Sentence Relations in the Writing of EFL Students at University Level

2 analyzing, classifying errors students make and attributing them to
their sources; and
3 Presenting suggestions and implications to help teachers of English
give the most relevant material in their teaching courses to solve the
overcome problem students face in relating senesces in their writing.
3. Procedures
The study is built on two procedures: theoretical and practical. The former
establishes the theoretical framework of this study, while the latter includes
the following:
1. A test has been used to check the students’ ability in using cohesive
devices; the test is given to (138) college students of both Colleges of
Languages and Education for Human Sciences.
2. The error analysis technique has been used to identify students’
errors in the above mentioned test and to categorize them according to
types and sub- types of error.
4. The Value of the Study
Since the study is concerned with difficulties encountered by
Kurdish -learners in using cohesive devices, it is hoped that its findings
will be of value to Kurdish learners of English as a foreign language. It is
also hoped that the findings of the study will be of help to teachers,
syllabus designers and material writers in devising the necessary ways
and means that will help the learners overcome these problems.
5. Theoretical Background
5. 1 The Concept of a Paragraph
A paragraph is a small unit of writing that focus on one
idea. This one idea is explained and developed in the paragraph.
(Ruetten1997:5)
According to Nash and Stacey (1980:41-2) the concept
of paragraph is aesthetic, or stylistic, or text functional. The aesthetics of
the paragraph is its appearance on the page, and its conveyed suggestions
of emphasis, rhythm and resonance as it is translated into an idea of
speech and delivery heard in the mind of the reader. The stylistics of the
paragraph appears in its internal pattern of connections and transitions
from sentence to sentence, and in its management of variations in sentencelength
and sentence-type. The functional value of the paragraph is its role
as the frame for certain content, a phase in an argument, and an account of
a step in a procedure.
A paragraph generally has three parts: a topic sentence, support and a
conclusion. The topic sentence tells the topic (what the paragraph is about)
and the writer’s attitude or idea about the topic. The supporting part of the
paragraph explains, describes, or develops the main idea given in the topic
sentence. The conclusion of the paragraph usually summarizes or
comments on the main idea. (Ostrom and Cook1993:1)
5.2 Elements of a Paragraph
To be as effective as possible, a paragraph should contain each of the
following:
5.2.1Unity
A paragraph should be unified. In a unified paragraph, all the
sentences relate to the topic and develop the controlling idea. If a sentence
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