4. Paragraphing and Dialogue Flashcards
What is a paragraph?
A paragraph is a sentence or (usually) group of sentences dealing with one topic.
Identify the topic sentence in the following paragraph, and explain your answer.
I dropped the card in amazement. Was my niece really old enough to be married? Had my sister at last decided to bury the hatchet or had Lydia forced her to send the invitation? I couldn’t believe that I, the black sheep of the family, had actually been invited to the wedding of my estranged sister’s daughter.
I dropped the card in amazement. Was my niece really old enough to be married? Had my sister at last decided to bury the hatchet or had Lydia forced her to send the invitation? I couldn’t believe that I, the black sheep of the family, had actually been invited to the wedding of my estranged sister’s daughter.
The topic sentence is the main sentence, and the content is expanded in the rest of the paragraph. In this paragraph, the topic sentence is at the end as the narrator’s amazement reaches a climax when she gives a reason for her astonishment.
Identify the topic sentence in the following paragraph:
It was a wedding invitation! ‘Mr and Mrs Collins’ requested ‘the pleasure of the company of Miss Cathy Singleton at the wedding of their daughter, Lydia…’
It was a wedding invitation! ‘Mr and Mrs Collins’ requested ‘the pleasure of the company of Miss Cathy Singleton at the wedding of their daughter, Lydia…’
The topic sentence is the main sentence, and the content is expanded in the rest of the paragraph. In this paragraph, the topic sentence is at the beginning.
The brevity of the paragraph emphasises Cathy’s amazement at the wedding invitation.
Identify the topic sentence in the following paragraph:
Forcing my reluctant knees to bend, I stooped down and picked it up. Holding it as carefully as if it contained a time bomb, I carried it to the kitchen and dropped it on the table. Then, turning my back on it, I picked up the kettle with shaking hands and filled it. Hardly aware of what I was doing, I plugged it in and took a mug out of the cupboard. Still in a daze, I made the coffee and took some scalding sips. Then gingerly I picked up the envelope and slit it open.
Forcing my reluctant knees to bend, I stooped down and picked it up. Holding it as carefully as if it contained a time bomb, I carried it to the kitchen and dropped it on the table. Then, turning my back on it, I picked up the kettle with shaking hands and filled it. Hardly aware of what I was doing, I plugged it in and took a mug out of the cupboard. Still in a daze, I made the coffee and took some scalding sips. Then gingerly I picked up the envelope and slit it open.
The topic sentence is the main sentence, and the content is expanded in the rest of the paragraph. In this paragraph, the topic sentence is at the end. The opening sentences build up to the final opening of the letter in the last sentence.
Identify the topic sentence in this paragraph:
Stark white and threatening, the letter lay on the brown door mat. I stared at it; my body became rigid. Although I hadn’t seen it for years, I’d have recognised my sister’s handwriting anywhere. Why was she writing to me now?
Stark white and threatening, the letter lay on the brown door mat. I stared at it; my body became rigid. Although I hadn’t seen it for years, I’d have recognised my sister’s handwriting anywhere. Why was she writing to me now?
The topic sentence is the main sentence, and the content is expanded in the rest of the paragraph. In this paragraph, the topic sentence is at the beginning. It introduces the letter, and the following sentences are all related to it.
Why indent paragraphs, and when would you not?
Paragraphs are indented to make the page look more ‘reader-friendly’.
The first paragraph is not usually indented.
What can single sentence paragraphs be useful for?
Single sentence paragraphs can be used for dramatic effect.
e. g.
* Swiftly he turned the key in the lock before his captors could reach him. While the door handle rattled, he turned his attention to the window. There was a drainpipe nearby. Opening the window, he stretched out his hand and grasped it. Clambering over the windowsill, he started to slither down. A shout from below startled him.*
* Losing his grip, he crashed to the ground at the feet of his enemy.*
In this case, the single sentence of the second paragraph is dramatic and stands out from the rest of the text.
How would you punctuate direct speech in a sentence? (4)
- Enclose the speech in inverted commas.
- There is always a punctuation mark before the closing inverted comma - usually a comma, sometimes a ? or !
- Always start a person’s speech with a capital letter.
- If there are words in the sentence before the direct speech, use a comma before the opening inverted comma of the speech.
e. g.
* ‘Cathy’s accepted the invitation,’ said Ruth.*
* ‘Why did you invite her?’ asked Brian.*
* ‘I invited her because Lydia asked me to.’*
* Brian laughed and remarked, ‘I’m glad she’s coming. I always liked her.’*
* Ruth mocked, ‘You were taken in by her.’*
What are the paragraphing rules when formatting sentences containing direct speech? (2)
- Start a new paragraph for a sentence containing direct speech - if writing a conversation, start a new paragraph every time someone different speaks.
- Start a new paragraph after the last speaker has finished speaking.
When would you not start a new paragraph for a sentence containing direct speech?
When the same person is speaking.
e. g.
* ‘I don’t know how you can be so calm,’ she said. ‘I am very upset.’*
How would you punctuate a sentence where direct speech is interrupted in the middle by ‘he said’ or something similar?
e.g.
‘I do wish,’ he sighed, ‘that you wouldn’t get so upset.’
How would you punctuate a sentence which includes a quotation?
- Use inverted commas to enclose quotations
- When the quotation is at the end of the sentence, place the full stop outside the inverted commas
e. g.
* She went to see the film ‘Sense and Sensibility’.*
* ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ is a famous proverb.*
* The expression ‘the mind’s eye’ comes from Shakespeare’s play ‘Hamlet’.*
When are double inverted commas used?
If a quotation or a title is used by someone who is speaking, use double inverted commas for the quotations to avoid confusion:
- ‘I think the proverb “Too many cooks spoil the broth” is quite right,’ David said crossly.*
- ‘I wanted to see “The Little Princess” but the last performance was yesterday,’ Alison remarked sadly.*
- ‘Have you seen the film “Babe”?’ asked John.*
- ‘No, but I’m going to see the new “Dr Who”,’ replied Sarah.*
Give an example of indirect speech and explain how it would be punctuated in a sentence.
Indirect speech or reported speech needs no inverted commas as the actual words are not used.
e. g.
* Ruth said that Cathy had accepted the invitation.*
* She said that she wanted to go to the town.*
In both these examples the conjunction ‘that’ has been used. In the second example, the first person ‘I’ has been changed to the third person ‘she’. The tense has been changed from the present to the past.
‘That’ is often omitted, especially in informal situations.
Why are inverted commas not necessary when writing a play?
When writing a play, inverted commas are not needed because only speech is used.
How would you format a play?
When writing a play, the character’s name is put at the side of the page and is followed by a colon. Stage directions for the actors are usually shown in italics or brackets.
