Paragraph-Writing

P ARA
GRAPH
WRITING
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PARAGRAPH WRITING
PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION
What is a paragraph?
1. A paragraph is a group of related sentences that develop one main idea.
2. It is made up of three kinds of sentences that develop the writer’s main idea, opinion, or feeling
about a subject. These sentences are:
a. Topic sentence
b. Supporting sentences
c. Concluding sentence
3. The number of sentences is unimportant in a paragraph; however, the paragraph should be long enough to
develop the main idea clearly.
4. A paragraph may also be one part of a longer piece of writing such as a chapter of a book or an essay.
A.. TOPIC SENTENCE
A topic sentence has several important functions:
A. A topic sentence should always be a complete sentence. The following are not
complete sentences.
Driving on freeways.
The importance of money.
How to register for college classes.
B. A topic sentence supports the idea of the paragraph subject.
There are several advantages to growing up in a small town .
Idea of the paragraph subject
C. It directs the order of the sentences and it briefly indicates what the paragraph is
going to discuss
Most US universities require a 550 point TOEFL score for a number of reasons.
the paragraph is going to discuss
D. It is a complete sentence and has three parts:

1. a subject
2
m
ain

idea
s
entence
s
entence
sentence
sentence
Topic Sentence ...................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................................................
Supporting sentences.........................................................................................................................
Supporting sentences.........................................................................................................................
Supporting sentences.........................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................................................
Concluding sentences........................................................................................................................
2. a verb
3. a controlling idea
1-2: Subject - Verb
Samples:
a. Telephones / intrude into / the privacy of our daily lives.
Subject / verb / controlling idea
b. Most adults / find / learning a foreign language difficult.
Subject / verb / controlling idea
c. My roommate, John, / helps / me to speak English correctly.
Subject / verb / controlling idea
NOTE: The topic sentence is to the paragraph what the thesis statement is to the essay.

3. Controlling Idea:
The controlling idea of a topic sentence is a word or phrase that controls the information in the rest of the
paragraph. Usually, the topic comes first and the controlling idea comes second in the topic sentence. However, the
controlling idea may come first.
a. Violence in Turkey society has several causes.
Topic controlling idea
b. There are several causes of violence in Turkish society.
controlling idea Topic
c. A good architect is both an artist and a mathematician.
Topic Controlling idea
d. Artistic talent and mathematical ability are two qualities of a good architect.
Controlling idea Topic
A sample Paragraph:
Parents can help their children be successful in school by encouraging them. Children usually enjoy
playing games
Topic Controlling idea
instead of studying. Therefore, parents should take the responsibility to monitor their studying.
They should also remind their children to do their homework at home after school. Moreover, parents
can encourage them to study by buying story books with pictures, or they can buy text books or
tapes that help children learn to spell or read. The best way to encourage children to study efficiently
is to reward them when they get an “A”. As a child, I experienced this. My parents gave me a gift
when I got ‘A’ in my math lesson. I was very excited. As result , if parents really want their children
to succeed in school, they need to pay attention to their children’s studies and encourage them.
In the paragraph above, the topic sentence is the following:
Parents can help their children be successful in school by encouraging them.
The topic of the sentence is how parents can help children succeed in school; the controlling idea is
encouraging. The reader might ask the following questions and expect the paragraph to answer them:
How can parents encourage their children?
What specific things should parents do to encourage their children?
How will this encouragement lead to success?

