how many sentences are in a four paragraph essay

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Posted on Mar 13, 2024

How Many Sentences Are in a Paragraph?

In most forms of writing, paragraphs tend to be around four to eight sentences long . This general range will vary depending on the type of writing in question and the effect the writer is aiming to achieve.

In this guide, we’ll look at the length of paragraphs in various types of writing and see what determines whether they should be 20 sentences long, or stand alone as single sentences.

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A paragraph should be as long as it needs to be

Reedsy editor Rebecca Heyman says a paragraph generally begins when a new idea is introduced. “A single sentence can stand on its own as a paragraph if its treatment of a specific theme or motif is complete. Conversely, denser, more complex topics may require a substantial number of sentences to adequately unpack meaning.” For example, in this very paragraph that you’re reading right now, we’re dealing with a fairly abstract concept which requires multiple sentences for clarification. In other words, a paragraph should be as long as it needs to be in order to convey its point. 

Let’s now examine this idea from different perspectives, and look at how writers use paragraph breaks for different purposes.

In nonfiction, paragraphs tend to be longer

In nonfiction , where the purpose of writing is often to explain new concepts and ideas, paragraphs tend to be a bit on the longer side. They will often introduce an idea, explore it, and then draw conclusions based on that exploration.

In this paragraph from Stefano Mancuso’s The Revolutionary Genius of Plants , he introduces, explores, and concludes upon the intelligence of plants:

Even though they have nothing akin to a central brain, plants exhibit unmistakable attributes of intelligence. They are able to perceive their surroundings with a greater sensitivity than animals do. They actively compete for the limited resources in the soil and atmosphere; they evaluate their circumstances with precision; they perform sophisticated cost-benefit analyses; and, finally, they define and then take appropriate adaptive actions in response to environmental stimuli. Plants embody a model that is much more durable and innovative than that of animals; they are the living representation of how stability and flexibility can be combined. Their modular, diffused construction is the epitome of modernity: a cooperative, shared structure without any command centers, able to flawlessly resist repeated catastrophic events without losing functionality and adapt very quickly to huge environmental changes.

The idea is established simply in the first sentence: “plants exhibit unmistakable attributes of intelligence”. Mancuso then elaborates on this idea by discussing their perceptual and analytical properties, before concluding that plants' intelligence is an example of innovative and durable adaptability to the environment.

You’ll see a similar pattern across nonfiction and other types of  expository writing , whether you’re reading books on military history, self-help guides , or gardening manuals. Where the intention of the work is to inform or educate the reader, this tried-and-true way of structuring paragraphs allows information to be passed on in manageable chunks.

However, when you’re writing with the intention of telling a story in an enjoyable fashion, paragraph breaks tend to happen more often, and for different reasons.

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In fiction, they can be as short as a sentence

With artistic works of writing, where the focus is on storytelling providing the reader with a satisfying narrative experience , you will often see the greatest range of paragraph length within a single work. A novelist might have three pages of unbroken narrative, punctuated by a one-word paragraph. 

In general, fiction writers will start a new paragraph whenever something new happens. For example:

Whenever dialogue or action switches between characters

In this extract from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl , the narrator, Nick, is being spoken to by his sister.

‘We were lost in the rain,’ she said in a voice that was pleading on the way to peeved. I finished the shrug. McMann’s, Nick. Remember, when we got lost in the rain in Chinatown[...]’

The first paragraph is a quick line of dialogue with a tag that indicates who is speaking. Nick then reacts with an action beat (his shrug) — which is in its own paragraph. Then there is another paragraph break to indicate that the next line is spoken once again by his sister.

In this context, paragraph breaks show the reader that we’re switching characters, allowing an author to avoid having to start every other sentence with “Margo said” or “I said”. 

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When the narration changes between action and reflection

In a narrative, paragraph transitions can also be a way to indicate that the narrator is changing their perspective — often from describing the action of a scene, to remarking on a character’s thoughts or inner reactions.

In this passage from All Quiet on the Western Front , Erich Maria Remarque uses short paragraphs — sometimes single sentences — to paint an impressionistic vignette of a man’s death in the trenches.

But every gasp strips my heart bare. The dying man is the master of these hours, he has an invisible dagger to stab me with: the dagger of time and my own thoughts.  I would give a lot for him to live. It is hard to lie here and have to watch and listen to him. By three in the afternoon he is dead.  I breathe again. But only for a short time. Soon the silence seems harder for me to bear than the groans. I would even like to hear the gurgling again; in fits and starts, hoarse, sometimes a soft whistling noise and then hoarse and loud again.

Remarque utilizes paragraph transitions to depict the shift in Paul’s ( the main character ) focus, moving from the immediate sensory details of the scene to his internal reflections and emotional turmoil. Paul’s desire for the dying man to live, juxtaposed with the harsh reality of death in wartime, highlights the juxtaposition between his internal empathy and the tragic experience of war.

Whenever there’s a time jump

Time jumps are often a good place to start a new paragraph to make it visually clear that some amount of time has passed. In this passage from Oliver Twist, Dickens starts a new paragraph to indicate time jumps.

They were sad rags, to tell the truth; and Oliver had never had a new suit before.      One evening, about a week after the affair of the picture, as he was sitting talking to Mrs. Bedwin, there came a message down from Mr. Brownlow, that if Oliver Twist felt pretty well, he should like to see him in his study, and talk to him a little while.

Without a paragraph change, it would feel odd that the narrator is suddenly taking us forward by a week right in the middle of telling us about Oliver’s clothes. Instead, the paragraph break indicates that one part of the story is over and that the next part is about to begin.

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Paragraphs' length affects the pace of the writing

Paragraph length (along with sentence length) has a profound effect on the pace of one’s writing . A page or two of block paragraphs will take readers far longer to get through than several shorter paragraphs and often reflects whether something is occurring quickly or slowly within the narrative.

For example, in The Great Gatsby , Fitzgerald takes his time to describe a road that will play a significant role in the story.

‘About half way between West Egg and New York the motor-road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land. This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud which screens their obscure operations from your sight.’

This longer style paragraph is used to great effect in representing this pastoral stretch of land between the party hubs of West Egg and New York City. Think of this long paragraph as the wide establishing shot in a movie, everything looks a bit slower from that perspective!

Equally, when Fitzgerald wants to pick up the pace, he uses shorter paragraphs, as seen in the following example:

‘What do you want money for, all of a sudden?’ ‘I’ve been here too long. I want to get away. My wife and I want to go west.’ ‘Your wife does!’ exclaimed Tom, startled. ‘She’s been talking about it for ten years.’ He rested for a moment against the pump, shading his eyes. ‘And now she’s going whether she wants to or not. I’m going to get her away.’  The coupé flashed by us with a flurry of dust and the flash of a waving hand.  ‘What do I owe you?’ demanded Tom harshly.  ‘I just got wised up to something funny the last two days,’ remarked Wilson. ‘That’s why I want to get away. That’s why I been bothering you about the car.’ ‘What do I owe you?’ ‘Dollar twenty.’

Tom realizes both his mistress and wife are slipping from his grasp (image: Warner Bros)

During this part of the novel, Tom Buchanan (the antagonist ) is feeling cornered as both his wife and mistress are slipping away from him. The short paragraphs in quick succession show his irritability, giving readers an insight into how unsettled he is. Even the coupé driven by Gatsby flashes by him, the speed of which is also heightened by use of short paragraphs.

