How to Write a Well-structured ParagraphBy J.D. Solomon Remember fourth grade? Lots of people apparently don’t, judging by how many people forget to start a paragraph with a topic sentence. A well-constructed paragraph has four components. That doesn’t mean all paragraphs should have four sentences. After all, a paragraph is a unit of thought, not length. The first component, which almost always is the first sentence, states the topic of the paragraph. The second component, which can be just a phrase or one or two sentences, provides explanation or context about the topic. The next section provides supporting details. The final component should provide reinforcement of the topic. If you apply this “say it, explain it, detail it, say it again” format to your paragraphs, your writing will improve tremendously. If you re-read the previous paragraph, you’ll see that it is a good example of the “say it, explain it, detail it, say it again” format. (Credit for this tip belongs to Carter Daniel, author of “Reader Friendly Reports” and chairman of the Business Communication Department at the Rutgers University Graduate School of Management.) J.D. Solomon is the founder and president of JDS Strategic Communications, a marketing company that specializes in helping small and growing businesses. Information about his
company can be found at www.marketerinabox.com. © J.D. Solomon This article may be freely distributed
as long as it appears in its entirety,
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