Download Understanding the Importance and Structure of Paragraphs in Academic Writing and more Study notes Grammar and Composition in PDF only on Docsity! Paragraphs Blinn College – Bryan Writing Center Spring 2022 Paragraphs Definitions of Paragraphs Merriam Webster describes a paragraph as “a subdivision of a written composition that consists of one or more sentences, deals with one point or gives the words of one speaker.” A Writer’s Reference defines a paragraph as “a group of sentences that focuses on one main point or example” (42). A Writer’s Reference also explains that with the exception of “special-purpose paragraphs” (introductions and conclusions, for example), “paragraphs develop and support an essay’s main point, or thesis” and should be “well developed, organized, coherent, and neither too long nor too short for easy reading” (42). A careful eye will detect a unifying thread between these definitions: paragraphs deal with a single topic. This may explain why essays do not succeed as hoped. Perhaps, in a writer’s excitement, he or she becomes carried away with his or her own thoughts and crams too many ideas into one paragraph. Likewise, in his or her exhaustion or lack of enthusiasm for a certain topic, he or she may use too little information to complete the intended thought, moving on to new ideas without developing the one he or she already began. Purposes of Paragraphs Academic writing may seem to rest contingent on merely meeting the minimum number of words assigned by the teacher. However, many writers fail to realize that essays are not constructed by a particular number of words; essays are constructed by solid ideas expressed in concise, well-structured forms. This is the purpose of the paragraph. Paragraphs draw definitive boundaries around ideas, giving each one a unique location in the landscape of the larger essay. Paragraphs also display thoughts in singular frames, where each one can be easily identified. Learning how to craft well-written, explicitly transitioned paragraphs allows writing to sound more purposeful and energetic. A writer’s essay no longer feels like an impossible incline of slippery words and slurred speech; instead, paragraphs serve as a staircase in an essay, leading from the bottom floor of the introduction to the top floor of the conclusion. Again, with a careful eye exploring the box to the left, one may notice that movement sums up the unifying purpose of the paragraph. Paragraphs introduce and conclude essays. Paragraphs draw mile markers between “important points” and “significant transitions.” Paragraphs merge and shift lanes between similar and opposing interpretations. However a writer chooses to view the paragraph, the most appropriate view shows the paragraph in motion, moving the reader through the paper. Too Many Ideas As any coffee lover knows, too many dark roasted, freshly ground Ethiopian beans in the morning’s first much-desired pot can gurgle up a blackened, chary mess so bitter and biting the coffee ultimately devours the drinker instead of vice versa. Too Little Thin coffee tastes weak. Paragraphs serve several purposes: 1) to introduce or conclude an essay; 2) to emphasize an important point or to indicate a significant transition between points; 3) to shift approach—from pros to cons, or from problem to solution; 4) to mark movement in a sequence. (See A Writer’s Reference pages 42-54 for more on paragraph purpose)