Shorter paragraphs introduce more white space on the page, which accelerates the pace of reading. This can be used powerfully, as in the examples above, to match the narrative when fast, uncontrollable, or sudden events happen or to give readers a wide, slow, or sluggish feeling.

Many paragraphs later, we hope you found this helpful. If you’ve struggled with how to determine your paragraph lengths, know that it’s something that many writers find challenging! By roughly following the advice in this post you’ll be able to powerfully use varying paragraph lengths to hook readers throughout your work.

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1. The Introduction

2. a strong thesis statement, 3. topic sentence, 4. structuring the body paragraphs, 5. the conclusion, how to write a 4-paragraph essay.

Used at all levels of education, the four paragraph essay offers a basic format that enables writers to present information in a concise manner. A four paragraph essay is an acceptable format for many types of essays, including cause and effect and compare and contrast essays. The four-paragraph essay consists of an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Each paragraph in the essay requires specific information in order for readers to follow a logical flow of information.

The four-paragraph essay consists of an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion.

Begin this paragraph with a “hook” that will make readers interested in your essay.

The University of Maryland University College recommends using:

• a surprising statement or statistic,
• personal story
• or rhetorical question.

Avoid the overused and unoriginal dictionary definition opening. After the opener, provide background information on the topic, which should tell readers the purpose of the essay, as well as what they should expect to read.

A thesis statement provides readers with a condensed version of the analysis or argument that you will discuss in the essay. These are typically one or two sentences, and are located at the end of the introduction paragraph.

A strong thesis statement avoids vague language and is specific and argumentative.

• The topic sentence announces the main focus of the paragraph by stating one of the arguments identified in the thesis statement.
• Provide supporting sentences that offer evidence for your claim.
• End the paragraph with your own observation or analysis.

Your body paragraphs should consist of a clear topic sentence, quotes, and explanations of the supporting evidence you have found. This is where you have the chance to prove your thesis to your reader. In order to do this, you must have strong evidence that supports the claim you are trying to make.

• Rephrase your thesis statement in the concluding paragraph, stating how it has been proven throughout the body paragraphs.
• The conclusion should have a summary of the essay’s main arguments and an explanation on how they are connected.
• Lastly, explain why the topic of your essay is important and why it should matter to the readers.
• University of Maryland University College: Introductions; 2010
• Indiana University: Thesis Statement; Jan. 2008
• University of Maryland University College: Conclusion

i am a writer

What this handout is about

This handout will help you understand how paragraphs are formed, how to develop stronger paragraphs, and how to completely and clearly express your ideas.

What is a paragraph?

Paragraphs are the building blocks of papers. Many students define paragraphs in terms of length: a paragraph is a group of at least five sentences, a paragraph is half a page long, etc. In reality, though, the unity and coherence of ideas among sentences is what constitutes a paragraph. A paragraph is defined as “a group of sentences or a single sentence that forms a unit” (Lunsford and Connors 116). Length and appearance do not determine whether a section in a paper is a paragraph. For instance, in some styles of writing, particularly journalistic styles, a paragraph can be just one sentence long. Ultimately, a paragraph is a sentence or group of sentences that support one main idea. In this handout, we will refer to this as the “controlling idea,” because it controls what happens in the rest of the paragraph.

How do I decide what to put in a paragraph?

Before you can begin to determine what the composition of a particular paragraph will be, you must first decide on an argument and a working thesis statement for your paper. What is the most important idea that you are trying to convey to your reader? The information in each paragraph must be related to that idea. In other words, your paragraphs should remind your reader that there is a recurrent relationship between your thesis and the information in each paragraph. A working thesis functions like a seed from which your paper, and your ideas, will grow. The whole process is an organic one—a natural progression from a seed to a full-blown paper where there are direct, familial relationships between all of the ideas in the paper.

The decision about what to put into your paragraphs begins with the germination of a seed of ideas; this “germination process” is better known as brainstorming . There are many techniques for brainstorming; whichever one you choose, this stage of paragraph development cannot be skipped. Building paragraphs can be like building a skyscraper: there must be a well-planned foundation that supports what you are building. Any cracks, inconsistencies, or other corruptions of the foundation can cause your whole paper to crumble.

So, let’s suppose that you have done some brainstorming to develop your thesis. What else should you keep in mind as you begin to create paragraphs? Every paragraph in a paper should be :

• Unified : All of the sentences in a single paragraph should be related to a single controlling idea (often expressed in the topic sentence of the paragraph).
• Clearly related to the thesis : The sentences should all refer to the central idea, or thesis, of the paper (Rosen and Behrens 119).
• Coherent : The sentences should be arranged in a logical manner and should follow a definite plan for development (Rosen and Behrens 119).
• Well-developed : Every idea discussed in the paragraph should be adequately explained and supported through evidence and details that work together to explain the paragraph’s controlling idea (Rosen and Behrens 119).

How do I organize a paragraph?

There are many different ways to organize a paragraph. The organization you choose will depend on the controlling idea of the paragraph. Below are a few possibilities for organization, with links to brief examples:

• Narration : Tell a story. Go chronologically, from start to finish. ( See an example. )
• Description : Provide specific details about what something looks, smells, tastes, sounds, or feels like. Organize spatially, in order of appearance, or by topic. ( See an example. )
• Process : Explain how something works, step by step. Perhaps follow a sequence—first, second, third. ( See an example. )
• Classification : Separate into groups or explain the various parts of a topic. ( See an example. )
• Illustration : Give examples and explain how those examples support your point. (See an example in the 5-step process below.)

Illustration paragraph: a 5-step example

From the list above, let’s choose “illustration” as our rhetorical purpose. We’ll walk through a 5-step process for building a paragraph that illustrates a point in an argument. For each step there is an explanation and example. Our example paragraph will be about human misconceptions of piranhas.

Step 1. Decide on a controlling idea and create a topic sentence

Paragraph development begins with the formulation of the controlling idea. This idea directs the paragraph’s development. Often, the controlling idea of a paragraph will appear in the form of a topic sentence. In some cases, you may need more than one sentence to express a paragraph’s controlling idea.

Controlling idea and topic sentence — Despite the fact that piranhas are relatively harmless, many people continue to believe the pervasive myth that piranhas are dangerous to humans.

Step 2. Elaborate on the controlling idea

Paragraph development continues with an elaboration on the controlling idea, perhaps with an explanation, implication, or statement about significance. Our example offers a possible explanation for the pervasiveness of the myth.

Elaboration — This impression of piranhas is exacerbated by their mischaracterization in popular media.

Step 3. Give an example (or multiple examples)

Paragraph development progresses with an example (or more) that illustrates the claims made in the previous sentences.

Example — For example, the promotional poster for the 1978 horror film Piranha features an oversized piranha poised to bite the leg of an unsuspecting woman.

Step 4. Explain the example(s)

The next movement in paragraph development is an explanation of each example and its relevance to the topic sentence. The explanation should demonstrate the value of the example as evidence to support the major claim, or focus, in your paragraph.

Continue the pattern of giving examples and explaining them until all points/examples that the writer deems necessary have been made and explained. NONE of your examples should be left unexplained. You might be able to explain the relationship between the example and the topic sentence in the same sentence which introduced the example. More often, however, you will need to explain that relationship in a separate sentence.

Explanation for example — Such a terrifying representation easily captures the imagination and promotes unnecessary fear.

Notice that the example and explanation steps of this 5-step process (steps 3 and 4) can be repeated as needed. The idea is that you continue to use this pattern until you have completely developed the main idea of the paragraph.

