The Secrets to Good Paragraph Writing

Four Essential Elements

Paragraph writing is the foundation of all essay writing, whether the form is
expository, persuasive, narrative, or creative. In order to write a good paragraph,
students need to understand the four essential elements of paragraph writing and
how each element contributes to the whole. At Time4Writing, a certified teacher acts
as an online writing tutor to help students build writing skills by focusing on the
fundamentals. And nothing in the writing process is more fundamental than writing a
solid paragraph.

The four elements essential to good paragraph writing are: unity, order,
coherence, and completeness. The following example illustrates the importance of
these elements in paragraph writing.

Before & After Comparison: From a wandering paragraph to a

wonderful paragraph!
This example shows how one student approached the writing prompt What is your
favorite day of the week and why? The original draft has some interesting ideas
but overall, the paragraph wanders. It includes both relevant and irrelevant details
and lacks the coherent focus required for a successful paragraph.

In Time4Writing courses, students are taught that the revision process is vital to
writing successful paragraphs. They learn how to use this key step to eliminate
unnecessary details and write a tightly structured paragraph.

Before Original Draft

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I like it because on Sunday, I watch football.
On other days, I also get to watch football but not all day. There are other sports on
other days to watch on TV.Sunday lunch is a favorite of mine because I eat with my
father in front of the TV. All the other days, I have to eat at the table which is less
fun. Some days my dad doesnt make it home from work until after Im in bed. Some
weeks my dad travels, and I dont see him for several days. The highlight of the day
is when we watch the Dolphins play. Dad and I get so excited, we yell and cheer
together. The thing that I like to do best in the world is watch TV with my dad.

Teacher Observations (Before)

The topic sentence restates the prompt but does not unify the paragraph.
The writer includes several irrelevant details.
The unifying idea in this paragraph is that the writer likes Sunday because it gives
him/her a chance to be with his/her dad. However, the idea is buried in this draft.

After Revised Draft

Sunday is my favorite day because I spend the day watching football with my dad.
On Sunday, unlike the other days of the week when he works, my dad spends the
whole day with me watching football on TV. We even eat lunch together while
watching. The highlight of the day is watching the Dolphins game. Dad and I get so
excited, we yell and cheer together. On Sundays, I get to combine watching my
favorite sport and spending time with my favorite personwhat a great day!

Teacher Observations (After)

The topic sentence connects the writing prompt with a summary of the main idea.
To keep the paragraph coherent, the most relevant details have been polished, and
the others deleted.
The closing sentence summarizes the paragraph and emphasizes the main idea.

What is a Paragraph?
Paragraphs are comprised of sentences, but not random sentences. A paragraph is
a group of sentences organized around a central topic. In fact, the cardinal rule of
paragraph writing is to focus on one idea. A solidly written paragraph takes its
readers on a clear path, without detours. Master the paragraph, and youll be on your
way to writing gold-star essays, term papers, and stories.

How to Write a Paragraph Using the Four Essential

Elements
A basic paragraph structure usually consists of five sentences: the topic sentence,
three supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence. But the secrets to
paragraph writing lay in four essential elements, which when used correctly, can
make a okay paragraph into a great paragraph.

1. Element #1: Unity. Unity in a paragraph begins with the topic sentence.
Every paragraph has one single, controlling idea that is expressed in its topic
sentence, which is typically the first sentence of the paragraph. A paragraph is
unified around this main idea, with the supporting sentences providing detail and
discussion. In order to write a good topic sentence, think about your theme and all
 the points you want to make. Decide which point drives the rest, and then write it
as your topic sentence.
2. Element #2: Order. Order refers to the way you organize your supporting
sentences. Whether you choose chronological order, order of importance, or
another logical presentation of detail, a solid paragraph always has a definite
organization. In a well-ordered paragraph, the reader follows along easily, aided
by the pattern youve established. Order helps the reader grasp your meaning and
avoid confusion.
3. Element #3: Coherence. Coherence is the quality that makes your writing
understandable. Sentences within a paragraph need to connect to each other and
work together as a whole. One of the best ways to achieve coherency is to use
transition words. These words create bridges from one sentence to the next. You
can use transition words that show order (first, second, third); spatial relationships
(above, below) or logic (furthermore, in addition, in fact). Also, in writing a
paragraph, using a consistent verb tense and point of view are important
ingredients for coherency.
4. Element #4: Completeness. Completeness means a paragraph is well-
developed. If all sentences clearly and sufficiently support the main idea, then
your paragraph is complete. If there are not enough sentences or enough
information to prove your thesis, then the paragraph is incomplete. Usually three
supporting sentences, in addition to a topic sentence and concluding sentence,
are needed for a paragraph to be complete. The concluding sentence or last
sentence of the paragraph should summarize your main idea by reinforcing your
topic sentence.