The topic sentence gives the writer’s attitude, opinion or idea about the topic. In the topic sentence, the writer
makes a judgment.
PRACTICE: Choose the best topic sentence.
a.
Too general: My neighborhood is a nice place to live.
A good topic sentence: My neighborhood is fascinating because people from many countries live in it.
b.
Too general: Sports are exciting.
Still too general: Watching a soccer game keeps me involved.
Much better: Watching 2002 the Istanbul derby between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray kept me
on the edge of the chair.
1. Topic: “My room”
a. ………My room is a perfect place for one person to live.
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b. ……….Many people live in single rooms.
2. Topic: “Watching a Movie”
a.. ……… The most important influence of watching a movie is that it destroys human’s
psychology.
b.. ……… Watching movie influence adults, teenagers, and children.
NOTE: Ask yourself questions as you narrow down/restrict the ideas:
Why……….? What………? Which……..? When………? Where……..? How………..?
F. The topic sentence can come at the beginning or at the end of a paragraph.
(As a beginning writer, you should write your topic sentence as the first sentence of your paragraph: It will
tell the reader what you are going to say and you can look back at the topic sentence often as you write the
supporting sentences.)
1. Here is an example of a paragraph with a topic sentence stated at the beginning. The subject is "
The educational systems of Europe and the United States ":
THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS OF EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES
The educational systems of Europe and the United States are similar in a
number of ways. To begin with, elementary school classes look the same everywhere: There

are about twenty to twenty-two pupils per class, and the classes are coeducational
*
. Also, there is
one teacher for all subjects for each grade (except in Scandinavia), and the majority of
elementary school teachers are women. In addition, the subjects which are taught at the
elementary level are basically the same everywhere: reading and writing, mathematics,
introductions to the sciences, music, sports, and art. The only major difference in the
elementary curriculum
*
is that most Europeans study a foreign language in elementary school, but
most American children do not.
Coeducational: attended by members of both sexes.
2. Here is an example of a paragraph with the topic sentence found at the end. The subject is "Cancer
affects everybody":
CANCER AFFECTS EVERYBODY
My grandfather contracted
*
lung cancer a few months ago. The doctors now say that he only has a few
weeks to live. My family's situation is not unique. Millions of Americans are going through a similar
experience. At least three members of every extended family will contract terminal* disease before the
age of sixty. At least one out of every three nuclear families will have a member who will die of cancer
before the age of fifty. From these statistics and from personal experience it is obvious that no
one is unaffected by cancer.
Contract: hastalık kapmak terminal: fatal, ölümcül
G. The topic sentence is most general statement and the main idea of the paragraph. It should
not be too general, too vague or too specific. You should narrow down your subject.
When you start to write about a very general topic, such as university,
vacations, or nuclear power, you must narrow down it down to a limited topic
that can be discussed in one paragraph. For example, there are many specific things
about university, such as classes, students, teachers, and the campus, that you can discuss. You

may narrow down the subject of college to the more specific subject of her roommate, Murat.
UNIVERSITY-F.University-dormitory living-roommates- my roommates - Murat
Samples:
1. Topic Sentence: "Many television cartoons contain an unhealthy amount of
violence."
Notice that this sentence clearly identifies that the key topic of the paragraph is violence in television
cartoons. It also indicates that the remainder of the paragraph will discuss how much violence cartoons
typically contain, and how/why this violence is unhealthy for viewers.
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2. Topic Sentence: "An increasing number of people in the world are enjoying the
benefits of organically grown fruits and vegetables."
This topic sentence indicates that the remainder of the paragraph will cover the trend in the world toward
eating organic foods. The reader can also expect learning more in this paragraph about the specific benefits
of organic foods.
PRACTICE: Narrowing Subjects from General to Specific
Fill in the space in each funnel until you arrive at a specific subject. Try to add at least three or four ideas
to each group.
ENTERTAINMENT-singers - rock singer – superstar - Madonna
1. FRIENDS - my best friend…………………………………………………………….………………………
2. SPORTS - individual sports …………………………………………………………………….…..…………
3. DIVORCE – children ……………………………….…………………………………………..……………..
4. CLASSES - my best/worst class …… …………….……………………………………..……………..
5. VACATIONS……………………………….……………………………………..……………….……………
6. MUSIC……………………………….……………………………………..………………………………….
G. Don’t begin paragraphs with “ I’m going to write about....” or “This paragraph is
about....”
PRACTICE a.
Read the following topic sentences and then write your own topic sentence.
1. COMPUTERS
Computers are unnecessary and make our life complicated.

Topic Controlling idea
Computers save us time and make our lives easier.
Topic Controlling idea
Computers are a necessary part of modern life.
Topic Controlling idea
Your Topic Sentence______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. MUSIC
Playing a musical instrument helps children to develop in discipline and self confidence.
Music can teach children to understand their own culture as well as other culture.
Your Topic Sentence______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. TELEVISION
Television gives free and interesting entertainment to people of all ages.
Television advertising is far more effective than advertising in magazines or newspapers.
Television has enormous influence on politics.
Your Topic Sentence______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
PRACTICE b: Write specific topic sentences for possible paragraphs on the following
topics. Be sure to provide both the subject and the key word(s).
Example: Teenagers and drugs
Topic sentence: Drug addiction has caused a huge increase in crimes of violence which is committed/done by
teenagers.
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1. Writing
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
2. Television
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
3. Movie
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________

4. A favorite teacher
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
5. Attending summer courses.
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
6. Using mobile phones
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
7. Getting married
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
8. Shopping by TV.
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
9. Learning a foreign language
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
10. Being wealthy
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
11. Being a famous person
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
12. technology
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
13. Credit cards
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
14. benefits of being young
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
15. Benefits of watching TV
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
16. Owning a car
Topic sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________
PRACTICE 1:
A. Write a topic sentence for the following paragraphs.
1. Topic: Using Internet
____________________________________________________________________________________________. Firstly, all of the

latest information is available to you; in your home, at any hour of the day or night. Also, on-line shopping
makes it possible to search through catalogues to find exactly what you want at the best price, so you can save
both time and money. By joining a newsgroup or chat group, you can share your hobbies and special interests,
and perhaps make friends all over the world. Finally, e-mail is popular because it is faster than sending a letter
and cheaper than a telephone conversation.
2. Topic: Divorce
____________________________________________________________________________________________. This leads some
conflicts in family life. Due to difficult life conditions, people are more aggressive towards each other. Couples
do not tolerate a few mistakes. In addition, women think that life is always difficult unless they have their own
economics independence. Being economically independent is the desire of many women. They want to earn
money and spend it as they wish. Nowadays, there are many women working outside their homes and are
independent. As a result, some regard divorce as the best way to get this independence. They hope to be free
and stand without one’s help.
Conflict: struggle, argument regard: consider, think about stand: resist, position
3. Topic: My Father’s Death
____________________________________________________________________________________________. First of all, I felt
great sadness and loneliness. For the firs few months, my loneliness was so great that I often dreamed that my
father would miraculously return. In addition, throughout the rest of my childhood, I was afraid of losing
someone else whom I loved. Whenever my mother was away from home, I was nervous until she returned.
Finally, the loss of my father caused me to develop a greater sense of responsibility. For example, I believed
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that with my father gone I was responsible for helping my mother with her chores. My father’s death, therefore,
left me lonely, frightened, and responsible – a young child with adult feelings.
4. Topic: Teenagers Smoking
____________________________________________________________________________________________. Teenagers tent to
be curious about new things. They smoke for the sake of knowing how it feels. Unfortunately, once they
started to smoke their first cigarette, they would have the second, the third, and then become accustomed to it
eventually! Just like the addiction of taking drugs. (mere: only, sake: cause)
5. Topic: Space Technology
____________________________________________________________________________________________. Firstly,

telecommunication satellites have greatly improved global communications. Meteorological satellites also
provide advance information. Furthermore, some special satellites register the earth’s resources and military
information. Scientists are working to develop space technology to use in different areas.
7. Topic: Tourism
____________________________________________________________________________________________. Nearly three million
people depend, directly or indirectly, upon tourism for their jobs. Tourism employs twenty times as many people
as the car industry, and earns four as much money as agriculture. We need tourists’ money in fact they
provide more jobs for all of us.
UNITY and COHERENCE in WRITING:
A good paragraph and essay has the elements of unity and coherence
COHERENCE
Coherence means that your paragraph is easy to read and understand because (1) your supporting sentences are
in some kind of logical order and (2) your ideas are connected by the use of appropriate transition signals. (3)
Coherence in writing means that all the ideas in a paragraph flow smoothly from one sentence to the next sentence.
With coherence, the reader has an easy time understanding the ideas that you wish to express.
Consider the following paragraph:
My hometown is famous for several amazing natural features. First, it is noted for the Wheaton
River, which is very wide and beautiful. On either side of this river, which is 175 feet wide, are many
willow
*
trees which have long branches that can move gracefully in the wind. In autumn the leaves of
these trees fall and cover the riverbanks like golden snow. Second, on the other side of the town is
Wheaton Hill, which is unusual because it is very steep. Even though it is steep, climbing this hill is not
dangerous, because there are some firm rocks along the sides that can be used as stairs. There are no
trees around this hill, so it stands clearly against the sky and can be seen from many miles away. The
third amazing feature is the Big Old Tree. This tree stands two hundred feet tall and is probably about
six hundred years old. These three landmarks are truly amazing and make my hometown a famous
place. Willow: söğüt ağacı gracefully: charmingly, büyülüyeci
Analyzing the paragraph:
Major Connectors

Look at the words in bold font. Do you see how they help guide the reader? For example, consider the words,
First, Second, and The third amazing feature. We can call these words major connectors. Major connectors help
organize the main parts of your paragraph. This paragraph has three main parts: (1) a part about the Wheaton River,
(2) a part about Wheaton Hill, and (3) a part about the Big Old Tree. Another way of saying this is that this
paragraph has three main points which are indicated by the major connectors. Using such major connectors is an
important way of providing coherence in a paragraph.
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UNITY
Unity is a very important characteristic of good paragraph writing. Unity means that you discuss only one main
idea in a paragraph. That is, all the sentences -- the topic, supporting sentences, the detail sentences, and
(sometimes) the concluding sentence -- are all telling the reader about ONE main topic. If your paragraph contains
a sentence or some sentences that are NOT related to the main topic, then we say that the paragraph "lacks unity,"
or that the sentence is "off-topic."
Look at the following paragraph, which is similar to the paragraph that we have studied above. Does it have perfect
unity? Try to find the sentence that is off-topic:
Each of the Russian carried out space exploration projects had specific major goals.
For example, the Vostok project was designed to test whether or not human beings could
survive and function in outer space. For another example, the Voshkhod project was intended
to find out whether people could work in the weightless environment of space. One Voshkhod
cosmonaut experimented with weightlessness by taking a "spacewalk." That is, he floated in
a spacesuit outside his Voshkhod spacecraft, connected to it by a tether. The cosmonaut to do
this was Alexei Leonov. Several weeks later, Leonov's spacewalk was followed by that
of U.S. astronaut Ed White. Finally, the Soyuz project, with three cosmonauts, had goals of
testing spacecraft and space flight skills so that people could fly long missions in Earth orbit.
This paragraph is generally good, but the sentence, Several weeks later, Leonov's spacewalk was followed by that of
U.S. astronaut Ed White, does not have anything to do with the major goals of the various Russian space projects.
That is, it is an "off-topic" sentence, so we can say that the paragraph somewhat lacks unity. In order to improve the
paragraph, we should omit this sentence, even though it is historically accurate.

THE CONCLUDING SENTENCE

In formal paragraphs you will sometimes see a sentence at the end of the paragraph which summarizes the
information that has been presented. This is the concluding sentence. You can think of a concluding sentence
as a sort of topic sentence in reverse.
You can understand concluding sentences with this example.
Consider a hamburger that you can buy at a fast-food restaurant. A hamburger has a
top bun (a kind of bread), meat, cheese, lettuce, and other elements in the middle of
the hamburger, and a bottom bun. Note how the top bun and the bottom bun are very
similar. The top bun, in a way, is like a TOPIC SENTENCE, and the bottom bun
is like the CONCLUDING SENTENCE. Both buns "hold" the meat, onions, and
so on. Similarly, the topic sentence and concluding sentence "hold" the supporting
sentences in the paragraph. Let's see how a concluding sentence (in bold font) might
look in our sample paragraph about Wheaton:
My hometown is famous for several amazing
natural features. First, it is noted for the Wheaton River, which is very wide
and beautiful. Also, on the other side of the town is Wheaton Hill, which is
unusual because it is very steep. The third amazing feature is the Big Old Tree.
This tree stands two hundred feet tall and is probably about six hundred years
old. These three landmarks are truly amazing and make my hometown
a famous place.
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Notice how the concluding sentence, These three landmarks are truly amazing and make my hometown a
famous place, summarizes the information in the paragraph. Notice also how the concluding sentence is similar to,
but not exactly the same as, the topic sentence.
Not all academic paragraphs contain concluding sentences, especially if the paragraph is very short. However, if
your paragraph is very long, it is a good idea to use a concluding sentence.
PARAGRAPH TITLE
Single paragraphs do not usually have titles. Giving your practice paragraphs titles, however, may
help you to organize and limit your thoughts. For longer essays or reports, though, the use of titles
will become more necessary
TIPS FOR WRITING A

