INTERMEDIATE Writing Guide Introductory

PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION 1
Worksheet 1: What is an introductory paragraph?

Exercise 1
Read the paragraph. Family is the most important thing in the world. It was
This is the introductory paragraph
for an essay. difficult to choose a family member to write about because
they are all very special. In the end, I decided to tell you
What is the title of the essay?
a The oldest person in your family about the oldest member of my family, my grandfather.
b Lucky people First I will tell you about his life in the past, then about my
c A special family member
life with him now.

Tick () the correct information

about introductory paragraphs.
An introductory paragraph:

 is in the middle of the essay.

 is at the start of the essay.
 tells the reader what you will write about in the essay.
 tells the reader how you will organize your ideas.
 gives examples to support your ideas.
 explains and gives small details.
 should make the reader interested in reading the essay.
 should tell the reader everything they need to know so
they don’t need to read the essay.

Exercise 2
Read the essay title.
‘Describe your favourite room’.
Choose the best introductory paragraph.

I really like it. It is my favourite and it is much Our house is quite large and I like most rooms in
better than all the others. it. In this essay, I would like to tell you why. My
favourite room is my bedroom.

Our house is quite large and I like most rooms in My bedroom has two large windows which look
it. However, my favourite room is my bedroom. onto the garden. It is painted blue, and I have a
In this essay, I would like to tell you why. red and blue rug on the floor.

What is the problem with the other two paragraphs?

Problems: Introductory paragraphs:

The sentences are not well organized. X
It doesn’t tell the reader what the essay is about. X
It gives details and examples, and not a general introduction.
INTERMEDIATE Writing Guide Introductory

Worksheet 2: Using introductory paragraphs

Exercise 1
Choose the best introductory paragraph – A, B or C – to go with the next paragraph. __B____

A Some people think it is good B I have been on several C Going on holiday is a great
to go on holiday every year. holidays which weren’t very way to spend time with your
Other people think it is a good. However, my last family. I love going on holiday
waste of time. In this essay, I holiday was the worst holiday with my parents and brothers
will look at the pros and cons I have ever had. and sisters. Let me tell you
of holidays. why.

The holiday started well. The weather was beautiful

and the views from the hotel were fantastic. There
was so much to do – tennis in the morning, walks
after lunch, dinner on the terrace. We thought
nothing could go wrong. It was only after a couple of
days that we began to notice the problem.

Why do the other two introductory paragraphs not match the second paragraph?...Because the other
paragrahps haven’t similar ideas
What is a good title for the essay? .......My last Holiday

Exercise 2
Choose one of the other two introductory paragraphs from Exercise 1. What would be a good
title? Write the title and the next paragraph.

Title: Holiday with my family

Introductory paragraph: A or B or C
Body paragraph:
We can visit new places, do sports together and do many others group activities. I use this days to
share things I did before. I love see my family together and happy.
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Exercise 3
The second and third paragraphs in an essay are called body paragraphs. Tick () the things you
do in a body paragraph.

 introduce the essay  explain your ideas

 give examples  give a conclusion
 give more details  give new information
 repeat the main idea  support your opinions
 describe things  tell the story
INTERMEDIATE Writing Guide Introductory

Worksheet 3: Body paragraphs

Exercise 1
Write the sentences in the correct order to make a good paragraph.

This is where he stayed and then went to

Simon’s early life was very interesting. When he university. For example, at the age of two the
was very young, he lived in several different family moved to Hong Kong. Simon’s early life
countries because his father travelled for was very interesting. Later, when he was a
business. For example, at the age of two the teenager, his family decided to stay in Australia.
family moved to Hong Kong. Later, when he When he was very young, he lived in several
was a teenager, his family decided to stay in different countries because his father travelled
Australia. This is where he stayed and then for business.
went to university.

Exercise 2
Which of the two introductory paragraphs below does the body paragraph in Exercise 1 match?

Introductory paragraph 1 Introductory paragraph 2

I really like travelling. I have been to Hong Kong I have several good friends, but my best friend is
and I want to go to Australia. I think I will go Simon. We have known each other for four
there with my friend, Simon, when I finish years, and we live in the same street. This wasn’t
university. always the case.

Exercise 3
Here is the introduction and topic sentence for another essay with the title ‘My favourite sport’.
Choose the next four sentences to complete the body paragraph. Number them in order.

Introductory paragraph Body paragraph 1

Feeling healthy and strong is  4 You can also throw the ball.
important to me, so I play lots of  However, I don’t like playing football.
sports. I like individual sports like
running, but my favourite sports are  2 The aim of this game is to shoot the ball through
team sports, and my favourite team the hoop and to score points.
sport is basketball.  3 However, you cannot walk with the ball, but you can
run and bounce the ball at the same time.
 1 Basketball is a team game with five players on each
side.
 The best time for running is in the evening.

