Writing Structured Paragraphs

1. A Simple Recipe for
Writing Structured Paragraphs:
TCEC Model
Presented by:
Douglas Baumwoll of the
Department of English Education
(Douglas Baumwoll, copyright © 2012, 2013)

2. Preliminaries:
Where I’m Coming From,
Where Are You At?
• What is your current teaching position?
• My writing experience
• My teaching experience

3. Well, Doug, what exactly is the
T C E C
Model?

4. Writing Structured Paragraphs:
T opic Sentence
C laim Sentence
E xample/Evidence Sentence
C onclusion Sentence*
( *not always used in essay paragraphs)

5. T C E C*
8-sentence Outline
(more general → more specific)
Outline
I. _____________________________________________________
A. ________________________________________________
1. ____________________________________________
B. ________________________________________________
1. ____________________________________________
C. _________________________________________________
1. ____________________________________________
II. _____________________________________________________
T opic Sentence
C laim Sentence
Claim Sentence
Claim Sentence
E xample Sentence
Evidence Sentence
Example Sentence
C onclusion Sentence
*Organization may vary descriptive
and narrative paragraphs

6. T C E C Terminology
Most books talk of “support sentences”
• I further specify: “support” sentences are either:
1) “claim” sentence: 1st level of detail on outline
2) “example/evidence” sentence: 2nd level of
detail (more)
• Methodological Note: be consistent in your use
of terms. Always say “claim sentence,” “example
sentence,” “evidence sentence”, “category,” and
“topic.”

7. Prologue: Make Realistic Course Goals:
I have 45 hours per semester
• Make a claim (opinion, statement of fact) directly to
the reader
• Support the claim through evidence or example
• Specific output:
• 11-sentence general knowledge and specific knowledge
paragraphs
• 3 claims with 2 distinct examples each
• Build trust: peer editor and editee; read work aloud

8. The TCEC Model…
…in action

9. T C E C
T opic Sentence
• paragraph topic
+ controlling idea
(Today, we’ll not deal with this)

10. Exercise:
Ordering a
Structured
Paragraph
Note: for “type”
of sentence, write
out the whole
word!
Name: _______________ Student ID No. __________
WINTER CLOTHING
If your head is not covered you will release a lot of your
body heat.
Gloves are important for keeping your hands and fingers
warm and dry.
First, make sure you have a warm hat to cover your head.
Snow boots should help to keep your feet warm and dry.
If you have all of these things, you should be protected well
against the cold!
It’s also important to have warm feet.
Before going outside in the cold winter weather, you should
make sure you have on the right clothing.
Next, make sure you have good gloves.
Finally, make sure you have a good heavy coat.
A warm winter coat will help maintain your body heat.
Sentence
Number
Type of
Support
Sentence

11. WINTER CLOTHING
I. Before going outside in the cold winter weather, you should
make sure you have on the right clothing.
A. First, make sure you have a warm hat to cover your
head.
1. If your head is not covered you will release a lot of
your body heat.
B. Next, make sure you have good mittens.
1. Mittens are important for keeping your hands and
fingers warm and dry.
C. It’s also important to have warm feet.
1. Snow boots should help to keep your feet warm and
dry.
D. Finally, make sure you have a good heavy coat.
1. A warm down coat will help maintain your body heat.
II. If you have all of these things, you should be protected
well against the cold!

12. Adaptability: Low-Level Outline
I. Zoo animals
A. Birds
1. Eagle
B. Cats
1. Tiger
C. Snakes
1. Python
II. Cool animals
I. Zoo animals
A. Africa animals
1. Elephant
B. Antarctica
1. Penguin
C. South America
1. Python
II. World animals
I. Zoo animals
A. Fly animals
1. Eagle
B. Run animals
1. Cheetah
C. Swim animals
1. Penguin
II. Move animals

13. T
Claim Sentence
Example/Evidence
C

14. Consider the following paragraph:
I admire my older sister. She raised
me and my brother since we were
young. She helped us in many ways.
She made many sacrifices to support
us, but never complained.
Questions anyone? Yes/No

15. Asking & Answering Questions:
Adding Detail to Paragraphs
Oh no! My reader is…

16. Many students will need to include:
• why things are important
• “because”, “in order”
• what the result of some action or quality is
• “so that”, “as a result”
• Examples by name within the same sentence
• “such as”, “like”, “including”

17. Student Sample – Lack of Detail
So that… and …because…
First, they are good at speaking. They always use plain and accurate sentences during class.
First, you must have a good knowledge of the subject. For example, if your major is science,
you have to teach perfectly about planets, animals and energy.
Last, you must act morally. If you have a crime, you are not eligible for teacher.
First you should teach the meaning to the students excitingly. Students like this.
Awesome sentence: First, they constantly study about subjects and students preferences.
They always research exam questions and students’ tendencies, so they can organize
perfect exams and classes for different students’ levels.
Such as…
Finally, excellent teachers use effective methods for teaching. These make class interesting
and students understand contexts.
First, they must have good teaching skills. A teacher’s aim is teaching students to adapt in
our society.

