The TOPIC is.... (Again!)

Last Wednesday, we had workshop in pair as usual. The paragraph at that day was comparison and contrast. We were allowed to write Two paragraphs (one for comparison and the other  for contrast), or one paragraph (make both comparison and contrast in one paragraph). I wanted to make the simple one. Thus, I made one paragraph for both types only while my partner separated them into two paragraphs. Her paragraph was very clear, so I didn’t find any difficulties about hers.

The following Friday, we had presentation from some members in our class. I was the first presenter. I thought (and hope) there will be some of my friends who disagree with my opinion about my paragraph. But everyone were agree, maybe it because mine was too clear. I felt a bit disappointed because of this. Both Aida’s (Kajol) and Rois’s paragraph was cause and effect paragraph. Rois’ paragraph was emphasize about the effect and the cause was not clearly mentioned. While Kajol’s paragraph was emphasize about the cause and the effect was hidden. And it made some of us could not recognize it easily. In Aris’ paragraph we were confused to classify it into one type of paragraph. The problem was we could not find the main idea (Again!) and the composition was confusing.  The next presenter was Ima. We have had a simple debate before we agreed that her paragraph was a report. Aida (Mufrotul Faida) was the last one. Hers was an illustration. Everyone has different idea about the topic in it. After we reread it several times we could find the topic. It was the man about whom the writer explained in the whole paragraph.

Those meetings emphasize one thing to us. BE AWARE TO FIND THE TOPIC. The topic is not always in the first sentence of paragraph. We have to read the whole paragraph and understand what is something being talked in it. The meeting in last Friday was remind us about the lesson we have got in the weeks in advance. So, Keep Spirit to study Guys!! Ganbatte!! :D ;)

Slight Similarity..

This reflection  is about two-day meeting in this week.

Our activity in last Wednesday was correcting our description paragraph which we have made by self. We worked in pairs. I have just made my paragraph the night in advance. I imagined the situation in orientation day when made it. The ceremony, the committee, the atmosphere, and everything happened at that time. Actually something I want to emphasize was how terrible the event was, but I wrote the setting in my paragraph. Finally when I read it firstly, I think it was almost narrative. So did my partner who corrected my paragraph, she became confused when read my writing (sorry to my partner Nur Kholishoh ;) ). Beside that the main idea I want to show could not be understood easily because I also confused when I put it in my paragraph.

In Friday meeting we had presentation. The paragraphs presented were contrast, comparative, definition, proses analysis, and explanation. Some paragraphs were clear and not difficult to be classified. We found some disagreement when we tried to identify Fia’s paragraph and Diny’s paragraph. Fia’s paragraph was explain about something depend on the writer’s mind. She called it as argument paragraph while some of us said it was explanation or definition. Later we agree that it was explanation because definition never explain something only depends on someone’s mind. Diny’s paragraph looks like classification in first sentence and like proses analysis in the following sentences. Her paragraph was contain steps about how to do something but seems like classify some kinds of skills which we have to master when we practice diving. Then we made a conclusion that her paragraph was a proses analysis paragraph. From that discussion I knew that some paragraph have slight similarity. Thus we must be aware when analyze those kinds of paragraph.

Keep Spirit Guys! GANBATTE! :D ;)

Yesterday Meeting..

Firstly I want to say "I'm so sorry for my attitude on last Friday meeting."
I don't know why and what happened with me. Actually I felt enthusiastic whet I came into the class, but I felt a bit sleepy when the discussion was running. However it was not a big matter because I was really able to catch the topic we had been discussing at that time.
Last Friday we had four students presented their paragraph in front of class. They were Putri, Yogi, nita, and the last one was Octa. We found some confusing things during the discussion. From the first presenter, Putri, her paragraph is clear. But Ms. Vita asked her to correct her paragraph into a better form. The second presenter is Yogi who made the whole class become confused because of her paragraph. From his paragraph I could learn that we can not make one paragraph by combining several paragraphs, because it will make the purpose and the main idea of that paragraph unclear. Next is Nita. She has classified her paragraph as descriptive but we disagree with it. Because we can not find the part which describe the main idea in detail. Later we found it as illustration paragraph. The last is Octa. Her paragraph was really clear as descriptive paragraph. It was describe the main point clearly.
The discussion was very interesting and exciting. I was enjoy it although with my half-opened eye. From this meeting I can learn that unperfect thing will make our life become more colorful. So, never afraid to make a mistake Guys!... :D
Keep Spirit!

Be Aware to A Simple Things

The first time I got the material about paragraph in Writing I class, I could easily understand the material given by Mss. Vita. Because I have ever learnt about this topic the time before, exactly in my high school. The difference between each type looks clearly different. I can easily guess what paragraph is that when I got one example of paragraph. And I can also explain it briefly at least to myself about those types. In the end of class I went home with a simple understanding about the topic given in that day.

After that class I got an assignment to classify some paragraphs we have learnt. I got some simple examples then I classified and posted in facebook. My confused starts when I read the examples from my classmates. My classification about their paragraphs are different with their classification. And some paragraphs also made me feel confused when I want to classify them.

 
In the next meeting we discuss about the paragraphs posted in the facebook. Here some of us present their paragraph in front of class. The presenter explain the type of their paragraph and the reason why it is conclude in that type. The audience give their question about the paragraph. And I can also ask my confusion about the paragraph. After a long discussion I can get the point about paragraph and how to know the classification of it. We have to pay our attention more to the simple things mentioned in the paragraph in order to know the purpose of paragraph than we can classify it into one type of paragraph.

The Paragraph..

A paragraph contains all the sentences that deal with one set of ideas. Paragraph has main idea and its explanation. The main idea or theme given in the first sentence which usually called as topic sentence. It placed in the first sentence because it gives an overview to the reader about the paragraph. Other sentences in the paragraph are supporting sentences. Supporting sentences give specific details related to topic idea. We separated the text into paragraph in order to tell the readers about the beginning and the end of one topic.

There are several kinds of paragraph. Every kind has it special character. Narration is kind of paragraph that usually used in the narrative text for example story, fable etc. Exposition paragraph is an explanatory writing which almost all articles use it. Definition and description are almost same. Both of them have a similarity on explaining about something. But description paragraph not only explain but also has a function to make the readers feel the same as the writers. Comparison paragraph compare two different things. We have to make a list everything about those two things that going to be compared. Process analysis paragaph, it’s my first time to know this kind of paragraph. I also can  not easily understand it, but after I read the example I think it’s like procedure paragraph which my teacher in the school before have thaught about. The last one is persuasion paragraph. Persuasion paragraph is almost always used in editorial and column. Direct sentences like “Try it!” are also used in this kind of paragraph. It has a purpose to persuade people to change their mind and take action. Thus when we want to make a paragraph we have to know well its paragraph first and using the right step because paragraph is not same each other.

When I read the materials that have been given I almost can understand the whole topic. But there are some kinds of paragraph that are looks alike and make me a bit confused about how to differentiate them. And also I’m still can not understand well about how to make a comparison, definition, and exposition paragraph. So if all of you guys are know about it well, I will be very happy if you leave a comment below this and give me some explanation. OK? Thanks in advance.. ^_^