[HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OKARA] Communication Skills (MCS)

WRITING A GOOD, UNIFIED, & COHERENT PARAGRAPH

What is a Paragraph?

“A paragraph is a group of sentences organized around a central topic.”

In fact, the cardinal rule of paragraph writing is to focus on one idea.

STRUCTURE of a Paragraph

A paragraph has three parts:

i. Topic Sentence

ii. Supporting Sentences

iii. Concluding Sentences

i. Topic Sentence: A topic sentence is the statement that tells what the paragraph is about.

Usually it is the first sentence of a paragraph. A topic sentence has two parts: Subject and

Controlling Ideas.

Subject: It tells what the main idea of the paragraph will be.

Controlling Idea: It tells what will be said about the subject.

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ii. Supporting Sentences: Supporting sentences are the facts and the ideas that explain and

prove the topic sentence or main idea.

iii. Concluding Sentence: It gives the same information as the topic sentence but in a different

way. It summarizes the main points in the body of the paragraph.

Usually, it starts with a transition word like therefore, thus, finally, in conclusion, as expressed, in

general, etc.

Four Essential Elements/Characteristics of a Paragraph

A basic paragraph structure usually consists of five sentences: the topic sentence, three

supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence. But the secrets to paragraph writing lay in

four essential elements, which when used correctly, can make a paragraph into

a great paragraph.

1. Unity: Unity in a paragraph begins with the topic sentence. Every paragraph has one

single, controlling idea that is expressed in its topic sentence, which is typically the first

sentence of the paragraph. A paragraph is unified around this main idea, with the

supporting sentences providing detail and discussion.

2. Order: Order refers to the way the supporting sentences are organized. Order helps the

reader grasp the meaning clearly and avoid confusion.

3. Coherence: Coherence is the quality that makes writing understandable. Sentences within

a paragraph need to connect to each other and work together as a whole. One of the best

ways to achieve coherency is to use transition words. These words create bridges from one

sentence to the next.

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4. Completeness: Completeness means a paragraph is well-developed. If all sentences

clearly and sufficiently support the main idea, the paragraph is complete. Usually three

supporting sentences, in addition to a topic sentence and concluding sentence, are needed

for a paragraph to be complete. The concluding sentence or last sentence of the paragraph

should summarize the main idea by reinforcing the topic sentence.

Types of Paragraphs in an Essay

There are three main types of paragraphs in an academic essay:

i. Introductory Paragraph

ii. Body Paragraphs

iii. Concluding Paragraph

These types of paragraphs are located in the introduction, the body of the essay or in the

conclusion, respectively. Each of these types of paragraphs fulfills a different function.

The introductory paragraph provides the reader with any necessary background information

before leading into a clear statement of the writer's point of view.

The body paragraphs follow all flow logically from the introductory paragraph. They expand on

the thesis statement and each in turn is clearly focused on a single issue with plenty of

supporting detail or evidence. The body paragraphs carefully build up the writer's point of view

in detail.

The concluding paragraph summarizes the points made, repeats the overall point of view, and

explains why the writer took the position held. It may also indicate wider issues not covered in

the essay but of interest and relevant to the point of view.

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SPEED READING
Speed reading is any of several techniques used to improve one's ability to read quickly.

How to Speed Read

All speed reading techniques have one thing in common: we avoid pronouncing and "hearing"

each word in our head as we read it, a process known as "sub-vocalization." Instead, we

"skim" lines or groups of words, as we can understand words more quickly than we can say

them.

One way to stop oneself from sub-vocalizing is to focus on blocks of words rather than on

individual ones. We can this by relaxing our face and "softening" or expanding our gaze on the

page, so that we might stop seeing words as single, distinct units. As we practice this, our eyes

will skip faster across the page.

SPEED READING TECHNIQUES

Skimming & Scanning

Skimming and scanning are two different techniques for fast reading. Skimming is all about

reading the article in order to get the general idea of it. On the other way, scanning is about

locating a specific text or phrase in a document.

Skimming refers to the process of reading only main ideas within a passage to get an overall

impression of the content of a reading selection.

It does not involve a thorough reading and understanding.

How to Skim:

* Read the title.