Step 5. Complete the paragraph’s idea or transition into the next paragraph

The final movement in paragraph development involves tying up the loose ends of the paragraph. At this point, you can remind your reader about the relevance of the information to the larger paper, or you can make a concluding point for this example. You might, however, simply transition to the next paragraph.

Sentences for completing a paragraph — While the trope of the man-eating piranhas lends excitement to the adventure stories, it bears little resemblance to the real-life piranha. By paying more attention to fact than fiction, humans may finally be able to let go of this inaccurate belief.

Finished paragraph

Despite the fact that piranhas are relatively harmless, many people continue to believe the pervasive myth that piranhas are dangerous to humans. This impression of piranhas is exacerbated by their mischaracterization in popular media. For example, the promotional poster for the 1978 horror film Piranha features an oversized piranha poised to bite the leg of an unsuspecting woman. Such a terrifying representation easily captures the imagination and promotes unnecessary fear. While the trope of the man-eating piranhas lends excitement to the adventure stories, it bears little resemblance to the real-life piranha. By paying more attention to fact than fiction, humans may finally be able to let go of this inaccurate belief.

Troubleshooting paragraphs

Problem: the paragraph has no topic sentence.

Imagine each paragraph as a sandwich. The real content of the sandwich—the meat or other filling—is in the middle. It includes all the evidence you need to make the point. But it gets kind of messy to eat a sandwich without any bread. Your readers don’t know what to do with all the evidence you’ve given them. So, the top slice of bread (the first sentence of the paragraph) explains the topic (or controlling idea) of the paragraph. And, the bottom slice (the last sentence of the paragraph) tells the reader how the paragraph relates to the broader argument. In the original and revised paragraphs below, notice how a topic sentence expressing the controlling idea tells the reader the point of all the evidence.

Original paragraph

Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.

Revised paragraph

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.

Once you have mastered the use of topic sentences, you may decide that the topic sentence for a particular paragraph really shouldn’t be the first sentence of the paragraph. This is fine—the topic sentence can actually go at the beginning, middle, or end of a paragraph; what’s important is that it is in there somewhere so that readers know what the main idea of the paragraph is and how it relates back to the thesis of your paper. Suppose that we wanted to start the piranha paragraph with a transition sentence—something that reminds the reader of what happened in the previous paragraph—rather than with the topic sentence. Let’s suppose that the previous paragraph was about all kinds of animals that people are afraid of, like sharks, snakes, and spiders. Our paragraph might look like this (the topic sentence is bold):

Like sharks, snakes, and spiders, piranhas are widely feared. Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless . Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. If the fish are well-fed, they won’t bite humans.

Problem: the paragraph has more than one controlling idea

If a paragraph has more than one main idea, consider eliminating sentences that relate to the second idea, or split the paragraph into two or more paragraphs, each with only one main idea. Watch our short video on reverse outlining to learn a quick way to test whether your paragraphs are unified. In the following paragraph, the final two sentences branch off into a different topic; so, the revised paragraph eliminates them and concludes with a sentence that reminds the reader of the paragraph’s main idea.

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, for the most part, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ first instinct is to flee, not attack. Their fear of humans makes sense. Far more piranhas are eaten by people than people are eaten by piranhas. A number of South American groups eat piranhas. They fry or grill the fish and then serve them with coconut milk or tucupi, a sauce made from fermented manioc juices.

Problem: transitions are needed within the paragraph

You are probably familiar with the idea that transitions may be needed between paragraphs or sections in a paper (see our handout on transitions ). Sometimes they are also helpful within the body of a single paragraph. Within a paragraph, transitions are often single words or short phrases that help to establish relationships between ideas and to create a logical progression of those ideas in a paragraph. This is especially likely to be true within paragraphs that discuss multiple examples. Let’s take a look at a version of our piranha paragraph that uses transitions to orient the reader:

Although most people consider piranhas to be quite dangerous, they are, except in two main situations, entirely harmless. Piranhas rarely feed on large animals; they eat smaller fish and aquatic plants. When confronted with humans, piranhas’ instinct is to flee, not attack. But there are two situations in which a piranha bite is likely. The first is when a frightened piranha is lifted out of the water—for example, if it has been caught in a fishing net. The second is when the water level in pools where piranhas are living falls too low. A large number of fish may be trapped in a single pool, and if they are hungry, they may attack anything that enters the water.

In this example, you can see how the phrases “the first” and “the second” help the reader follow the organization of the ideas in the paragraph.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Lunsford, Andrea. 2008. The St. Martin’s Handbook: Annotated Instructor’s Edition , 6th ed. New York: St. Martin’s.

Rosen, Leonard J., and Laurence Behrens. 2003. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook , 5th ed. New York: Longman.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Paragraphs & topic sentences.

A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized and coherent, and are all related to a single topic. Almost every piece of writing you do that is longer than a few sentences should be organized into paragraphs. This is because paragraphs show a reader where the subdivisions of an essay begin and end, and thus help the reader see the organization of the essay and grasp its main points.

Paragraphs can contain many different kinds of information. A paragraph could contain a series of brief examples or a single long illustration of a general point. It might describe a place, character, or process; narrate a series of events; compare or contrast two or more things; classify items into categories; or describe causes and effects. Regardless of the kind of information they contain, all paragraphs share certain characteristics. One of the most important of these is a topic sentence.

TOPIC SENTENCES

A well-organized paragraph supports or develops a single controlling idea, which is expressed in a sentence called the topic sentence. A topic sentence has several important functions: it substantiates or supports an essay’s thesis statement; it unifies the content of a paragraph and directs the order of the sentences; and it advises the reader of the subject to be discussed and how the paragraph will discuss it. Readers generally look to the first few sentences in a paragraph to determine the subject and perspective of the paragraph. That’s why it’s often best to put the topic sentence at the very beginning of the paragraph. In some cases, however, it’s more effective to place another sentence before the topic sentence—for example, a sentence linking the current paragraph to the previous one, or one providing background information.

Although most paragraphs should have a topic sentence, there are a few situations when a paragraph might not need a topic sentence. For example, you might be able to omit a topic sentence in a paragraph that narrates a series of events, if a paragraph continues developing an idea that you introduced (with a topic sentence) in the previous paragraph, or if all the sentences and details in a paragraph clearly refer—perhaps indirectly—to a main point. The vast majority of your paragraphs, however, should have a topic sentence.

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

Most paragraphs in an essay have a three-part structure—introduction, body, and conclusion. You can see this structure in paragraphs whether they are narrating, describing, comparing, contrasting, or analyzing information. Each part of the paragraph plays an important role in communicating your meaning to your reader.

Introduction : the first section of a paragraph; should include the topic sentence and any other sentences at the beginning of the paragraph that give background information or provide a transition.

Body : follows the introduction; discusses the controlling idea, using facts, arguments, analysis, examples, and other information.

Conclusion : the final section; summarizes the connections between the information discussed in the body of the paragraph and the paragraph’s controlling idea.

The following paragraph illustrates this pattern of organization. In this paragraph the topic sentence and concluding sentence (CAPITALIZED) both help the reader keep the paragraph’s main point in mind.

