Qualities of a

Paragraph
Effective paragraphs have 3 main characteristics-
 Unity
 Coherence
 Adequate development.
 Unity:
 Unity refers to the extent to which all of the ideas contained
within a given paragraph "hang together" in a way that is easy for
the reader to understand.
 Unity is important because it aids the reader in following along
with the writer's ideas. The reader can expect that a given
paragraph will deal only with one main topic; when a new
paragraph begins, this signals that the writer is moving on to a
new topic.

 Please note that when the writer changes to a new idea-- one
which is not consistent with the topic sentence of the
paragraph-- the writer should begin a new paragraph.
 Example-

 Employees' attitudes at Jonstone Electric Company should be

improved. The workers do not feel that they are a working team
instead of just individuals. If people felt they were a part of a
team, they would not misuse the tools, or deliberately
undermine the work of others. Management's attitude toward
its employees should also be improved. Managers at Jonstone
Electric act as though their employees are incapable of making
decisions or doing their own work. Managers treat workers like
objects, not human beings.
 Does this paragraph maintain unity?
 Note that there are two main ideas presented in this paragraph.
The topic sentence indicates that the paragraph will deal with
the subject of "employees' attitudes," but the paragraph shifts
unexpectedly to the topic of "management's attitudes." To
achieve unity in this paragraph, the writer should begin a new
paragraph when the shift is made from employees to managers.
 Coherence

 Coherence refers to the extent to which the flow of ideas in a

paragraph is easily understood by the reader. For this reason,
coherence is closely related to unity. When a writer changes
main ideas or topics within a paragraph, confusion often results.
To achieve coherence, then, a writer should show how all of the
ideas contained in a paragraph are relevant to the main topic.
 Example-
 Schools should offer courses to help students with the problems
of unemployment. Such a course might begin with a discussion
of where to find employment, then cover resume writing and
interviewing. Algebra and history don't help students with real-
world needs. They are required courses that students aren't
interested in, and this is frustrating for students who would
rather learn about other subjects. If schools offered job-skills
courses, students would be well prepared for the difficult task of
finding a job once they finish school.

What do you think?

 In this paragraph, the writer begins with the topic of job-skills
courses, but digress into the topic of algebra and history before
returning to the subject of courses on employment. As a result,
the paragraph is disjointed and difficult to understand.
 A paragraph needs coherence. A coherent paragraph is easy to
read because it flows smoothly from beginning to end.
 There are 2 ways to achieve coherence:
 Use Reference words to avoid repetition; Use nouns and
pronouns consistently.
 Use transition signals to show how one idea is related to the
next.
 Example1-

 Pablo Picasso moved to Paris in 1904 and worked with George

Braque from 1908 to 1909. He became interested in the analysis
of form, which led to cubism.

 Decide whether the reference is clear or unclear. Is there any

confusion?
 Answer:
 In this case it is not clear which person (Picasso or Braque) ‘he’
refers to.
So to avoid this write:
 Pablo Picasso moved to Paris in 1904 and worked with George
Braque from 1908 to 1909. Picasso became interested in the
analysis of form, which led to cubism.
 Example 2-

