Study Session 7
WRITING SKILLS I: THE PARAGRAPH
7.0 Introduction
In this study session, you will be introduced to the paragraph as a unit of writing. You will be
provided with definition and explanation of what it is and how in combination with each other
makes for effective writing. you will also be looking at different types of paragraph available.
You will receive an explanation of what a topic sentence is and how it relates within and without
theparagraph.You will also learn a 5-Step Process to Paragraph Development. You will be
introduced to elements of the paragraph and how to troubleshoot troublesome paragraphs.
Finally you will learn how to knowwhen to start a New Paragraph.
Study Session 7 Learning Outcomes:
After studying this session , you should be should be able to:

Define and explain a paragraph

Discuss how it combines with other paragraphs to create effective writing.

Mention and explain the types of paragraph discussed in this study

Define what a topic sentence is and how it functions in a sentence.

Identify and discuss elements of a paragraph and when to begin a new paragraph

Engage in a 5 step process to develop a paragraph
7.1 A PARAGRAPH
A paragraph is a unit of any composition comprising a collection of related sentences dealing
with a single topic. It usually contains a main idea and may contain a sub-idea. An essay is thus
a combination of ideas from one paragraph to another that creates a united whole, since all
paragraphs support each other, leading you from the first idea to the final resolution of the
written work.Ultimately, a paragraph is a sentence or group of sentences that support one main
idea. Length is not a determinant in defining a paragraph. Single-sentence paragraphs are
however rare. You are therefore advised to write a minimum of three sentences in a paragraph.
A good paragraph would exhibit unity and coherence just like a good composition
would exhibit the same quality amongst paragraphs.
What is a paragraph ?
A unit of composition with related sentences dealing with a single topic.
7.2
Types of Paragraph:
In this section we will learn about types of paragraphs and be provided with some helper words
with which you could write them. Some examples of such helper words are provided below for
each paragraph type. (Pls. note the helper words underlined)
7.2.1. The Definition Paragraph:This type of paragraph provides an explanation of the key
words or the main topic of a composition. An example is the definition of suicide : Suicide is
defined as the act of taking one‘s own life / suicide is a kind of act which involves taking one‘s
own life.
7.2.2. The Classification Paragraph: Thisgroups things or ideas into specific categories. Helper
words here include: ‗is a kind of‘;‗can be divided into ; ‗is a type of‘; ‗falls under‘ ; ‗falls under‘
; ‗belongs to‘; ‗is a part of ;‗fits into‘ ;‗is grouped with‘;‗is related to‘; ‗is associated with‘ .
Some helper words are used in the following sentences discussing two types of energy
resources. 1. Coal is a kind of non-renewable resource. 2. Energy resources can be divided into
two types. 3. Coal is a type of non-renewable resource. 4. Coal is associated with other nonrenewable resources. 5. Coal belongs to the category of non-renewable resources.
7.2.3. The Descriptive Paragraph: In this type of paragraph you write to describe a person,
place, or thing . For example to write a paragraph describing what an African Lion looks like,
some helper words that should assist you in doing this are : ‗measurement‘; location‘ ; ‗size‘ ;
length‘ ; ‗is like‘; colour‘; ‗width‘; ‗resembles‘; ‗above‘ ; ‗shape‘; ‗mass‘/‗weight‘ ; ‗below‘;
‗purpose‘;‗speed‘; ‗beside‘; ‗near‘; ‗north‘/‗east‘/‗west‘
.1.‗measurement‘-An African tiger‘s
head is about 50 cm long. 2. ‗location‘-Most of Nigeria‘s manufacturing is located inLagos and
Sagamu. 3. ‗size‘ - African tigers are big in size. 4.‗length‘ -The length of an African tiger is…
5. ‗resembles‘ -An African Tiger resembles other tigers in shape. 6. ‗mass‘/‗weight‘- An
African tiger weighs up to 650 kg. 7. ‗north‘/‗east‘/‗west‘- Ogbomosho is west of Ibadan.
7.2.4 The Comparison and Contrast Paragraph:This type of paragraph is concerned with the
