Strong Paragraphs in Academic Writing

Types of paragraphs:

• Chronological/Narrative: the writer is telling a story and the details/events are in chronological order as events happened.

• Descriptive: you are giving the readers information about what something or someone looks like/sounds like/smells like—the details still need to be organized in a logical flow.

• Instructional: you are telling about a process or describing how something works. You should follow the correct sequence in your paragraph so the reader could duplicate the action or activity.

• Dissecting: The writer is dividing a whole topic into parts starting with a large topic and breaking it down into its smaller parts. (Example: pets as a large category—following sentences break the category down into types of pets.)

• Academic: the writer states a point and give examples to prove the point. The writer determines the order of the examples while still giving the paper a smooth flow for the reader to follow.

  
  

What does a strong paragraph in an academic paper need?

• Choose a main idea or focus for each paragraph (topic sentence/thesis sentence).

• Explain the idea. Unravel the idea or give the reader a reason you are saying it is true.

• Give an example to back up your explanation.

• Explain the example and how it relates to your topic.

• Finish the paragraph with a strong concluding sentence.

• Begin the next paragraph with a transitional sentence so the paper has an even flow for the readers to follow.

  
  

Problem to avoid: a paragraph/paper section with no topic sentence

Imagine a reader trying to figure out what your point is. Your thoughts for your paper can get messy if they aren’t held together by a strong structure. Your readers don’t know what to do with all the thoughts you’re giving them if they are haphazardly tossed around in any order. So, the first sentence of a paragraph explains the topic (or main thought) of the paragraph. The last sentence of the paragraph tells the reader how the paragraph relates to the larger thesis of your paper.

Problem to avoid: a paper or paragraph with too many “main ideas”

Sometimes writers get excited about their topic and try to include too much information. The paper then becomes a list of main idea rather than an examination of selected main ideas. Each paragraph of a paper should relate to one main point or thought related to the thesis. Stick to the thesis rather than straying off in new directions.

Problem to avoid:  moving from one thought to another without a transition

When you change to a new thought, make the transition smooth. Think of a short story that moves the readers between scenes. An academic paper should read just as smoothly. Writers should always include transitions between paragraphs or sections in a paper. These transitions can be transition sentences that connect the new thought to the previous one or can be single words or short phrases that help to shift between ideas or to create a logical flow of ideas in a paragraph. You may need to add words or phrases such as: also, in addition, second, moreover, as well as, just as.