PARAGRAPH
What is the prewriting stage?
The prewriting stage is when you think carefully and organize your ideas for your paragraph before you begin
writing.
Six Prewriting Steps:
1. Think carefully about what you are going to write.
Ask yourself:
What question am I going to answer in this paragraph or essay?
How can I best answer this question?
What is the most important part of my answer?
How can I make a topic sentence (or thesis statement) from the most important part
of my answer?
What facts or ideas can I use to support my introductory sentence?
How can I make this paragraph or essay interesting?
Do I need more facts on this topic?
Where can I find more facts on this topic?
2. Open your notebook.
Write out your answers to the above questions. You do not need to spend a lot
of time doing this; just write enough to help you remember why and how
you are going to write your paragraph or essay.
3. Collect facts related to your paragraph or essay topic.
Look for and write down facts that will help you to answer your question.
Timesaving hint: make sure the facts you are writing are related to the exact
question you are going to answer in your paragraph or essay.
4. Write down your own ideas.
Ask yourself: What else do I want to say about this topic? Why should people be interested in this topic?
Why is this topic important?
5. Find the main idea of your paragraph or essay.
Choose the most important point you are going to present. If you cannot decide which point is the most
important, just choose one point and stick to it throughout your paragraph or essay.

6. Organize your facts and ideas in a way that develops your main idea.
Once you have chosen the most important point of your paragraph or essay, you must find the best way to
tell your reader about it. Look at the facts you have written. Look at your own ideas on the topic. Decide
which facts and ideas will best support the main idea of your paragraph. Once you have chosen the facts
and ideas you plan to use, ask yourself which order to put them in the paragraph. Write down your own
note set that you can use to guide yourself as you write your paragraph or essay.
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WRITING PARAGRAPHS
What is the writing stage?
The writing stage is when you turn your ideas into sentences.
Five Writing Steps:
1. Open your notebook and word processor.
2. Write the topic sentence, supporting sentences, and closing sentence.
3. Write clear and simple sentences to express your meaning.
4. Focus on the main idea of your paragraph.
5. Use the dictionary to help you find additional words to express your ideas.
EDITING PARAGRAPHS
What is the editing stage?
The editing stage is when you check your paragraph for mistakes and correct them.
Grammar and Spelling
1. Check your spelling.
2. Check your grammar.
3. Read your essay again.
4. Make sure each sentence has a subject.
5. See if your subjects and verbs agree with each other.
6. Check the verb tenses of each sentence.
7. Make sure that each sentence makes sense.
Style and Organization
1. Make sure your paragraph has a topic sentence.
2. Make sure your supporting sentences focus on the main idea.

