Sentence Combining and Basic Terms of Paragraphs and Compositions.

Mr. Stone checked for the completion of the previous periods homework. Selected students volunteered to write their answers on the board for the class's discussion.

Mr. Stone reviewed the first portion of Chapter 3 of the Prentice Hall Grammar and Writing text (Gold Edition). Time was spent on methods for creating smoother, more effective sentences by combining sentences using compound elements. Students completed Exercise 2 (p. 18).

Below is the first portion of the terms to be covered on the test during the last class period before Thanksgiving:

1. Sentence-a combination of words that expresses a complete thought and that contains a subject and a predicate
2. Subject-the part of a sentence which represents the person or thing of which something is said, primarily expressed as a noun or pronoun
3. Predicate-the part of a sentence which represents what is said of a person or a thing, primarily expresses an action or state of being through a verb
4. Paragraph-a group of sentences on one topic whose separation is indicated through an indention or line break
5. Composition-a multi-paragraph piece of writing organized for a single purpose or around a main idea
6. Topic sentence-a group of words that states the main idea of a paragraph, containing a subject and a predicate. The subject of this sentence typically states the matter being discussed in the paragraph. The predicate of this sentence typically states what is being said in the paragraph.
7. Implied main idea-the central topic of paragraph inferred through the paragraph’s sentences without being directly stated.
8. Facts-statements that can be verified
9. Example-one of a number, intended to show the quality, or style or nature of the topic under discussion; also called an illustration, or instance.
10. Details- specifics in writing
11. Unity-all of the parts relate to a single key idea
12. Thesis statement-a sentence expressing the main idea of an essay that contains the composition’s focused topic and viewpoint or opinion on that topic.
13. Coherence-the order and connections of writing that provide understanding to the reader
14. Transitional word or phrase-shows relationship, movement, or change; common types include comparison, contrast, development, time, location, and importance.
15. Introduction-the opening part of a piece of writing that presents the topic and shows the purpose of the writer and his/her viewpoint; this portion of the composition is typically one paragraph in smaller pieces of writing, but may cover multiple paragraphs in a larger piece; introductions often attempt to orient the reader and/or attract his/her attention.
16. Lead-an attention-getting introductory sentence.
17. Body-the middle or main part of piece of writing or speech that develop the main idea/opinion expressed in the introduction
18. Topical paragraph-a group of sentences centered around a single subject or idea
19. Functional paragraph-a group of sentences which serve a specific purpose; e.g., to create emphasis, to indicate dialogue, or to make a transition.
20. Paragraph blocks-a group of multi-sentence units in writing/paragraphs that share a common topic sentence and act as a unit while develop separate subtopics.