How to write a good paraggraph

Paragraphs are medium-sized units of writing, longer than sentences, but shorter than sections, chapters, or entire works. Because they connect the “small” ideas of individual sentences to a “bigger” idea, paragraph structure is essential to any writing for organization, flow, and comprehension.

Before we dive into paragraph structure, let’s start with paragraph meaning. A paragraph is an individual segment of writing that discusses a central idea, typically with more than one sentence. It even has its own paragraph symbol in copyediting, called the pilcrow (¶), not to be confused with the section symbol called the silcrow (§) that’s common in legal code. 

Here we focus mainly on paragraph structure, but feel free to read our ultimate guide to paragraphs for more of the basics. 

Like other forms of writing, paragraphs follow a standard three-part structure with a beginning, middle, and end. These parts are the topic sentence, development and support, and conclusion. 

Topic sentences, also known as “paragraph leaders,” introduce the main idea that the paragraph is about. They shouldn’t reveal too much on their own, but rather prepare the reader for the rest of the paragraph by stating clearly what topic will be discussed. 

The development and support sentences act as the body of the paragraph. Development sentences elaborate and explain the idea with details too specific

for the topic sentence, while support sentences provide evidence, opinions, or other statements that back up or confirm the paragraph’s main idea. 

Last, the conclusion wraps up the idea, sometimes summarizing what’s been presented or transitioning to the next paragraph. The content of the conclusion depends on the type of paragraph, and it’s often acceptable to end a paragraph with a final piece of support that concludes the thought instead of a summary. 

Most paragraphs contain between three and five sentences, but there are plenty of exceptions. Different types of paragraphs have different numbers of sentences, like those in narrative writing, in particular, where single-sentence paragraphs are common.

Likewise, the number of sentences in a paragraph can change based on the style of the writer. Some authors prefer longer, more descriptive paragraphs, while other authors prefer shorter, faster-paced paragraphs. 

When it comes to nonfiction writing, like research papers or reports, most paragraphs have at least three sentences: a topic

sentence, a development/support sentence, and a conclusion sentence. 

Depending on the kind of writing you’re doing, you may need to use different types of paragraphs. Here’s a brief explanation of the common paragraph types most writing deals with. 

Expository: Common in nonfiction and all types of essays, expository paragraphs revolve around explaining and discussing a single point or idea. 

Persuasive: Just like expository paragraphs, persuasive paragraphs focus on discussing a single point; however, they support opinions instead of facts.

Narrative: When telling a story, a narrative paragraph explains an action or event. Each new sentence furthers or expands upon the action by providing new information. 

Descriptive: Also common in storytelling, descriptive paragraphs focus on describing a single topic, such as a person or an environment. Each new sentence adds a new detail about that topic.