Paragraph Structure
In order to understand how to 'construct' an academic discussion, it is important to first review the fundamentals of paragraphing. This is because well-structured paragraphs are the building blocks used to create insightful and convincing discussions.
Part 1: Paragraphing - A Review
As with the three parts of an essay (i.e. introduction, body and conclusion), academic paragraphs tend to also be made up of three elements. These include:
- Topic Sentence
- The initial sentence of the paragraph, which looks to describe the subject matter of the paragraph
- Claim (or Statement of Result)
- The paragraph’s individual thesis, argument, or proposed finding. The claim is the 'core' sentence of each paragraph.
- Support Sentences
- The logical argumentation or examples that substantiates the claim / statement of result
Paragraph Length: Generally speaking, the introductory sentence and claim are made up of 1 sentence each. The support section can be longer (between 1 to 3 sentences). With this in mind, writers should try to limit their paragraphs to 5 sentences in length. Long paragraphs - of 8 to 15 sentences or longer - are a common problem within academic writing. They are often a result of the writer introducing multiple claims/statements of result within their paragraphs, each of which needs to be supported. The stylistic effect of long paragraphs is that the writing appears rambling and unfocused.
Let us delve deeper into the three constituent parts of the paragraph:
Paragraphs: Support Sentences
Paragraphs: Support Sentences
One of the trickiest aspect of a writing engaging paragraphs is the support sentence(s).
Paragraphs: Claims & Statements of Result
Paragraphs: Claims & Statements of Result
Each academic paragraph should contain a claim or statement of result. This is to say, there is a sentence that presents an idea or finding to the reader, which must be subsequently explained, explored or justified (in the support sentences that follow).