Paragraphs and Essays

Would you believe that paragraphs are a form of punctuation? Well they are. A paragraph contains a topic sentence, several body sentences, and a concluding sentence, all of which tie together to express a single thought. A paragraph should be able to be condensed into one sentence that expresses the same thought as the topic sentence, or in other words a paragraph simply expounds on the topic sentence, while the body sentences present a logical explanation, and the concluding sentence ends the discussion. While there are no hard and fast rules for the length of a paragraph, in essays they are usually four to eight sentences in length, and in complex technical publications a paragraph may take a page or more to express. The keys to a good paragraph are; a topic sentence, several body sentences, a concluding sentence, and a common thought.

Why should we be concerned with the construction and content of a paragraph? As in all studies of grammar the ultimate goal is to improve our abilities to communicate effectively. Paragraphs accomplish this by allowing us to fully express a single thought, and to explain that thought in detail. Learning how to write good paragraphs improves our ability as writers, and communicators.

An essay is simply a series of paragraphs, with a central theme, an opening paragraph, body paragraphs and a concluding paragraph. If this sounds familiar, it should, I used the same terms to describe a paragraph. As paragraphs can be condensed into a sentence an essay should be able to be condensed into a single paragraph and then into a single sentence. In other words properly combined sentences make paragraphs and paragraphs make essays, or book chapters and so on.

Up to this point I have discussed; the ellipsis, agreement of nouns and verbs, types of sentences, and now the paragraph and essays. If you put all these together you will begin to communicate with your English writing much more effectively. As you can see I am working to present different aspects of the English language in small doses that you can use to improve your skills. English can be fun and easy!

Words to improve your Vocabulary

• Punctuation (second definition)
• Expounds
• Conclude

See also

• • Grammar Help — Paragraphs
  • Guide to Grammar and Style — P

Sobre o Autor: Bill Slayman tem 66 anos é americano e mora em Pensacola, Florida, USA. Ele atuou no exército americano e hoje está aposentado. Suas paixões são: andar de Harley Davidson, motocicletas, fotografia e qualquer coisa brasileira. Bill é um dos maiores colaboradores do EE.