What is a paragraph?

A paragraph is a section of writing which consists of one or more sentences grouped together, which
deal with one subject or element of the writing as a whole.

Paragraphs provide a structure to a piece of text and make it easier to read, rather than a large piece of
text with no spacing.

How are paragraphs used?

New paragraphs are started by leaving a space and going to the next line, or by making an indent (text
starts partway into the line).

Fiction texts often use paragraphs to show the progression of time or if the point of view has switched to
another character.

Primary school texts will usually use a five-paragraph sentence structure.

The first paragraph is the introduction.

The second, third and fourth paragraphs provide points and information on a topic.

The fifth paragraph is the conclusion.

When writing, a new paragraph should be started to show that the focus of the previous paragraph has
changed. This could be because the topic, person, place, time, or idea has changed.

For children, knowing when to start a new paragraph can be a complex idea and tricky to learn. There
are rules, and then there are interpretations and exceptions. To keep things simple, we have collected a
few guidelines to help you and your students understand when to start a new paragraph.

When you start a new topic: For most forms of writing, it is important to remember that when you
should split each topic and idea into a separate paragraph. You don’t want run-on sentences (sentences
that clump together two separate thoughts) so you don’t want run-on paragraphs either. For example, if
you are writing a newspaper article, use the first paragraph to provide an overview of information and
the next paragraph to look more deeply at a single idea.

When you change time or location: When writing fiction or creative writing with multiple times or
locations, you should start a new paragraph whenever you skip forward or backwards in time or move
from one location to another. For example, if you are writing a story about a haunted house, your first
paragraph might start outside and the next paragraph might move into the house.

When a new character begins to speak: This rule is fairly straightforward. Each time that a new character
begins to speak in a piece of writing or a story, you should start a new paragraph. There should also be
only one speaker per paragraph.

How to start a paragraph?

It can be a bit tricky figuring out how to start a paragraph, but with these helpful tips, you should be able
to get going with your writing without a problem.
Using transition words

Because when you’re starting a new paragraph you’re usually switching to a new idea, using transition
words can be useful to indicate this change. Before you launch into finding the right words to start a
new paragraph, you have to decide what your paragraph is about. To do this, there are a few questions
that you can ask yourself about the connection between the last paragraph and the new one:

What does the last sentence of the previous paragraph say?

How does the previous sentence relate to the first one in the new paragraph?

After you’ve answered these, there are a few more questions to tackle about the content of your
upcoming paragraph. These questions will help you find the right transition words to start a new
paragraph:

Does this new paragraph offer additional information?

Does the opening sentence of the new paragraph offer a point of contrast?

Is your writing sequential? I.e., does the new paragraph detail the next step in an order of events?

Does the new paragraph offer additional evidence?

Does the new paragraph reiterate or emphasize an idea?

Does the new paragraph begin your conclusion?

If you’re introducing a new idea to provide contrast, you could use words and phrases like:

However

Conversely

Still

Nevertheless

Yet

On the other hand

In comparison

On the contrary

Although

In contrast
Even though

Different from

Whereas

If you’re wondering how to start a paragraph where you’re adding or building on an idea, you could use
words and phrases like:

Additionally

For example

Again

Also

Moreover

In addition

Likewise

Furthermore

Similarly
As well as

In fact

Whereas

Another reason

And if you’re wanting to introduce a new paragraph to illustrate the cause, you could use words like:

Accordingly

Particularly

As a result

Otherwise

Usually

Because

Consequently
For the most part

Due to

In this situation

For this reason

Undoubtedly or no doubt

For this purpose

If you are writing in sequence, here are some excellent words to start a new paragraph:

First

Second

Third

To begin with

In the first place

Initially
First of all

At first

Subsequently

Previously

Eventually

Next

Afterwards

Then

Alternatively, if your new paragraph is the beginning of your conclusion, you could use words like:

To conclude

As a final point

At last
Last but not least

Finally

Lastly

To return to my main argument

It is clear that

To resume

As previously stated

In summary

As I have argued

Overall

To summarize

Given these points

In conclusion
In sum

In short

It’s important to avoid reusing the same transition words over and over again, so make sure to vary the
words you choose. Opening each paragraph with the word “however” throughout an essay can sound
repetitive and could make it harder for the reader to follow your writing. So, take the time to think
about which transition word would best suit your paragraph and conveys the idea you’re trying to get
across most effectively.