similarities and differences between two or more people, places, things, or ideas. Some helper
words that makes this happen include : ‗is similarto‘; ‗the other hand‘ ; ‗both‘ ;‗however‘ ;
‗also‘; ‗but‘ ; ‘too‘ ; ‗in contrast to‘ ;‗differs from‘ ;‗while‘ .Write a paragraph comparing the
weather in Jos and Lagos. 1.Theharmattan season in Katsinais similar to the harmattan season
in Jos. 2. On the other hand, the harmattan is much colder in Jos. 3. Both Jos and Lagos have
rain in August. 4. However, rains in Lagos is heavier than in Jos. 5. In contrast to Lagos, Jos has
a very cold harmattan season.
7.2.5 The Sequence Paragraph:Thisdescribes a series of events or a process in some sort of
order. Usually, this order is based on time. For example if asked to write a paragraph outlining
how a person could become the president of Nigeria. Helper words in this category may be
concerned with order-‗first‘, ‗second‘, ‗third‘, etc ; ‗in the beginning‘, with time - ‗recently‘;
‗previously‘ amongst others. These helper words are used in the sentences below: 1.First, you
need to become a member of a political party.Second, you need to be nominated by your party
to represent it. Third, you must vie for and win elections. 2. He was recently elected president.
3.In the beginning, you need to become a leader of a political party. 4. He is the new president.
Previously, he was the governor of his state.
7.2.6 The Choice Paragraph: In this type of paragraph, you need to choose which object, idea,
or action you prefer. Often, you will need to give your opinion on a choice of actions or events.
Example: Write a paragraph stating whether you would prefer to play football or basketball .
There two categories of helper words here , those that relate to point of view:-‗in my
opinion‘;‗belief‘; ‗feel‘ and those that help in expressing personal opinion: - ‗like/dislike‘;
‗hope‘; ‗idea‘. 1. In my opinion, football
is more fun than lawn tennis. 2. I like the game of
football because it is fast and exciting. 3. My belief is that football is more fun than lawn tennis.
4. I hope that I can play football in the future.
7.2.7 Explanation Paragraph:Thisexplains how or why something happens. It
is concerned with how you explore and explain the causes and effects of certain events.
Example: Write a paragraph explaining why so many Nigerians have moved to Europe since the
late 20th century. 1. People are moving from Africa to Europe today because they have poor
living conditions at home. 2. Living conditions in Africa have became so terrible. Therefore,
many people are moving to Europe for a better life. 3. Since living conditions in Africa were
terrible, many people moved to Europe. 4. Living conditions in Africa were terrible. Thus, many
people moved to Europe for a better life.
7.2.8. The Evaluation Paragraph: You make judgments about people, ideas, and possible
actions. You need to make your evaluation based on certain criteria that you develop. In the
paragraph, you will state your evaluation or recommendation and then support it by referring to
your criteria. Example: Write a paragraph evaluating whether pesticides should be used on
farms. Helper words that may be useful are those relating to criteria for evaluation such as
‗good‘/‗bad‘;‗correct‘/‗incorrect‘;‗moral‘/‗immoral‘ etc and those which are used for
recommendation such as ‗suggest‘; ‗recommend‘ ; ‗advise‘ etc 1. The use of pesticides such as
DDT is bad for the
environment. 2. I suggest that pesticides should not be used to control
pests. 3. The belief that pesticides must be used is incorrect. 4. I recommend that
pesticides should not be used because they are harmful. 5. The use of pesticides
to control pests isimmoral because it harms the environment. 6. I would advise
farmers not to use pesticides if possible.
Mention and explain five types of paragraph that you have learnt in this study.

The Definition Paragraph provides an explanation of the key words or
the main topic of a composition. Words such as ‗defined‘, ‗a kind of‘
etc are useful in this regard

The Classification Paragraph allows you group things or ideas into
specific categories. Helper words here include: ‗is a kind of‘;‗can be
divided into ; ‗is a type of‘; ‗falls under‘ ; ‗falls under‘ ; ‗belongs to‘;
‗is a part of etc .

