2.3 Extending skills
Answers Word
achievement (n) achieve (v) successful (adj) success (n) dislodge (v) oxygenate (v)
lodge (v) oxygen (n) transplant (n/v) plant (n/v)
rejection (n) resistance (n) infection (n)
C
Explain to students that in academic writing, topic sentences often consist of a general point. T e sentences that follow then support the general statement in various ways, such as those listed in the question:
• giving a defi nition and/or a description • giving examples • giving a list of points (e.g., arguments or reasons)
• restating the topic sentence in a diff erent way to help clarify it
• giving more detail to clarify/substantiate the topic sentence
• drawing a conclusion
Often – but not always – the type of sentence is shown by a ‘discourse marker’, e.g., for example, fi rst of all, etc. T is helps to signal the link the writer intends to make between the sentences and is therefore a good clue as to the purpose of the sentences following the topic sentence.
Do the fi rst paragraph fi rst, then set the rest for individual work followed by pairwork checking. Feed back to the whole class. Ask students to locate the discourse markers used to indicate the way in which the paragraph is continued.
2.3_C
Feed back visually, building the table opposite. You could hand out the table supplied in the PDF for students to use.
Alternatively, look at each topic sentence in turn, and feed back before moving on to the next topic sentence.
One supporting sentence often has a range of functions. T e answers below are not exhaustive.
reject (v) resist (v) infect (v)
Base word Affi x and meaning ment = verb g noun ful = noun g adjective dis = lack of
ate = noun g verb
trans = from one place to another
ion = verb g noun ance = verb g noun ion = verb g noun
Possible answers Topic sentence
Possibly some of the greatest achievements in medical science have been those made in cardiac surgery.
One of the fi rst pioneers in the fi eld of cardiac surgery was Dr Dwight Harken, a US Army medic serving during World War II.
Closed-heart surgery was the next stage in the development of cardiac surgery.
However, there was still a critical issue to be resolved if cardiac surgery was to develop any further.
In 1952, open- heart surgery was attempted for the very fi rst time at the University of Minnesota.
But what could be done for patients whose hearts were diseased beyond repair and for whom the only solution was a new heart?
T e complex problem of tissue rejection remained an issue throughout the 1970s.
T e prognosis for heart transplant patients has greatly improved in recent years.
Such breakthroughs do have their limitations, however.
Function of supporting sentences
Discourse markers
giving examples T e fi rst successful example
giving more information
Initially, subsequently, With time, indeed
defi ning and describing
defi ning and describing
next, gradually, eventually
However
giving a list of points
First of all, Secondly, Finally
restating the topic sentence
–
defi ning and describing
–
giving examples Another example
giving more information/ giving examples
Crucially, For example
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