SCIENTISTS HAVE LEARNED TO SUPPLEMENT THE SENSE OF SIGHT IN NUMEROUS WAYS. In front of the tiny pupil of the eye they put , on Mount Palomar, a great monocle 200 inches in diameter, and with it see 2000 times farther into the depths of space. Or they look through a small pair of lenses arranged as a microscope into a drop of water or blood, and magnify by as much as 2000 diameters the living creatures there, many of which are among man’s most dangerous enemies. Or , if we want to see distant happenings on earth, they use some of the previously wasted electromagnetic waves to carry television images which they re-create as light by whipping tiny crystals on a screen with electrons in a vacuum. Or they can bring happenings of long ago and far away as colored motion pictures, by arranging silver atoms and color-absorbing molecules to force light waves into the patterns of original reality. Or if we want to see into the center of a steel casting or the chest of an injured child, they send the information on a beam of penetrating short-wave X rays, and then convert it back into images we can see on a screen or photograph. THUS ALMOST EVERY TYPE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION YET DISCOVERED HAS BEEN USED TO EXTEND OUR SENSE OF SIGHT IN SOME WAY. George Harrison, “Faith and the Scientist”

In a coherent paragraph, each sentence relates clearly to the topic sentence or controlling idea, but there is more to coherence than this. If a paragraph is coherent, each sentence flows smoothly into the next without obvious shifts or jumps. A coherent paragraph also highlights the ties between old information and new information to make the structure of ideas or arguments clear to the reader.

Along with the smooth flow of sentences, a paragraph’s coherence may also be related to its length. If you have written a very long paragraph, one that fills a double-spaced typed page, for example, you should check it carefully to see if it should start a new paragraph where the original paragraph wanders from its controlling idea. On the other hand, if a paragraph is very short (only one or two sentences, perhaps), you may need to develop its controlling idea more thoroughly, or combine it with another paragraph.

A number of other techniques that you can use to establish coherence in paragraphs are described below.

Repeat key words or phrases. Particularly in paragraphs in which you define or identify an important idea or theory, be consistent in how you refer to it. This consistency and repetition will bind the paragraph together and help your reader understand your definition or description.

Create parallel structures. Parallel structures are created by constructing two or more phrases or sentences that have the same grammatical structure and use the same parts of speech. By creating parallel structures you make your sentences clearer and easier to read. In addition, repeating a pattern in a series of consecutive sentences helps your reader see the connections between ideas. In the paragraph above about scientists and the sense of sight, several sentences in the body of the paragraph have been constructed in a parallel way. The parallel structures (which have been emphasized ) help the reader see that the paragraph is organized as a set of examples of a general statement.

Be consistent in point of view, verb tense, and number. Consistency in point of view, verb tense, and number is a subtle but important aspect of coherence. If you shift from the more personal "you" to the impersonal “one,” from past to present tense, or from “a man” to “they,” for example, you make your paragraph less coherent. Such inconsistencies can also confuse your reader and make your argument more difficult to follow.

Use transition words or phrases between sentences and between paragraphs. Transitional expressions emphasize the relationships between ideas, so they help readers follow your train of thought or see connections that they might otherwise miss or misunderstand. The following paragraph shows how carefully chosen transitions (CAPITALIZED) lead the reader smoothly from the introduction to the conclusion of the paragraph.

I don’t wish to deny that the flattened, minuscule head of the large-bodied "stegosaurus" houses little brain from our subjective, top-heavy perspective, BUT I do wish to assert that we should not expect more of the beast. FIRST OF ALL, large animals have relatively smaller brains than related, small animals. The correlation of brain size with body size among kindred animals (all reptiles, all mammals, FOR EXAMPLE) is remarkably regular. AS we move from small to large animals, from mice to elephants or small lizards to Komodo dragons, brain size increases, BUT not so fast as body size. IN OTHER WORDS, bodies grow faster than brains, AND large animals have low ratios of brain weight to body weight. IN FACT, brains grow only about two-thirds as fast as bodies. SINCE we have no reason to believe that large animals are consistently stupider than their smaller relatives, we must conclude that large animals require relatively less brain to do as well as smaller animals. IF we do not recognize this relationship, we are likely to underestimate the mental power of very large animals, dinosaurs in particular. Stephen Jay Gould, “Were Dinosaurs Dumb?”

SOME USEFUL TRANSITIONS

(modified from Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference )

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Writing academically: Paragraph structure

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Paragraph structure

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“An appropriate use of paragraphs is an essential part of writing coherent and well-structured essays.” Don Shiach,   How to write essays

• A topic sentence – what is the overall point that the paragraph is making?
• Evidence that supports your point – this is usually your cited material.
• Explanation of why the point is important and how it helps with your overall argument.
• A link (if necessary) to the next paragraph (or to the previous one if coming at the beginning of the paragraph) or back to the essay question.

This is a good order to use when you are new to writing academic essays - but as you get more accomplished you can adapt it as necessary. The important thing is to make sure all of these elements are present within the paragraph.

The sections below explain more about each of these elements.

The topic sentence (Point)

This should appear early in the paragraph and is often, but not always, the first sentence.  It should clearly state the main point that you are making in the paragraph. When you are planning essays, writing down a list of your topic sentences is an excellent way to check that your argument flows well from one point to the next.

This is the evidence that backs up your topic sentence. Why do you believe what you have written in your topic sentence? The evidence is usually paraphrased or quoted material from your reading . Depending on the nature of the assignment, it could also include:

• Your own data (in a research project for example).
• Personal experiences from practice (especially for Social Care, Health Sciences and Education).
• Personal experiences from learning (in a reflective essay for example).

Any evidence from external sources should, of course, be referenced.

Explanation (analysis)

This is the part of your paragraph where you explain to your reader why the evidence supports the point and why that point is relevant to your overall argument. It is where you answer the question 'So what?'. Tell the reader how the information in the paragraph helps you answer the question and how it leads to your conclusion. Your analysis should attempt to persuade the reader that your conclusion is the correct one.

These are the parts of your paragraphs that will get you the higher marks in any marking scheme.

Links are optional but it will help your argument flow if you include them. They are sentences that help the reader understand how the parts of your argument are connected . Most commonly they come at the end of the paragraph but they can be equally effective at the beginning of the next one. Sometimes a link is split between the end of one paragraph and the beginning of the next (see the example paragraph below).

Paragraph structure video

Length of a paragraph

Academic paragraphs are usually between 200 and 300 words long (they vary more than this but it is a useful guide). The important thing is that they should be long enough to contain all the above material. Only move onto a new paragraph if you are making a new point. 

Many students make their paragraphs too short (because they are not including enough or any analysis) or too long (they are made up of several different points).

Example of an academic paragraph

Using storytelling in educational settings can enable educators to connect with their students because of inborn tendencies for humans to listen to stories.   Written languages have only existed for between 6,000 and 7,000 years (Daniels & Bright, 1995) before then, and continually ever since in many cultures, important lessons for life were passed on using the oral tradition of storytelling. These varied from simple informative tales, to help us learn how to find food or avoid danger, to more magical and miraculous stories designed to help us see how we can resolve conflict and find our place in society (Zipes, 2012). Oral storytelling traditions are still fundamental to native American culture and Rebecca Bishop, a native American public relations officer (quoted in Sorensen, 2012) believes that the physical act of storytelling is a special thing; children will automatically stop what they are doing and listen when a story is told. Professional communicators report that this continues to adulthood (Simmons, 2006; Stevenson, 2008).   This means that storytelling can be a powerful tool for connecting with students of all ages in a way that a list of bullet points in a PowerPoint presentation cannot. The emotional connection and innate, almost hardwired, need to listen when someone tells a story means that educators can teach memorable lessons in a uniquely engaging manner that is   common to all cultures. 

