 If you can read English, you must also learn to write English and to write effective sentences, effective paragraphs and later on the principles that you learn now will help you to write longer essays, longer papers. Writing is not easy, especially in a foreign language. Motivation is in fact a process. It is done in a series of steps, in a series of stages. And it is a skill that comes with great effort, hard work and practice. But if you want to learn to write, you can. Now it is your motivation. How motivated you are, that will make you write. If you are not interested in writing, you will find it very difficult. Now the first thing of concern in writing is content. That is what you have to say, your ideas, your thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, some students are so self-conscious about the rules and about making mistakes that they do not focus on what they want to say. I am not saying that rules are not important. Rules do matter, but not at the beginning stage. And students in Pakistan have a fear of English, especially writing. That is why because they have never learned to write, they resort to learning model essays and answers to questions by heart. It is your attitude that is very crucial, that is very important. It is your attitude that will determine how much effort you will put in learning to write. You learn to write, it does not come off itself. It is something that you practice. Now we will begin with a paragraph. A paragraph is a series of sentences about one main thought or idea or point. The paragraph is like the sentence in that it must concern itself with one thought. Now some ideas can be adequately treated in a single sentence. Others require fuller treatment which is afforded by a series of sentences, that is the paragraph or a group of paragraphs. And sometimes you elaborate your thought in a number of chapters, in a number of sections and sometimes even in a book and a paragraph. Typically it starts with a point and the rest of the paragraph provides details to support and develop that point. Now if you remember your earlier reading lessons, this is very much like your reading lessons. You remember that in your reading lessons we looked at paragraphs and we said that every paragraph has one main idea and supporting ideas. And you were asked to look for the main idea and look for the supporting ideas. It is the same thing in writing. Your goal in writing a paragraph should be number one to make a point. Number two to support that point. And number three you arrange that material, the main point and the supporting points in an orderly arrangement. We will talk about this in greater length next time. And number four your goal should be to write error free sentences. Now let us take the first point. It is best to state the point in the first sentence, right? The sentence that expresses the main idea or the main point of a paragraph is called the topic sentence. The topic sentence is a general statement and the other sentences provide support for the general statement. If you recall at the beginning of the course you had a lesson or two on identifying the topic sentence and its supporting details. Now number two to support the point you need to provide specific reasons, examples and other details that explain and develop the point. You have to take that point further and how will you take it further? You will take it further by giving reasons, by giving examples and other such details. Number three you can organize the support in a paragraph in two ways. You can use a listing order or a time order. In a listing order you use words like first of all, secondly, next, in addition, etc., etc. And in time order you use words like first, next, finally. Now if you remember your earlier lessons we had plenty of practice in these things. And number four if you use correct spelling and follow grammar, punctuation and usage rules your sentences will be clear and well written. Now look at the following two passages. Notice how the topic sentence which is underlined is supported by the sentences that follow. The first passage is written by a student. The second by a famous English writer. Now you notice how in both these passages the writer makes a point at the beginning and then goes on to support that point with specific evidence. And that is what we are going to concentrate in this lesson. In this lesson you will see samples and I shall give you practice in writing the topic sentence and the evidence. And at times I shall give you the conclusion and you will write the evidence. Now I will read out the first passage. My neighbors. The new family that has moved in next doors is quite a noisy family. Ever since they arrived we have not had peace and quiet for a day. The young daughter is the loudest person I have ever known. She pops out her head every half hour from her bedroom window and screams for the old man who works for them, cries of Babaji, Babaji resound in the area. Babaji is a word in Urdu and Punjabi which is used for an old man, cries of Babaji, Babaji resound in the area. Then the whole neighborhood can hear what she wants Babaji to fetch her from the market. As for the other children they are no better. Screaming and shouting at the top of their voices they play hide and seek late into the night and their dogs barking loudly join them in their spot. As if this is not enough just when the neighborhood is about to turn in for the night loud stereo music blares from their house shaking and rattling everyone's nerves. I think we need to call a meeting of the other neighbors and do something about this. Now I hope you noticed that this passage began with the sentence the new family that has moved in next doors is quite a noisy family. The first sentence makes it quite clear that it is a noisy family. This is what the reader expects that what is going to come up now after this sentence will elaborate on that noisy family. And you notice that it begins with the next sentence tells you that they have not had peace and quiet, right? And then the evidence of it being a noisy family is provided by the writer. First the writer he or she talks about their daughter. What is it that the daughter does that makes it a noisy family? And then you are given evidence of the cries that she comes up with, right? And the next thing is the other children. What is it that the other children do? And you are told that the other children are no better. And you get evidence of what the other children do. What do they do? You are provided evidence that they play hide and see they scream and they shout and they do it late in the night. The next evidence is that it is their dogs who are equally noisy so you can imagine. I mean you can build up a picture in your mind. And then the writer goes on to tell you something more about the noisy part. And that is that there is music loud stereo music when just when everybody is thinking of going to bed. And you are told how loud it is that the neighborhood it shatters their nerves. And the last concluding sentence in the concluding sentence the writer says that it just shows how desperate the writer is about the noisy bit.