How to Build a Better Paragraph

There are some general rules about paragraphs that even most non-writers have had instilled in them and know to follow. Three to five sentences long; watch your run-ons; try to use transition words. Like most writing conventions, these are either hard and fast rules or loose guidelines, depending on who you ask. Building a great paragraph, however, requires more than just adherence to a couple of structural recommendations. 

Avoid Word Repetition

There are only so many words in the English language and, depending on the length of whatever you are writing, you are likely going to have to repeat words various times. There is a relatively finite number of prepositions–words like “on” or “for”–for example and it is only natural that they appear frequently. Adjectives, adverbs and nouns, however, should be repeated as little as possible. It is jarring to come across the same descriptive word in two back-to-back sentences, or even in the same paragraph, and certainly in a single sentence. 

Avoiding word repetition is a matter of diligence, but it mostly comes down to your vocabulary. You can’t use words you don’t know (and if you do, you shouldn’t), so building your vocabulary is the primary way you construct better paragraphs. Reading more helps, but so does playing vocabulary games like Scrabble, which expose you to new words and language. If you find yourself struggling to come up with word combinations, you can use an unscramble solver to make things easier. 

Every Paragraph is an Essay 

If your writing is meant to be argumentative or persuasive, whether pure opinion or backed by sound research, you should treat each paragraph like its own self-contained essay. You have a thesis statement that you go on to defend with facts and analysis. 

It is easy to fall into the habit of losing yourself in the flow or rhythm of your thoughts without filtering them for coherence and consistency. Asking yourself “is the point I’m trying to make clear and do sentences 2, 3 and 4 provide support for sentence one’s claims?” takes time and effort. This is the difficult work of writing, but learning and forcing yourself to do it makes your writing that much crisper. 

Logical Paragraph Flow

Another part of the hard work of writing is making sure your paragraphs flow logically into one another. Most people who read can, at least subconsciously, recognize when paragraphs stop and start with non-sequiturs and non-linear thinking. It is usually harder to catch these blunders in your own writing. 

Good paragraphs end with a thought, statement, declaration etcetera that leads logically into the opening sentence of the following paragraph. When proofreading and revising your writing, ask yourself “does what I have written take the reader on a logical journey from point A to point B to point C and so on?”

Avoid Passive Language

“Never use the passive voice when you can use the active” George Orwell wrote in his 1948 essay “Politics and the English Language.” Active voice, or active language, describes the subject of a sentence performing an action (e.g., Julie received her diploma). That same sentence in the passive voice might read “Julie was given her diploma.” In the first instance, Julie, the subject, is actively receiving the object, her diploma, while in the second she is passively having it given to her by someone else. 

Passive sentences are undesirable and should be used sparingly because they make the object of the action the subject, which can make a sentence hard to follow. Passive voice also has a tendency to make a sentence wordier than it needs to be, bringing us to our next recommendation: use simple language. 

Use Simple Language 

Another of Orwell’s many gems goes “never use a long word where a short one will do.” This can be hard to stick to when writing for technical or niche readers with shared insider knowledge and vocabulary, but generally speaking, it is a good rule to follow. Just because you know a big word (and are perhaps aching to try it out) does not mean it is a good fit.

You should strive to make your writing and your paragraph construction as straightforward and coherent as possible. Often trying to wow the reader with an uncommon or multisyllabic word ends up distracting from your point or observation rather than sharpening or clarifying it. 

Conclusion 

Good sentences make good paragraphs make good writing. If you start at the level of the individual sentence, you will craft better paragraphs and by crafting better paragraphs you will tell better stories, convey stronger and clear messages, make better points and arguments and, overall, communicate more adeptly. Keep the above paragraph construction tips in mind and you will make your written communication easier and more pleasurable to read.