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CHAPTER 11CHAPTER 11
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
A paragraphparagraph is a group of sentences that develops a central point or main idea.
I had a terrible morning yesterday. First of all, I overslept because the alarm clock didn’t go off. When I looked at it, I found out that it was broken and that I needed a new one. I got ready in a hurry, but then I couldn’t find my keys. It took me 20 minutes to find them. When I finally left the house, I still had time to make it to work on time, but the bus was behind schedule, so I got to work late.
MAIN IDEAMAIN IDEA
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
A good introductory paragraph
• Is organized from general to specific• States the topic and main idea clearly• Arouses the reader’s interest• Contains a thesis statementthesis statement that previews the
main ideas of the body paragraphs
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
Use your notes about your topic and main idea to write your introductory paragraph.
(Continued)
Topic:Topic: TV
How to respond:How to respond: Give examples
Main idea:Main idea: TV provides many benefits.
Nowadays, we often hear that people spend too much time watching TV. However, people need to remember that TV can provide us with several benefits. In fact, TV has benefited my life in three main ways: it provides me with educational resources, it gives me information about the world around me, and it provides a lot of inexpensive entertainment.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
Remember the following when writing your introduction:
• DO NOTDO NOT announce your plans.• DO NOTDO NOT apologize or make excuses.• DO NOTDO NOT use empty words or repeat yourself.• DO NOTDO NOT assume that your reader has read the
title. State your topic at the beginning.
(Continued)
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
Good body paragraphs
• Are each about one main idea that supports the main idea of the essay
• Are in the same order as they are mentioned in the thesis statement
• Begin with a topic sentencetopic sentence that states the main idea of the paragraph
• Contain detailed supporting sentences that back up the paragraph’s topic sentence
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
Use your groups of ideas to write your body paragraphs.
(Continued)
Education:
GED preparation program
Sesame Street—for kids
Television is a good source of education. Our public TV station has a GED preparation program every afternoon. I tape it and watch it after the kids go to bed. In addition, my kids love educational programs like Sesame Street. Both my children learned the alphabet from this show.
BODY PARAGRAPH 1BODY PARAGRAPH 1
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
Use your groups of ideas to write your body paragraphs.
(Continued)
Information:
News shows
Biographies
Documentaries
Health programs
There are a lot of good news programs on TV. My husband and I always watch the news before dinner. Some channels have news 24 hours a day. There are also great health programs on TV. TV has some great documentaries and biographies. Last night I watched a great biography of Sammy Davis, Jr.
BODY PARAGRAPH 2BODY PARAGRAPH 2
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
Use your groups of ideas to write your body paragraphs.
(Continued)
Entertainment
Game shows
Movies
Comedies
Football, baseball, and basketball games
Drama
Most importantly, TV has great entertainment. There are several exciting game shows on TV right now. You can also watch old and new movies and comedies. I Love Lucy is my husband’s favorite program. I love to watch football, baseball, and basketball on TV. The World Series is starting this week, and I plan to watch all the games on TV.
BODY PARAGRAPH 3BODY PARAGRAPH 3
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
A good concluding paragraph
• Is organized from specific to general• Begins with a restatement of the thesis statement• Ends with a general statement that relates the
topic to broader ideas
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
Use a reworded version of your thesis statement to begin your concluding paragraph.
(Continued)
Thesis statement:Thesis statement: TV has benefited my life in three ways: it provides me with educational resources, it gives me information about the world around me, and it provides a lot of inexpensive entertainment.
Clearly, TV has improved my life in three ways: it has provided education, news and other information, and hundreds of hours of wonderful entertainment. My favorable impression is not unique. Over the years, billions of people around the world have had their lives enriched by this magic box. By watching it, we can accomplish wonderful things from the comfort of our homes.
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
Remember the following when writing your conclusion:
• DO NOTDO NOT announce your plans.• DO NOTDO NOT apologize for your essay.• DO NOTDO NOT bring up new topics.
(Continued)
THE ENDTHE ENDPractice the skills you learned in this chapter by taking the Chapter Review QuizChapter Review Quiz or the GED Practice QuizGED Practice Quiz.
CHAPTER 11: Writing Your GED Essay
Copyright © 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