This cross-cultural element of storytelling can be seen when reading or listening to wisdom tales from around the world...

Key:   Topic sentence    Evidence (includes some analysis)    Analysis   Link (crosses into next paragraph)

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How Many Sentences in a Paragraph?

What do teachers want to see in a paragraph?

If you’re a student, your teacher or tutor may ask you to write a paragraph without telling you just how long he or she expects it to be. In general, educators like to see a paragraph consisting of at least 5 sentences . Start with a sentence that expresses an idea. Use the next 3 sentences for providing information that supports that idea, and use the final sentence to draw a conclusion.

Why do teachers expect longer paragraphs? Obviously, they want to see that you have acquired knowledge and can think critically. That’s quite difficult to demonstrate with a single sentence! Teachers will sometimes set a rule that all paragraphs should be a certain length, but it’s important to remember that specific paragraph lengths aren’t a prerequisite for acceptable writing.

When do you use shorter paragraphs?

Open just about any book, and you’ll find plenty of short paragraphs. If direct speech is used, there’ll be a new paragraph every time a new speaker starts to talk. News writers also like using short paragraphs. They have to present information in a succinct way and hold the reader’s attention.

Commercial writers know that most people don’t want to read 1,000 words of closely-spaced text in order to see what they are writing about, so they also like to keep sentences and paragraphs short. They’ll even use lots of sub-headers so you can see what each paragraph is about before you read it.

How do I know when to start a new paragraph?

Every time you begin to discuss a new thought that contributes to the overarching theme of your work, you can start a new paragraph. A paragraph will usually consist of a collection of sentences that, when considered as a group, have something in common. As soon as you move on to the next idea, you can begin a new paragraph.

Luckily, you don’t have to agonise about it too much, because as I’ve pointed out, there are no specific rules.

Tips for writing strong paragraphs

It’s best to begin a paragraph with a sentence that defines the topic that will be discussed. Try to keep it fairly simple. If you include too many ideas in your opening sentence, you run the risk of getting tangled in an overly complex and incoherent paragraph. Every sentence in a paragraph should support the first, “topic sentence.” When you begin discussing a new or related topic, start a new paragraph.

The University of North Carolina helps students with paragraph construction by providing them with a 5-step process:

• Express the idea that the paragraph will cover in a topic sentence.
• Explain the idea.
• Use an example.
• Explain why the example relates to the idea.
• Draw a conclusion.

Obviously, the recipe has been designed for those who want to write an informative and convincing work. And because these rules aren’t really cast in stone, you’ll find that different institutions give different recommendations.

The debate continues

If we look around, we’ll find that the idea of paragraphs with a minimum of 3-5 sentences and a maximum of 8 is pretty common. But there are some who say that two to three paragraphs per page are best and others who say that 5 to 7 lines will do the job. Meanwhile, journalism students are taught to keep sentences as short as possible, and one sentence paragraphs are considered perfectly acceptable.

There are those who say that using more than one paragraph to discuss an idea is perfectly alright, and since there are no hard and fast rules for paragraphs, I can’t really contradict them. I even found one recommendation that suggested a minimum of 7-10 sentences per paragraph and a maximum of a full page !

How long should your paragraphs be?

Unless you’re busy with academic writing, the length of your paragraphs is up to you. I like shorter paragraphs for informal writing such as this blog post. I like the idea of sticking to one idea per paragraph, and I think that paragraphs make reading and understanding a text a whole lot simpler. Single-sentence paragraphs are great for emphasis.

If you are writing to pass a school, college or university course, I recommend you ask your teacher or professor what’s expected of you. It’s always better to ask in these situations than to try to guess. This is by far the best way to make sure you tailor your writing to what your teacher expects rather than by going by a general rule.

(Photo courtesy of Laura )

This doesn’t give me an exact answer. I need an exact answer so I can do my paper! Please tell me exactly how many sentences are in a paragraph so I can finish my 5 paragraph assignment!

There isn’t an exact answer. If you want to be safe and not get marked down, you should write 5 or more sentences for each paragraph.

You’re going to have a rough life it you want exact answers when it comes to English. It’s a fluid language with lots of exceptions to rules, and then exceptions to those exceptions. Many rules are nothing more than general guidelines, but not hard-fast rules. As mentioned above, there is no exact answer to how many sentences there should be in a paragraph and you’ll find this true with a lot of these questions.

Sounds like u just need to make sure u have 5 paragraphs

Thank you for the general rule of thumb for how many sentences are in a paragraph. I understand it depends on a variety of factors, but the general rule of thumb is quite helpful for me!

It’s good to hear you found this helpful. As stated in the article, there are a lot of factors that can affect the number of sentences in a paragraph and there are no hard set rules, but I’m happy the general rule of thumb is helpful for what you need.

This will depend on the assignment, topic and also what is asked. It is so difficult to answer this without knowing the specifics. I think this article is a great guide to check out when you start writing, but it will never give you a definitive answer as there are far too many variables to take into consideration.

I don’t think this question can ever be answered. It just depends. Sometimes my paragraphs have over 10 sentences and sometimes they have only a few. It just depends what you’re writing about.

This is good information to know. My question is, does it really matter how long each sentence is within the paragraph? For example, if I write eight sentences, but each sentence is only three or four words long, do I need to extend the paragraph so that maybe it has 12 to 14 sentences? On the other hand, if I write long sentences such as 10 to 12 words each, can I get away with only four sentences in the paragraph? Does the length of the sentence matter at all or is this something that I shouldn’t be worried about with my writing?

No! You should separate the paragraphs when there is a change of topic, not based on the number of sentences or the sentence length. If you did it like that, the paragraphs would be quite difficult to read and the flow would be terrible.

These our general rules. Don’t focus on them as much his writing well. That’s really what it all comes down to. If you take the time to write well, it’s not going to matter how many sentences are in each paragraph. If you don’t write well, the number of sentences that you have in each paragraph may be an issue along with a lot of other things. Just write the best that you can and you should be okay.

I think it’s really interesting the flexibility the English language allows for how many sentences are in a paragraph. The fact that there aren’t any set rules and it depends so much on the context of what’s being written makes the English language fluid and alive. Thin how boring English would be if every paragraph had to be the same length with the same number of sentences? Embrace the flexibility which allows you to be creative when writing in English.

Those who are so concerned about getting an exact answer for this question fail to realize what you just said. The reason that there isn’t an exact answer is because the language is so fluid and flexible. It’s what makes English such a fun language. If everything was limited to set rules that couldn’t be broken or played with, English would be such a boring language. Be happy that there isn’t an exact answer for how many sentences are there in a paragraph because if there was an exact answer, English would be a lot more boring overall.

I think that this would help me to learn and teach my students how many sentence in a paragraph are. Allows youto be creativewhen writing in inglish.👍😀👌😎😏

This would help me out

This is the stupidest question I have ever come across. Of course there is no answer. How many sentences in a paragraph will depend on each paragraph that’s written. Even somebody in kindergarten would understand that. Why would anybody even ask a question like this?

Just because it doesn’t make sense to you doesn’t mean that it’s a stupid question. English isn’t my native language so I wasn’t sure if there was a rule about paragraphs. I thought maybe that a paragraph needed a minimum of three sentences so I decided to look it up on the Internet. There are legitimate reasons why somebody like me would want to know the answer to this question.

it doesnt make sense

What doesn’t make sense?

