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In an essay, each paragraph relates back to and supports a thesis. As you write
your paper, keep in mind that each paragraph should be:
• Unified: all the sentences in the paragraph should be related to the main
idea or topic sentence.
• Coherent
• Organized
A topic sentence is simply the controlling idea for a paragraph. You can think
of it as a sort of mini-thesis. Often, the topic sentence is the first sentence of
the paragraph. The remainder of the paragraph then supports, explains,
justifies, or expands upon that topic sentence.
• Clear
• Concise
• Emphatic
In a coherent paragraph, sentences flow easily from one to the other. Coherent
paragraphs tend to share certain characteristics:
• Ideas are linked. Sentences are connected either to the paragraph’s main
idea or to the preceding sentence.
• Transitions are used to bridge ideas. These are words and phrases that
signal the relationship between ideas.
Organization:
As you become a more experienced writer, you will discover the natural places
where a paragraph should end and a new one begin. There are many, but here
a few common reasons to begin a new paragraph:
• To emphasize a point
Too many short paragraphs can be as problematic for a reader as a dense block
of text. Frequent short paragraphs make the overall essay seem choppy, and
sometimes make it hard to see the connections between ideas. Here, then, are
a few reasons to combine paragraphs:
Overall, be as deliberate with each paragraph as you are with the overall essay.
The details can make all the difference!
References: