Using paragraphs to write an argument Using connectives to improve our writing

Look at the topic sentence of the first paragraph. What do you think the paragraph will be about? Write your ideas. Animal conservationists claim that sharks are ‘misunderstood’ and that many other predators are more dangerous to man.

Are sharks really the vicious killers of film and television? Animal conversationists claim that sharks are ‘misunderstood’ and that many other predators are more dangerous to man. Kathleen Lowes, who organises holidays enabling people to swim with sharks, states that attacks are rare: “ A Great White is as unlikely to attack a boat as a lion is to attack a car”. Although the species is only responsible for between two and fifteen deaths on average each year, its role as a killer is exaggerated. Anyone claiming that sharks are vicious killers has not weighed up the statistical evidence of shark-related deaths as opposed to deaths caused by other animals. In 1996 only two people in a world population of five billion were killed by sharks. Moreover, more US citizens have been killed by dogs in the last 100 years than have been killed by sharks. Furthermore, venomous snakes kill an average of between 30,000 and 40,000 people every year! In conclusion, although sharks have a reputation for killing people, many other species kill more people every year than sharks. 1.Read the text. Can you say what is the main idea presented in each paragraph? 2.Highlight the words relating to the topic sentence in the first paragraph.

Now highlight the connectives. Are sharks really the vicious killers of film and television? Animal conversationists claim that sharks are ‘misunderstood’ and that many other predators are more dangerous to man. Kathleen Lowes, who organises holidays enabling people to swim with sharks, states that attacks are rare: “ A Great White is as unlikely to attack a boat as a lion is to attack a car”. Although the species is only responsible for between two and fifteen deaths on average each year, its role as a killer is exaggerated. Anyone claiming that sharks are vicious killers has not weighed up the statistical evidence of shark-related deaths as opposed to deaths caused by other animals. In 1996 only two people in a world population of five billion were killed by sharks. Moreover, more US citizens have been killed by dogs in the last 100 years than have been killed by sharks. Furthermore, venomous snakes kill an average of between 30,000 and 40,000 people every year! In conclusion, although sharks have a reputation for killing people, many other species kill more people every year than sharks.

Can you think of any other connectives we could use when writing an argument?

Develop your ideas using paragraphs Introduce each paragraph with a topic sentence and follow it with at least two supporting sentences Use a variety of connectives and evidence to support your viewpoint.

Try and remember all the things you have learned today. You will be able to choose your own topic to write about next lesson. You could choose a topic such as : football should be banned in the playground children should watch less T.V. school uniform should be worn