How To Write Good Paragraphs

A good paragraph is a mini-essay. It should demonstrate three components:

1. Introduction, i.e., a topic sentence
2. Body, i.e., supporting details
3. Conclusion or a transitional sentence to the paragraph that follows.

A good paragraph is characterized by unity, coherence, and adequate development.

Unity: State the main idea of the paragraph in a clearly constructed topic sentence. Make sure
each sentence is related to the central thought.
Coherence: Arrange ideas in a clear, logical order. Provide appropriate transitions to the
subsequent paragraph.
Adequate development: Develop your paragraphs with specific details and examples.

Strategies for adequate development:

Elaborate: Spell out the details by defining, or by clarifying and adding relevant, pertinent
information.
Illustrate: Paint a verbal picture that helps make or clarify your point(s). Well illustrated pieces
are easier to read and follow than those on a high level of abstraction.
Argue: Give the reasons, justifications, and rationales for the position or view you have taken in
the topic sentence. Draw inferences for the reader and explain the significance of assertions or
claims being made.
Narrate: Relate the historical development of the phenomenon at issue.
Process: Describe how something works.
Describe: Observe without preconceived categories.
Classify: Organize phenomena or ideas into larger categories that share common characteristics.
Analyze: Divide phenomena or ideas into elements.

Compare and Contrast: Show similarities and differences between two or more phenomena or
ideas.
Relate: Show correlations and causes (beware of logical fallacies, however!)
A paragraph should be neither too short nor too long. A good paragraph in a Trinity exercise
should be 5-6 sentences long. As a general rule, avoid single-sentence paragraphs. If your
paragraphs run longer than a page, you are probably straining the graders thought span. Look for
a logical place to make a break or reorganize the material. Indent each new paragraph five
spaces.
http://www2.actden.com/writ_Den/tips/paragrap/index.htm
http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/fwalters/para.html
https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_assessmenttasks/assess_tuts/essay_LL/structure/pa
ragraph_structure.html
http://www.hamilton.edu/writing/writing-resources/paragraph-structure
http://homepage.smc.edu/diaz_jamie/Paragraph_OutlineExamples.pdf
http://www.uefap.com/writing/parag/parafram.htm

Paragraph structure
A paragraph has a topic sentence and supporting sentences.
Topic sentence

This is the main idea in the paragraph. It tells the reader what the paragraph is going to be about.
It is usually the first sentence.
Supporting sentences

The supporting sentences are the other sentences in the paragraph. These sentences either:

expand on the main point

define key terms

offer explanations

give examples

give additional detail.

Look at the following example and see if you can pick the topic sentence and the function of the
other sentences. When you have decided, click on the 'Check' to compare.
Regard the paragraph as the unit of organization for your essay (Strunk and White 15).
Paragraphs can be of varying lengths, but they must present a coherent argument unified under
a single topic. Paragraphs are hardly ever longer than one page, double-spaced and usually are
much shorter. Lengthy paragraphs usually indicate a lack of structure. Identify the main ideas
in the paragraph to see if they make more sense as separate topics in separate paragraphs.
Shorter paragraphs usually indicate a lack of substance; you don't have enough evidence or
analysis to prove your point. Develop your idea or integrate the idea into another paragraph.
The structure of a paragraph parallels the structure of an essay in order as well as content.
Both contain a coherent argument, supporting evidence/analysis, and a conclusion. Specifically,
the contents of a paragraph are as follows:

The Topic Sentence

... serves two functions: first, it functions as the thesis of your paragraph; second, it pushes the
thesis of your essay forward and presents an arguable point. The topic sentence is usually the
first or second sentence of a paragraph. Occasionally, you may find it interesting or necessary to
place the topic sentence at the end of the paragraph, but don't make a habit of it!

Supporting Evidence/Analysis

... makes your claim digestible. You need to find a balance between evidence you provide (facts,
quotations, summary of events/plot, etc.) and analysis (interpretation of evidence). If your
paragraph is evidence-heavy, you haven't presented an argument; if it is analysis-heavy, you
haven't adequately supported your claim.

The Concluding Observation

... closes your paragraph with an observation that is more than just summary of the contents of
the paragraph. The concluding observation provides a final idea that leads to the next step in your
argument. The observation is usually the last or second-to-last sentence in the paragraph.
The following paragraph has been broken down into its constituent parts:
The means by which environmentalists seek to achieve their political (Topic
Sentence) goals demonstrate a willingness to operate within traditional political
channels. [point arguable: some people may believe environmentalists largely use

antidemocratic strategies.] Like many other special interest groups, advocates for
the environmentalist movement use lobbying tactics such as contributing financially
to the (Supporting Analysis and ...) campaigns of environmentally friendly
candidates. Lobbying provides a ( ... Evidence) source of political influence and
power. As one analyst of environmental politics notes, in "making some
commitment to work within the political system. . .[environmental lobby groups]
succumb to. . .pressure to play 'by the rules of the game' in the compromise world
of Washington, D.C." (Vig and Kraft 70). [blend of supporting evidence/analysis]
Some might argue that environmentalists have taken a distinctly anti-(Concluding)
American approach to policy change, claiming that lobbying is inherently
(Observation) undemocratic in its bias towards certain segments of the
population; however, lobbying remains a constitutionally legitimate form of political
activism. [more than just summary, the point is arguable and could easily lead to
another point.]

Acknowledgment

Thank you to Jennifer Rose '04 for permission to use the above paragraph.

Works Cited

Strunk, William, and E.B. White. The Elements of Style, fourth edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon,
2000.