What is a paragraph?

The body of an essay is made up of a series of paragraphs in which you present your evidence for the position you have taken on an issue (your argument). Each paragraph is like a mini essay of one idea.  It should have:

• A topic sentence, that is a statement of the key point that you will be discussing in the paragraph (which must relate to the assignment topic);
• Expansion and elaboration of this key point
• Supporting evidence to support the key idea in the topic sentence. The evidence can be:
  • personal evidence (if accepted in the course)
  • published evidence
  • popular press (if accepted)
  • academic press (primary, secondary or tertiary sources);
• Examples (where relevant/appropriate)
• A final sentence which draws together the information gathered from various sources and relate it, in summary, back to the essay topic. Alternatively the final sentence may create a link with the following paragraph.

Topic Sentences (University of Ottawa, 2006)

A topic sentence encapsulates or organises an entire paragraph, and you should be careful to include one in most of your major paragraphs. Although topic sentences may appear anywhere in a paragraph, in academic essays they often appear at the beginning. It might be helpful to think of a topic sentence as working in two directions simultaneously. It relates the paragraph to the essay's thesis, and thereby acts as a signpost for the argument of the paper as a whole, but it also defines the scope of the paragraph itself. When the topic sentence makes a claim, the paragraph which follows must expand, describe, or prove it in some way. Topic sentences make a point and give reasons or examples to support it.

Two ways of using topic sentences

• Write the topic sentence first, then add on the information which supports the topic sentence. This method is useful if you already have sufficient information to prepare a framework for the piece of writing, for example when the essay is under exam conditions, or when preparing a speech.
• Write the information in the paragraph, then add on an appropriate topic sentence. This method is useful for research assignments and essays where you first have to collect information and do a rough draft of a piece of written work.

Writing paragraphs (from Cottrell, 1999)

If you have difficulties with paragraphing, and ordering your sentences within a paragraph in a logical order, divide a page into three columns:

In column 1, write the ideas, theories, opinions, and line of reasoning that you will include in your writing. In column 2, write the main examples and types of evidence that support your line of reasoning. In column 3, write lesser details, facts, names, statistics, dates, and examples that support your main argument.

Each paragraph should have:

• One item from column 1
• One, two, or three items from column 2
• Several items from column 3.

All items within one paragraph should help to make the same point.

Checking your paragraphs (adapted from Cottrell, 1999)

After you have completed a draft of your essay, you can check your use of paragraphing and the sequence of your argument by working through the following exercise:

1. Read each paragraph. Decide what is the main point being made in each.
2. Sum up that topic. Use only one to four words.
3. Give the topic a name. Write the topic in the margin.
4. Identify the topic sentence. Find the sentence that sums up the point being made in the paragraph. Highlight it. If it is not at the beginning of the paragraph, consider if it would have more impact there.
5. Check for relevance. Ensure that every sentence within a paragraph relates to the topic sentence. If it does not, and appears superfluous, cross it out or delete it.
6. Determine the order of sentences. In each paragraph, ensure that sentences are in a logical order, and that the links from one sentence to the next are clear.
7. Check the line of argument. Ensure that the relationships between paragraphs are clear, and that it is also clear how each paragraph leads on to the next.
8. Check overall relevance. Ensure all paragraphs are relevant to the essay question/assignment topic that you must address.

References

Cottrell, S. (1999). The study skills handbook. New York: Palgrave.

University of Ottawa. (2006). Hypergrammar: Writing topic sentences [online]. Retrieved 8th February, 2007 from http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/partopic.html