Later we will go to other types of writing but before we do that, we need to learn the process of writing. Like writing a topic sentence, you need steps. We need steps to write a good paragraph. There are 5 basic steps in writing a paragraph. We will look at them briefly today and

then later we will get more specific.

Here are our steps:

Step 1: Brainstorm your ideas. Brainstorm just means to list any ideas that you can think of.

In this step, you look at the question and come up with ideas. If the topic is reason, you list reasons. If the topic is ways, you list ways.

Now when you brainstorm, you want to go with what you know.

To go with what you know, we can look at several sources of support: It could be your family, your friends, your education, your job, your hobbies, your city, your country, something you've read or something you've listened to.

We will talk more about this in our practice and in later exercises.

Step 2: Choose 1 to 3 ideas and create your topic sentence.

We just did how to create a topic sentence.

Step 3. Write a transition + your first idea and a transition + your second idea.

Transition for first idea: First of all,

Transitions for other ideas: In addition, Furthermore, Moreover

Step 4. Plan your support. Remember go with what you know and also remember that the more specific you get, the better your writing with be.

Explanation: Specific facts about the idea

Example: Name + specific situation/event

Step 5: Write your paragraph and a concluding sentence.

We will do steps 5 and 6 later.

Step 6: Add clauses and edit grammar. We will do that much later.

Good writers think before they write. Let’s practice steps 1 – 3 today. Here is our topic:

Why are people living longer now?