 Leonardo da Vinci was a fifteenth-century Italian genius who

produced only a handful of finished works. However, they
include the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, the former perhaps
the most famous painting in the world. Although he is
remembered mainly as an artist, he also was an innovative
engineer, scientist and anatomist.
 Can you identify the reference words?
Here the reference words function as follows:
 Leonardo da Vinci
 finished works
 Mona Lisa
 he
 they
 the former
Examples of reference words and phrases
 Pronouns
 he/ she/ it/ they
Possessive pronouns
 his/ her/ hers/ its/ their/ theirs
Objective pronouns
 her/ him/ them
Demonstrative pronouns
 this/ that/ these/ those
Other phrases
 the former/ the latter/ the first/ the second/ such a
To avoid confusing the reader it is important to use reference
words only
 Example 3: Men and Women Shoppers
 Store owners who understand the differences between men and women
shoppers can use this knowledge to design their stores. First of all, women
shoppers use their five senses when they shop. For example, they want to
touch and feel fabrics and visualize themselves in clothes. Therefore, owners
of women's clothing shops place clothes with lots of frills and luxury fabrics at
the front of the shop. Furthermore, they place items near one another to
allow a woman to visualize them together as an outfit. They also group
clothes not by item but by style -classic or casual, for instance. Men shoppers,
on the other hand, shop quite differently. Men shop for clothes only when
they have to. For instance, a man buys a pair of jeans because his old ones
have worn out. He probably wants exactly the same jeans. Moreover, men
want everything in its place so that they can buy what they want quickly and
leave. They want all shirts together over here and all pants together over
there. As a result, men's clothing stores are arranged very differently from
women's.
 Identify the linking words that connects one idea to the other.
 The paragraph above is easier to read and understand because
the writer has used transition signals. Each transition signal
shows the relationship of one idea to the next-
 First of all tells you to look for the first main point.
 For example tells you to look for an example of the previous
point.
 Therefore tells you that this is a result.
 Furthermore and moreover tell you to look for another similar
idea.
 On the other hand tells you to look for a contrasting or opposite
idea.
 For instance also tells you to look for an example.
 As a result tells you to look for a consequence of the previous
point.
 Transition Signals:
 Finally, Now, Soon, Then, An additional (reason, kind, advantage, etc.), Also, The final
(reason, kind, In addition, advantage, etc.).
 To list ideas in time order: First, Second, First of all, Next, Meanwhile, After that, etc.
 To add a similar idea: Similarly, Likewise, Also, Furthermore, In addition, Moreover, etc.
 To add an opposite idea: but, On the other hand, However, etc.
 To give an example: For example, such as (+ noun), For instance.
 To give a reason: for because of (+ noun)
 To give a result: Therefore, so, Thus, Consequently.
 To add a conclusion: All in all, It is clear that ..., For these reasons, You can see that ..., In
brief, You can see from these, in conclusion, examples that ..., To summarize, These
examples show that ..., To sum up. These signals placed the beginning of a sentence.
They are usually followed by a comma.
 Exceptions:

 Now, soon, and then do not need a comma.)

Example:
 First of all, zoos protect animals from their natural enemies.
 In short, advertising helps both buyers and sellers.
 Then press the tab key on your keyboard.
 Adequate Development
 A paragraph is adequately developed when it describes, explains and
supports the topic sentence. If the "promise" of the topic sentence is
not fulfilled, or if the reader is left with questions after reading the
paragraph, the paragraph has not been adequately developed.
Generally speaking, a paragraph which consists of only two or three
sentences is under-developed. A good rule of thumb to follow is to
make sure that a paragraph contains at least four sentences which
explain and elaborate on the topic sentence.
Example-
 The topics of leadership and management are both similar to and
different from one another in several important ways. To be effective,
a manager should be a good leader. And good leaders know how to
manage people effectively.
Observe the sample paragraph.
 The topic sentence promises to discuss "several" points of
comparison and contrast between leadership and management,
but the remainder of the paragraph falls short of fulfilling this
promise. Only one point of comparison is raised, and this point is
left unexplained. Several questions remain unanswered. How are
leaders different from managers? In what specific ways are the
two alike? Why must a manager be a good leader to be
effective? Why must good leaders know how to manage people
effectively? To achieve adequate development in this paragraph,
these questions should be addressed.
 Generally speaking, a paragraph should contain between three
and five sentences, all of which help clarify and support the main
idea of the paragraph. After reading a topic sentence, one should
be able to anticipate the type of information contained in the
rest of the paragraph. If the remainder of the paragraph does not
fulfill the "promise" of the topic sentence, the paragraph will lack
unity, coherence and adequate development.