Writing An Effective Paragraph

by Alex Lee, age 13

The start of a new school year means that you will be writing essays in class. This is especially true in middle school and high school. To write a great essay you must use effective paragraphs.

At the Simpson Street Free Press, we talk all the time about paragraphs. Crafting well-organized paragraphs is one of the best and easiest ways to write well and use your writing skill to get good grades.

Here are ten good tips to write a great paragraph. This list is posted in many places at our newspaper office. These tips work for me. They will work for you, too.

• A paragraph should always have a topic sentence. Topic sentences help capture the reader’s attention.

• A paragraph should have one topic. This helps not to confuse the reader.

• A good paragraph should include supporting details or facts about the topic. This helps to let readers know details or facts about the topic.

• Use vivid words. Vivid words help make your paragraph more interesting.

• Do not use run-on sentences. This makes sentences longer, and the reader has no place to breathe.

• All sentences in your paragraph should make sense and stick to the topic. If they don’t, the reader can become confused and fail to follow your logic. Your reader may also lose sight of the topic.

• Make sure your sentences are in an order that makes sense. If the paragraph is in order, it will sound smooth and neat.

• Use sentences that begin in different ways. It would be boring to read the same beginning sentence over and over again.

• Make up sentences that flow. This will make the essay smooth and not bumpy. Be sure to vary sentence length.

• All essays need to be revised and edited. This can make the essay astounding and awesome.

If you follow these tips your essay, and your overall writing skill, will improve quickly. Writing will be easier and more fun. You will also be able to write faster, write better, and complete assignments more quickly. This will help you get good grades.

Using these tips is not difficult. I was able to learn them quickly, and so will you.

Thanks for the info. I think this will help many people. – Michael, Wisconsin (2010-12-24 18:42)

Alex, I enjoyed your article. I have been a lawyer for many years and I still use these tips in writing almost every day. You learn these skills in school because they are important life skills. Being able to write clearly and effectively will help in many different occupations. – Mark Steichen, Madison, WI (2011-01-03 21:47)