Paragraph writing

Paragraph Writing

Абзац, как правило, состоит из нескольких предложений, посвященных одной теме, которая выражена в ключевом предложении. Ключевое предложение, содержащее главную идею или раскрывающее тему, обычно располагается в начале абзаца. Остальные предложения подкрепляют ключевое предложение дополнительной информацией и примерами.

Ex. 1. Match the key sentences with the supporting ones.

Key sentences

1 When Americans consider families, many of them think of a “traditional family”.

2. The most common type of family now is one in which both parents work outside the home.

3. Another big change is the increase in the number of families that are headed by only one person, usually the mother.

4. One percent change is that the number of marriages is rising.

Supporting sentences

a. The number of families of one-parent families increased by more than 100 percent between 1970 and 1983. Today an average of one out of eight children lives with only one parent. Three percent of American families are headed by a man rearing children alone.

b. A traditional family is one in which both parents are living together with their children. The father goes out and works and the mother stays at home and rears the children. The biggest change in families in the US is that most families today do not fit this image. Today, only 11 percent of all American families are “traditional families”.

c. The number of babies born also has been climbing steadily for the past 10 years. Many experts see these trends as a sign that Americans are returning to the values of marriages and family.

d. In 1950, only 20 percent of all American families had both parents working outside the home. Today, it is 60 percent. Even women with young children are going back to work. About 42 percent of women with children younger than six years old now work outside the home.

Ex.2. Fill in the supporting sentences (a-d) in the paragraphs in the appropriate place.

a. One in three families in the US headed by a woman lives in poverty.

b. Nearly half of these children are cared for in a daycare centres or by babysitters.

c. This is a big change for the US.

d. The majority of women say they work because it is an economic necessity.

1. Today 60 percent of all American women work outside their homes. Only 40 years ago, 75 percent of all Americans disapproved of wives who worked for wages when their husbands could support them financially. Today most people accept that many women work outside the home.

2. There are two reasons why mothers and wives work. One reason is that there are many opportunities for women. A woman in the US can work at many jobs, including an engineer, a physician, a teacher, a mechanic or a manual laborer. The other reason many women work is to earn money to support their families.

3. About 80 percent of women who work support their children without the help of a man. These women often have financial difficulties. Many divorced Americans are required by law to help their former spouses support their children, but not all fulfill this responsibility.

4. What happens to children whose parents work? The rest are cared for by a relative, such as a grandparent. Some companies are trying to help working parents by offering flexible work hours. This allows one parent to be at home with the children while the other parent is at work.

Ex.3. Develop the key sentence into a paragraph.

A single child is in danger of being spoiled.

1. Answer the following question to write supporting sentences

What are the possible consequences?

1. lack self-discipline

2. not knowing how to work co-operatively with others

3. developing egotistical character traits

4. _________________________?

2. Add some examples to support the key sentence.

3. Write a paragraph of 80-100 words on the problem.