Unit 10 Letter of Complaint

1. Unit 10 Letter of Complaint

2. Contents • Basic Paragraph-Building Skills (Part I) • Letter of Complaint • Writing Assignment

3. Basic Paragraph-Building Skills • Writing a Good Topic Sentence • Writing a Helpful Outline in Advance • Gaining Unity • Gaining Coherence • Gain Better Unity and Coherence from Punctuation

4. Basic Paragraph-Building Skills Part I • Writing a Good Topic Sentence • Writing a Helpful Outline in Advance

5. Writing a Good Topic Sentence • I Parts of a topic sentence • II What is a good topic sentence? • III Functions of topic sentences • IV How to Write a Good Topic Sentence?

6. I Parts of a topic sentence Structurally, the topic sentence is composed of two parts: the topic and the controlling idea. The topic is what a paragraph is about, or what a paragraph discusses; the controlling idea is what the writer intends to communicate about the topic. In other word, controlling idea is used to limit the topic.

7. II What is a good topic sentence? • A good topic sentence is neither too general nor too specific.

8. Example 1：In Hemingway's story “Soldier’s Home”，Kreb tells his mother that he wants no part of God's Kingdom． • 这个句子太具体以至于无东西可写，无法展开段落。 Example 2：Let me tell you something about overpopulation． • 这个句子太笼统，作为一个段落的主题太大，难于驾驭。 Example 3：Why has the world population been increasing so rapidly in the last decades？ • 这个句子是个较好的主题句，作者用“the reasons for overpopulation in the last decades”，从“原因”（cause）和“时间”（time）两方面限制了主题，能在一个段落内论述。

9. Exercise: Examine the following topic sentences , italicize the topic and underline the controlling idea in the following sentences.:

10. Topic Sentences: • 1. When you buy a car, examine carefully the important feature of the model you are considering. • 2. The adolescent had three psychological problems. • 3.My grandparents still follow many of their national customs. • 4.This term several useful and interesting courses have been offered.

11. Key • 1. When you buy a car, examine carefully the important feature of the model you are considering. • 2. The adolescent had three psychological problems. • 3.My grandparents still follow many of their national customs. • 4.This term several useful and interesting courses have been offered.

12. III Functions of topic sentences • Several points to be clear about the functions of topic sentence： • 1) It tells readers what the paragraph is about. • 2) It displays the writer’s viewpoint, and all details in other sentences should be around this viewpoint. • 3) It tells readers what they can anticipate from this paragraph by including the controlling idea. • 4) Among all the sentences in the paragraph, the topic sentence is the most generalized.

13. Look at the following topic sentences and decide what you can expect from each sentence?(Make topic words red, controlling idea blue) • Example 1 • Blue jeans, now popular around the world, were developed by a German-born Jew named Levi Strauss. • (From this paragraph, the reader is supposed to know how blue jeans were developed.)

14. Example 2 Believe it or not, baseball cards are children’s hot items. • （The reader can know from the remainder of the paragraph why the writer thinks that baseball cards are children’s hot items.）

15. Example 3 If I had to choose between being educated with questions or being educated with statements, I would definitely choose the questions because they force the mind to think about the “whys” while statements are taken in by the mind without effort, but always with agreement. • （It can be certain that the writer is going to make comparison between “question” teaching and “statement” teaching.）

16. Example 4 Surrounded by water on three sides and ringed to the northeast by the snow-crowned Coast Mountains, Vancouver has a floating quality of natural loveliness. • （The reader expects that the writer can introduce the natural beauty in Vencouver in details.）

17. Example 5Moving away from home and going to college is an experience that teaches a person how to become independent and do particular tasks on his own. • （The reader expects to be told how to become independent in college.）

18. Exercise1: Read each of the topic sentences below and decide the topic and the controlling idea of each of them. You are also supposed to know what the remainer of the paragraph will be about. • No one I know cooks better than my grandmother. • Good swimmers face several hazards in the water that non-swimmers never have to face. • Large refrigerators offer a wide range of benefits. • The meaning of the word “friend’ depends on the type of relationship between two people. • In a fight with a spouse, words become weapons.

