3.7: Paragraphs and Paragraph Transitions
- Describe techniques for effective use of transitions in paragraphs
When to Paragraph
How do you know when “enough is enough”—when you have enough information in one paragraph and have to start a new one? A very rough guide is that you need more than one or two paragraphs per page of type. And how much is too much? There is no simple answer, and paragraphing conventions differ depending on the task and genre. For example, online writing typically requires shorter paragraphs, with multiple short paragraphs on one screen.
It’s best to deal with paragraphs as part of the revision step in the writing process. Find places where the information shifts in focus, and put paragraph breaks in those places. You can do your best to paragraph as you draft, but know that you’ll address paragraphing more during the revision process.
Overall Paragraph Structure of an Essay
Often, essays are constructed in a format that looks something like this outline shown below. Depending on the purpose of your writing assignment, this format may vary, as we’ll see when we dive further into rhetorical styles. You are probably familiar with this general format for the five-paragraph essay. Our hopes in this course are to build off of this basic structure to write essays that are not too rigid or overly structured according to this outline but are thoughtful and organic. Notice the way that paragraphs separate each topic and provide supporting evidence to the topic sentence.
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Introduction
- Background information on topic
- Overall point of view of the topic (thesis)
- Overview of components to be discussed (structure)
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Body paragraphs
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paragraph 1
- Topic sentence outlining first component
- Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence to support topic sentence
- Concluding sentence – link to next paragraph
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paragraph 2
- Topic sentence outlining second component
- Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence to back topic sentence
- Concluding sentence – link to next paragraph
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paragraph 3
- Topic sentence outlining third component
- Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence to back topic sentence
- Concluding sentence – link to next paragraph
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paragraph 1
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Conclusion
- Summary of the main points of the body
- Restatement of the main point of view
- Justification/evaluation (if required by task)
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Introduction
Can you determine the best order for these paragraphs? What clues can you use to figure out the best arrangement?
Linking Paragraphs: Transitions
In writing traditional five-paragraph essays, you may have been taught very basic transition sentences: “My first point is,” “In conclusion,” etc.
In college, your professors will expect less formulaic writing. Strong transition, words or phrases that indicate linkages in ideas, are the key to taking your writing to the next level and moving from the formulaic to the organic.
When writing your argument, you need to lead your readers from one idea to the next, showing how those ideas are logically linked. Transition words and phrases help you keep your paragraphs and groups of paragraphs logically connected for a reader.
Below are some examples of transition words to help as you transition both within paragraphs and from one paragraph to the next.
| Transition Word / Phrase: | Shows: |
| and, also, again | More of the same type of information is coming; information expands on the same general idea. |
| but, or, however, in contrast | Different information is coming, information that may counteract what was just said. |
| as a result, consequently, therefore | Information that is coming is a logical outgrowth of the ideas just presented. |
| for example, to illustrate | The information coming will present a specific instance, or present a concrete example of an abstract idea. |
| particularly important, note that | The information coming emphasizes the importance of an idea. |
| in conclusion | The writing is ending. |
We divide these transitions into four categories based on what kind of transition you want to make.
Making Connections
In general, if you feel your readers may have a hard time making connections, providing transition words (e.g., “due to” or “on the other hand”) can help lead them. Transitions between paragraphs may appear at the end of the first paragraph, at the beginning of the second paragraph, or in both places. If the transition introduces new ideas, it usually appears at the beginning of the second paragraph.
Below is a chart of transition words that are useful for linking ideas within a paragraph:
https://h5p.cwr.olemiss.edu/h5p/embed/100
Select the most appropriate transitions in the following passage:
Smoothing Your Writing
From sentence-to-sentence, paragraph-to-paragraph, the ideas should flow into each other smoothly and without interruptions or delays. If someone tells you that your paper sounds choppy or jumps around, you probably have a problem with transitions. Compare these two sentences:
- Proofreading is an important step in the writing process. Read your paper aloud to catch errors. Use spell check on your computer.
- Proofreading is an important step in the writing process. One technique is to read your paper aloud, which will help you catch errors you might overlook when reading silently. Another strategy is to use spell check on your computer.
The second example has better transitions between ideas and is easier to read. Transitions can make a huge difference in the readability of your writing. If you have to pick one aspect of your writing to focus on during the revision process, consider focusing on adding effective transitions to help your reader follow your thinking.
Contributors and Attributions
- Revision and adaptation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
- Paragraphing and Transitioning. Provided by : Excelsior College. Located at : http://owl.excelsior.edu/writing-process/paragraphing/paragraphing-and-transitioning/ . Project : Excelsior OWL. License : CC BY: Attribution
- TRANSITION WORDS. Authored by : Gregory M. Campbell. Located at : https://msu.edu/~jdowell/135/transw.html . License : CC BY: Attribution
- Paragraph Structure. Authored by : Meredith Harper. Provided by : University of Mississippi. License : CC BY: Attribution
- Climate change is turning dehydration into a deadly epidemic. Authored by : Jane Palmer. Located at : https://mosaicscience.com/story/climate-change-deadly-epidemic-chronic-kidney-disease/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
- Transitions. Provided by : Bay College. Located at : https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Composition/Book%3A_Rhetoric_and_Composition_(Bay_College)/02%3A_The_Writing_Process/2.5%3A_Revising_and_Editing . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
- Essay Structure. Provided by : QUT Cite Write. Located at : http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/essay.jsp . Project : Writing an Essay. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
- Arranging your Ideas Example. Authored by : Meredith Harper. Provided by : University of Mississippi. License : CC BY: Attribution
- Image of architects. Authored by : Borko Manigoda. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : pixabay.com/photos/architect-people-plan-construction-3979490/. License : Other . License Terms : pixabay.com/service/terms/#license
- Section on Smoothing Your Writing. Authored by : Marianne Botos, Lynn McClelland, Stephanie Polliard, Pamela Osback. Located at : https://pvccenglish.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/eng-101-inside-pages-proof2-no-pro.pdf . Project : Horse of a Different Color: English Composition and Rhetoric. License : CC BY: Attribution