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Write a paragraph by starting with a clear topic sentence, adding supporting details, using transitions for coherence, varying sentence structures, and concluding with a strong closing sentence. Revise and edit thoroughly to ensure clarity and correctness.
- What This Handout Is About
- What Is A paragraph?
- How Do I Decide What to Put in A paragraph?
- How Do I Organize A paragraph?
- Illustration Paragraph: A 5-Step Example
- Troubleshooting Paragraphs
- Works Consulted
This handout will help you understand how paragraphs are formed, how to develop stronger paragraphs, and how to completely and clearly express your ideas.
Paragraphs are the building blocks of papers. Many students define paragraphs in terms of length: a paragraph is a group of at least five sentences, a paragraph is half a page long, etc. In reality, though, the unity and coherence of ideas among sentences is what constitutes a paragraph. A paragraph is defined as “a group of sentences or a single s...
Before you can begin to determine what the composition of a particular paragraph will be, you must first decide on an argument and a working thesis statementfor your paper. What is the most important idea that you are trying to convey to your reader? The information in each paragraph must be related to that idea. In other words, your paragraphs sho...
There are many different ways to organize a paragraph. The organization you choose will depend on the controlling idea of the paragraph. Below are a few possibilities for organization, with links to brief examples: 1. Narration: Tell a story. Go chronologically, from start to finish. (See an example.) 2. Description: Provide specific details about ...
From the list above, let’s choose “illustration” as our rhetorical purpose. We’ll walk through a 5-step process for building a paragraph that illustrates a point in an argument. For each step there is an explanation and example. Our example paragraph will be about human misconceptions of piranhas.
Problem: the paragraph has no topic sentence
Imagine each paragraph as a sandwich. The real content of the sandwich—the meat or other filling—is in the middle. It includes all the evidence you need to make the point. But it gets kind of messy to eat a sandwich without any bread. Your readers don’t know what to do with all the evidence you’ve given them. So, the top slice of bread (the first sentence of the paragraph) explains the topic (or controlling idea) of the paragraph. And, the bottom slice (the last sentence of the paragraph) tel...
Problem: the paragraph has more than one controlling idea
If a paragraph has more than one main idea, consider eliminating sentences that relate to the second idea, or split the paragraph into two or more paragraphs, each with only one main idea. Watch our short video on reverse outliningto learn a quick way to test whether your paragraphs are unified. In the following paragraph, the final two sentences branch off into a different topic; so, the revised paragraph eliminates them and concludes with a sentence that reminds the reader of the paragraph’...
Problem: transitions are needed within the paragraph
You are probably familiar with the idea that transitions may be needed between paragraphs or sections in a paper (see our handout on transitions). Sometimes they are also helpful within the body of a single paragraph. Within a paragraph, transitions are often single words or short phrases that help to establish relationships between ideas and to create a logical progression of those ideas in a paragraph. This is especially likely to be true within paragraphs that discuss multiple examples. Le...
We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance ...
May 11, 2024 · An effective introductory paragraph grabs readers' attention and outlines the topic while adding intrigue to encourage further reading. Dynamic strategies like posing questions or using anecdotes can engage readers from the start and set the stage for the essay's content.
- Richard Nordquist
The purpose of a paragraph is to express a speaker’s thoughts on a particular point in a clear way that is unique and specific to that paragraph. In other words, paragraphs shouldn’t be mixing thoughts or ideas.
Feb 9, 2015 · This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction, focused paragraphs, clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion. Each paragraph addresses a single central point, introduced by a topic sentence, and each point is directly related to the thesis statement.
- An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates. In high school, you may have to write many different types of...
- The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis...
- Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order: An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention. Relevant background infor...
- A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.
- A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.
- At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercis...
Jun 2, 2022 · Learn how to structure and write strong paragraphs from beginning to end, with answers to frequently asked questions and examples from literature.
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Oct 25, 2022 · Bring together examples that seem very different from each other, but have one key point in common. Include just one key piece of evidence (such as a quotation or statistic) and analyze it in depth over several sentences.