Writing Paragraph Prompts: Using the Four

Essential Elements
Writing paragraphs takes practice, but what should students write about? Good
paragraph writing prompts allow students to write about what they know and like, so
their focus can be on the writing process and using the four essential elements.
Paragraph writing prompts, such as Explain why ______ is your favorite
activity, encourage students to develop a topic sentence, write supporting sentences
in a proper order, use transition words to achieve coherency, and conclude their
paragraphs for completeness.
Paragraph Writing Exercises

In Process Writing, we have emphasized the fact that it is very

hard for the teacher to concentrate on both the grammar and the
organization errors on a student paper and still not discourage
the student with those red marks all over the paper. Instead, we
have suggested that the students should be able to comment on
and edit their own paper to a certain extent. The advantages of
such an approach would be raising awareness of the student and
reducing the workload of the teacher.

The exercises we have here are organized in such a way that the
students will concentrate on only one thing (e.g. organization,
grammar, vocabulary choice, etc.) at a time. For each type of
mistake, we first repeat the information presented in detail
in Paragraph Development and The Essay, and then provide a
writing exercise about it. For each type, the student first sees the
original writing. Then, he corrects the writing by typing in the text
box provided, and then sees the teacher-corrected version. The
teacher-corrected version is only a suggestion. There may be
many ways to correct a mistake. The examples given here are all
original beginner level papers.

Here are the contents:

1. ORGANIZATION OF THE
D. Lack of Topic Sentence
PARAGRAPH
A. Unity Exercise 4
Exercise 1 E. Development of ideas
B. Coherence Exercise 5
Exercise 2
C. Faulty Start 2. VOCABULARY CHOICE
Exercise 3 Exercise 6

1. ORGANIZATION OF THE PARAGRAPH

A. Unity: It means that all the sentences refer to the main idea,
or the topic of the paragraph.

Exercise 1: The original student paper:

I live in a flat with my family. We have two bedrooms and a living room. We have
a garden and we have some flowers there. In weekdays I arrive home at five
o'clock and I have lunch. Then I do my homework and go to bed. I had a
computer but now it doesn't work. I have a brother and a sister and I think I am
very lucky to live with them. Sometimes our relatives visit us. Our flat becomes
very crowded sometimes but I like it.

In a unified paragraph, we expect all the sentences to be about

the main idea of the paragraph. The main idea in this paragraph
is "the description of your house". If we examine the paragraph,
we see that some sentences do not describe the house, such as:

In weekdays I arrive home at five o'clock and I have lunch.

Then I do my homework and go to bed.
I had a computer but now it doesn't work.

Now, rewrite the main idea of the example paragraph so that it

covers all the sentences the student has written.

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Suggested Answer: My life at home.

B. Coherence: It means that the sentences should be

organized in a logical manner and should follow a definite plan of
development.
Exercise 2:
The original student paper:

I live in a house in Izmit. It isn't old or modern. It's a normal Turkish house. We
can say it is near the sea. It takes about 10 minutes to go to the sea side on
foot. We have one bedroom, one living room. We also have two other rooms, too.
We use them as a dining room. Naturally, we have a kitchen, a bathroom, and a
toilet. I live with my parents. And our house has a little garden; my parents
spend their time there to grow vegetables and fruit.

