School of Foreign Languages

Writing
Writing an Effect Paragraph &
Writing Unified Paragraphs
Developing an Effect Paragraph

(1) A Topic Sentence

(2) Supporting Sentences- 1st Supporting Sentence + Details

2nd Supporting Sentence + Details
3rd Supporting Sentence + Details

(3) A Concluding Sentence

Watch the video:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QN11E74HIOE
 lower academic performance social isolation

sleep problems

negative feelings

headaches
Question: What are the negative effects of using social media a lot?

addiction
eye strain
 (-) EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

1st Effect 2nd Effect 3rd Effect

on academic life on real life vs.
on health
digital life
e.g. headaches, eye e.g. poor academic
strain, increase in performance, less e.g. addiction, social
weight study time isolation, negative
feelings
 Writing supporting ideas + details

→ To begin with, a significant number of physical and mental health problems are caused by
social media overuse. (+ details)
EFFECTS

→ Another drawback of using social media a lot is on academic performance of students.

(+ details)

→ A final consequence of excessive social media use is that it hinders social interaction by
creating a false sense of connectivity and self-isolation. (+ details)
 Concluding Sentence

In short, people’s lives are influenced by the overuse of social media in terms of health, academic performance,
and self and real life perception.

- In short, - To sum up,

- In brief, - To summarize,
- In summary, - To conclude,
- In conclusion, - Shortly,
- All in all, - Briefly,
- All things considered,
 TITLE
Topic sentence (several effects)
First of all, ...........................
(explain + example)
Secondly, ............................
(explain + example)
Finally, .................................
(explain + example)
In short, (summarize)
 Negative Impact of Social Media
Excessive use of social media has a number of adverse effects on people’s lives. To begin with, a significant number of physical and
mental health problems are caused by social media overuse. Being inactive for long hours slows down metabolism and leads to weight
gain or muscle stiffness. Similarly, spending a significant amount of time on social media and getting exposed to light from phones and
other devices have a dramatic impact on sleep patterns, which can in turn influence people’s mental health negatively. Another
drawback of using social media a lot is on academic performance of students. The increased use of social media causes students to have
low levels of concentration in classroom. For example, students who cannot concentrate may not understand the lesson and have a
tendency to procrastinate. Therefore, postponing assignments and reducing study time affect their learning negatively, which leads to
failure in education. A final consequence of excessive social media use is that it hinders social interaction by creating a false sense of
connectivity and self isolation. It is quite common to witness people’s immediate response on their virtual friends’ posts or pictures on
social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They seem to be in contact with these hundreds of friends in this digital world;
however, they barely interact and talk with people in real life. Avoiding verbal interaction gives rise to weak relationships in real life;
thus, people become more likely to build relationships online and become more isolated in real world. In short, people’s lives are
influenced by the overuse of social media in terms of health, academic performance, and self and real life perception.
 Negative Impact of Social Media
Excessive use of social media has a number of adverse effects on people’s lives. To begin with, a significant number of physical
and mental health problems are caused by social media overuse. Being inactive for long hours slows down metabolism and leads to
weight gain or muscle stiffness. Similarly, spending a significant amount of time on social media and getting exposed to light from
phones and other devices have a dramatic impact on sleep patterns, which can in turn influence people’s mental health negatively.
Another drawback of using social media a lot is on academic performance of students. The increased use of social media causes
students to have low levels of concentration in classroom. For example, students who cannot concentrate may not understand the lesson
and have a tendency to procrastinate. Therefore, postponing assignments and reducing study time affect their learning negatively, which
leads to failure in education. A final consequence of excessive social media use is that it hinders social interaction by creating a
false sense of connectivity and self isolation. It is quite common to witness people’s immediate response on their virtual friends’ posts
or pictures on social media sites like Facebook, İnstagram and Twitter. They seem to be in contact with these hundreds of friends in this
digital world; however, they barely interact and talk with people in real life. Avoiding verbal interaction gives rise to weak relationships
in real life; thus, people become more likely to build relationships online and become more isolated in real world. In short, people’s
lives are influenced by the overuse of social media in terms of health, academic performance, and self and real life perception.
 Writing Unified Paragraphs

What is Unity?

 A paragraph is said to have unity when each sentence is connected to the main idea. If one of your
supporting ideas or supporting details does not clearly support the main idea, it is irrelevant and better to
leave it out.

“Unity is a matter of Relating the Parts to the Whole.”

