Module 2: Section 3

Writing Effective Paragraphs

Like sentences, good paragraphs have several features in common; and like sentences, paragraphs come in "all shapes and sizes." In general, a paragraph is a group of sentences, which share a common topic and focus on a single main thought. Within a paragraph, one sentence should lead logically to the next.

View the Paragraph Basics tutorial to learn about the basic parts of a paragraph.

Three Methods for Organizing Paragraphs

Every paragraph should focus on one main idea, or topic. Most paragraphs have a sentence that identifies that topic. Topic sentences help the reader understand your point and follow your reasoning. In most paragraphs, the topic sentence is the first or second sentence, but it is possible for it to come anywhere. Paragraphs with the topic sentence at the beginning are usually easier for readers to follow. Below, you will see three different methods for organizing your information in a paragraph. The topic sentence for each paragraph is in bolded italics. In the samples below, the topic sentences are all in blue italics.

1. Organizing by facts and examples

When you have a number of facts or examples to use in support of your main idea, you talk about each one in a logical order. You can add a sentence or two to explain your facts or examples, if necessary. Read the paragraph below, about the Civil War. What is the topic sentence? How do the points that follow the topic sentence expand on that main idea?

Many people point to the decisive Battle of Gettysburg as the key event in the Civil War. The devastating loss by the Confederate forces was caused in part of some very poor decisions by their leaders. In those days, armies on the march used their swift-moving cavalry to keep them informed of what was happening around them. For some reason, the Confederate cavalry leader, J.E.B. Stuart, had his horsemen off on an unknown adventure when the Confederate army blundered without warning into the Union forces at Gettysburg. As a result, the two met by surprise and without planning, and the first moments of battle were confusing for all. This led to a number of poor decisions. One of the Confederate generals noted an empty hilltop called Little Roundtop, and he asked permission to secure it. He was told not to, and the fact that the Union forces later held that site was a key reason for their victory. The most famous error of all was General Lee's orders to have General Pickett send his entire command on a direct attack, requiring them to walk a considerable distance across an open field as the enemy artillery fired at them. Pickett's Charge was a disaster that won nothing and brought 60% casualties to the troops before they finally retreated.

2. Organizing by telling a story or anecdote

Personal stories, known as “anecdotes,” can be an effective way to prove a point. In the previous paragraph about the Civil War, expanding the main idea with historical anecdotes from soldiers who fought in those battles would be an interesting way to expand on each of the three examples used in the paragraph. Those three examples could have become three paragraphs, each one of them devoted to one of the stories.

3. Organizing by chronological order or process

When the events in a story are told in the order they happened, they are being told in chronological order. Similarly, we can explain how to do something by describing each step in order. Can you find the topic sentence in the paragraph below? Are the steps or events described in the paragraph in chronological order?

Many golf instructors can describe beautifully the steps to effective putting as it is done by the pros, but those steps have nothing to do with the game played by most of us. The steps I use are probably much more closely followed by others of my ability. I begin by looking at the green to try to figure out how the ball will curve, or break, on its way toward the hole. After I finally admit that I have no idea, I try to decide how hard I should hit it. I can either hit it very timidly so that it will not even reach the hole, or I can make a nice, firm tap that will send the ball far past the hole when I miss. The most important decision, though, is planning my reaction to the miss. For example, I can look to the heavens in despair, as if my miss were somehow the fault of some divinity. I can also react in mock shock, as if I have never missed a putt like that before, or I can calmly walk to my ball and prepare for the next frustrating miss.

4. Organizing by comparison or contrast

Comparing one item to another is an effective way to organize your writing. In an essay, you can have one paragraph focus on one topic, followed by a paragraph that focuses on the other point. Inside a single paragraph, you can have a series of short points, as in the example paragraph above, going back and forth from one to the other. In the following paragraph, one situation is described first, then the other. As you read the paragraph below, can you identify the topic sentence? It might not appear where you expect!

Weddings today are getting more and more elaborate and more and more expensive, and parents are pressured to shell out many thousands of dollars for an event that will be over in one day. With such an elaborate wedding, couples have months of agonizing preparation. They wear thousands of dollars of clothing for one day of ritual and dancing in the joyful presence of hundreds of people they barely know but felt obligated to invite. The only lasting benefits are the wedding presents and the memories. What if, instead, a much more simple ceremony, dress, and reception were planned? The couple could still have guests and the wedding gifts, but, if their parents were willing, they could have much more. If the parents were willing to spend, say, $25,000 for a one-day wedding ceremony, they will possibly be willing to spend the same money on a much less expensive ceremony, with the remainder of the money going to help the couple start their married lives. For example, the couple could leave for their honeymoon knowing they will return to live in a comfortable home of their own, with the down payment paid for by the money they saved by having a simple ceremony. With the costs of elaborate weddings going well into the tens of thousands of dollars, and with most of that money serving no long term benefit, young couples might want to think about using a strategy that will set them up comfortably in their lives instead.