Use this illustration as the basis for a piece of writing.
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Look at the piece that you have in front of you. It offers you a photograph, but does not tell you in what style you should write the piece. It is completely up to you which style to use. You may choose creative, persuasive, expository or descriptive. Its only stipulation is that you use this illustration as the basis for a piece of writing. The first thing that I notice about the illustration is the laptop that appears to dominate much of photograph. The second thing that I immediately notice is that the photograph is outdoors, and finally the user of the laptop is hidden from sight. Therefore, I will write an essay about how technology dominates much of our life. The more technological and the more mechanical the world becomes the less we appreciate the beauty of nature. I would point out that many human interventions into natural systems have been destructive. Technological man in particular uses landscapes and water, mountains estuaries, and all types of natural resources for selfish and short- range economic benefits. My body paragraphs would point out that industrial efficiency has generated immense economic wealth, but is making Western civilisation dependent on technological and social structures so complex that they are almost out of control. I would argue that technological civilisation has raised standards of living for large numbers of people, but paradoxically it has also lowered the quality of life in many places. I would go on to argue that a decline in the quality of life coinciding with an increase in economic affluence symbolizes the trend toward the absurd in technological societies. I would then remind my reader of how even in nature, which are slowly eroding we cannot be without a laptops, mobile phones, and headphones. Let us reiterate a number of important points. The body of your essay is made up of a set of paragraphs which develop the points in the introduction in a logical and well-organised way.
Constructing your paragraphs
A successful paragraph will contain:
• A topic sentence: a topic sentence is the main idea on a specific
point. The topic sentence of each paragraph provides the ‘heading’ for the paragraph. It is usually the first sentence.
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• Subsequent sentences: sentences following the topic sentence must develop or explain or illustrate the idea in the topic sentence. These sentences are often called developing sentences because they expand the first idea. They provide supporting material. • Unity of ideas: within each paragraph, the idea stated in the topic sentence must be developed in an orderly way. Each good paragraph has its own internal structure. Check your own sentences to see that they flow. • A strong terminating sentence: each paragraph should be a well- rounded argument in its own right • Putting your paragraphs together: your essay will require two, three, four or even more middle paragraphs. It is important that these are put together in an ordered fashion and present a logical step-by-step expansion of your introduction. • Connecting your ideas: good writing demands that you connect your sentences and connect your paragraphs, so that your writing has a logical flow.
Look at the following paragraph and look at how it relates to the above points that I have made.
For many years, there was not a truer slogan than “Better life through electricity.” But the use of electricity now constitutes one of the best illustrations of a good thing overdeveloped to an absurd point. In urban areas, a very large percentage of electricity is used for obnoxious and absurd advertising, for raising high-speed elevators to absurd heights, and for absurd practices of air conditioning. In most parts of the country windows that could be opened to provide cross ventilation would greatly decrease the need for air conditioners. This, in turn, would decrease the amount of heat generated at the site of the power plant where electricity is produced, and in the city where heat is released by air conditioners.
Once more notice how I only relate my views to the topic sentence? You must learn to expand and explain your points clearly and fluently.