18. Outline
I. _____________________________________________________
A. ________________________________________________
1. ____________________________________________
B. ________________________________________________
1. ____________________________________________
C. _________________________________________________
1. ____________________________________________
II. _____________________________________________________
I admire my older sister
She always helped us.
Made sacrifices, never complained
13-year-old sister watched us until 9
p.m. because parents worked late
Example Sentence
Example Sentence
Conclusion Sentence
She raised me and brother
Look at the following paragraph.
I admire my older sister. She raised me
and my brother since we were young.
She helped us in many ways. She made
many sacrifices to support us, but never
complained.
Does it have a topic sentence? What kind of
sentence is the next one? And the next?
Write questions that you, as the reader,
should not have after having read it.
Questions:
1. Why did your sister raise you (and not
your parents)?
2. How old was your sister when she
started raising you?
3. How young were you?
4. How did she help you? In what way?
5. What sacrifices did she make?
6. Why didn’t she complain?

19. The TCEC Model…
…in process

20. Student Brainstorms
(Cluster Diagram)

21. Between brainstorm and outline, writers must
develop their thoughts through questions.

22. Student Questions
(develops one-word ideas)

23. Student Outlines

24. (3 of) 4-Page Writing Process Template
Brainstorm – Cluster Diagram
Topic Sentence:
1) If I could go to any place in the world, I would go to ___________ for three reasons.
2) How do movies influence the viewer?
Questions
(who, what, why, where, when, how, how long, how many…)
1. Question:
Answer:
2. Question:
Answer:
3. Question:
Answer:
4. Question:
Answer:
5. Question:
Answer:
Outline
I. ___________________________________________
A. ______________________________________
1. _________________________________
B. ______________________________________
1. _________________________________
C. ______________________________________
1. _________________________________
II. ___________________________________________

25. C laim Sentences
• Claim sentences:
• Categorize brainstorm into identifiable topics/groups
• Travel to London → architecture, food, football
• Claim sentence = general reason for or elucidation of the TS
• Content = an assertion, which must be proven or evidenced in
the example/evidence sentences that follow

26. Claim Sentences +
Example Sentences
For example, when I went to India, I met locals and European travelers.
For example, in Korea, I ate kimchi, and in Thailand I ate green coconut curry.

27. Claim Sentences
• English: a writer responsible language, every
word counts!
• Why is written English more precise than
spoken English?
• Because the receiver (reader) cannot ask
questions of the producer (writer) in
order to clarify meaning
• Writer will add detail in example/evidence
sentences to follow

28. BTW: Order of Claim Sentences
• The order of c laim sentences is not
generally random:
• chronological
• most to least familiar
• least to most important

29. In general, my Korean students have difficulty
categorizing topics and ideas from their brainstorms.

30. Categorization
Exercise
(from: Ready to Write,
4th Edition, Pearson-
Longman, 2010)
Put these 9 words into three “Claim” topics: A, B, C.
Next, label the “Claim Sentence” topics.
Last, write a Topic Sentence that includes A, B, C.
Topic Sentence = _____________________________________________
Topic Sentence = _____________________________________________
Topic Sentence = _____________________________________________

31. We have just: categorized
• That is, Westerners tend to view the world in
terms of categories, groups, or topics
• This is a Western thought process that we
inherited from ancient Greece
• In general, the Chinese, Japanese and Korean
thought processes tend to view the world in
terms of mutual relationships or existence
within the same system
• Neither one of these styles is better than the
other; they are simply different
The Geography of Thought, Nisbett, 2003

32. Student Sample Writing

33. Some kinds of development of medical technologies
makes people today live longer. First, the specific
medicines have been discovered. For example, the
discovery of penicillin reduced the death of bacterially
caused diseases. Next, medical equipments have been
developed. For instance, a respirator help patient to be
recovered. Lastly, transplantation skills have been
grown. Transplant operations such as heart, lung or liver
give patients new life. All in all, with such advance in
the medical field, we can live more healthier and longer
than before.
I. Topic Sentence
A. Claim Sentence
1. Example/Evidence
II. Conclusion Sentence

34. A Final Note:
Give Specific Directions
for Paragraph
Assignments
(this assignment is for a
high-level class)
In this example, I provide the
topic; however, I often provide a
list of 10 – 20 topics/topic
sentences to choose from for
paragraphs or essays.
(note: in the text “explanation
sentence” should be replaced with
“claim sentence”)
Senior Composition Class – Mr. Baumwoll
In-Class Exam Research Opinion Paragraph
Background Information and Topic Sentence:
There are many arguments for the world eating a vegetarian argument. One main
argument is the moral one, saying that humans should not cause suffering or kill other
living beings. This paragraph will leave this argument aside, and consider three concrete
reasons that we should eat a vegetarian diet. First, ….
Paragraph Criteria:
 Your paragraph will be an 11-sentence paragraph (or more). The first background
sentences and hook are provided above.
 Do a search on Google.com for “arguments for vegetarianism. Choose 3 arguments
as your categories (explanation sentences).
 The paragraph will contain 3 explanation sentences, with two evidence/example
sentences supporting each explanation sentence. Remember, your explanation
sentences relate to the categories that you are discussing. For a topic like the death
penalty, your categories might be reducing crime, morality, and cost.
 You must cite at least 3 specific statistics in your evidence/example sentences.
 You must use at least 2 direct quotations (from people) in your paragraph. For
example, “According to Dr. Carrot of Samsung hospital, vegetarianism….” Or a
quote from a qualified or well-known person that supports your ideas. A quote of a
statistic does not count here.
 You must cite at least 3 different reports, articles or studies. At least one of your
sources must be in Korean.