Lesson 8: The Academic Paragraph

As a new college student, you may have many questions about the writing you will be
required to produce. Academic writing is any writing assignment completed in a college or
university setting for an academic audience consisting of professors and students. Being able
to express yourself according to the conventions of the discipline you are studying is
important to your success. This lesson is designed to offer you the basic information needed
for you to produce an effective paragraph that meets the requirements of the academic context
you belong to.

I/ Three Essential Characteristics of Academic Writing

1. Formality
Academic writing is formal in tone and in style. In general this means that in a paragraph
or an essay you should avoid contractions as well as colloquial/ informal words and
expressions.
A) Contractions:
The full form is required in academic writing; in other words, do not use the contracted
forms. E.g: do not write: it’ll, it’s, there’s, can’t, but rather: it will, it is, there is, cannot

B) Colloquial / informal words expressions

A colloquial word or phrase is one that is better suited for a familiar, face- to-face
conversation than for scholarly/academic documents. Therefore, beware of using slang, and
avoid using informal terms:

Examples of informal / colloquial words are : stuff / a lot of / things /get

Here are some alternative formal synonyms:

-Stuff: effects, equipment, luggage, objects, paraphernalia, possessions.
-A lot of: abundant, adequate, considerable, plenteous, sizeable,
substantial, sufficient, significant.
-Things: aspects, areas, elements, facts, figures, materials, points, situations, subjects,
information
-Get: acquire, accomplish, attain, become, capture, compass, draw, effect, elicit, evoke,
extract, gain, obtain, realize, receive, secure, apprehend.

2. Precision
In academic writing, facts and figures are given precisely and opinions and arguments
are supported with evidence and referenced accurately (providing the sources). This will
bring credibility to your writing.
Example:
"Eight out of ten people spend more than one hour daily on e-mail. "
(This is a weak statement that lacks credibility because no verifiable source isprovided.)

"According to 2020 surveys in MacWorld and PCWeek magazines, eight out of ten people
spend more than one hour daily on e-mail"
(This is a credible statement because the reference ( in green) makes it precise.)

3. Objectivity
Unless you are asked to produce an opinion paragraph or write about a personal
experience, try to present your argument in as objective a way as possible. Avoid judgmental
and emotive language, as this often reveals that you are presenting an opinion rather than
evidence or a logical argument. It is best to avoid phrases like "it is right to ," "I believe,"or "I
feel." For example, take a look at this sentence:

"I feel that childhood obesity is dreadful"

Note the use of "I" and the judgmental phrase "dreadful." Try to think of a way to portray the
same information without inserting yourself or your opinion, and say instead:
"Childhood obesity is unhealthy"
With this statement, you are stating a fact and removing yourself to maintain
objectivity.

II/ The English Paragraph

a) What is a paragraph?
-A paragraph is a group of related sentences which develop ONE main idea.
-A paragraph is the smallest unit or cluster of sentences in which one idea can be developed
adequately.
-Paragraphs can stand alone or function as part of an essay, but each paragraph covers only
one main idea.
b) Characteristics of a paragraph
A paragraph must be:
-Unified:
Unity refers to the extent to which the entire paragraph concerns itself with a single
focus: all of the ideas contained within a given paragraph "hang together" and relate to
ONE central idea. When you move to a new idea -- one which is not consistent with the
topic sentence of the paragraph -- you should begin a new paragraph.

-Coherent:
Coherence refers to the extent to which the sentences are logically organised and
clearly connected. A paragraph that is coherent flows because it is arranged according to a
definite plan, and as a result, all the sentences are not just about the same main topic, but they
also “sticktogether” and lead readers smoothly from the topic sentence to the concluding one.

Coherence can be achieved in a number of ways:

-Repeating key words/ Using Synonyms: a common way to achieve coherence in a

paragraph is to repeat key words. Even if nouns are typically the words that should be
repeated, words from other word classes can also be repeated if they are central to the
topic of the text.There is no set rule as to how often a key noun can be repeated - the
guiding principle must be clarity and an avoidance of making the reader feel that there is too
much repetition.

An alternative to repeating a key noun over and over is to use another noun that has the same,
or at least very similar, meaning: a synonym.

-Using consistent pronouns: Substituting nouns with pronouns is an effective way to

achieve coherence. A text that does not use pronouns to some extent will come across as
overly repetitive. The important part when using pronouns is to be consistent by using the
same person and number throughout the paragraph or text.