The Descriptive Paragraph enables you describe a person, place, or
thing . words that should assist you in doing this are words relating to :
‗measurement‘; location‘ ; ‗size‘ ; length‘ ; ‗is like‘; colour‘; ‗width‘;
‗resembles‘; ‗above‘ ; ‗shape‘; ‗mass‘/‗weight‘ etc
The Comparison and Contrast Paragraph is concerned with the
similarities and differences between two or more people, places,
things, or ideas. Some helper words that makes this happen include :


7.3
‗is similar to‘; ‗the other hand‘ ; ‗both‘ ;‗however‘ ; ‗also‘; ‗but‘ ; ‗too‘
; ‗in contrast to‘ ; ‗differs from‘ ;‗while‘ etc
The Evaluation Paragraph allows you make judgments about people,
ideas, and possible actions. Helper words that may be useful are those
relating to criteria for evaluation such as
‗good‘/‗bad‘;
‗correct‘/‗incorrect‘;‗moral‘/‗immoral‘ etc and those which are used
for recommendation such as ‗suggest‘; ‗recommend‘ ; ‗advise‘ etc
The Topic Sentence:
The topic sentence in a paragraph states the main idea in that paragraph and works as a summary
of it. It is often but not always the first sentence of the paragraph. The topic sentence
is the most important sentence in your paragraph.The topic sentence alerts the reader
to the most important, interpretive points in your essay. When read in sequence, an
essay's topic sentences provide a sketch of the essay's argument. Thus topic sentences
help protect your readers from confusion by guiding them through the argument. But
topic sentences can also help you to improve your essay by making it easier for you
to recognize gaps or weaknesses in your argument.
Define the topic sentence and explain it‘s function a composition.
The topic sentence in a paragraph states the main idea in that paragraph and works as a summary
of it.
7.3 Qualities of a good topic sentence :
7.3.1 A good topic sentence is concise and emphatic. It is not longer than the idea requires, and
it stresses the important word or phrase. Consider this example: The Nigerian banking system
has collapsed. You will observe it is brief, you understand exactly what it means (clear and
strong) and it places the key word – collapsed – at the end where it is heavily stressed and leads
naturally to what may follow.
7.3.2 The topic sentence enables your readers to see your point immediately. This is especially
useful if you are writing an application or an argumentative essay.
7.3.3 A good topic sentence is put at the end of the paragraph when specific details are designed
to lead up to a generalization
7.3.4 Occasionally, a paragraph's main idea is so obvious that it does not need to
be stated explicitly in a topic sentence, so avoid using one.
7.3.5 The topic sentence must be carefully worded and restricted. Be sure your topic sentence is
focused. This helps you generate and control your information.
Discuss the qualities of a good topic sentence.
A good topic sentence is concise and emphatic, and enables your reader see your
point immediately. It is usually placed at the end of a paragraph so that specific
details can lead to a generalization. It is carefully worded and restricted and may
sometimes be avoided if the paragraph‘s main idea is so obvious and needs no
restating in a topic sentence.
7.4
The Structure of a Paragraph:
The structure or organization of information and ideas in each paragraph is an essential step in
making academic writing clearer. This section introduces below a typical paragraph structure
found in most academic writing.
Stage 1:
The topic or the topic sentence or main idea
(essential)
Stage 2: The body or the support or detail sentences
(essential)
Stage 3: The conclusion or the concluding sentence
(optional)
The structure of a paragraphparallels the structure of an essay in order as well as content. Both
contain a coherent argument, supporting evidence/analysis, and a conclusion. Specifically, the
contents of a paragraph are as follows:
7.4.1 The Topic Sentence:Thisserves two purposes: first, it functions as the thesis of your
paragraph; second, it pushes the thesis of your essay forward and presents an arguable point. The
topic sentence is usually the first or second sentence of a paragraph. Occasionally, you may find
it interesting or necessary to place the topic sentence at the end of the paragraph, but do not make
a habit of it!
7.4.2 The Support or Detail Sentences:These provide the evidence/analysis that
makes your claim digestible. You need to find a balance between the evidence that
you provide (facts, quotations, summary of events/plot, etc.) and the analysis (interpretation of
evidence). If your paragraph is evidence-heavy, you have not presented an argument; if it is
analysis-heavy, you have not adequately supported your claim.
7.4.3The Concluding Observation:Thiscloses your paragraph with an observation that is more
than just a summary of the contents of the paragraph. The concluding
observation provides a final idea that leads to the next step in your argument.
The observation is usually the last or second-to-last sentence in the paragraph.
7.4.4 Final Thoughts: Paragraphs can be of varying lengths, but they must
present a coherent argument unified under a single topic. Paragraphs are hardly
ever longer than one page, double spaced, and usually are much shorter. Lengthy
paragraphs usually indicate a lack of structure. Identify the main ideas in the
paragraph to see if they make more sense as separate topics in separate paragraphs. Shorter
paragraphs usually indicate a lack of substance; you do not have enough evidence or analysis to
prove your point. Develop your idea or integrate the idea into another paragraph.
Identify elements that constitute the structure of the paragraph and explain how they help you
write effective paragraphs.

