Abstract:
This study examined the paragraph structures of S.H.S.one students in the Agona East
District of the Central Region. The study focused on paragraph structure, topic
sentence, supporting sentences and the concluding sentence. Patterns of paragraphing
difficulties were also investigated in the research. Qualitative research approach was
used. Major findings included students’ inability to demonstrate in writing explicit
knowledge on paragraph structure; writing without topic sentences, multiple topic
sentences that appeared within the paragraph, violations in the principles of unity
including ideas foreign to the topic under discussion. Some of the paragraphs were not
adequately developed. Students wrongly positioned supporting sentences and these
affected the logical flow of the sentences in the paragraph. Again, with the patterns of
paragraphing, students had difficulties with compare and contrast pattern, definition
pattern and process pattern just to mention a few. Suggested teaching strategies in
teaching paragraphing have been included in this research work.
Description:
A thesis submitted in the Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of
Foreign Languages and Communication, Submitted to the School of Graduate
Studies, in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the award of degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Teaching English as a Second Language)
in the University of Education, Winneba
