Why paragraph writing

When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. The purpose of this handout is to give some basic instruction and advice regarding the creation of understandable and coherent paragraphs.

A paragraph is a collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic. Learning to write good paragraphs will help you as a writer stay on track during your drafting and revision stages. Good paragraphing also greatly assists your readers in following a piece of writing. You can have fantastic ideas, but if those ideas aren't presented in an organized fashion, you will lose your readers and fail to achieve your goals in writing.

The basic rule of thumb with paragraphing is to keep one idea to one paragraph. If you begin to transition into a new idea, it belongs in a new paragraph.

As the following topic sentence indicates, you should make your intention clear to readers from the outset. Evidence from industrialized countries suggests that compared with older men, older women more often experience functional impairments and activity limitations, have longer durations of disability, and spend proportionately more remaining years of life disabled. A qualification paragraph acknowledges that what you previously asserted is not absolutely true or always applicable.

This study was a preliminary study of high school student value changes because of the terrorist attack on the U. The major limitations of this study were that the student population was from California and might not truly represent all high school students in the U.

Further, this study could not be considered a truly longitudinal study because of privacy issues that prevented the researchers from identifying all the students who returned surveys before the attack. In addition, the senior class had graduated the previous year, and a much larger freshman class entered the school. These issues not only made the samples similar, but also different in their composition.

The researchers will conduct periodic studies to explore whether these value changes are permanent and continue into adulthood.

The process paragraph involves a straightforward step-by-step description. Process description often follows a chronological sequence. In brief, the mummification process may be summarized as follows: extract, sterilize, dehydrate, perfume, seal, tag, and stock.

All were done ceremoniously and with due respect to the dead body. The viscera were extracted through an incision about 10 inches long, usually made in the left side of the abdomen. The diaphragm was then cut and the thoracic contents removed through the abdominal incision. The heart, which was considered the center of emotions and the seat of conscience, was left in place. The ancient Egyptians seem to have attached no importance to the brain, which was removed through the ethmoid bone.

Following these extractions began the slow process of sterilization and dehydration of the body, accomplished by osmosis with dry natron. Resterilization of the cavities, perfuming, closing the incision, and wrapping the body with linen and with beeswax completed the process.

Molten resin was used to seal the body and its wrappings, providing a barrier against insects and anaerobes. McCutcheon, et al. This movement occurs both within the paragraph and between paragraphs. The best overall strategy to enhance flow within a paragraph is to show connections. A variety of simple techniques can help you to clarify those connections and thereby communicate your intended logic.

Deliberate repetition of key words helps. Reiterating the focus of your analysis by repeating key words or synonyms for key words enhances the overall flow of the paragraph. As a nation , we have been preoccupied with forging communication links among a sparse, widespread population.

The old Canadian one-dollar bill, with its line of telephone poles receding to the distant horizon, illustrates this preoccupation. Too many transitions will distract your reader and confound your argumentation.

Also, use transition words appropriately. For example, two related sentences do not require a transition:. Transitions between paragraphs are also important so that your ideas flow logically from one to the next and your argumentation is clear. Deciding whether your own writing flows well is difficult. It can be harder still to make extreme structural changes to a manuscript that has taken many hours to write.

Scary even. One technique for revealing structural problems in your text is the reverse outline. Rachel Cayley explains how to do this in her blog Explorations of Style.

By creating an outline of your writing, you can distance yourself from your work and gain the confidence you need to take the plunge and restructure your writing for the better. Believe me, it really is worth the effort to create paragraphs that flow well and communicate your findings and argumentation as clearly as possible. Your reader will appreciate how easy your writing is to read and journal editors will probably be more inclined to accept your well-written submission for publication.

Claire Bacon is a former research scientist with professional qualifications in copy editing and medical editing. She edits manuscripts for non-native English-speaking scientists and works as a copy editor for a biomedical journal. We just sent you an email. Please click the link in the email to confirm your subscription! Return to site.

Structuring paragraphs for maximum clarity. Let's start with sentences. Create rhythm in your writing. Build good paragraphs. Transitions — enticing but tricky. Similarly, it was expressed in the heart. Go for the flow. Make your argument clear. Cut The Clutter.