Rules for Writers: Chapter 4

      A paragraph is a unit or a group of sentences that supports a main idea. The way a paragraph is created all depends on what the writer wants to do, either narrate, describe, process, classify, illustrate, or use other reasons to create a paragraph.
To narrate means to tell a story chronologically from start to finish. Describing is specifying details of person, place, thing, or senses. Processing is chronologically explain how something is made or done. Classification is to group items into categories. And So on there is always a reason how a writer wants to use the paragraph.
Paragraphs should be well developed, and organize. It should not be too short nor too long. It frustrates reader by putting effort to maintain their attention or interest in the reading. It is best to try to keep a paragraph between one to two hundred words or at least five sentences long.
When writing an essay there should always be an introduction and a conclusion. Topic sentence normally comes first in the paragraph before continuing with other ideas. Readers expect to learn the main point early in the paragraph because it generally gives them the idea what they will be reading about.
      Developing the main idea all depends on the writer‘s purpose for their audience. The point should be clear to readers, and relate to each other. The following paragraph should have facts supporting specific details for the topic sentence. New paragraphs are usually created when the writer wants to add new ideas, or connected ideas stating new facts.
Paragraphs should be coherent, meaning it should be logic, consistent, and similar in length; sticking together forming its unification. Sentences that are unnecessary can ruin the unity of a paragraph and should either be deleted or moved into another paragraph.


There are so many ways to start a paragraph. It all depends on the subject and what the reason is for, either describe or narrate a story. Every paragraph will have its reason for the readers attention. When I create a paragraph I would like to give details or ideas that the reader should know. I think that everyone should ask themselves as they write “what does the reader need to know?” or “what examples can be provided?” I think it will avoid useless facts that are unnecessary to the readers.