Topic Sentences

Using transition words isn't the only way to start a paragraph. When you’re writing an essay, starting
each paragraph with a topic sentence can be an effective way of structuring your writing. The topic
sentence should communicate to the reader the ideas and point you will be making in that paragraph.
This helps the reader take in the ideas and information you’re expressing and helps you as the reader
keep your paragraphs focused and to the point.

Have a plan!

Another useful method to help you figure out how to start a paragraph is by creating a plan for your
writing before you start. Whether you’re writing a short story or an essay, having a thorough plan along
with a good idea of what you want to say and how you want to say it is a fantastic way to give your
writing structure. Having a plan to refer back to can stop you from losing track of what you want to write
and help you better understand how each paragraph fits together within your piece of writing.

Staring with a quotation

You can also try starting paragraphs with a quotation relevant to the topic you'll be exploring in the body
of the paragraph. By using a strong quote that supports the argument you're trying to make, or using a
famous quote that links well with themes you'll be exploring, you can create a really strong paragraph
opening.

Using statistics

Similarly, if through your research you've found any interesting statistics relevant to your argument, you
can use these as a way to start a paragraph. Think of how newspaper headlines often use shocking
statistics to grab a reader's attention. You can use a similar technique to keep your reader engaged as
progress from one paragraph to the next.

Using questions

Using a thought-provoking question to begin your paragraph is another handy technique. You can then
keep your writing focused and to the point as you go on to provide an answer to the question in the
main body of your paragraph.

What does a good paragraph look like?

It is often helpful to see an explanation in practice. For paragraph writing, this gives the reader a chance
to see P.E.E, transition words, topic changes and concise writing in practice. Here are two paragraphs...
the first is missing a lot of the elements that make up a good paragraph, and the second fixes them.
Which do you find easier to read?

A bad paragraph:

Frogs are amphibians, which mean that they can live both on land and in the water. They are cold-
blooded, which means that their bodies are the same temperature as the air. When they get cold, they
need to lie in the sun to warm up and when they get too warm, they need to go into the water or find a
shady place to cool down. // Frogs are found all over the world. They are found in every climate and on
all continents except Antarctica. They are often found near any source of fresh water, but they prefer
water which does not move very quickly.

A Good paragraph:

What are frogs?

Frogs are amphibians, which mean that they can live both on land and in the water. They are cold-
blooded, which means that their bodies are the same temperature as the air. When they get cold, they
need to lie in the sun to warm up and when they get too warm, they need to go into the water or find a
shady place to cool down.

Where are frogs found?

Frogs are found all over the world. They are found in every climate and on all continents except
Antarctica. They are often found near any source of fresh water, but they prefer water which does not
move very quickly.

When do kids learn about paragraph writing?

Kids will usually start to learn about paragraph writing by the ages of 7-8 years olds.

The hamburger paragraph style is a good way to introduce kids to writing with paragraphs. It explains
what each paragraph should contain.

The buns are used to hold the text together, with an introduction first and a conclusion at the bottom.
Detail can be added within the text in the other paragraphs.

Once kids start to practise using paragraphs, they will soon start to be aware of when they need to break
up their writing and move to a new line.

What resources can I use to teach children about paragraph writing?

Paragraph writing is made simple with our Twinkl resources. We have plenty to help you teach and to
help children learn.

Our hamburger paragraph writing resources are a tasty treat for teachers looking for a fun way to teach
paragraph writing. We have the Hamburger Paragraph Writing Display Poster and the Hamburger
Paragraph Writing Worksheet. The video above is also a handy resource to use in a lesson when
explaining this method to children.

Or another popular strategy used in paragraph writing is PEEL — Point, Evidence, Explain, Link. This can
be a really useful tool for helping children learn how to start a paragraph. If you choose this method, we
have a PEEL Paragraphing PowerPoint, a PEEL Paragraph Sentence Starters Word Mat, and a PEEL
Paragraph Example Display Poster.