19. Key: • No one I know cooks better than my grandmother.(Topic: my grandmother; controlling idea: cooking skills) • Good swimmers face several hazards in the water that nonswimmers never have to face.(Topic: swimmers; controlling idea: several hazards) • Large refrigerators offer a wide range of benefits.(Topic: large refrigerators; controlling idea: benefits) • The meaning of the word “friend’ depends on the type of relationship between two people.(Topic: the meaning of the word “friend”; controlling idea: the type of relationship between two people) • In a fight with a spouse, words become weapons.(Topic: fight with a spouse; controlling idea: words as weapons)

20. Exercise 2: Write atopic sentence that would control a paragraph on each of the following topics: 1. Preparations for traveling away from home 2. Advantages of having your own room 3.Some landmark of the community in which you live 4.The price of long-distance telephone calls 5. Registering for college courses

21. Key 1. Preparations for traveling away from home --------Preparations should be made for traveling away from home. 2. Advantages of having your own room --------Wherever you live, you can benefit from at least two advantages of having your own room. 3. Some landmark of the community in which you live -------The Flood-Fighting Memorial Tower is a famous landmark in Harbin City. 4. The price of long-distance telephone calls -------Long-distance telephone calls can be charged according to the time you spend for dialing. 5. Registering for college courses -------Registering for college courses comprises the following steps.

22. Assignment: Pick out the controlling ideas in these topic sentences. • Many different kinds of part-time jobs are available. • People try many ways to improve their looks. • Students have various reasons for choosing where they want to sit in a classroom. • Some holidays are more festive than others. • Developing a plan for organizing a locker is important. • Society is trying many different approaches to discourage people from smoking. • A young person needs to learn how to become self-reliant. • Parents have different ways of giving their children an education. • Studying for tests calls for a methodical approach. • Certain guidelines help a family to live together happily.

23. Key: • different kinds • many ways • various reasons • more festive • plan • different approaches • to learn • different ways • methodical approach. • Certain guidelines

24. IV How to Write a Good Topic Sentence? • Choose a limited topic 1. Choose a subject that we know much about and that really interests ourselves and our audience. 2. Make a short list of possible topics. 3. Cross out the topic that seem too limited for you to develop well. 4. Choose the topic and test it by making sure that it breaks into enough parts to include in a paragraph. • Express Your Opinion 1. Jot down the thoughts about the chosen topic. 2. Decide the main idea of the paragraph. 3. Work out the topic sentence • Load the Topic Sentence with a Strong Controlling Idea When constructing the topic sentence, make sure the idea expressed in it shouldn’t be too general, and too specific neither.

25. Example • Subject : education • Possible Topics: primary education secondary education education in China/America primary education in China primary education in rural areas of China … • Chosen Topic: primary education in rural areas of China • Outline: the situation in the past the situation at present • Topic Sentence: The primary education in rural areas of China has changed greatly.

26. Exercise: Write a topic sentence for each of the subjects and work out the outline . • pet • game • dishonesty • trip • moods • food • house • experience • education

27. Writing a Helpful Outline in Advance • 1) Two types of outlines • 2) Rules for writing an outline

28. Patterns of outlines A simple outline for a short paragraph: Topic Sentence A . First supporting point B. Second supporting point C. Third supporting point (Concluding Sentences)

29. Two Types of Outlines • The Topic Outline • The Sentence Outline

30. The Topic Outline • In a topic outline the supporting points are presented by equal words or phrases for easy reference. • A topic outline is comparative brief and clear. College Education has several advantages for young people. (Topic Sentence) A. to train in professional skills B. To develop powers of reasoning, analysis, and judgment C. to expand cultural background

31. The Sentence Outline • A sentence outline is an outline in sentences. • It provides a more detailed plan for the paragraph. Trade in commodities is necessary between nations. A. No nation has all the commodities it needs. B. A nation may not have enough of certain commodities. C. A nation may sell certain items for a profit. D. Latest innovations and different styles of commodities may make foreign trade necessary. All nations strive to maintain a favorable balance of trade so as to be assured of the means to buy necessary goods. (Concluding Sentence )

32. Simple Outline • Detailed Outline

33. Pattern of a simple Outline Topic Sentence A. First main supporting point B. Second main supporting point C. Third main supporting point D. Fourth main supporting point Concluding Sentence (If there is one.)

34. Pattern of a Detailed Outline Topic Sentence 1. First main supporting point A. Specific fact B. Specific fact C. Specific fact a. More specific fact b. More specific fact 2. Second main supporting point A. Specific fact B. Specific fact Concluding Sentence (If there is one.)

35. Ex. Write a simple outline and a detailed outline for the following paragraph. • Learning to outline will improve our writing for three reasons. Firstly, it will help us organize our ideas. Specifically, an outline will ensure that we will not include any irrelevant ideas, that we will not leave out any important points, and that our supporting sentences will be in logical order. Secondly, learning to outline will help us to write more quickly. It takes some practice but the more you try the better we will become. Did you know that preparing an outline is 75% of the work! The actual writing becomes easier because we do not have to worry about what we are going to write because we already have a well organized plan. Lastly, our grammar will improve because we will be able to concentrate on it and not on our thoughts or organization. Improved organization, speed, and grammar make learning to outline well worth the effect.

