How to Write Better Essays

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25 Paragraphs

In this chapter you will learn:

• how to write paragraphs to produce a taut, well-argued essay;


• a simple formula for writing paragraphs;


• how to use ‘topic sentences’ and ‘transitions’;


• how to develop your arguments in paragraphs and support them with
  evidence.

The main body of the essay

Having outlined in the introduction the broad map of what is to follow,

as you write each paragraph you can now develop in your essay

the tautness of a well planned, coherent piece of reasoning. Often

essays fail because they read like a loose list of isolated points each

dependent upon itself, and not supported by the context in which it is

developed.

To avoid this, tie your paragraphs in with the major issues you

identified in your introduction as being central to the question. You will

be picking these issues up anyway as you follow the structure of your

plan, but as you do so, make it clear to the reader that you are

following the map you outlined in your introduction. In this way you

not only maintain relevance throughout, but by tying each paragraph

in with the introduction you create a cohesive piece of work. Its struc-

ture will be taut, giving the essay the feel of being well organised and

tightly reasoned.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should announce clumsily that this

is what you’re doing, repeatedly making the same sort of reference to

your introduction at the beginning of each paragraph. This would be

tedious and the reader would begin to suspect that your concern was

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