3. Make sure you have a closing sentence.
4. Check that all your sentences focus on the main idea.
5. See if your paragraph is interesting.
Publishing Paragraphs
What is the publishing stage?
The publishing stage is when you produce a final copy of your paragraph to hand in.
Three Publishing Steps:
1. Make a paper copy of your paragraph.
2. Show your work to your teacher, tutor, or parents.
3. Ask them for hints on how to improve your writing.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD PARAGRAPH
• Topic sentence, which includes the topic and a controlling idea.
• Supporting ideas (usually 3 - 6), which support the topic sentence
• Reasons, examples, names, numbers, and senses give details for and further explain the supporting ideas.
• Optional concluding sentence, which leaves the reading with something to think about and may summarize
the supporting ideas if the paragraph is long.
• Unity, which means that all sentences in the paragraph directly support the topic sentence.
o Coherenence, which means that all the information of the paragraph is well-organized, logically ordered and
easy to follow.
Process of Writing a Paragraph:
1. Compose your topic sentence. Think of a topic and a controlling idea that will narrow the topic enough to
support it well in one paragraph.
2. Brainstorm supporting ideas. Choose 2 - 6 supporting ideas that do a good job supporting your topic sentence.
3. Write your paragraph in topic outline form as follows. Don't actually write sentences in the outline, except for
the topic sentence.
Topic sentence:
A. Supporting idea 1.
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1.

3.
B. Supporting idea 2.
1.

3.
C. Supporting idea 3.
1.

3.
Concluding sentence:
4. Put your supporting ideas in a logical order.
5. For each supporting idea, think of reasons, examples, names, numbers, and senses that further explain the idea.
For balance, each supporting idea should have about the same amount of reasons, examples, names, numbers,
and senses.
6. Think of a concluding sentence.
7. Write your paragraph using sentences. Use the coherence strategies to make your paragraph easy to follow.
Here is an example:
We came up with a good topic sentence and supporting ideas:
Topic sentence: Choosing a college or university can be difficult.
Supporting ideas: 1. Good Location, 2. Affordable, 3. Good preparation for major
We decided to order these supporting ideas according to importance as shown in the outline below.
Now we put this information into outline form and added some reasons, examples, names, numbers, and senses for
each supporting idea.
Topic sentence: Choosing a college or university can be difficult.
A. Good preparation for your major
1. Hard curriculum
2. Qualified professors
B. Affordable
1. be able to pay tuition and living expenses
2. Possibility of scholarships

C. Good Location
1. Study environment
2. Possibilities of part-time job in your major
Concluding sentence: You should consider these points carefully so you can choose the most appropriate college
or university for you.
Finally, we wrote the paragraph using sentences and trying to make the paragraph coherent using different
coherence strategies.
CHOOSING A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
Choosing a college or university can be difficult. The most difficult part is finding a
university that prepares you well for your future career. In order to get a good job, the curriculum
that is taught must be thorough and up-to-date. In addition, the professors must be highly qualified
and respected in their fields. Another difficulty in choosing a university or college is affordability.
You need to be able to pay the tuition fees and living expenses. Some institutions might be able to
offer you scholarships if you cannot afford the fees. A good location is also very important when
choosing a school. The environment should be safe and quiet to facilitate studying. Moreover, there
should be possibilities near the school for part-time or summer jobs in your major, so you can get
some practical work experience. You should consider all of these points carefully so you can
choose the most appropriate college or university for you.
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PRACTICE 2:
By using information, please write a well-organized paragraph. Note: You
don’t need to use all notes
A. Topic: The Value of a University Education
Questioning whether you should go to university? Here are five ways that a college education will make you a
better person:
1. It will likely make you more successful.
2. It will give you a better quality of life.
3. It will give you the power to change the world.
4. It will be something you can pass on to your children.
5. It makes you a major contributor to the greatest nation on earth.

6. It provides you greater economic strength and security
7. It will give you more prestigious employment and greater job satisfaction
8. It will give you greater knowledge of the world events
9. It will give you more self-confidence
10. It will give you more money and greater quality of lifer.
The Value of a University Education
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
B. TOPIC: BASKETBALL
1. Basketball is attractive.
2. Basketball is fast, exciting, and unpredictable
3. Basketball team has few members; you can become familiar with each player's personality.
4. Basketball is a fast moving game that can be played on both indoor and outdoor courts.
5. Basketball is an excellent conditioning sport that can be enjoyed by both boys and girls alike.
6. Participation in athletic sports like basketball, improves physical fitness, coordination and self-discipline
7. Basketball gives children valuable opportunities to learn about teamwork.
8. Basketball games can be played on school playgrounds, home driveways, and indoor gyms.
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