* Read the introduction or the first paragraph.

* Read the first sentence of every other paragraph.

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* Read any headings and sub-headings.

* Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs.

* Notice any italicized or boldface words or phrases.

* Read the summary or last paragraph.

Scanning is a reading technique to be used when we want to find specific information quickly.

In scanning, we have a question in our mind and we read a passage only to find the answer,

ignoring unrelated information.

How to Scan:

* State the specific information you are looking for.

* Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and what clues you might use to help you

locate the answer. For example, if you were looking for a certain date, you would quickly

read the paragraph looking only for numbers.

* Use headings and any other aids that will help you identify which sections might contain

the information you are looking for.

* Selectively read and skip through sections of the passage.

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Comparison/Difference between Skimming and Scanning

Skimming Scanning

A technique for fast reading. A reader A technique in which a reader tries

Definition reads the article in order to get the to search a particular text or word in
general idea of it. the document

 Ability to find quickly

 Ability to go through the article
Requirement  Use of fingers can be effective
quickly
while looking for a specific
 Ability to understand what can be
information
relevant and not in reading
 Focus on key words

 Generally to get the general idea  Generally to search a telephone

Purpose of an article number from a list
 To sample a book before actually  To find a particular quotation in a
purchasing it book

 Read the title carefully

 Reader must be clearly aware of
 First paragraph and introduction
the specific information that
need to be read carefully
needs to be searched in the
 Emphasis on the reading of first
document
sentence of every paragraph
 Clues must be used to find the
 Heading and sub headings should
answer – like if one is searching
Method be read
for a date, then only numbers
 Pictures, charts or graphs should
should be looked for
be noticed
 Headings can be helpful in
 Words or phrase that are
suggesting the location of the
italicized or boldface must be
desired information
noticed
 One should be careful in reading
 Summary or last paragraph is
and skipping the sections of the
important to understand the
passage
conclusion

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PRÉCIS WRITING
The word précis is derived from French that means ‘summary’ and précis writing means the art

of summarizing. Précis writing is one of the most useful skills you can acquire for your work

both as a student and as a professional. Précis writing involves summarizing a document to

extract the maximum amount of information, then conveying this information to a reader in

minimum words.

Definition: A précis is a clear, compact logical summary of a passage. It preserves only the

essential or important ideas of the original.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD PRÉCIS

A good précis shows the writing skills of a person. It must have the following qualities.

1. Clarity

Clarity means getting your message across so that the receiver can understand what the writer

is trying to convey. It is the basic and essential need of a précis. The ideas should be clear and

understandable. There should not be any ambiguity in your writing. The writer can achieve

clarity by using simple language and simple structure. If your précis is not understandable to the

reader it will lose its importance and meanings for the reader.

2. Correctness

Mistakes in your writings always irritate the reader. Of course mistakes are never intentional;

even so there is no excuse for them. At the time of writing or composing a précis the writer must

ensure that the facts and figures are correct. Structure of sentences and spellings of words must

be correct because a single mistake in structure and spelling may spoil the message. We may

consider the mistakes under the following headings:

 Misspelled words

 Mistakes in figures and dates

 Mistakes in punctuation

 Mistakes of grammar and structure

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3. Objectivity

Objectivity means the ability to present or view facts uncolored by feelings, opinions and

personal bias. While making a précis, the writer should adopt an objective approach. He should

not give and add his personal opinion and ideas in a précis. A précis should be purely a

summary of the original text without any addition.

4. Coherence

Coherence means the logical and clear interconnection of ideas in a written piece of work. A

good précis should be coherent. The ideas which are presented in a précis must have a logical

connection and they all should be interrelated. In short we may say that the ideas should be well

knitted so that the writer may not be confused and lose his interest.

5. Completeness

Another striking feature of a good précis is completeness. A précis should be complete

in all respects. Completeness means that the writer should include all the important facts in a

précis. To make it short he should not omit the important ideas. This mistake on the part of the

writer will spoil the importance and meaning of the précis.