(SAS, p. 57
Paragraph II)
Effects of Sleep Deprivation

(1) There are two common effects of sleep deprivation that could have a significant impact on your life. (2)
The first one is a slower reaction time and less coordination. (3) You might think that these abilities are
only necessary for professional football players. (4) Many people believe that Pele was very successful
because of his incredible quickness. (5) However, you should be aware that many daily tasks like driving a
car require quick decisions and fast reactions. (6) On the highway, for example, a slow reaction could result
in a serious accident. (7) The second drawback of a lack of sleep is negative long-term health effects. (8)
You will get more colds and infections because your immune system becomes weaker due to a lack of
sleep. (9) In addition, the weaker your immune system becomes, the longer it takes you to recover from
illnesses. (10) As a result, you will be ill more often and for longer periods of time if you get too little
sleep. (11) Overall, people live three to five years longer than they did twenty years ago. (12) In brief, if
you want to enjoy a safer, healthier life, make sure your body gets the rest it needs.

Sentences which do not support the main idea _ 4_ 11

SAS, p. 57

Read the topic sentences given below. Choose the sentence that supports the main idea. Then add one more
supporting idea of your own which maintains the unity of the paragraph.

1. There are a number of reasons why university students do not get enough sleep.
✓
___ - For one thing, dormitories are often very noisy.
___ - University students often fall asleep in class if the lecture is boring.

Supporting idea:
Having a part-time job might be another reason for some university students who are sleep deprived .
_____________________________________________________
2- Using antibiotics when they are not necessary has many adverse effects.

___ - Doctors need to be more careful when prescribing antibiotics.

✓
 ___ - Antibiotics can weaken the immune system.
Furthermore, use of antibiotics leads to allergic reactions, which may require immediate medical attention.
____________________________________________________

3- A high amount of stress in your life will lead to many problems.

✓
___
  -People are not able to get enough sleep if they are always under pressure.
___ - Stress from relationships is one of the most common problems we face.

Exposure to stress gives rise to a variety of mental and physical disorders.

____________________________________________________
 SAS, p.64
Additional Tips and Exercises

Easily Confused or Misused Words and Phrases

according to / compared to

According to means in someone’s view or opinion:

”According to some people, global warming is a myth."

Compared to is used to show the similarities and/ or differences between two things:

“The prices of Levi’s Jeans are very expensive compared to the prices of less famous brands.”
 affect/ effect

Effect is usually a noun that means a result:

“The sound of the falling rain had a calming effect, nearly putting me to sleep.

Affect is usually a verb that means to have an influence on:

“His loud talking was affecting my ability to concentrate.

on the other hand/ in addition

On the other hand is used to introduce a different or opposite way of thinking about a situation.
“We could save the money. On the other hand, we could use it for a holiday.”

In addition is used to introduce an additional or extra idea or opinion:

“Young children develop new physical skills every day. In addition, they are amazing language learners.
 SAS, p. 57
Exercise 1. Complete the following sentences using one of these easily confused words or phrases.

1. ……………………..other
Compared to notebook computers, Apple notebooks are rather expensive, but some people think
they are worth the extra money.

on the other hand …he

2. The Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan has hundred of millions of fans in India; ………………………
is almost unheard of in the rest of the world.

3. The increasing price of petrol has a large economic …………….on

effect many people.

4. The price of fruits and vegetables is quite cheap ……………………..the

compared to cost of meat.

5. …………………..….my
According to teacher, I should study English for at least one hour every evening.
 affected
6. The cold weather ………………crops so much that people did not have enough to eat.

In addition,
7. Computers are very useful for work and study. ……………….. they are great for entertainment.

On the other hand,

8. Netbook computers are quite inexpensive. …………………….. ……they are not easy to use because of
their small size.

affect
9. An earthquake in the Pacific Ocean may produce a large tsunami that could …………….. tens of
thousands of people.
 REFERENCES

-Sharpening Academic Skills

Image credits

https://www.pinclipart.com/maxpin/imimwi/
https://aminghori.blogspot.com/2016/07/lesson-plan-of-paragraph-unity-english.html

http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/technology/superman/2013/05/superman_if_human_enhancem
ent_gives_us_superpowers_will_we_use_them_for/130524_NightOwlMaster.jpg.CROP.rectangle3-large.jpg

https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/electronics/computer/cartoon-laptop-86de37dc-6d4e-46d9-902c-
c97ad2f4faea