Good Paragraph Writing
Paragraph Structure 1.Topic Sentence 2.Supporting Sentences (3 to 5) 3.Concluding / Transitional Sentence
The topic sentence has one main idea. When writing your topic sentence, ask yourself, “What do I want my readers to know?” If you are trying to say too much in the topic sentence, consider splitting off part of it into a new paragraph.
The supporting sentences give: 1.information about the topic 2.examples that make the main idea clear 3.reasoning that strengthens the purpose
The concluding sentence can: summarize the paragraph, and/or provide a transition to the next paragraph.
Warning! When summarizing, don’t simply repeat the topic. This can lead to boring pieces of writing. If you can’t think of a meaningful way to summarize the paragraph, just make sure that your last sentence provides a good transition to the next paragraph.
Good paragraph structure is only the beginning of writing an excellent paragraph.
The Elements of Good Writing 1.Purpose 2.Unity 3.Coherence 4.Clarity 5.Completeness
Purpose Since the topic sentence contains the central idea of the paragraph, it plays a big part in revealing the purpose of the paragraph. The supporting sentences shed further light on the purpose, making it completely clear.
Purpose: Audience Whenever you do any type of writing, ask yourself, “Who are my readers?” Your readers are your “target audience”. You are writing for them.
Audience Your audience will determine what pieces of information you include in your writing, your choice of vocabulary, writing style (formal vs. informal), etc.
Unity (see page 35 of the textbook) Every sentence in a paragraph must support the main idea of the topic sentence. Purpose and Unity are closely tied together. When every sentence is focused on the purpose, the paragraph is unified.
Coherence (see page 66 and 77 of the textbook) Coherence = Connection / Logical Consistency Sentences need to connect together smoothly in order to make your writing understandable.
Coherence Unity is important, but coherence is also necessary to create a flow to your sentences so they work together for a feeling of wholeness. How can you achieve coherence?
Coherence 1.Order your thoughts (Chronological, Logical, etc.) 2.Use good transition words. 3.Be consistent with verb tenses. 4.Provide consistent point of view. (Through whose eyes are we seeing the writing?)
Clarity Clear sentences are understandable. Good grammar, spelling, and punctuation go a long way toward providing clarity. For example, mastering parallelism – especially with verb tenses – greatly increases clarity.
Clarity Choose clear, precise, and vivid 1 words. 1 Vivid – producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind.
He ran home to see what had happened. He ran home as fast as he could to see what had happened. He sprinted home to see what had happened.
In addition to a good dictionary, you should own a thesaurus. A thesaurus can be thought of as a word finder or synonym dictionary. It provides a treasure of words right at your fingertips.
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Author: Barbara Ann Kipfer
If you can’t find (or afford) a thesaurus in book form, consider using a free online thesaurus. Type “online thesaurus” into a search engine to find some possible web sites. thesaurus.com thesaurus.net freethesaurus.net
Completeness A complete paragraph is well-developed. It has neither too little information nor too much. Counting the number of sentences provides only a rough estimate of completeness. The important point is whether the ideas adequately support the topic sentence.
The 5 Elements of Good Writing Purpose: What is my main point? Who is my audience? Unity: Do all of my sentences support the topic sentence? Coherence: Are my ideas logically organized with smooth transitions? Am I consistent with verb tenses and point of view? Clarity: Do I use clear, precise, and vivid words? Do I use good grammar, especially parallelism? Completeness: Do I use the right amount of information?