4 essentials to write great paragraphs

What is a paragraph ?

*   A paragraph is the building block of any writing.

* A paragraph is defined as a group of sentences about a single theme, a single  topic.           

    What is the length of a paragraph?

•      Many of us define a paragraph in terms of length like - a paragraph is a group of at least five sentences, a paragraph is half a page long, etc.

•     In reality, though, the unity and coherence of ideas among sentences is what constitutes a paragraph.

What are the 3 parts of a great paragraph?

1. Topic sentence

§  Usually the first sentence of a paragraph

§  States the main idea of the paragraph

§  Anchors the paragraph as all other sentences of the paragraph add to the topic sentence

2. Supporting sentences

·        Supporting sentence 1

                  

·        Supporting sentence  2

                  

·        Supporting sentence  3

3. Concluding sentence

The popular analogy for a paragraph is a  Burger.  

Topic sentence = top bun

        Supporting sentences = Fillings that make the burger tasty

        Concluding sentence = bottom bun

The similarity between a paragraph and a burger stops here.

      

When we look at the above images of burgers, we can see that only the top and bottom buns are common.  The stuffing is arranged differently but        still the burgers taste good. Unfortunately if the order of the connecting sentences is changed, the paragraph will not be great.

What will make your paragraph a great paragraph every time you write?

·      Unity,

·     Order of sentences and

·      Coherence

Unity

Every paragraph should be about a single, specific idea with every single supporting sentence adding to the idea of the topic sentence. A paragraph begins with a topic sentence which presents the topic or the main idea of the paragraph. Every sentence that follows the topic sentence must support the idea set out by the topic sentence. The supporting sentences should NOT introduce a new topic or new idea. 

  Order of sentences

Ø His wife is a doctor.

Ø I live in Gandhi Nagar.

Ø Mr. Abhinav is my next door neighbor.

Ø Mr. Abhinav and his family are my good friends.

Ø He is an officer in the government.

    These five sentences need to be rearranged in proper sequence to make a great meaningful paragraph. The following is the correct order of sentences.

Ø I live in Gandhi Nagar.

Ø Mr. Abhinav is my next door neighbor.

Ø He is an officer in the government.

Ø His wife is a doctor.

Ø  Mr. Abhinav and his family are my good friends.

 Coherence

A paragraph is said to be coherent when every sentence flow smoothly one after the other. The sentences must not stand alone or deviate away from the topic of the paragraph. 

Read the following paragraph:

Ø   I love my grandmother. My grandmother is very old. She lives with us. She used to work as a teacher. I love all my teachers. I have learnt a lot from my grandmother. She taught me how to button my shirt and comb my hair. Her students love and respect her. She taught English language. I enjoy her cooking.

The first sentence of the above paragraph is a strong topic sentence. We can see that sentence no. 5 deviates from the topic and if it is removed we get a great coherent paragraph. 

Ø   I love my grandmother. My grandmother is very old. As she lives with us, I enjoy her company. She used to work as a teacher of English. Her students love and respect her. I have learnt a lot from my grandmother. She taught me how to button my shirt and comb my hair. Moreover, she is a good cook.  I enjoy her cooking.

Note the use of transition words as and moreover.    

*A great paragraph must have a Topic Sentence and a concluding sentence.

*A great paragraph must have unity.
*A great paragraph will have proper order of sentences and coherence.      

   Read also : 5 steps to write good sentences

Read : How to achieve coherence in your writing - with Transitional Expressions as bridges

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