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What are the Characteristics of a Good Paragraph?

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English Writing Skills is a notable literary work by ___. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of English Writing Skills.

Answer

What are the characteristics of a good paragraph?

Or, What are the different parts of a well-organized paragraph? 

A good paragraph is essential for clear and effective writing. It should convey ideas in a structured and logical manner. It also makes it easy for readers to understand. According to Oshima and Hogue, a good paragraph has five key characteristics.

Topic Sentence:  The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. It contains two parts:

  • Topic Idea: This presents the subject of the paragraph.
  • Controlling Idea: This limits and focuses the discussion on specific aspects of the topic. The topic sentence guides the paragraph’s content. It also communicates the idea clearly.

Supporting Sentences: Supporting sentences explain and develop the topic sentence. They provide details, such as examples, facts, statistics, or quotations. These help to make the paragraph more informative and engaging. These sentences help the reader understand the main idea thoroughly.

Concluding Sentence: A good paragraph ends with a concluding sentence. This sentence summarizes the main idea. It also reinforces the key point. 

Unity: Unity means that all sentences in the paragraph support the main idea presented in the topic sentence. Irrelevant or off-topic sentences disrupt the flow.

Coherence: Coherence ensures that the paragraph flows logically and smoothly. It makes the paragraph easy to read and understand.

In short, the characteristics of a good paragraph work together to create effective and impactful writing. By following these principles, writers can communicate their ideas clearly.

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