Paragraphs and pyramids

          Strong paragraphs, like strong pyramids, are based on the number three, and have certain similarities. First, paragraphs have three parts--beginning, middle, and end--and pyramids have three sides because the sides are triangles, not squares or rectangles. Writers know that strong paragraphs need to have three parts, and engineers know that pyramids are strong structures because they are based on triangles with three or four sides. For instance, writers know that if they leave out any of the three parts of a paragraph, it will not be strong.  And engineers know that a pyramid will support more weight than a typical four-sided structure. Second, you might say that both paragraphs and pyramids have a body. The body of the paragraph is the biggest part, between the beginning and the end. You could say that the inside of a pyramid is the "body" of the pyramid, and the biggest part, too. Finally, paragraphs and pyramids are both pleasing to read/look at because they seem complete. If you read a paragraph with no conclusion, you feel it is missing something. In the same way, if you look at a pyramid without triangular sides, you would say, "That's not a pyramid at all."  In conclusion, the structures of paragraphs and pyramids are similar because they are both based on the number three, and that basic characteristic makes them strong and well formed.

The power of three

          The number three and signal words are important in writing, and we can see this in how we write a good paragraph. First of all, a good paragraph has three parts; a topic sentence (beginning), a body (middle), and a concluding sentence (end). If the paragraph is missing any one of these essential parts in its organization, it won't be as easy for the reader to read and understand. Second, we need to use signal words to help the reader find the three parts. For example, in the body of the paragraph, we can make three points. We make it easier for the reader to find the three points by beginning each of the points in the body with signal words like first, second, and finally.  That makes it easier for the reader to find the three points and know exactly what they are.  You can think of these signal words as "flags" or "signs" that guide the reader through the paragraph, like a map. You should use signal words like for example and for instance to show the reader that you are giving an example or detail to support one of your three main points. Finally, at the end of the paragraph, you need to begin the concluding sentence with a word like in conclusion, in summary, or to conclude  and then summarize the main ideas in the paragraph. For example, you can restate the topic sentence in different words. In conclusion, a good rule for writing good paragraphs is to follow "the rule of three" and use signal words to make it easy for the reader to find the three parts.

Paragraph Organization

          A paragraph is a group of sentences about a topic that has a beginning, a middle and an end. A paragraph begins with a topic sentence that tells the reader what the topic is and what you are going to write about that topic.  The next part of the paragraph is the middle, or the body. In the body of the paragraph you write several sentences, usually at least three to five, that support your topic sentence and give examples and details about each point that you make. Finally, the end of the paragraph is called the concluding sentence. In this sentence you summarize what you wrote about in the paragraph. In conclusion, a good paragraph should have three parts; a topic sentence, a body with supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.

Summary-Response writing

         One of the most common types of writing that you will do in college and in your profession after college is summary-response writing. Let's start with college.

         Your history professor asks you to read Chapter 2 in the textbook about the the American Revolution and write a summary-response paragraph about it. The paragraph is due the next class in five days. You have a lot of work to do. First you have to read the chapter and make sure you understand the main ideas and points. Don't focus on all the details. When you think that you understand the main ideas and themes of the chapter, write an outline of what you are going to write. Then write the paragraph, making sure that you have a title, an introduction topic sentence, a summary of the main ideas of the chapter, then your response (opinion, evaluation) to the chapter, and end with a conclusion sentence. Your professor will be impressed that you know how to write a good, well organized summary-response paragraph. You will probably get an A.

        After you graduate from college and start your first job, your boss might ask you to write a report for him. Let's say that you are working for a company that manufactures car parts. Customers have been reporting problems with one of the parts that your company makes. Your boss doesn't have time to read all the customer complaints, so he asks you to read them and write a summary of what the main problems are, along with your response to the summary stating which of the problems appear to be the most serious. This allows your boss to read your short summary report instead off all the complaints, and then decide what to do. This saves your boss a lot of time and will make you a valuable employee. Maybe you will get a raise and promotion if you do a good job.

         In conclusion, knowing how to write different kinds of paragraphs and essays will help you not only in college, but in your work and life after college. This is especially true of summary-response writing.

KISS

          KISS has two meanings. It is an acronym that means Keep it Short & Simple. And it is the name of a bad (in my opinion) rock band, Kiss KISS live.  The band KISS is okay, but all their costumes, make-up, and fireworks are really better than than their music. The group KISS needs to follow the advice of the KISS acronym and Keep it Short & Simple, make it more about their music, and less about the theatrics.

         The acronym KISS can be good advice for us in our modern world, where everything is so complicated. Maybe it would be better to get back to a little simpler life. Maybe it would be good to listen to good music, and not be so interested in how the band members are dressed and how good their fireworks are. 

        KISS can also be good advice for ESL students.  When you are writing, don't use a big word when you can use a short word that means the same thing. "Use" and "utilize" both have the same meaning. So why not use "use"?  Don't use big words just to impress your reader, because he/she might not understand what you mean. It's better to stick to words you know rather than look up new words you don't know when you are writing.  KISS is a good thing to remember when you are writing a summary. A good summary is better when it is short. Also, the longer your paragraph or essay is, the more likely it is that it will have mistakes.  Besides, in today's world, everyone wants everything short because most people don't have a very long attention span. So take my advice, and Keep it Short & Simple.  What do you think--about the rock group, KISS, and about the KISS acronym?

       

Banana power

        Bananas are the best fruit...in my opinion. Of course, you might not agree, and have your own favorite fruit. I have had a banana and coffee every morning for breakfast for years. Here is why my vote for best fruit is for the banana. First, bananas are the least expensive fruit, at about 50 cents per pound. At that price, you can buy several medium-sized bananas for less than a dollar. Second, bananas are highly nutritious, more than any other fruit, because they are high in many vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates to give you energy. They are high in important minerals like potassium and manganese. They also have fiber to help your digestion. Third, they have excellent packaging, which means that you don't have to wash them before eating. Just peel and eat. Fourth, they are delicious and the perfect size for a meal.  Finally, after peeling them, you can use the inside of the peelings to clean and polish your shoes or other leather items. They have a kind of natural oil in the peelings. If you don't believe me, just give it a try!  There is one other thing about bananas; they have magical powers, but this is something that you have to see with your own eyes. If you would like, I can show you a banana magic trick in class. So, all things considered, bananas really are amazing. What more could we ask of a simple fruit?

My worst nightmare

        Sometimes, when I am under stress, I have the same nightmare.  Some people call dreams like this stress dreams. In my dream, I have to take a final exam in order to graduate from college. I sit down and look at the test, and realize that I don't know any of the answers to the questions. I look around at the other students, who are answering questions and look fine. This makes me panic. I look back at the test. I realize I don't even understand the questions on the test. I start to sweat, and my heart starts beating fast. What am I going to do?  If I don't pass this test, I won't be able to graduate from college. The teacher says that we only have 30 more minutes to complete the test, and I haven't answered one question yet. At this point in the dream, I usually wake up. I am sweating and feel a terrible panic. Then I slowly realize it was just a dream, and that I graduated from college many years ago. It was just a dream. Only a dream.  It takes me a few minutes to get rid of the bad feelings from the dream. In conclusion, it is hard to understand dreams and especially dreams like this one that repeat. Have you ever had a nightmare like this?