First, let's see the order of the ideas:

1. Where the house is
2. Type of the house
3. The location
4. The rooms in the house
5. The fact that he lives with his parents
6. The garden

The paragraph is well organized until he says he lives with his

parents. It looks like this idea interrupted his description of the
house. It should be put somewhere else in the paragraph. In the
box below, rewrite the paragraph in the correct order of
ideas (you can copy (ctrl+c) and paste (ctrl+v) if you like.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Suggested Answer: I live in a house in Izmit. It isn't old or modern; it is a normal

Turkish house. It is near the sea; it takes about ten minutes to go to the seaside.
In the house, there are two bedrooms, one living room and two other rooms that
we use as dining rooms. Naturally, we have a kitchen, a bathroom, a toilet, and a
little garden. My parents spend their time growing vegetables and fruit there.

C. Faulty Start:

Here are some ways to bore your readers to death (!) when
starting a paragraph/an essay:

You can start with:

1. a nonsense sentence:

e.g. I want to talk about X.

2. a clich:

e.g. X plays a great role in our lives.

X is a very important issue in today's world.

Exercise 3: Here is an example:

I want to talk about friendship. Friends can change your life. So, you must
know who is a real friend. Firstly, your friend must understand you and of
course, you must understand her, too. I think, another important point in a
friendship is confidence. You mustn't tell lies to each other. In addition, you
must say everything about yourself. I think these are important for a friendship.
If you have a friend like this, you don't break up with her because a real friend
is not found easily.

How do we understand that "I want to talk about friendship." is a

nonsense sentence? If we leave the nonsense sentence out, the
content and meaning of the paragraph does not change. Click
"SEE" to check it yourself.

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Suggested Answer: Friends play great roles in our lives so we must know our
friends. Firstly, your friend must understand you and of course, you must
understand her, too. I think another important point in a friendship is confidence.
You mustn't tell lies to each other. In addition, you must say everything about
yourself. I think these are important for a friendship. If you have a friend like
this, you don't break up with her because a real friend is not found easily.

D. Lack of Topic Sentence: Topic sentence is the main idea,

your attitude, your evaluation of something.

Having no topic sentence is bad both for the writer and the
reader. First, the reader has to read the entire paragraph to get
to the point. Here, the example is one paragraph long. What if
the example was a paper of 2-3 pages? This is one side. Lack of a
topic sentence also causes the writer to drift away from the topic.
He loses control over the writing. He may write 3 sentences about
one controlling idea and 1 for the other which causes an
imbalance within the writing.

Exercise 4: Try to write only a topic sentence for this

paragraph.

I hate lie. I always try not to tell lies and I want that from my friends, too. I
think it is the most important behavior. I can believe everything my friends say.
In addition, a good friend must say his ideas to me firstly. I mean, he shouldn't
talk about me with other people. Especially about the bad thing, he doesn't have
to talk because it might be wrong. Secondly, a good friend must help me. He
must do his best. He should ask help from me too. If we solve problems
together, our friendship will be better and it will become stronger. Thirdly, the
talking time is important. I can talk with my friends for a long time, and during
that time I must be happy. That's why we should like the same things. In
conclusion, trust is the basics of a friendship.

Write your topic sentence below.

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Suggested Answer: A good friend is a person who doesn't tell me lies, who helps
me and let me help him, and who I can talk to in trust.

E. Development of the ideas: It means that every idea

discussed in the paragraph should be adequately explained and
supported through evidence and examples.

We generally believe that people would easily understand us

when we write. Unfortunately, our use of language may not be
perfect and our ideas may be different. If we want our ideas to
be understood, we need to explain them and give specific
examples of each. Listing our ideas is never enough. See the
example below:

Exercise 5:

First of all, a friend mustn't tell lie. He must always tell me the truth and he
must be honest because if there is honesty between two friends, their
relationship will last until death. In addition to honesty, helping or being near a
friend on a bad day is very important. Another point to consider is that he must
criticize me if I make a mistake.

If we list the ideas, here is what we get:

A friend must:
not tell a lie
be there for him on a bad day
criticize when necessary

The list and the paragraph are the same length because the ideas
in the paragraph are also listed without explanation. This means,
the ideas are not developed. It also lacks a topic sentence. Lets
write the paragraph again creating a topic sentence and some
explanation of the ideas provided.

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Suggested Answer: There are three qualities that I need to see in a good friend.
First, a good friend shouldn't tell lies. I need to trust him so that I can talk to him.
Second, a good friend should be there when I needed him. I should be able to
find him near me when I am in a bad mood or when I have a problem. Finally,
when necessary, he should criticize me so that I can change my undesirable
behaviour or see where I am wrong. I think, these three qualities atre the basic
properties in a good friend.

2. VOCABULARY CHOICE:

Many reasons play a role in our vocabulary mistakes. There are

some English words and expressions that are confused
throughout the world where English is used. There even are
dictionaries of common language errors. For example,
effect/affect, advise/advice. There are sites dedicated to these
common errors and related exercises amongst the links we have
provided. Here, we would especially like to work on language
errors caused mainly by Turkish interference (aka Turklish).

Exercise 6: Let's read the original student paragraph below

and then discuss the issue:

Friends play a great role in our lives. They effect our lives negatifly or positifly.
We should choose them very carefully. First, we can look at his behaviors. If it
is OK, no problem but if it is not, we can't become a "Kanka". After that, we can
look at his activities. It is very important to do something together. We must
beware of people who hasbad habits such as smoking, bad speaking, etc. Some
people don't think so but I think finally we should look at
his phsical aparians because if you have diffirent phsical apariansethan him, you
can't be relaxable. For example if you are taller than him, this generally
does unrelaxable to him. As a consequently, it is very important to choose a
friend according to your especialities.

First of all, "negatif" and "positif" are written in Turkish (or almost
in Turkish "pozitif"). We, Turkish learners of English, generally
make this mistake both in writing and in speaking (consider
"psychology, sociology"). We may have similar words in both
languages; however, we must pay attention to their spellings and
pronunciations.

Secondly, "Kanka" is a Turkish word. It is correct to highlight it

either by using double quotations or writing in italics, but does
this explain what "Kanka" means? Do all of us (including foreign
instructors reading this writing) need to know this word which is
used mostly by teenagers? It is common practice to use foreign
words or expressions. If we use them, we need to make
ourselves clear by explaining their meanings.

Thirdly, we see many misspelled words. We can deduce what they

are but do we have to? Unless we write words correctly, we
cannot expect others to understand us. This attitude "This is how
I write / talk. If they want to understand me, they should get
used to my style" would not help anyone, and should not be.

Now, let's get rid of the "Turklish" in the sample paragraph and
write it again, without changing the meaning much.

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Suggested Answer: As friends may affect us in a negative or positive way, we

should be selective in choosing our friends. First, we observe their behaviours.
We should have similar characters so that we can get along. Second, the types of
activities they prefer can give us a clue. If we are not a cigarette-smoker or a
cursing person, we wouldn't want to see such people around us. Finally, physical
appearances should be compatible as well. Some people may not agree with me,
but I think a very short person and a very tall person would not be able to get on
well for a long time. In short, behaviors, types of activities,and physical
appearance of friends must be similar to be good friends.
Writing paragraphs
Writing topic sentences

Exercise 6

Write the topic sentences for each of the following paragraphs.

Paragraph 1

Firstly, they live in or on a host, and do it harm. The depth to which they penetrate the
host varies, as indeed does the damage. Fleas, leeches and lice live on the surface and
cause superficial injury. Athlete's foot is a skin disease caused by a fungus living in the
surface layers of the foot. The parasite of sleeping sickness is found in the host's blood
wriggling between blood corpuscles. Secondly, parasites show some simplification of
body structures when compared with free-living relatives. Sacculina (a relative of the
crab) shows loss of limbs and is reduced to a mass of reproductive tissue within the
abdomen of its crustacean host. Dodder, a plant parasite, lacks leaves, roots and
chlorophyll. Thirdly, although all organisms show adaptations to their way of life, in
the case of parasites they are often associated with a complex physiological response,
e.g. the ability to survive in regions almost devoid of available oxygen, such as adult
liver flukes, or the hooks and suckers of adult tapeworm. Lastly, parasites exhibit a
complex and efficient reproduction, usually associated in some way with the
physiology of the host, e.g. rabbit fleas are stimulated by the level of sex hormone in
their host.