6. Conciseness

Conciseness is a desirable quality of a good précis. Conciseness means to say all that needs to

be said and no more. The writer should write what is necessary and avoid writing unnecessary

details. A concise piece of work conveys the message in the fewest possible words. But one

point must be kept in mind that the writer should not omit some basic and essential facts to

achieve conciseness. To achieve conciseness, notice the following suggestions:

 Omitting unnecessary details

 Eliminate wordy expressions

 Include only relevant material

 Avoid unnecessary repetition

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RULES OF MAKING A PRÉCIS

A well written précis should be a serviceable substitute for the original work. The goal of a précis

is to preserve the core essence of the work in a manner that is both clear and concise. While

writing a précis, the writer should follow the below given rules to make it an effective piece of

work.

Read Carefully

First read the passage twice or thrice carefully to summarize it. This will enable you to

understand the main theme of the passage.

Underlining

Underline and mark the important ideas and essential points from the original text.

Outline

With the help of underlined ideas, draw the outline of your précis.

Omission

Omit all the unnecessary information or the long phrases which could be replaced by one word.

All the adjectives and the adverbs can also be omitted in order to make a good précis.

Don’t Omit

While making a précis, the writer should never omit the important points and ideas which are

essential to be described.

Size

Keep the fact in your mind that the length of the précis should be the one third of the original

passage.

Indirect Speech

A précis should be written in indirect speech. If there is direct speech in the passage, it should

be changed into indirect speech.

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Tense and Person

It should be written in the third person and past tense. In the case of universal truth the present

tense should be used.

Own Words

A précis should be written in your own words and the writer should abstain from borrowing

words from the original passage.

Précis of a Dialogue

The précis of a dialogue or conversation should always be expressed in form of narrative.

Objective Approach

A précis writer should adopt an objective approach. He should not add his personal ideas to a

précis. Put all the important points and ideas in a logical order.

One Paragraph

There could be two or more paragraphs in the original text. While making the précis, try to write

all the ideas in one paragraph.

Rough Draft

After omitting all the unnecessary ideas, the writer should prepare a rough draft to finalize it.

Final Draft

Having read the rough draft and pointed out some mistakes which may be found in the rough

draft, the writer can prepare the final draft.

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STANDARD PARTS OF A LETTER

Most business letters have the following 8 essential parts:
1. Heading
2. Date
3. Inside address
4. Salutation
5. Body
6. Complimentary close
7. Signature
8. Reference Section

1. Heading: Letter Head and Date

Letter Head: A heading shows where the letter comes from and it is at the top center of the

letter. If letterhead stationery is not used, the address, without your own name, is typed above

the date 2 inches from the top.

Date: Usually the date is typewritten two to six lines below the last line of the letterhead. It is

placed on the right margin of the page.

Date sequence preferred in America is: month, day, year - March 6, 1998 - with the month

spelled out. Others prefer day, month, and year –6 March, 1998. Date in figures - 3/5/98- should

be avoided as it can create confusion.

2. Inside Address
The inside address should begin with the addressee’s name preceded by a courtesy and/or

professional title. It is written two spaces below the date on the left hand margin. The order of

items is:

(1) Courtesy title (Mr, Ms, Mrs)

(2) Name

(3) Executive or professional title, if any. (President, Manger, Director)

All parts are typed single-spaced.

Mr. Ahmed Hassan, Principal,

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Government College,

Lahore

4. Salutation
Salutations are typed below the inside address and two spaces above the body of the letter. It is

an expression of courtesy to put your reader in a friendly frame of mind.

A comma or colon should be used after the salutation. Gentlemen should be used in writing to a

company, organization or any group of men and women. “Mesdames ’‘or’ Ladies’ should be

used when writing to an organization made up entirely of women.

5. Body
Most letters are typed single-spaced, with two spaces between paragraphs, before and after the

salutation and before the complimentary close. A short letter could be double-spaced with

additional blank line spaces before and after the date and within the signature area. When

second page is used, addressee’s name, page number, and date is written at the top.

6. Complimentary Close Body

If the letter begins with a formal salutation (Sir, Dear Sir) it will close with “Yours faithfully”. If it

begins with a personal name Dear Mr. Khan, it will close with “Yours sincerely”. Yours truly or

cordially are also used.

