Module 2: Section 4

Compare and Contrast: Constructing Strong Paragraphs

For this activity, you will focus on constructing strong paragraphs. Paragraphs are the building blocks of an essay. This is particularly true in a format as straightforward as the five-paragraph essay. Each paragraph counts as its own unit and serves a unique purpose.

Paragraphs may be the building blocks of an essay, but each paragraph has its own components: a topic sentence, supporting information, commentary, and a conclusion. Each of these components may be a sentence or more, but they are all essential to a strong paragraph.

When writing paragraphs, it is important for the series of ideas to flow together. They do so with the help of transitions. Without effective transitions, your paragraphs will come across as disconnected, as a series of facts without any relationship. Transitions link ideas so that they relate to one another; they provide comparison and contrast, and they strengthen and weaken ideas.

Keep in mind that you need transitions between paragraphs, too. In some cases, transitions are single words. Other times they consist of more than one word, in which case they are called transitional phrases. Click this link for a list of transitions you can refer to for this or any other section’s writing activities.

Click here for a list

and also in addition besides too in other words again similarly rather than despite but, yet along with to the contrary

further furthermore moreover indeed in fact as a result nevertheless as, as if like, unlike in comparison even when whereas

finally after all first, second, to conclude to sum up accordingly in the end regardless in spite of however on the other hand although