Anatomy of a Paragraph
1Department
Bill Knowlton1,2
of Materials Science & Engineering
of Electrical Engineering
Boise State University
2Department
MSE 478/578 – Scientific Communication in MSE
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Paragraph – Unit of Exposition
A paragraph:
Makes one point
Contains one main idea
Space between paragraphs = mental breath
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Paragraph – Unit of Exposition
A paragraph:
Contains 2-3 sentences (max ~ 5 sentences)
Do not write 5 or more sentences without
taking a mental breath
Otherwise, see if you can break your paragraph
into two
Inside a Paragraph:
Lead/Topic sentence
Subsequent sentences
Final sentence
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Paragraph – Unit of Exposition
Lead or Topic Sentence
Identifies paragraph’s:
Main topic
Focal point
Subsequent or Supporting Sentences
Expand on the focal point
Coherently emphasizes topic sentence
Each sentence supports the focal point via:
Examples
Details
Focal point tied to other similar entities
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2
Paragraph – Unit of Exposition
Subsequent or Supporting Sentences (cont.)
Some approaches of relating subsequent
sentences to Topic sentence
List Structure
Chain Structure
Combo List-Chain Structure
List Structure
List of sentences that:
Support the Topic
Do not necessarily link to each other besides via the Topic
List can:
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Follow same basic pattern
Be comparison and contrast (particularly if topic sentence
is a comparison and contrast)
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Paragraph – Unit of Exposition
Chain Structure
Each sentence is linked (as in “chain link”) or
associated to the previous sentence
1st Subsequent sentence is linked to the Topic
sentence but other subsequent sentences are not
Each sentence tends to suggest/generate the next
sentence
Each following sentence should be an extension of
its predecessor
HOW?
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3
Paragraph – Unit of Exposition
Chain Structure - continued
How?
Make subject or object from preceding sentence the
subject or object of following sentence
“The body uses hormones”
“Body” = subject
“Hormones” = object
Following sentence continues the discussion and
connects new ideas to those established previously
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“Hormones are chemical messengers produced by
cells.”
“Hormones” = subject
“Messengers” = object
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Paragraph – Unit of Exposition
Subsequent or Supporting Sentences
(cont.)
Combo List-Chain Structure
A Chain structure with imbedded list structure
A List supports each Link sentence
Final sentence
Implication of focal point of paragraph
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Paragraph – Unit of Exposition
Connecting Succeeding Paragraphs
Chain structure
Subject of lead sentence in subsequent paragraph is
a subject or an object in the last sentence of the
preceding paragraph
The subject or object in the first paragraph bridges
the subject or object of the next paragraph
List structure
Topic sentences of each paragraph supports the
focal point of the main focal point of section
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References for this overview:
[1] Michael Jay Katz, "From Research to
Manuscript: A Guide to Scientific Writing"
Springer; 2nd edition (January 29, 2009) pp. 8-11.
[2] James A.W. Heffernan & John E. Lincoln,
“Writing-A College Handbook”, W.W. Norton &
Company; 2nd edition (1986) pp144-
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