of a paragraph you can ask yourself: "what is the one idea the author is discussing in the paragraph?

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4. Selecting your topic:
Select a topic that feels comfortable for you. This step can take time but it can be used techniques as brainstorming, branching or questioning to make it easier.

5. Refining your topic:
the paragraph should be manageable: General enough to add the necessary details and narrow enough to cover the topic in a perfect size.

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6. Read and Write Topic Sentences

  • Locating Topic Sentences: we have to identify the topic which is going to be the most general statement in the paragraph.
  • Placement of Topic Sentences: Writers often place their topic sentence first in the paragraph. The topic sentence can also be placed last or in the middle.

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7. Developing Effective Topic Sentences:
If you write a topic sentence without a viewpoint, you will find you have very little to write about in the remainder of the paragraph

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8. Think Critically About Topic Sentences

Be alert for topic sentences that express opinions.

taking into account these points

your process will progress.