Question 1

What is a paragraph?

Accepted Answer

A paragraph is a group of sentences about one idea. One sentence usually states the idea, and the others tell more about it. When the idea changes, a new paragraph begins, shown by an indent or a blank line. The test for any sentence is simple: does it belong to this idea?

Question 2

What is a topic sentence?

Accepted Answer

A topic sentence states what the whole paragraph is about. It often comes first, as in "Our school garden is a busy place", and every other sentence then adds detail to it. It can also come last or in the middle, and some story paragraphs leave it out on purpose and let the details carry the idea.

Question 3

What is the Paragraph Check?

Accepted Answer

Four questions, in order. Topic: what is the one idea? Development: does every other sentence add an example, a reason, a fact, a detail or a next step? Order: could a reader say why the sentences sit in this sequence? Boundary: has a second idea crept in, or is the idea still thin? Then decide: keep, develop, reorder or split.

Question 4

How long should a paragraph be?

Accepted Answer

Long enough to develop its one idea, and no longer. There is no fixed number of words or sentences. A paragraph is too long when a second idea has crept in, and too short when its idea is stated but never supported. Newspapers, novels and essays use different typical lengths for different readers.

Question 5

When should I start a new paragraph?

Accepted Answer

Start a new paragraph when the idea changes. In a long paragraph, name the first idea in a short phrase, then find the first sentence that phrase no longer covers. If the sentences after it develop a new idea, split there. If only one sentence strays, cut or move it instead of giving it a paragraph of its own.

Question 6

How do I write a good body paragraph for an essay?

Accepted Answer

State one claim, usually first. Give evidence: a fact, an example or a detail. Explain how the evidence supports the claim, because facts alone leave the reader to make the link. Close by drawing the point together without adding a new idea. Cut any sentence that is true but does not support this claim.

Question 7

Does every paragraph need a topic sentence?

Accepted Answer

No. Many story and descriptive paragraphs never state their idea; every detail carries it together, as a kicked-off slipper and spilled milk can show that someone left in a hurry. An implied topic is not a missing one. In essays and reports, though, state the idea so the reader cannot miss it.

Question 8

How do I find the sentence that does not belong in a paragraph?

Accepted Answer

Name the paragraph's one idea first. Then test each sentence: does it tell more about that idea? A sentence can share the paragraph's topic and still miss its idea, such as a line about a library's history in a paragraph about what libraries offer today. That sentence is the one to cut or move.

Question 9

What is the PEEL paragraph structure?

Accepted Answer

PEEL stands for Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link. It is one common classroom memory aid for a persuasive or analytical paragraph: state your point, support it, explain how the support backs it, and link back to the point, sharpened. Other aids, such as PEE, use different letters; the bones of the paragraph are the same.

Question 10

How do I write an introduction paragraph?

Accepted Answer

Build three parts. A hook draws the reader in and leads toward your point: a scene, a question, a true fact or a contrast. Context gives what the reader needs, in a sentence or two. A purpose statement says what the piece will argue or explain. Avoid warm-ups such as "Since the beginning of time".

Question 11

How do I write a conclusion paragraph?

Accepted Answer

Restate your one idea in fresh words rather than copying the introduction. Gather the main points in a sentence, without retelling the evidence. Then close: return to the opening image, say why the idea matters, look ahead, or ask the reader to act. Never add a new idea the piece did not develop.

Question 12

How do I link one paragraph to the next?

Accepted Answer

Carry an idea across the join. End one paragraph on an idea, then open the next by picking it up and turning it, as "The danger would shrink" leads to "A safer lane would also be a calmer one". A linking word such as "Furthermore" can signal the link, but it cannot build it alone. Chapter 21 owns the linking words.

Question 13

Why does each paragraph have only one idea?

Accepted Answer

So the reader can follow it. When a paragraph holds one idea, the reader knows what every sentence is for. When two ideas share a paragraph, the reader must sort them alone and often misses the second. A new idea deserves its own paragraph, where it can be developed properly.

Question 14

How do I put the sentences of a paragraph in order?

Accepted Answer

Choose the order the job needs. A story follows time; a description follows space, such as near to far; an explanation moves from general to specific; a case often builds to its strongest reason. Then check that a reader could say why each sentence comes where it does.

Question 15

How do I develop a topic sentence?

Accepted Answer

Answer the reader's question: says what, and how do you know? Add an example that makes the claim concrete, a reason that explains why it is true, or a fact or detail that shows it. A sentence that only repeats the topic sentence in new words has not developed anything.

What holds a paragraph together?