Writing Instruction Tutorial
Paragraphs
In This Section
How to Write Paragraphs
The introductory paragraph usually contains the main idea of the paper known as the thesis statement or sentence. Most often, the thesis statement is placed at the end of the introductory paragraph, for it serves as the clearest and most emphatic placement for it. First and last impressions are always important when it comes to writing. The opening sentence in the introductory paragraph should look forward to your thesis and should engage the reader's interest. From that opening, your sentences become progressively narrower and more specific.
The middle paragraphs should be mini-essays in themselves with their own beginnings and endings. The difference is that middle paragraphs must recognize their relationships to the paragraph preceding it and the paragraph following it. Topic sentences of middle paragraphs usually help to hook into the previous paragraph through the use of transition words or phrases. The key points to remember when it comes to the middle paragraph are:
- Think of middle paragraphs as miniature essays with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
- Middle paragraphs must be coherent and flow smoothly, containing only what is relevant to the topic sentence.
- Paragraphs need to be full and well developed with plenty of details, examples and full explanations that illustrate the topic sentence.
- Middle paragraphs as part of the larger essay must relate to the ones before and after them, and the best way to achieve it is by using transition words and phrases or repetition of key words or syntactical patterns.