The Topic Sentence serves two purposes: first, it functions as the
thesis of your paragraph; second, it pushes the thesis of your essay
forward and presents an arguable point. The topic sentence is usually
the first or second sentence of a paragraph. Occasionally, you may find
it interesting or necessary to place the topic sentence at the end of the
paragraph, but do not make a habit of it!

The Support or Detail Sentences provide the evidence/analysis that
makes your claim digestible. You need to find a balance between the
evidence that you provide (facts, quotations, summary of events/plot,
etc.) and the analysis (interpretation of evidence). If your paragraph is
evidence-heavy, you have not presented an argument; if it is analysisheavy, you have not adequately supported your claim.

7.5
The Concluding Observation closes your paragraph with an
observation that is more than just a summary of the contents of the
paragraph. The concluding observation provides a final idea that leads
to the next step in your argument. The observation is usually the last or
second-to-last sentence in the paragraph.
The 5-Step Process to Paragraph Development:
This 5-step process to building a paragraph is designed to provide each step of the process with
an explanation of the step and a bit of "model" text to illustrate how the step works. Our finished
model paragraph will be about African Oral Narratives, the original stories that Africans told
before colonization. The model paragraph uses illustration (giving examples) to prove its point.
7.5.1 Decide on a controlling idea and create a topic sentence:
Paragraph development begins with the formulation of the controlling idea. This idea directs the
paragraph's development. Often, the controlling idea of a paragraph will appear in the form of a
topic sentence. Example : African oral narratives often had hidden double meanings.
7.5.2 Explain the controlling idea:
You would need to provide an explanation for how the reader should interpret the information
presented in the topic sentence of the paragraph and explain your thinking about the main topic,
idea, or focus of the paragraph. Here is the sentence that would follow the controlling idea about
African oral narratives:Example :On one level, the narrative sought to entertain its listeners;
but on another level, the narratives spoke truths and sought to impart certain moral virtues.
7.5.3 Give an example (or multiple examples):
In order to develop your Paragraph, you will need to express some type of support or evidence
for the idea and the explanation that came before it.
Here are two examples that we could use to illustrate the double meanings in the African oral
narratives:
A--For example, according to the narrative ―The tortoise goes to a feast in the sky‖ the tortoise
in disguise as a bird attended uninvited a feast meant just for birds in the sky.
B-- However, his selfishness, greedy desire and act in consuming the food meant for “all of us”
led to the other birds taking back their feathers.
7.5.4 Explain the example(s):
You would need to provide an explanation of each example and its relevance to the topic
sentence stated at the beginning of the paragraph. This would help your readers understand why
you chose to use a particular example(s) as evidence to support the major claim, or focus, in your
paragraph. You would need to do this for all your examples. Usually, you would need a separate
sentence to explain the relationship between the example and the topic sentence. Look at these
explanations for the two examples in the African oral narratives paragraph:
A—Because he was not supposed to bethere the other birds decided to abandon him in
the sky , tortoise pleaded to be taken back to the earth with them to no avail. When the
other birds refused, he sent a message to his wife.
B— However, the birds delivered the wrong message, asking tortoise’s wife to bring out
all the furniture in the house rather than all the mattresses for tortoise to land on when
he jumped down from the sky. As a result tortoise broke his back.
7.5.5 Complete the paragraph's idea or transition into the next paragraph:
The final movement in paragraph development requires that you tie up the loose ends of the
paragraph and remind the reader of the relevance of the information in this paragraph to the main
or controlling idea of the paper or simply transition your reader to the next development in the
next paragraph. Here is an example of a sentence that completes the African oral narratives
paragraph:
The moral of this narrative is that greed could lead a person to becoming pretentious
would ultimately lead to his destruction.
and
Notice that the example and explanation steps of this 5-step process (steps 3 and 4) can be
repeated as needed. The idea is that you continue to use this pattern until you have completely
developed the main idea of the paragraph.
Here is a look at the completed "model" paragraph:
African oral narratives often had hidden double meanings. On one level, the
narrative sought to entertain its listeners; but on another level, the narratives spoke
truths and sought to impart certain moral virtues.For example, according to the
narrative ―The tortoise goes to a feast in the sky‖ the tortoise in disguise as a bird
attended uninvited a feast meant just for birds in the sky. However due to his
selfishness, greedy desire and act in consuming the food meant for “all of us”, the
birds decided to take their feathers back. Because he was not supposed to be there the
birds decided to abandon him in the sky. Tortoise pleaded with them to be taken back
to the earth to no avail. When the birds refused, he sent a message his wife. However,
the birds delivered the wrong message, asking tortoise’s wife to bring out all the
furniture in the house rather than all the mattresses for tortoise to land on when he
jumped down from the sky. As a result tortoise broke his back, which fragmented and
was glued together by his wife. The moral of this narrative is that greed could lead a
person to becoming pretentious and would ultimately lead to his destruction.
Outline and explain the five step process for paragraph development.
The 5-Step Process to Paragraph Development is as follows:

Decide on a controlling idea and create a topic sentence:Paragraph
development begins with the formulation of the controlling idea. This
idea directs the paragraph's development. Often, the controlling idea of
a paragraph will appear in the form of a topic sentence.

Explain the controlling idea: You would need to provide an
explanation for how the reader should interpret the information
presented in the topic sentence of the paragraph and explain your
thinking about the main topic, idea, or focus of the paragraph.
Give an example (or multiple examples):In order to develop your
Paragraph, you will need to express some type of support or evidence
for the idea and the explanation that came before it.


Explain the example(s):You would need to provide an
explanation of each example and its relevance to the topic sentence
stated at the beginning of the paragraph. This would help your readers
understand why you chose to use a particular example(s) as evidence
to support the major claim, or focus, in your paragraph.

Complete the paragraph's idea or transition into the
next paragraph:The final movement in paragraph development
requires that you tie up the loose ends of the paragraph and remind the
reader of the relevance of the information in this paragraph to the main
or controlling idea of the paper or simply transition your reader to the
next development in the next paragraph.
7.6
Troubleshooting Paragraphs:
7.6.1 Topic Sentence Problem:
You should understand that even though the topic sentence is usually found at the beginning of
an essay, it could also be in the middle or end of a paragraph. what is important is that it is in
there somewhere so that readers know what the main idea of the paragraph is and how it relates
back to the thesis of your paper.Sometimes, you may find that a paragraph starts with a transition
sentence, don‘t be nervous , the topic sentence will usually follow. If this is not the case then you
have a topic sentence problem. Please see example below; Our paragraph might look like this
(the topic sentence is underlined):
Like sharks, snakes, and scorpions, dogs are widely feared. Although most people
consider dogs to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless.
Dogs rarely feed on large animals; they eat meat, raw or cooked, and small portions
of food. When confronted with humans a dog’s first instinct is to flee, not attack...
7.6.2 Multiple controlling ideas:
If a paragraph has more than one main idea, consider eliminating sentences that relate to the
second idea, or split the paragraph into two or more paragraphs, each with only one main idea. In
the following paragraph, the final two sentences branch off into a different topic; so, the revised
paragraph eliminates them and concludes with a sentence that reminds the reader of the
paragraph's main idea.
Original Paragraph:
Although most people consider dogs to be quite dangerous, they are for the most part,
entirely harmless. Dogs rarely feed on large animals; they eat meat, raw or cooked,
and small portions of food. When confronted with humans, dogs’ first instinct is to
flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more dogs are eaten by
people than people eaten by dogs. A number of Nigerian and Chinese groups eat
dogs. They fry or grill the dog and then serve them with locally brewed beer and a
sauce made from fried red spices.
Revised Paragraph:
Although most people consider dogs to be quite dangerous, they are for the most part,
entirely harmless. Dogs rarely feed on large animals; they eat meat, raw or cooked,
and small portions of food. When confronted with humans, dogs’ first instinct is to
flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more dogs are eaten by
people than people eaten by dogs. If dogs are well-fed, they won’t bite humans
7.6.3 Transitions within the paragraph:
Transitions within the body of a paragraph (intra-paragraph linkages), just like transition
between paragraphs, may sometimes be required . Within a paragraph, transitions are often
single words or short phrases that help to establish relationships between ideas and to create a
logical progression of those ideas especially within paragraphs that discuss multiple examples.
Example:
Nigerian politicians are generally seen as corrupt, inept and incompetent,however there
are a few exceptions to this portrayal. The first is the Governor of Lagoon state whose
integrity and competence is acknowledged by all. The second is the Minister of Social
welfare who has overseen the most egalitarian reforms of social benefits that the country
has ever seen.
When do you need to troubleshoot a paragraph?
When a paragraph has problem with it‘s topic sentence, has multiple
controlling ideas or issues of with transitions within paragraphs.
7.7
Elements of a Paragraph:
To be as effective as possible, a paragraph should have each of the following: unity, coherence,
a topic sentence, andadequate development. As you will see, all of these traits overlap. Using
and adapting them to your individual purposes will help you construct effective paragraphs.
1. Unity: The entire paragraph should concern itself with a single focus. If it begins with one
focus or major point of discussion, it should not end with another or wander within different
ideas.
2. Coherence: Coherence is the trait that makes the paragraph easily understand-able to a reader.
You can help create coherence in your paragraphs by creating logical bridges and verbal bridges.
(a) Logical bridges:

The same idea of a topic is carried over from sentence to sentence.

Successive sentences can be constructed in parallel form.
(b) Verbal bridges:

Key words can be repeated in several sentences.

Synonymous words can be repeated in several sentences.

Pronouns can refer to nouns in previous sentences.

Transition words can be used to link ideas from different sentences.
3. A topic sentence: A topic sentence is a sentence that indicates in a general way what idea or
thesis the paragraph is going to deal with. Although not all paragraphs have clear-cut topic
sentences, and despite the fact that topic sentences can occur anywhere in the paragraph (as the
first sentence, the last sentence, or somewhere in the middle), an easy way to make
sure your reader understands the topic of the paragraph is to put your topic sentence
near the beginning of the paragraph. (This is a good general rule for less experienced
writers, although it is not the only way to do it). Regardless of whether you include an
explicit topic sentence or not, you should be able to easily summarize what the paragraph is
about.
4. Adequate development: The topic (which is introduced by the topic sentence) should
be discussed fully and adequately. Again, this varies from paragraph to paragraph,
depending on the author's purpose, but writers should beware of paragraphs that only have two
or three sentences. It is a pretty good bet that the paragraph is not fully developed if it is that
short.
Some methods to make sure your paragraph is well-developed:

Use examples and illustrations

Cite data (facts, statistics, evidence, details, and others)

Examine testimony (what other people say such as quotes and paraphrases)

Use an anecdote or story

Define terms in the paragraph


Compare and contrast
Evaluate causes and reasons

Examine effects and consequences

Analyze the topic

Describe the topic

Offer a chronology of an event (time segments)
Discuss the elements of the paragraph

Unity: The entire paragraph should concern itself with a single focus.
If it begins with one focus or major point of discussion, it should not
end with another or wander within different ideas.

Coherence: Coherence is the trait that makes the paragraph easily
understand-able to a reader. You can help create coherence in your
paragraphs by creating logical bridges and verbal bridges.

A topic sentence: A topic sentence is a sentence that indicates in a
general way what idea or thesis the paragraph is going to deal with.
While it can be placed anywhere in the paragraph, it is best positioned
near the beginning of the paragraph to make sure your reader
understands the topic of the paragraph.

Adequate development: The topic (which is introduced by the topic
sentence) should be discussed fully and adequately.
Some methods to make sure your paragraph is well-developed:

Use examples and illustrations

Cite data (facts, statistics, evidence, details, and others)

Examine testimony (what other people say such as quotes and paraphrases)

Use an anecdote or story

Define terms in the paragraph

Compare and contrast


Evaluate causes and reasons
Examine effects and consequences

Analyze the topic

Describe the topic

Offer a chronology of an event (time segments)
7.8
How Do I Know When to Start a New Paragraph?
You should start a new paragraph:

When you begin a new idea or point. New ideas should always start in new paragraphs.
If you have an extended idea that spans multiple paragraphs, each new point within that
idea should have its own paragraph.

To contrast information or ideas. Separate paragraphs can serve to contrast sides in a
debate, different points in an argument, or any other difference.

When your readers need a pause. Breaks in paragraphs function as a short "break" for
your readers—adding these in will help your writing more readable. You would create a
break if the paragraph becomes too long or the material is complex.

When you are ending your introduction or starting your conclusion. Your introductory
and concluding material should always be in a new paragraph. Many introductions and
conclusions have multiple paragraphs depending on their content, length, and the writer's
purpose.
When should you start a new paragraph?

When you begin a new idea or point.

To contrast information or ideas.

When your readers need a pause.

When you are ending your introduction or starting your conclusion.
7.9
Transitions and Signposts:
Two very important elements of paragraphing are signposts and transitions.
Signposts are internal aids to assist readers; they usually consist of several sentences or a
paragraph outlining what the article has covered and where the article will be
going. Transitions are usually one or several sentences that "transition" from one
idea to the next. Transitions can be used at the end of most paragraphs to help the
paragraphs flow on into the next.
Summary of Study Session 7
In Study Session 7, you have learnt that:






A paragraph is a unit of any composition
There many types of paragraph depending on what a paragraph intends to convey
The topic sentence is central to writing an effective paragraph
You can engage in a The 5-Step Process to Paragraph Development
There are signs to look out for that indicates there is a problem with your
paragraph
Elements of a paragraph and when to start a new paragraph
Self-Assessment Questions (SAQs) for study Session 7
Now that you have completed this study session, you should assess how much you have learnt by
attempting the following questions. You can write your answers in your notebook so as to be
able to discuss extensively on it with your tutor at the next interactive session. You can also cross
check your answers with the notes on the self-assessment questions at the end of this module.
Define and explain the Paragraph
Mention and explain five types of paragraphs.
Explain the five step process for paragraph development.
Discuss the importance of transition sentences to effective paragraph writing.
Mention and explain three problems that can be found in a paragraph and how they could
be solved.
References and Suggestions for further Reading
Lunsford, Andrea and Robert Collins.The St. Martin's Handbook, Annotated Instructor's Edition.
5th Ed. New York: St. Martin's, 2003.
Rosen, Leonard and Laurence Behrens.The Allyn and Bacon Handbook, Annotated Instructor's
Edition. 4th Ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000.
Strunk, William, and E.B. White.The Elements of Style, fourth edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon,
2000.
Kane, Thomas S., The New Oxford Guide to Writing. Oxford Univ. Press, 1988
http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/paragrap/index.htm
http://www.adolphus.me.uk/emx/simply/paragraph.htm
http://www.usyd.edu.au/learningcentre/clearer_writing/module1/paragraph_structure/paragraph_
stages/para_stages_eg_ex.html
www.usyd.edu.au/.../paragraph_structure/para_structure_intro.html - Cached
http://allfolktales.com/wafrica/tortoise_goes_to_feast_in_sky.php