Skills for Success / Academic Skills / Top Tips
What is a paragraph? Basically, a paragraph makes a point – so, one paragraph, one point. It usually has three parts:
So, a proper paragraph needs at least three sentences. On a page, aim for about three paragraphs.
How do you write a paragraph? Decide what the main point of the paragraph is. Sum it up in a few words and write it as a sentence. Put the sentence at the start of the paragraph. This is called the “topic sentence”. Next, give back-up for the point: evidence, arguments, quotes, summaries, paraphrases, data. Finally, in a concluding sentence, you can sum up the point and/or give implications and/or link to the next paragraph.
At the beginning of the next paragraph, you can use words from the previous paragraph to make them flow together (a bit like I just did here by repeating "the next paragraph"!).
For lots more on paragraphs, see our Paragraphs page, our short Mini-module: Quick guide to writing Paragraphs, and our full-length Mini-Module on Paragraphs.