(J. Hard, (1975). Biology, p. 57)

Paragraph 2

In 1920 an average of 2.75 pounds of waste were produced each day by each
individual in the United States. Today the quantity of waste produced is 53 pounds per
person, and by 1980 it is estimated that this will rise to 8 pounds per person. One
year's rubbish from 10,000 people covers an acre of ground to the depth of 10 feet. In
one year Americans throw away 48 thousand million cans, 26 thousand million
bottles, 430 million tons of paper, 4 million tons of plastic and 100 million tyres which
weigh almost a million tons.

(John W Klotz, (1972). Ecology crisis, p. 197)

Paragraph 3
That it might be experienced in any other way seems unnatural and strange, a feeling
which is rarely modified even when we begin to discover how really differently it is
handled by some other people. Within the West itself certain cultures rank time much
lower in over-all importance than we do. In Latin America, for example, where time is
treated rather cavalierly, one commonly hears the expression, "Our time or your
time?" "Hora americana, hora mejicana?"

(Edward Hall, (1973), The silent language, p. 6)

Paragraph 4

From the late 1870s onwards, cheap American corn began to arrive in the country in
large quantities, along with refrigerated meat and fruit from Australia and New
Zealand, and in a period when both farmers and businessmen were complaining of
depression, standards of living rose higher than they had ever done. The change began
each day, as Victorian writers frequently pointed out, with the food on the breakfast
table - with eggs and bacon as staple fare for the middle classes - and went on through
tea, high or low, to multi-course dinners or fish-and-chip suppers. The poor were
eating better as well as the rich. The annual per capita consumption of sugar, which
had increased from 18 lb. to 35 lb. between the Queen's accession and 1860, rose to 54
lb. in 1870-99 and 85 lb. in 1900-10; that of tea, which along with beer had now
become a national drink, went up from 1 lb, first to 4 lb and then to 6 lb.

(Asa Briggs, (1983). A social history of England, p. 246)

Paragraph 5

The first is the way in which living cells develop an energy currency. This, like
ordinary money, can be used to exchange one vital commodity for another. The second
is the use of substances called enzymes as go-betweens to reduce the amount of
energy needed to make many chemical reactions essential to life take place fast
enough.

(The sciences: Michael Beazley Encyclopaedias (1980), p. 136)

Paragraph 6

At first it was little more than a trickle. For a long time the Norman conquerors did not
mix much with their Saxon subjects. There are plenty of indications of this; for the
languages, too, moved side by side in parallel channels. The custom of having one
name for a live beast grazing in the field and another for the same beast, when it is
killed and cooked, is often supposed to be due to our English squeamishness and
hypocrisy. Whether or not the survival of this custom through ten centuries is due to
the national characteristics in question it would be hard to say, but they have certainly
nothing to do with its origin. That is a much more blame-less affair. For the Saxon
neatherd who had spent a hard day tending his oxen, sheep, calves and swine,
probably saw little enough of the beef, mutton, veal, pork and bacon, which were
gobbled at night by his Norman masters. There is something a little pathetic, too, in
the thought that the homely old word, stool, could be used to express any kind of seat,
however magnificent, until it was, so to speak, hustled into the kitchen by the smart
French chair. Even the polite, however, continued to use the old word in the idiom to
fall between two stools.

Owen Barfield: History in English Words (Faber, 1954)

Writing paragraphs
Paragraph structure - writing topic sentences

These are the original paragraphs. You will almost certainly have come up
with something different.