This does make sense

I try to write a minimum of five sentences per paragraph. I’m not always able to do that depending on what I’m writing, but I think that’s a good goal especially when you’re writing essays for school work. I think by having a goal you end up writing better, but you need to understand that the goal can be broken in certain circumstances. I’m not sure if that will help anybody who comes across this article, but that’s what I do when it comes to paragraphs.

I’m surprised people can get so worked up about a topic that doesn’t have an exact answer. If you need to have an exact answer for everything in life, you’re going to have a hard time. The number of sentences will be different for each person. Nobody writes the same way. And if you write one sentence or ten sentences, neither is wrong.

This is exactly what I was thinking. It’s hilarious that people are getting worked up about how many sentences should be in a paragraph. In the scheme of things, this doesn’t even rate a blip on the radar. Write ans many sentences as you want as long as you can justify why you wrote that many to your professor.

Sometimes it will be stipulated, but if not then it really depends on you to choose the number of sentences that your paragraph needs.

lol. This answer doesn’t say anything just like the article. How many sentences does a paragraph need? 1 to 1000 — take your choice. Basically, as many or as few as you want. This whole article can be summed up as “however many you want.”

I was always taught that there should be five sentences in the paragraph. I understand that there can be more or less, but if you’re shooting for a good paragraph and you’re worried about the number of sentences, five is a good number to shoot for. That gives you the opportunity to do an introduction sentence, three sentences that explain your point, and then a concluding sentence. If you have all of these in a paragraph, it should be a good quality paragraph.

I think the five sentences per paragraph rule is one that teachers use when trying to get students to understand what a paragraph is. It may be a good rule for students who are first learning how to write, but it’s pretty limiting if you try to use it with everything you write. If you’re trying to make your paragraphs 5 sentences long when you’re an adult, you’re limiting your writing creativity.

I just read your comment, and I’m a student! Don’t you know that a child can do comments to.

I was taught 5 sentences when I was in school, but I always found it limiting and often argued with my teacher about it. I think teachers teach it for their own ease instead of helping students expand on creating creative paragraphs. It’s teaching toward the slowest students rather than individual teaching to where each student happens to be in their writing knowledge.

Do people really worry about things like this? This seems so trivial. I mean, I never think about the number of sentences I have in each paragraph when I’m writing. I just write in whatever happens to work is what appears in each paragraph. Do people really take the time to think about how many sentences they have in every paragraph that they write?

I think there are specific instances when this is to be considered, but not for the majority of writing. I came here because I was assigned to write a single paragraph on a topic for school and I wanted to know if there was a limit on the number of sentences I could have in it. I would never normally care, but for this assignment I was curious.

school is dumb and this is not helpful at all

We all get frustrated with school at times, but as with most things in life, you get out of it what you put into it. Learning to get the most out of school even when you may not like it will help you a lot in other aspects of life. Complaining won’t change anything, so you need to find a way to make the best of it.

that is rude and you don’t know what you are talking about because if you want a job in the future than you need school!!!

My teacher says that paragraphs have to be 5 or more sentences for my essay in 9th grade. Is this legal?

A teacher can require you do do whatever he/she wants. That doesn’t mean that’s the only way to do it, but you’ll get marked down for not following the instructions correctly. You’d best follow the teacher’s instructions.

I write paragraphs which are 14 and a half long every time I write an essay

How do you write a half sentence in every paragraph?

you need to cut down big time

That’s great, I wish I could do that 🙃

bruh first of all, how can u write a half sentence and 14.5 is about a page, aka, u need to cut down

I can’t believe some of the stupid comments here. The point of this article is that a paragraph can have different number of sentences depending on the particular type of writing. There is no black and white answer.

I am working on a middle school paper about Benedict Arnold. Is it alright to have a ten sentence paragraph?

Unless your teacher says how many sentences you need to have I don’t think it matters how many you have

Yeah, this was well written and it looks like my new post 21 paragraph from 1 paragraph. actually, the paragraph containing bear some different type issue.

If I use a direct quote that has multiple sentences inside of the quotations, does it still count for the total number or is it just 1 sentence all together?

What does that mean a three sentence writing

May I Know how many sentens in Paragraph ?? like it type ? Thanks

i really like this cite

I think 🤔 that good

How are you doing

does my conclusion need to be more that three scentences long

Would 15 sentences be too long?

Probably. But it depends

There should be 5 to 8 sentences or more in a paragraph.

I paragraph should state the point, give details to support and end. I teach students with special needs and if their paragraph is “ I really love my dog. He is cute. He loves me. This is why I love my dog. That’s a paragraph 😊

It simply means allowing the writer to use his or her own discretion to bring to bear individual creativity. How boring it would have been for the readers as many have already mentioned if every fiction or non-fiction writing was to follow a stereotyped or mechanic paragraphing pattern. I am happy for its fluidity.

Hello! As you may know the author of the book (Eragon), it’s usually common to have a distinct five-sentence paragraph. The most you can do for a paragraph is 20 sentences depending on your topic/discussion. If you’re a student currently enrolled in a university/school k-12, it’s wise you follow the teachers/professors instruction when doing an outline or a summery of a topic. So, generally you can have more than five-sentences per paragraph. Thank you! ©Christopher Paolini, 2019

Thanks this information was helpful.

I was always taught that there should be five sentences in the paragraph. I understand that there can be more or less, but if you’re shooting for a good paragraph and you’re worried about the number of sentences, five is a good number to shoot for. That gives you the opportunity to do an introduction sentence, three sentences that explain your point, and then a concluding sentence. If you have all of these in a paragraph, it should be a good quality paragraph.

5-6 sentences is perfect as i was playing my character i thought small paragraphs for saying are perfect and for writing as well

My teacher wants 16 sentences a paragraph !!!!!!!!

you guys are lucky mine was 12 sentences per paragraph.

very good advice

I’m writing a paper on serial killers and it has to have an introduction, a thesis statement, 3 body paragraphs, a conclusion, 2 internet sources, and 2 database sources, and a conclusion.

It was to long, even for a child! I’m ten years old.TEN! I almost fell asleep.

How many paragraphs would 40 sentences be?

Since I read here that the amount of lines in a paragraph is largely subjective ( unless otherwise instructed ?). The reason I was seeking this information was to see if there was any grammatical reason to limit the number of lines in a paragraph? Since latitude exists, I can apply aesthetically pleasing ( subjective?).

How are excited are you in this upcoming christmas and new year

wow, this made me understand the definition of how to work on a paragraph and what to improve on when my teacher asks me to the right 5-page essay. on how an atom works

I am being made to currently write forty sentences! Not sure how many paragraphs it is though

I’m doing an essay and my second paragraph has 129 words….. is that too much or is there no such thing?

I am Asian so i write 20 lines a paragraph

I always taught that there are 10 sentences in one paragraph

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On Paragraphs

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The purpose of this handout is to give some basic instruction and advice regarding the creation of understandable and coherent paragraphs.

What is a paragraph?

A paragraph is a collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic. Learning to write good paragraphs will help you as a writer stay on track during your drafting and revision stages. Good paragraphing also greatly assists your readers in following a piece of writing. You can have fantastic ideas, but if those ideas aren't presented in an organized fashion, you will lose your readers (and fail to achieve your goals in writing).

The Basic Rule: Keep one idea to one paragraph

The basic rule of thumb with paragraphing is to keep one idea to one paragraph. If you begin to transition into a new idea, it belongs in a new paragraph. There are some simple ways to tell if you are on the same topic or a new one. You can have one idea and several bits of supporting evidence within a single paragraph. You can also have several points in a single paragraph as long as they relate to the overall topic of the paragraph. If the single points start to get long, then perhaps elaborating on each of them and placing them in their own paragraphs is the route to go.

