The Topic Sentence directly and specifically states the point that will be made in the paragraph. The topic sentence is usually one part of the larger thesis of the paper. In an academic essay, the topic sentence is usually the first sentence of the paragraph.
Paragraphs focus on a main point which the writer then sticks to and develops fully.
Paragraphs in the academic essay have a regular structure:
- Topic sentence
- Defining sentence
- Examples, illustration, description, etc.
- Concluding sentence
Paragraphs may be developed by:
- Description
- Process
- Comparison and Contrast
- Analogy
- Cause and Effect
- Classification and Division
- Definition
Paragraphs are made coherent by:
- Linking ideas clearly
- Repeating key words
- Using parallel structure
- Maintaining consistency
- Providing transitions
Paragraphs should be at least 5 sentences and 100 to 200 words long, although they can be longer. Shorter paragraphs force the reader to do too much starting and stopping. More importantly, the idea in an academic paragraph is not fully developed with fewer than 100 words. However, very long paragraphs usually make it difficult for the reader to concentrate on the main point.
Reasons for beginning a new paragraph:
- To mark off the introduction and the conclusion
- To signal a new idea
- To indicate an important shift in time and place
- To emphasize a point (by placing it at the beginning or the end, not in the middle, of a paragraph)
- To highlight a contrast
- To signal a change of speakers in dialogue
- To provide readers with a needed pause
- To break up a text that looks too dense