Circle the information that you think will be in the next body paragraph.
what the person feels about basketball where the writer plays basketball
information about football how often the writer plays basketball
how to make a basketball how many people play sports in the world
how often the writer watches sport on TV healthy eating
INTERMEDIATE Writing Guide Introductory

PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION 2
Worksheet 1: Concluding paragraphs

Exercise 1
Read the paragraph.
This is the concluding paragraph I hope I have shown you how important basketball is to me.
for the essay in Paragraph As I said at the start, I play lots of sports, but basketball
Organisation 1, Worksheet 3,
really is my number one game. You should try it too!
Exercise 3, ‘My favourite sport’.

Tick () the correct A concluding paragraph:

information about concluding
paragraphs.  is in the middle of the essay.
 is at the end of the essay.
 reminds the reader what you wrote about in the essay.
 tells the reader how you will organize your ideas.
 gives new information about the main topic.
 gives a summary of your opinion.
 repeats the main point.
 often has an interesting sentence to finish.

Exercise 2
Which three paragraphs are introductory paragraphs (write IP) and which three are
concluding paragraphs (write CP)?
Match the concluding paragraphs to the introductory paragraphs.

 IP Many people love eating out in  IP There are many restaurants in my city
restaurants. However, as well as lots of which I visit with my family and friends.
advantages, there are several disadvantages to However, my favourite restaurant is the local
eating out. I will start by exploring the one, at the end of our street, near my home.
advantages.

 CP In conclusion, eating together, at home  CP To sum up, I agree that eating out can
or out in restaurants, is one of the most lead to eating too much fast food. However, in
important things we can do as a family. This general there are more advantages than
has always been the case in the past in our disadvantages to going to restaurants. Just be
culture, and it should be in the future too. careful what you choose!

 CP So you can see there are many reasons  IP Eating together is a very important part
to visit this restaurant. Food, price, location – of our culture. Families need to spend lots of
there is not a single disadvantage with going time together to be happy and close, and
there. Try it for yourself! eating together is a good way to do this. In this
essay I will give reasons for my opinion.
INTERMEDIATE Writing Guide Introductory

Worksheet 2: The beginning, middle and end

Exercise 1
Which paragraphs are part of Essay A and which are part of Essay
B? Write A or B next to the paragraphs.
Then write numbers 1 – 4 next to the paragraphs for Essay A and Essay B to put them in order.

 Essay A: Our family car

 Essay B: The pros and cons of cars

 The biggest disadvantage of the car is the  In my opinion, therefore, cars have more
pollution it makes. Cars are not good for the advantages than disadvantages. The
environment. Another disadvantage is that they disadvantages of cars are serious, but with better
also make our cities crowded and noisy. cars in the future, these problems will become
____B – 3 _______ smaller and we will be able to continue enjoying
the freedom cars give us.
____B – 4 ____

 Let’s start with a description. The car is big  This car is special for all of us. We have had it
and white. It is a four-wheel drive and goes quite for two years and everyone loves it. We have
fast, though my father is a very safe driver. Eight happy times when we go out together in the car,
people can sit in it – that’s just enough seats for especially when we go on picnics in the desert.
all my family. The seats are dark blue and very _____A – 3 ___
comfortable.
_____A – 2 ________

 The major advantage of a car is that you are  In conclusion, a car can be very important.
free to travel where and when you want to. You Our car helps our family a lot and gives us special
do not need to wait for a taxi or a bus. A second times together when we travel in a group. We
advantage is that the car is private; it is for you even miss it when it goes to the garage for
and your family only. repairs!
_____B – 2 _______ ___A – 4 _____

 Cars are very important for most families and  Cars are a very important for most people in
our family is no different. People in my family the modern world. They offer lots of advantages,
drive several cars, but I would like to tell you but they also come with disadvantages. In this
about our big car, our car for ‘all the family’. essay, I will discuss both.
____A – 1 _______ ________

Underline the words and phrases which helped you to decide the about essays and the order.
 INTERMEDIATE Writing Guide Introductory

Worksheet 3: Concluding paragraphs

Exercise 1
Describe the favourite thing that you own.

Introductory paragraph:.........................................................................................................................
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Body paragraph 1: ..................................................................................................................................

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Body paragraph 2: ..................................................................................................................................

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Concluding paragraph: ...........................................................................................................................

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Read your essay and check:


Spelling (use a dictionary)
Punctuation capital letters, full stops, commas

Exercise 2 Writing a Final Draft

Make corrections and write out the essay again neatly.