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Organising ideasParagraphs are used to organise ideas into a logical structure. You should begin a new paragraph whenever there is a change in meaning, direction or emphasis. Paragraphs should not be too short, and should contain at least two or three sentences. However, they also should not be too long. In essay writing, paragraphs which exceed two-thirds of a page should be broken up into smaller paragraphs. Always leave a blank line space between paragraphs.
The topic sentenceEach paragraph should make a single point, which is announced to the reader, then explained and developed. This single point, or main idea, is announced in a topic sentence, which is usually the first in the paragraph. The sentences in the middle explain or develop the main idea. A paragraph often ends with a concluding sentence which sums up the ideas that have been developed within it, and sometimes contains material that links it to the next. We’ll talk more about the endings shortly. |