Elements of a paragraph

To be as effective as possible, a paragraph should contain each of the following: Unity, Coherence, A Topic Sentence, and Adequate Development. As you will see, all of these traits overlap. Using and adapting them to your individual purposes will help you construct effective paragraphs.

The entire paragraph should concern itself with a single focus. If it begins with one focus or major point of discussion, it should not end with another or wander within different ideas.

Coherence is the trait that makes the paragraph easily understandable to a reader. You can help create coherence in your paragraphs by creating logical bridges and verbal bridges.

Logical bridges

• The same idea of a topic is carried over from sentence to sentence
• Successive sentences can be constructed in parallel form

Verbal bridges

• Key words can be repeated in several sentences
• Synonymous words can be repeated in several sentences
• Pronouns can refer to nouns in previous sentences
• Transition words can be used to link ideas from different sentences

A topic sentence

A topic sentence is a sentence that indicates in a general way what idea or thesis the paragraph is going to deal with. Although not all paragraphs have clear-cut topic sentences, and despite the fact that topic sentences can occur anywhere in the paragraph (as the first sentence, the last sentence, or somewhere in the middle), an easy way to make sure your reader understands the topic of the paragraph is to put your topic sentence near the beginning of the paragraph. (This is a good general rule for less experienced writers, although it is not the only way to do it). Regardless of whether you include an explicit topic sentence or not, you should be able to easily summarize what the paragraph is about.

Adequate development

The topic (which is introduced by the topic sentence) should be discussed fully and adequately. Again, this varies from paragraph to paragraph, depending on the author's purpose, but writers should be wary of paragraphs that only have two or three sentences. It's a pretty good bet that the paragraph is not fully developed if it is that short.

Some methods to make sure your paragraph is well-developed:

• Use examples and illustrations
• Cite data (facts, statistics, evidence, details, and others)
• Examine testimony (what other people say such as quotes and paraphrases)
• Use an anecdote or story
• Define terms in the paragraph
• Compare and contrast
• Evaluate causes and reasons
• Examine effects and consequences
• Analyze the topic
• Describe the topic
• Offer a chronology of an event (time segments)

How do I know when to start a new paragraph?

You should start a new paragraph when:

• When you begin a new idea or point. New ideas should always start in new paragraphs. If you have an extended idea that spans multiple paragraphs, each new point within that idea should have its own paragraph.
• To contrast information or ideas. Separate paragraphs can serve to contrast sides in a debate, different points in an argument, or any other difference.
• When your readers need a pause. Breaks between paragraphs function as a short "break" for your readers—adding these in will help your writing be more readable. You would create a break if the paragraph becomes too long or the material is complex.
• When you are ending your introduction or starting your conclusion. Your introductory and concluding material should always be in a new paragraph. Many introductions and conclusions have multiple paragraphs depending on their content, length, and the writer's purpose.

Transitions and signposts

Two very important elements of paragraphing are signposts and transitions. Signposts are internal aids to assist readers; they usually consist of several sentences or a paragraph outlining what the article has covered and where the article will be going.

Transitions are usually one or several sentences that "transition" from one idea to the next. Transitions can be used at the end of most paragraphs to help the paragraphs flow one into the next.

When You Write

Breaking Down Essays: How Many Paragraphs Should You Have?

Writing an essay and figuring out the basic structure of an essay is one of the biggest challenges faced by students. But have no fear! Today we’re here to tackle one particularly tricky aspect of writing essays: how many paragraphs should be included?

We’ll look at some rules and guidelines for determining when it’s time to move on to a new paragraph – so you can easily craft your next great essay with confidence.

In this article, I’ll take you through the process step-by-step, offering up examples and strategies that will help readers understand what they need to know in order to write dynamic, engaging essays.

Perfect for anyone looking for ways to break free from tired formulae and express their story ideas in innovative ways.

What Is An Essay?

Essays are a common form of writing used in education and work. They can range from persuasive to argumentative, but all require an organized structure with clear thesis statement , topic sentences and supporting evidence. Writing an essay is like creating a piece of art: you have to know the rules before you break them.

When it comes to understanding the basic structure of an essay, there are typically three primary elements: introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion.

The introduction should provide readers with background information about the subject matter or arguments that will be discussed throughout the essay. It also lays out your main point (thesis statement) for readers so they have an understanding of what is coming next.

Body paragraphs usually follow the introduction, as this is where writers present their arguments and support their points with evidence. Each paragraph serves its own purpose; each one introducing one idea at a time until the writer has made his/her case through multiple topics. To make sure this happens effectively, each paragraph must start with a strong focus sentence (topic sentence) which introduces what that particular section will discuss further on.

From here, we move on to crafting our conclusion – wrapping up all ideas presented within our body paragraphs while reiterating our initial thesis statement and providing some final thoughts on the overall subject matter at hand.

This part should not simply repeat what was previously said but rather tie everything together into something meaningful for readers to take away from our essay’s message.

Understanding The Basic Structure Of An Essay

Ah, the art of essay writing. It’s a crafty exercise that can induce feelings of dread and extreme boredom in many high schoolers—not to mention college students. But, like all arts, it has its place in education and there are various ways to create an effective piece of work.

To understand how to write an essay effectively, you must first learn about its basic structure: paragraphs. Paragraphs are essential components of essays; they provide organization for your thoughts and ideas and should be used throughout the entire paper. Generally speaking, each paragraph should contain one main idea which is then supplemented by evidence from outside sources or personal examples. The length of these paragraphs will vary depending on whether you’re writing a short article or longer research paper, but typically five to six sentences work best for most formats.

To get started on drafting your masterpiece, decide what type of essay you’re going to write (persuasive argumentative etc.) and determine the recommended number of paragraphs per format.

After this step is complete, start brainstorming topics related to the essay prompt and begin jotting down notes as well as any relevant quotes or data points that could support your arguments further down the line.

Once these tasks are accomplished, it’s time to dive into actually constructing those individual paragraphs!

Types Of Essays And Recommended Paragraph Structure

When it comes to essays, there are a variety of types and structures. The number of paragraphs can vary depending on the type of essay being written.

The most common format is the five-paragraph essay:

• an introduction,
• three body paragraphs, and
• a conclusion.

Each paragraph should have around six sentences that are focused on one main idea or point. An argumentative or persuasive essay usually follows this structure as well, but may contain more than five paragraphs if necessary for evidence support.

A cause-and-effect essay typically has two parts;

• an introduction followed by
• either two or four body paragraphs

in which causes and effects are discussed respectively. A research paper contains the same elements as other essays but also includes citations from sources used to back up claims made throughout the document. Personal essays often don’t conform to any specific structure because they focus on feelings rather than facts; however, some writers prefer organizing them into three sections with three separate points per section.

No matter what type of essay you’re writing, it’s important to recognize how many paragraphs each requires so your work meets expectations and flows properly between ideas!

Factors Influencing The Number Of Paragraphs In An Essay

As the old adage goes, “form follows function.”

The same is true for essays: how many paragraphs an essay contains depends on its purpose and complexity of the topic.

When writing an essay, it’s important to consider the length of the assignment, time available to complete the task, and resources at hand.

An essay typically consists of three parts: introduction, body containing three body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Depending on the length of the essay and other factors such as difficulty level or argumentative depth, one may need more than three body paragraphs to fully explain their stance on a given subject matter.

