A completed essay should be composed of several focused, coherent paragraphs organized in a manner that makes it easy for the reader to follow the writer’s thinking from beginning to end. It is a good idea to limit one idea per paragraph.
Review the sections below to review paragraph features that writers often include in their essay.
In the topic sentence, the main purpose or point of a paragraph can be stated in one sentence. This sentence is called the topic sentence.
Typically, the topic sentence is placed at the beginning of the paragraph (although not always) and states the main idea of the paragraph. Think of it as an introduction to the rest of the paragraph.
The important thing is that both the writer and the reader can easily see the connection between the topic sentence and the other sentences included in the paragraph.
Well-structured essays contain signposts to guide readers from one point and one paragraph to another. For example, the last sentence of a paragraph often states explicitly what is coming next, or the first sentence of a paragraph makes an explicit connection to the main idea of the previous one. This helps the reader to understand the flow of the essay and what to expect next.
Many essays are organized in sections composed of multiple paragraphs, and transitions from one of these sections to another should be indicated. In some disciplines, this is done by placing headings at the beginning of each section. In Psychology, for example, research reports are commonly divided into sections explicitly labeled:
In cases for which headings are inappropriate, transition sentences will ensure that readers understand the connections among the sections.
Many writers delay focus on transition sentences until their second or third drafts where their ideas are in better order.
The conclusion addresses three main questions