-Using transition signals: to achieve coherence, transition signals (sometimes called linking
words or linking adverbials) also help to create coherence by providing bridges between
sentences within the paragraph. For example, words and phrases like “also,” “in addition to,”
“additionally” and “furthermore” signal your readers that the relationship between two
sentences is one of addition. Other words andphrase groups can create relationships of detail or
example (“for example,” “that is,” “more specifically”), logic (“therefore,” “thus,” “in
conclusion”), contrast (“yet,” “nevertheless,” “on the other hand”) or similarity (“likewise,”
“similarly,” “in other words”).

-Using logical order: Deciding on a logical order for the sentences in each paragraph is
absolutely necessary. If the sentences in a paragraph are written simply in random order,
readers will probably be confused and unable to see how your ideas connect. There are many
different orders, and there is no one order that will work for every paragraph.
Some common kinds of order are:

-Chronological order: sentences are arranged in a chronological order to show time or

sequence of events (this order is useful in narrative paragraphs) .

-Spatial order: this order may be used in descriptive paragraphs to showthe spatial position of
different objects (from left to right or from top to bottom for example).

-Order of importance: moving from the most important point to the least important point or
vice versa.

-Deductive order: a paragraph’s sentences move from the most general point to the most
specific.
-Inductive order : a paragraph’s sentences move from the specific to the general.

Layout and Structure of an academic paragraph

In academic writing, a paragraph is always indented and it typically consists of three

elements: a topic sentence, supporting sentences, anda concluding sentence:
Indentation: indentation is a blank space between a margin and the beginning of a
line of text.
The Topic Sentence: In academic writing, readers expect each paragraph to start with a
sentence that captures its main point: the topic sentence. Beginning a paragraph with a topic
sentence is one of the best ways to achieve clarity and unity in one's writing. The function of a
topic sentence is to describe what the paragraph will be about, so that the reader has clear
expectations about what will follow.
An effective topic sentence must be about one topic and must include a controlling idea
which shows the direction the paragraph will take ; i.e. the method of development and the
writer’s purpose.

EXAMPLES:
"Many television cartoons contain an unhealthy amount of violence."
(Notice that this sentence clearly signals that the key topic of the paragraph is violence in
television cartoons. It also indicates the controlling idea: how/why this violence is
unhealthy for viewers.)

"There are many reasons why pollution in Kanpur (India) is the worst inthe world. "
(The topic is "pollution in Kanpur is the worst in the world" and the controlling idea is
"many reasons.", so we expect an enumeration of reasons.)

"The U.S. differs from Malaysia in three major ways. "

(The topic is "The U.S. and Malaysia" and the controlling idea is " differs’’, so we
expect a contrast paragraph.)

"Overworking can cause two major problems. "

(The topic is "overworking" and the controlling idea is "can cause two major problems", so we
expect an enumeration of two negative effects of overeating.)

The Supporting Sentences:

A supporting sentence is a sentence with information that supports a main idea or claim
conveyed by the topic sentence. Supporting sentences give a reader details to understand a
main idea, or evidence to show why a claim is true or correct. You will find supporting
sentences in the middle of a paragraph – after the topic sentence, and before a concluding
sentence.

Example
Let’s consider the following main idea (topic sentence) : Schools should
start later in the day.

This is a claim that needs to be supported by facts (or perhaps opinions) in order to convince
the reader to accept the claim. Here are some possible supporting sentences:

a) Studies have shown that teenagers need more sleep than both younger children and
adults because their rapidly changing bodies need more time resting in order to
develop properly.
b) By starting later, school busses can avoid the traffic of rush hour, which saves time
and reduces the likelihood of accidents.
c) Starting later will give students time to eat a healthy breakfast, which has been
proven to improve school performance.
These supporting sentences each give evidence that help the reader agree with the
writer’s claim.
Supporting sentences will include descriptions/details, facts and examples.

The Concluding Sentence:

The concluding sentence signals the reader that this is the end of the paragraph. The
concluding sentencefor a stand-alone paragraph should accomplish one of the following:

(a) Restate the topic sentence of the paragraph

(b) Summarize by referring to the key points in the paragraph
(c) Draw a conclusion based on the information set forth in theparagraph
(d) Offer a final observation about the controlling idea
(e) Make a prediction based on the details of the paragraph

The concluding sentence often begins with a transition word to signalthe reader. Here are
some examples of transitions used with concluding sentences:

All in all, overall, in general, in conclusion, in a nut shell, in brief, in short