36. A simple outline: Learning to outline will improve your writing for three reasons. (Topic Sentence) A. It will help us organize our ideas. B. It will help us write more quickly. C. It will help us improve our grammar Improved organization, speed, and grammar make learning to outline well worth the effect. (Concluding Sentence )

37. A detailed outline Learning to outline will improve your writing for three reasons. (Topic Sentence) 1. It will help us organize our ideas. A. B. C. 2. It will help us write more quickly. A. B. 3. It will help us improve our grammar Improved organization, speed, and grammar make learning to outline well worth the effect. (Concluding Sentence )

38. When we are going to write a more complex paragraph, a detailed outline will surely be more helpful than a simple one.

39. Rules for Writing an outline • A. Arrange our points in good order and number them in a Parallel Form. • B. Avoid mixed Grammatical Structures. • Do not use questions in our outline.

40. Compare: • I made preparations for a trip to the Unites states. • Getting the necessary documents • Passport • Visa • Making financial arrangements • Buying clothes • Taking care of medical requirements • Purchase the ticket for the trip • Packing bags • Suitcases • Baggage • I made preparations for a trip to the Unites states. • Getting the necessary documents • A. passport • B. visa • 2. Making financial arrangements • 3. Buying clothes • 4.Taking care of medical requirements • 5. Purchase the ticket for the trip • 6. Packing bags • A. suitcase • B. baggage • Incorrect Correct

41. Compare: Incorrect Topic Sentence A.__________ a. __________ b. __________ B._____________ a._____________ b._____________ Incorrect Topic Sentence A.__________ a. __________ B._____________ a._____________ b._____________ Note: avoid using single subdivision. There must be a B if there is an A; there must be a 2 if there is a 1and so on.

42. Compare: Incorrect Correct Topic sentence I._______________ A._____________ B._____________ II._______________ A._____________ B._____________ Topic sentence 一._______________ A._____________ B._____________ 二._______________ A._____________ B._____________ Note：No Chinese numerals are used in an English outline.

43. Look at the outline and decide whether it is correct or not. • Rocks make excellent pets. A. They don’t eat. B. Cleanliness. C Obedient. Incorrect 2. Rocks make excellent pets. A. They don’t eat. B. They are clean. C. They are obedient. Correct

44. Look at the outline and decide whether it is correct or not. 3. Rocks make excellent pets. A. Don’t eat. B. Are clean. C Are obedient. Correct 4. Rocks make excellent pets. A. Because they don’t eat. B. Because they are clean. C. Because they are obedient. Correct

45. Note： • We should use similar grammatical structures to present points of the same importance in our outline. By doing so, we are adding to the parallel form of the outline. • In a detailed outline for an article with several paragraphs, even we cannot perfectly present all the same-rank points in a parallel form, we must at least keeping writing points of the same importance in each paragraph in similar grammatical structures. See Example

46. Example: An outline of a letter 4. The arrival of Mary’s letter A. A cheque B. The letter read C. Mary’s loneliness and unhappiness 5. How the letter affected the family A. The father crying B. The eldest son jumping to his feet C. The infant boy weeping D. All wailing despairing 1. summer afternoon A. The clean blue sky B. Singing larks C. Perfect peace 2. A peasant and his family A. Where they worked B. How they worked 3. The father speaking of Mary A. Mary in America B. Mary’s long silence C. A letter expected from Mary

47. Compare: correct or incorrect? Incorrect How did the letter affect the family? A. The father cried. B. The eldest son jumped to his feet. C. The infant boy wept. D. What did the others do ? How the letter affected the family. A. The father cried. B. The eldest son jumped to his feet. C. The infant boy wept. D. What the others do. correct NOTE: A question should be avoided in an outline.

48. EX. Rewrite each of these outlines to make the supporting part parallel in form. • San Francisco is famous for its many tourist attractions. A. Golden Gate Park is very famous. B. Chinatown C. Fisherman’s Wharf attracts hundreds of tourists. D. Riding the cable cars Revised: San Francisco is famous for its many tourist attractions. A. Golden Gate Park B. Chinatown C. Fisherman’s Wharf D. Cable cars

49. Ex. Choose any three of the topic sentences below and with each write a simple outline for a paragraph. Your supporting ideas can be reasons, examples, or simple facts. 1)Students who both work and attend school lead busy lives. 2)Technology is making people lazy. 3) Technology is making our lives easier. 4)A good doctor (teacher, scientist, businessperson, athlete) has two (three, four, five) important qualities. 5)Pollution is a growing threat to life on earth.

50. Letter of Complaint • Introduction • Contents • Samples • Useful Expressions • Tips • Writing Assignment