The introduction should include information that draws readers in while also setting up what will be discussed in main points throughout your essay.

After this comes your three body paragraphs where you can expand upon each point made by providing evidence or examples from reliable sources.

Finally, conclude with a clear summary of all key topics that have been addressed in your paper without introducing any new ideas not previously mentioned.

When editing and proofreading your work after completion, look out for ways to improve paragraphing based on readability considerations; ensure your paragraph transitions are logical so readers can follow along easily; check if there is enough text within each body paragraph relative to other sections; identify redundancies or irrelevant information that could be eliminated; and finally re-read sentences to make sure they align with the thesis statement set forth in the introduction section.

With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way towards crafting impressive essays!

Paragraphing Tips For Editing And Proofreading

When editing and proofreading an essay, it’s important to make sure the paragraphs are properly structured. Many people don’t realize that the number of paragraphs included in an essay can make a huge difference. 

Generally, essays should have between three and seven paragraphs, depending on the length of the essay. For shorter essays, three paragraphs is usually enough, while for longer ones, seven is the maximum.

In addition, each paragraph should be focused on a particular idea or topic and should have a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Proofreading

When proofreading, it’s also important to pay attention to the length of each paragraph. Paragraphs should be long enough to contain a full thought or idea, but not so long that they become hard to follow.

As a rule of thumb, each paragraph should be around five sentences. If a paragraph is too short, it might not contain enough information. If it’s too long, the point of the paragraph might get lost. It’s also important to make sure that each paragraph logically flows into the next, so the reader can understand the essay’s overall argument. 

Having someone else read over your work can be useful because they might spot something you didn’t notice before-but remember to take their advice on board if it’s valid!

In conclusion, the number of paragraphs in an essay can vary depending on its purpose and type.

However, it’s important to ensure that each paragraph is cohesive and serves a clear purpose within your overall argument.

To make sure each paragraph flows naturally into the next, I recommend editing and proofreading for any errors or awkward phrasing.

Recommended Reading...

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• Writing Tips

How Many Paragraphs Should an Essay Have?

• 6-minute read
• 19th May 2023

You have an essay to write. You’ve researched the topic and crafted a strong thesis statement . Now it’s time to open the laptop and start tapping away on the keyboard. You know the required word count, but you’re unsure of one thing: How many paragraphs should you have in the essay? Gee, it would’ve been nice if your professor had specified that, huh?

No worries, friend, because in this post, we’ll provide a guide to how many paragraphs an essay should have . Generally, the number of paragraphs will depend on how many words and how many supporting details you need (more on that later). We’ll also explore the concept of paragraphs if you’re wondering what they’re all about. And remember, paragraphs serve a purpose. You can’t submit an essay without using them!

What Is a Paragraph?

You likely know what a paragraph is, but can you define it properly in plain English? Don’t feel bad if that question made you shake your head. Off the top of our heads, many of us can’t explain what a paragraph is .

A paragraph comprises at least five sentences about a particular topic. A paragraph must begin with a well-crafted topic sentence , which is then followed by ideas that support that sentence. To move the essay forward, the paragraph should flow well, and the sentences should be relevant.

Why Are Paragraphs Important?

Paragraphs expand on points you make about a topic, painting a vivid picture for the reader. Paragraphs break down information into chunks, which are easier to read than one giant, uninterrupted body of text. If your essay doesn’t use paragraphs, it likely won’t earn a good grade!

 How Many Paragraphs Are in an Essay?

As mentioned, the number of paragraphs will depend on the word count and the quantity of supporting ideas required. However, if you have to write at least 1,000 words, you should aim for at least five paragraphs. Every essay should have an introduction and a conclusion. The reader needs to get a basic introduction to the topic and understand your thesis statement. They must also see key takeaway points at the end of the essay.

As a rule, a five-paragraph essay would look like this:

• Introduction (with thesis statement)
• Main idea 1 (with supporting details)
• Main idea 2 (with supporting details)
• Main idea 3 (with supporting details)

Your supporting details should include material (such as quotations or facts) from credible sources when writing the main idea paragraphs.

If you think your essay could benefit from having more than five paragraphs, add them! Just make sure they’re relevant to the topic.

Professors don’t care so much about the number of paragraphs; they want you to satisfy the minimum word requirement. Assignment rubrics rarely state the number of required paragraphs. It will be up to you to decide how many to write, and we urge you to research the assigned topic before writing the essay. Your main ideas from the research will generate most of the paragraphs.

When Should I Start a New Paragraph?

Surprisingly, some students aren’t aware that they should break up some of the paragraphs in their essays . You need to start new paragraphs to keep your reader engaged.

As well as starting a new paragraph after the introduction and another for the conclusion, you should do so when you’re introducing a new idea or presenting contrasting information.

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Starting a paragraph often involves using transitional words or phrases to signal to the reader that you’re presenting a new idea. Failing to use these cues may cause confusion for the reader and undermine your essay’s coherence.

Let’s consider examples of transitional words and phrases in action in a conclusion. Note that the essay is about too much mobile device screen time and that transitional words and phrases can occur later in a paragraph too:

Thanks to “In conclusion” and “Additionally,” the reader clearly knows that they are now in the conclusion stage. They can also follow the logic and development of the essay more easily.

How Do I Know Whether I Have Enough Paragraphs?

While no magic number exists for how many paragraphs you need, you should know when you have enough to satisfy the requirements of the assignment. It helps if you can answer yes to the following questions:

• Does my essay have both an introduction and a conclusion?
• Have I provided enough main ideas with supporting details, including quotes and cited information?
• Does my essay develop the thesis statement?
• Does my essay adequately inform the reader about the topic?
• Have I provided at least one takeaway for the reader?

 Conclusion

Professors aren’t necessarily looking for a specific number of paragraphs in an essay; it’s the word count that matters. You should see the word count as a guide for a suitable number of paragraphs. As a rule, five paragraphs should suffice for a 1,000-word essay. As long as you have an introduction and a conclusion and provide enough supporting details for the main ideas in your body paragraphs, you should be good to go.

Remember to start a new paragraph when introducing new ideas or presenting contrasting information. Your reader needs to be able to follow the essay throughout, and a single, unbroken block of text would be difficult to read. Transitional words and phrases help start new paragraphs, so don’t forget to use them!

As with any writing, we always recommend proofreading your essay after you’ve finished it. This step will help to detect typos, extra spacing, and grammatical errors. A second pair of eyes is always useful, so we recommend asking our proofreading experts to review your essay . They’ll correct your grammar, ensure perfect spelling, and offer suggestions to improve your essay. You can even submit a 500-word document for free!

1. What is a paragraph and what is its purpose?

A paragraph is a group of sentences that expand on a single idea. The purpose of a paragraph is to introduce an idea and then develop it with supporting details.

2. What are the benefits of paragraphs?

Paragraphs make your essay easy to read by providing structure and flow. They let you transition from one idea to another. New paragraphs allow you to tell your reader that you’ve covered one point and are moving on to the next.

3. How many paragraphs does a typical essay have?

An essay of at least 1,000 words usually has five paragraphs. It’s best to use the required word count as a guide to the number of paragraphs you’ll need.

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• How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

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Table of contents

When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

• Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
• Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
• Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
• Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
• Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
• Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

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An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

• Make a claim
• Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
• Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
• Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

• Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
• Cite data to support your claim
• Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
• Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

• Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
• Highlight the problems with this position
• Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
• Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

• Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
• Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
• Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
• Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

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