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Informal closes as Warm regards, Best regards/wishes are also used. A comma is used after

complimentary close. It is related to the salutation, so the same degree of formality should be

used in it. e.g.,

It is written two spaces below the last line of the body. In full block format, it is written on the left

hand side of the page.

7. Signature

Always type your name after the handwritten signature and the position in the firm. It is better to

give courteous title (Mr, Miss, etc.) to avoid confusion. A letter should always be signed in INK.

Very truly yours,

Ahmed Hassan

(Mr) Ahmed Hassan General Manager.

Four spaces should be given between the complimentary close and name.

8. Reference Section

The reference section may include information about the message composer, the typist, and

sometimes word processing data. Only initials are used. They are typed two spaces below the

name and positions of the person signing the letter.

AS / mb

It means Ahmed Shibly composed the message and Mahmood Bilal typed the letter.

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MEMORANDUM/MEMO WRITING
A memorandum (pl: memoranda) is short piece of writing used by the officers of an organization

for communication among themselves. When we wish to write to someone within our own

company, we send a memorandum. Memos are used to communicate with other employees,

may be located – whether in the same office, in the same building, or in a branch office many

miles away.

Because the inter-office memorandum form was developed to save time, the formality of an

inside addresses, salutation, complimentary close, or full signature is omitted.

Memos are often only a few short paragraphs, but they can be much longer, depending on their

purpose. Here are some typical uses of memos:

• to inform others about new or changed policy, procedures, organizational details

• to announce meetings, events, changes

• to present decisions, directives, proposals, briefings

• to transmit documents (internal)

Memo Format/Standard Parts of Memo

Company and/or department name (without address)

Heading

 To (who gets it)

 From (who sent it)

 Subject (what it’s about)

 Date (when it was sent)

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Body (conveys message)

 Introduction

 Main points

 Close

Optional Parts of Memo

Optional parts are such items as reference initials, attachments, carbon copy, file number, and

the sender’s department and telephone number.

Memo Structure

The Heading: The heading of a memorandum is usually printed.

In the ‘To’ and ‘From’ sections, the business title of each person is often included, particularly

when the memorandum is being sent to a person whose office is in another city. In the ‘To’

section, a courtesy title – Miss, Mrs., Ms., Mr., Dr. – is sometimes included. However, in the

‘From’ section, the writer does not use a courtesy title.

Subject Line: Summarizes the main idea; think of it as being preceded by the words "This

memo is about."

Message/Main Idea

Introductory paragraph: Quickly orients the reader to what the memo is about.

 Give your purpose for writing.

 Supply any relevant background information.

 Identify any task the memo is related to.

Body: Conveys the information and supporting details relevant to the memo's purpose

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 Keep paragraphs short and focused; one main idea per paragraph.

 Keep sentences tight and informative

 Use bullets to list information

Close: State clearly what is required of the recipient in response. Remember who your

recipient is, what is his status, his background, education, practical experience etc. Generally

every memo concludes with suggestions for future action or request on future action. For

example,

 “Please send me your comments and suggestions by January 16.”

 "Let's meet next week to go over the next stage in the plan."

Memo Style

 Concise: Make your sentences, paragraph, and overall memo as brief and as

focused as possible.

 Clear: Get your purpose straight before you start, then plan what you want to

say and in what order. Use your memo layout to help your reader (headings,

bulleted lists, white space, as appropriate).

 Direct: Speak directly to your reader, as you would in person or on the phone.

Do not pad your ideas with unnecessary details. Think of what questions your

reader wants answered, and then answer them.

 Clean: Reread, revise, copyedit, and proofread.

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Sample Memo

TO: Kelly Anderson, Marketing Executive

FROM: Jonathon Fitzgerald, Market Research Assistant

DATE: June 14, 2007

SUBJECT: Fall Clothes Line Promotion

Market research and analysis show that the proposed advertising media for the new fall lines

need to be reprioritized and changed. Findings from focus groups and surveys have made it

apparent that we need to update our advertising efforts to align them with the styles and trends

of young adults today. No longer are young adults interested in sitcoms as they watch reality

televisions shows. Also, it is has become increasingly important to use the internet as a tool to

communicate with our target audience to show our dominance in the clothing industry.

Signed

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