Paragraphing

Paragraphing Meaning

Here's a quick definition.

Paragraphing is a critical step of the writing process. Writers divide their writing into paragraphs in all types of writing, including academic essays, short stories, and novels.

Importance of Paragraphing

Paragraphing is important because breaking writing into small sections helps writers stay organized when conveying their thoughts. Paragraphing is also important because it helps readers follow the logical development of a writer’s ideas.

For instance, imagine reading an essay without paragraphs in it. The text would be one long piece without any breaks, and it may be confusing and hard to understand how the writer's ideas connect to one another.

Paragraphing Types

There are three main types of paragraphs. Each type requires writers to visually format their paragraphs a bit differently.

Blocked Paragraphing

Blocked paragraphing is when every line of a paragraph starts at the same place—the left margin of the page. There are blank lines between each paragraph to differentiate them. Blocked paragraphing is commonly seen in business letters. For instance, this paragraph is an example of blocked paragraphing.

Indented Paragraphing

Also called semi-blocked paragraphing, indented paragraphing is when a writer indents the first line of each new paragraph. To create the indent, writers can hit the space bar several times, use the tab button, or use the indentation feature on their writing software. Indented paragraphing is a common type of paragraphing for students who write academic essays. For instance, the following depicts indented paragraphing:

Fig. 2 - An intended paragraph

Hanging Paragraphing

Hanging paragraphing is when the first line of text starts from the left margin but the lines underneath it are indented, like in the following example:

Fig. 3 - A hanging paragraph

Paragraphing Rules

While the topic of each paragraph is up to a writer, there are several important general rules for paragraphing.

Fig. 2 - Follow the rules!

Introduction and Conclusions

Introductory and concluding paragraphs are important types of paragraphs that bookend many forms of academic writing. Understanding how to craft an introduction and a conclusion is an important part of learning how to use paragraphing to ensure effective writing.

Introductions

The first paragraph of an academic essay is called the introduction. The introduction should engage the reader by hooking their attention. Methods for hooking the reader include opening the essay with the following:

• A short, striking quote

• A significant statistic

• A relevant, impactful anecdote

After hooking readers’ attention, the writer should introduce the main point in their body paragraph. This often includes adding some context about the topic, such as why it is important, and then stating the thesis statement.

Conclusions

A conclusion is the last paragraph of an essay. It wraps up the main points for the reader and does not introduce any new information. Writers should do all of the following things when crafting a conclusion:

• Restate their thesis statement or main point with new phrasing
• Summarize the supporting points from their body paragraphs
• Sum up the overall significance of the paper

Stay on Topic

Each time a writer introduces a new idea, they should start a new paragraph. This gives readers a bit of a break between ideas and helps them understand the main points of each idea without getting confused or distracted by unrelated information.

Watch the Length

Paragraphs tend to be about four to five sentences. In an academic essay, they might be a bit longer, but it is crucial that the sentences relate to the paragraph's main ideas.

Use Topic Sentences

In academic essays, writers must start their paragraphs with topic sentences.

Including topic sentences make it easy for readers to understand the organization of a writer’s argument. They tell the reader what point they will make in the paragraph and what the next central point of their paper is.

Examples of Paragraphing

Imagine a writer who wants to write a persuasive essay in which they try to convince the reader that eating a vegetarian diet is important for addressing climate change. The writer might use paragraphing to split the paper into the following paragraphs:

Introduction

This is where the writer will introduce the topic, explain why it is important, and state the thesis. For instance, this writer might introduce a statistic about the harm that eating meat does to the environment, and then state a thesis that outlines the supporting points of the argument like this: "People should eat a vegetarian diet because it helps reduce fossil fuel emissions, conserves water, and encourages sustainable living."

Body Paragraph 1

In this paragraph, the writer should introduce their first supporting point for their argument. They might start the paragraph by saying something like this:

Body Paragraph 2

In the second body paragraph, the writer should transition from the first supporting point and introduce the next one. For example, this writer might transition from the previous body paragraph and introduce the next one like this:

Fig. 3 - Paragraphs build an argument

Body Paragraph 3

In the last body paragraph, the writer should discuss the final supporting point for their argument. For instance, this writer might open the last paragraph like this:

Conclusion

In the concluding paragraph, the writer will restate the main argument and summarize the supporting points again. Then the writer will discuss the broader implications of this argument. For instance, the conclusion might look something like this: