BASIC
PARAGRAPH PATTERNS
All god writing is based on he ordered flow of thought, and paragraphs are the way we divide hat flow into understandable units.
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A Paragraph is a group of sentences that all relate to a central or unifying thought. |
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Careful paragraphing is related to clear organization and to the distinct separation of one important idea from another. |
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The indentation at the beginning of a paragraph indicates a division of thought or a change in the focus of the writing. |
The common definition of a paragraph is a group of sentences that focus on a single unit of thought. However, paragraphs may shift from one ides to another, so long as there is a close relationship between the two ideas. An example is sentences that use the transitional word however, which indicates a change in direction and thought.
The topic sentence is the central idea which unifies the paragraph. The main idea should be unmistakable clear to the reader. The failure to use a good topic sentence in a paragraph indicates that (1) the writer does not really know what point or idea he wants a group of sentences to develop, or (2) he simply doesn’t understand the writing process. The topic sentence is usually the first sentence in the paragraph. This way, the reader understands the purpose of the paragraph he is about to read and will be better able to make sense of the ideas in the rest of the paragraph.
Paragraphs vary in length from a single word to several pages in length, depending on the subject matter and the kind of writing.
Paragraphs in newspapers are generally short, often lo longer than one sentence. Such short paragraphs allow the reader to grasp the leading facts quickly and easily. But in more complex material, many short paragraphs tend to either separate closely related ideas or to dismiss ideas before they are fully developed.
In most students writing, most paragraphs should average 75 o 150 words in length, or from three to ten sentences. However, shorter or longer paragraphs are appropriate depending on the idea that is being developed.
Short paragraphs are useful to (1) give emphasis, (2) to make a transition between long paragraphs, (3) to describe dramatic, exciting action in narration and (4) to mark changes in speakers in dialogues.
Excessively long paragraphs are hard to read, and they often become overdeveloped or not properly unified. This will often cause difficulty for the reader in grasping the writer’s purpose and emphasis.