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Success Center Tips For Developing Effective Paragraphs

The document provides guidance on writing effective paragraphs, including that a paragraph should focus on one main point, have a clear topic sentence, and contain logically related sentences. It discusses organizing paragraphs by general to specific ideas, chronologically, or spatially. Special attention is given to introductions and conclusions, noting they should engage the reader, state the thesis, and provide a sense of closure, respectively.

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Dami Anderson
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84 views

Success Center Tips For Developing Effective Paragraphs

The document provides guidance on writing effective paragraphs, including that a paragraph should focus on one main point, have a clear topic sentence, and contain logically related sentences. It discusses organizing paragraphs by general to specific ideas, chronologically, or spatially. Special attention is given to introductions and conclusions, noting they should engage the reader, state the thesis, and provide a sense of closure, respectively.

Uploaded by

Dami Anderson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Success Center Tips for

Developing Effective Paragraphs

A paragraph is a group of sentences that focus on one main point. Paragraphs break writing into
manageable parts, which is important for several reasons. Effective paragraphing shows the series of
ideas a writer builds within an essay or research paper. Paragraphs also identify the organizational
structure of the draft, making it easier to follow the writer’s purpose, thesis, and supporting points.
This structure enables writers to revise so that ideas are arranged clearly in the final draft of the paper.
Remember that although paragraph lengths may vary in an individual document, in general,
paragraphs should be proportional to the paper’s overall length, i.e., shorter papers tend to have shorter
paragraphs, and longer papers may require longer, more complex paragraphs. Writers often alternate
the length of paragraphs to fit their own style and purpose. For example, short paragraphs can
sometimes be used for emphasis and to achieve rhythm.
The following guidelines will help you develop effective paragraphs to engage your readers
and to make your writing more organized, focused, and clear.

An effective paragraph:
 Focuses on one main point or example
 Usually has a topic sentence that ties information together
 Contains sentences that all relate to or expand on a specific idea
 Presents ideas in a logical way to establish credibility
 Is well-developed with detail but not overly long
 Flows smoothly and uses transitional words and phrases
 Avoids repetition by using pronouns and synonyms to refer to similar ideas
 Guides readers with transitional sentences that act as verbal and logical bridges—referring back
to a previous sentence or paragraph or ahead to the next

Transition to a new paragraph to:


 Provide a bridge between the introduction and the rest of the paper*
 Begin or elaborate on a new point
 Break up lengthy discussions or descriptions for readers
 Contrast ideas developed earlier
 Refute a claim or counter-argument
 Indicate a shift in time and place
 Change speakers in a dialogue
 Set up the conclusion to the paper*

*Note: In a longer paper, the introduction and/or conclusion may be more than one paragraph.

Ways to organize paragraphs:


 From general to specific (starts with a general topic sentence, follows with details that explain)
 From specific to general (specific details lead to a final topic sentence that reveals an idea)
 Chronologically (time order)
 Spatially (present details as they appear in a specific location)
Special types of paragraphs:
Introductions and conclusions serve a special function in an essay or research paper; therefore,
these paragraphs require special attention from the writer. The introduction specifies the writer’s
purpose and engages the reader’s interest. The conclusion motivates readers to reconsider the writer’s
claims, or encourages them to take further action on the topic, and provides closure.

An effective introductory paragraph:


 Identifies and sets up the scope of the problem, topic, or claim
 Gets readers’ attention and shows why the topic matters
 Contains a clear thesis statement—a promise to the reader of what to expect

An effective concluding paragraph:


 Reminds readers of your thesis in an emphatic way
 Does not simply restate the thesis from the introduction
 Stays focused on your topic and main ideas
 Provides satisfaction to readers and a sense of closure

Paragraph development techniques:

Purpose Development Strategy


Tell a story; re-create events; present an anecdote Narrating
Provide details of a scene or object; portray Describing
someone’s character; evoke a feeling or sensory
impression
Explore similarities or differences; evaluate options Comparing and contrasting
Provide directions, provide results, explain a Explaining a process
procedure, or report on a process
Separate a subject into parts or divide people or Dividing / Classifying
objects into categories; explain the relationships
among the groups
Explain the meaning of a term or concept; explore Defining
and illustrate the meaning of complex concepts
Consider why something happened or might Analyzing causes and effects
happen; explore possible causes and consequences

Maimon, Elaine P. et al. A Writer’s Resource. 3rd ed, McGraw Hill, 2009. (See pp. 60-71)
“Paragraphs and Paragraphing.” The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2016,
www.owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/606/. Accessed 15 Dec. 2016.
Raimes, Ann and Susan Miller-Cochran. Keys for Writers.7th ed., Cengage, 2014. (See pp. 24-31)

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