Paragraphing is the concept that underlies the act of dividing or structuring writing into paragraphs. Thus, a paragraph is a small prose composition that comprises a group of related sentences developing or expanding a single central idea. But there is no stereotypical length and as a result a paragraph can be lengthy or short as long as it keeps the development of the central idea in view.
Characteristics of paragraphs
1. TOPIC SENTENCE: A topic sentence is the key sentence which summarizes the idea in a paragraph. It does not only hold the central idea but also indicates the theme of the paragraph. It is usually explicit by being the first sentence in a paragraph and at some other times it can be found at the middle or end of a paragraph. Identifying the topic sentence is essential to getting the message of a paragraph.
2.UNITY: This has to do with the manner in which all other sentences in the paragraph contribute something to the central idea.
3. COHERENCE: This deals with connection and consistency in a paragraph. It is expected of a writer that he writes logically by making one thought lead to another and by presenting an unbroken and coherent picture of the theme.
4. CLARITY: As a feature of a good paragraph, clarity entails precision and vividness. The theme in a paragraph must be presented in a clear form without any ambiguity in order to aid easy understanding of the intended message.
5. Emphasis: This is a feature that underlies the continuous prominence given to the central idea in a paragraph. It is a means through which the writer makes the readers know the importance accorded the main idea.
The next lecture will discuss types of paragraph.
1 Comment
Really good. Keep it up my Prof.