Professional Documents
Culture Documents
What is a paragraph?
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
GOLD
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all,
gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for
jewellery, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and
will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as
untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important
characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it
has been used in hundreds of industrial applications, such as photography and
dentistry. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-
plated heat shields for protection when they go outside spaceships in space. In
conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
1. topic sentence
2. supporting sentences
3. concluding sentence
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
Topic sentence
• main idea
• topic of paragraph
• limits topic to specific area
• controlling idea
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
GOLD
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all,
gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for
jewellery, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and
will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as
untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important
characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it
has been used in hundreds of industrial applications, such as photography and
dentistry. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-
plated heat shields for protection when they go outside spaceships in space. In
conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
Supporting sentences
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
GOLD
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all,
gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for
jewellery, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and
will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as
untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important
characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it
has been used in hundreds of industrial applications, such as photography and
dentistry. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-
plated heat shields for protection when they go outside spaceships in space. In
conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
Concluding sentence
• end of paragraph
• provides important points to remember
• customary for stand-alone paragraphs
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
GOLD
Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all,
gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for
jewellery, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and
will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as
untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important
characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it
has been used in hundreds of industrial applications, such as photography and
dentistry. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-
plated heat shields for protection when they go outside spaceships in space. In
conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
Example:
• Driving on freeways requires skill and alertness.
• Registering for college classes can be a frustrating experience for new
students.
• The rise of indie films is due to several factors.
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
Step 1:
• Read sentences in each group
• Decide which sentence is the best topic sentence
• Write TS on the line next to it
Step 2:
• Decide what is wrong with other sentences
• Are they too general? Too specific? Incomplete sentences?
• Write too general, too specific, or incomplete on the lines next to them
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
Group 1
1. A lunar eclipse is an omen of a coming disaster. too specific
2. Superstitions have been around forever. too general
3. People hold many superstitious beliefs about the moon. best TS
4. Is made of green cheese. incomplete
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
Group 2
1. The history of astronomy is interesting. _______________
2. Ice age people recorded the appearance of new moons by making
scratches in animal bones. _______________
3. For example, Stonehenge in Britain, built 3500 years ago to track the
movement of the sun. _______________
4. Ancient people observed and recorded lunar and solar events in different
ways. _______________
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
Group 3
1. It is hard to know which foods are safe to eat nowadays. __________
2. In some large ocean fish, there are high levels of mercury. ________
3. Undercooked chicken and hamburger may carry E. coli bacteria.
4. Not to mention mad cow disease. _______________
5. Food safety is an important issue. _______________
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
Group 4
1. Hybrid automobiles are more economical to operate than gasoline-
powered cars. _______________
2. The new hybrid automobiles are very popular. _______________
3. Hybrid cars have good fuel economy because a computer under the hood
decides to run the electric motor, the small gasoline engine, or the two
together. _______________
4. The new hybrid automobiles are popular because of their fuel economy.
_______________
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
Group 5
1. The North American Catawba Indians of the Southeast and the Tlingit of
the Northwest both see the rainbow as a kind of bridge between heaven
and earth. _______________
2. A rainbow seen from an aeroplane is a complete circle. _______________
3. Many cultures interpret rainbows in positive ways. _______________
4. Rainbows are beautiful. _______________
5. The belief that you can find a pot of gold at a rainbow’s end.
_______________
theIELTStutor.co
The IELTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH WRITING
Tutor UNIT 1: PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Achieve IELTS Success!
Practice 1: Recognising Topic Sentences
Paragraph 1
1. A notes/memo function lets you make quick notes to yourself. _______________
2. Other capabilities include word processing, spreadsheets, and e-mail.
_______________
3. A voice recorder that uses a built-in microphone and speaker works like a tape
recorder. _______________
4. Basic tools include a calendar to keep track of your appointments, an address and
phone number book, to-do lists, and a calculator. _______________
5. MP3 playback lets you listen to digital music files, and a picture viewer lets you
look at digital photos. _______________
6. Most smartphones have tools for basic tasks as well as for multimedia functions.
_______________
7. A few models also include a built-in digital camera and keyboard.
_______________
theIELTStutor.co