Paragraph 1

Parasites exhibit four features that collectively identify them as such. Firstly, they live
in or on a host, and do it harm. The depth to which they penetrate the host varies, as
indeed does the damage. Fleas, leeches and lice live on the surface and cause
superficial injury. Athlete's foot is a skin disease caused by a fungus living in the
surface layers of the foot. The parasite of sleeping sickness is found in the host's blood
wriggling between blood corpuscles. Secondly, parasites show some simplification of
body structures when compared with free-living relatives. Sacculina (a relative of the
crab) shows loss of limbs and is reduced to a mass of reproductive tissue within the
abdomen of its crustacean host. Dodder, a plant parasite, lacks leaves, roots and
chlorophyll. Thirdly, although all organisms show adaptations to their way of life, in
the case of parasites they are often associated with a complex physiological response,
e.g. the ability to survive in regions almost devoid of available oxygen, such as adult
liver flukes, or the hooks and suckers of adult tapeworm. Lastly, parasites exhibit a
complex and efficient reproduction, usually associated in some way with the
physiology of the host, e.g. rabbit fleas are stimulated by the level of sex hormone in
their host.

Paragraph 2
Still another aspect of pollution is that of solid wastes. In 1920 an average of 2.75
pounds of waste were produced each day by each individual in the United States.
Today the quantity of waste produced is 53 pounds per person, and by 1980 it is
estimated that this will rise to 8 pounds per person. One year's rubbish from 10,000
people covers an acre of ground to the depth of 10 feet. In one year Americans throw
away 48 thousand million cans, 26 thousand million bottles, 430 million tons of paper,
4 million tons of plastic and 100 million tyres which weigh almost a million tons.

Paragraph 3

People of the Western world, particularly Americans, tend to think of time as

something fixed in nature, something around us and from which we cannot escape; an
ever-present part of the environment, just like the air we breathe.That it might be
experienced in any other way seems unnatural and strange, a feeling which is rarely
modified even when we begin to discover how really differently it is handled by some
other people. Within the West itself certain cultures rank time much lower in over-all
importance than we do. In Latin America, for example, where time is treated rather
cavalierly, one commonly hears the expression, "Our time or your time?" "Hora
americana, hora mejicana?"

Paragraph 4

Nutritionists as well as economists and sociologists have interpreted both what the
Victorians ate and how much of it. From the late 1870s onwards, cheap American corn
began to arrive in the country in large quantities, along with refrigerated meat and fruit
from Australia and New Zealand, and in a period when both farmers and businessmen
were complaining of depression, standards of living rose higher than they had ever
done. The change began each day, as Victorian writers frequently pointed out, with the
food on the breakfast table - with eggs and bacon as staple fare for the middle classes -
and went on through tea, high or low, to multi-course dinners or fish-and-chip suppers.
The poor were eating better as well as the rich. The annual per capita consumption of
sugar, which had increased from 18 lb. to 35 lb. between the Queen's accession and
1860, rose to 54 lb. in 1870-99 and 85 lb. in 1900-10; that of tea, which along with
beer had now become a national drink, went up from 11b, first to 4lb and then to
61b.

Paragraph 5

The complexities of biochemistry can be reduced to two fundamental processes. The

first is the way in which living cells develop an energy currency. This, like ordinary
money, can be used to exchange one vital commodity for another. The second is the
use of substances called enzymes as go-betweens to reduce the amount of energy
needed to make many chemical reactions essential to life take place fast enough.

Paragraph 6
The conquest of England by the Norman invaders brought about an influx of French
words which went on increasing in volume for more than three centuries. At first it
was little more than a trickle. For a long time the Norman conquerors did not mix
much with their Saxon subjects. There are plenty of indications of this; for the
languages, too, moved side by side in parallel channels. The custom of having one
name for a live beast grazing in the field and another for the same beast, when it is
killed and cooked, is often supposed to be due to our English squeamishness and
hypocrisy. Whether or not the survival of this custom through ten centuries is due to
the national characteristics in question it would be hard to say, but they have certainly
nothing to do with its origin. That is a much more blame-less affair. For the Saxon
neatherd who had spent a hard day tending his oxen, sheep,
calves and swine, probably saw little enough of the beef, mutton, veal,
pork and bacon, which were gobbled at night by his Norman masters. There is
something a little pathetic, too, in the thought that the homely old word, stool, could
be used to express any kind of seat, however magnificent, until it was, so to speak,
hustled into the kitchen by the smart French chair. Even the polite, however,
continued to use the old word in the idiom to fall between two stools.

Owen Barfield: History in English Words (Faber, 1954)