Using Supporting Phrases to Strengthen Your Writing

This lesson teaches how to extend a topic and explain an opinion using supporting phrases. It reviews the boxes and bullets outline method and highlights common mistakes, such as using incomplete sentences. The lesson provides two steps to improve paragraph flow: writing a strong topic sentence and using supporting phrases before evidence. Examples are given to illustrate how these techniques can create a cohesive and strong paragraph. The lesson concludes with a review of the steps learned.

What is the primary goal of using supporting phrases in writing?

• To reduce the number of sentences

• To enhance the flow and strength of paragraphs

• To make paragraphs longer

• To make writing more complex

What is a common mistake writers make when using the boxes and bullets outline?

• They forget to include a thesis statement

• They write too many topic sentences

• They directly insert evidence without supporting phrases

• They use too many examples

What is the first step in the two-step process for writing a strong paragraph?

• Use supporting phrases

• Write a topic sentence

• Summarize the thesis

• List all evidence

Which of the following is an example of a supporting phrase?

• In the beginning

• For example

• In conclusion

• To summarize

How does using supporting phrases affect the paragraph?

• It makes the paragraph harder to understand

• It makes the paragraph shorter

• It makes the paragraph more detailed and cohesive

• It makes the paragraph less interesting