An Introduction to Paragraph Unity

“Starbucks is a very popular coffee chain that started in Seattle. Today this company makes millions of coffee drinks per day, and many people consider those drinks to be an essential part of life. Mayor Joe Schmo sure sounded great in his speech yesterday. I wonder if he likes to drink Starbucks coffee. I know the guys from the band Outkast like Starbucks. Starbucks is a really great way to start your day.”

Okay, so maybe you won’t write a paragraph that is quite this disorganized, but do you see what happens when the paper refuses to stay on track? It becomes very hard to understand!

A lack of coherence in an essay is sure to detract from whatever message the author is attempting to convey, and it will surely annoy and frustrate readers. This handout will focus on how to create coherency within individual paragraphs, as unified paragraphs are the first step toward unified essays.

UN-UNIFIED PARAGRAPHS:

The writer in the paragraph above tries to cover three topics and fails to show a clear connection between these topics. Notice that the first two sentences go down one path, introducing information about Starbucks. However, the paragraph then “rabbit trails” (rabbits are known to shift directions quickly and unpredictably) into a new topic. Suddenly the writer is talking about his favorite politician. Then, the paragraph shifts yet again to a comment about the band “Outkast.” There are no transitions between these statements, and most importantly, they are not forecasted in the topic sentence. What is a topic sentence? See below!

TOPIC SENTENCES

A topic sentence states the main idea of a paragraph. It is usually the first or second sentence of the paragraph and it sets the stage for what you’re going to discuss. For example, if you were to write a paragraph on the popularity of Starbucks in Los Angeles, your topic sentence might look something like this:

“The popularity of Starbucks has spread rapidly, and one city that has been very heavily influenced by this popularity is Los Angeles.”

Such a sentence, again, clearly defines your main idea and gives your paragraph a foundation from which to work.

SUPPORTING SENTENCES

The next step is to write sentences that expand on that topic sentence. We’ve already decided to write a paragraph on Starbucks in Los Angeles, and we’ve already established that Starbucks is very popular there, so your supporting sentences need to, well, support that point! In other words, you need to show how popular it really is. You might say something like, “According to The New York Times, Starbucks has opened [state number of stores]…” Or, “According to the Los Angeles Post, the number of employees in LA who work at a Starbucks is . . .” Next, you need to provide support for the second idea presented in your topic sentence by explaining and showing how LA has been influenced. That statement might start like this: “The ways in which LA has been affected by the growth of Starbucks are . . .” Once again, it is important to have your sentences support the main idea of the paragraph. Remember to stay focused on what it is you’re trying to say. Don’t “rabbit-trail” and talk about other things!

TRANSITIONAL SENTENCES

Now that we have a paragraph with a clear topic sentence and strong supporting sentences, we’re ready to move on to our next paragraph. Your transitional sentence(s) will conclude your paragraph (reiterate what you’ve just written about) and will also help your reader move smoothly into the next paragraph.

“It is clear that the city’s landscape is completely transformed by such an unlikely presence: the coffee chain. Los Angeles is just one of many cities that have been ‘Starbucked.’” See how the first sentence concludes the material presented in the paragraph, and the second sentence so clearly forecasts what direction the next paragraph will take (obviously, you’ll discuss another city!)? Note that this last statement could easily work, instead, as the first sentence of the next paragraph. Transitions can go either place: the end of one paragraph, or the beginning of the other.

So, let’s review…

An organized, unified paragraph needs:

Ø A clear topic sentence

Ø Sentences that support the topic sentence and that do not rabbit-trail

Ø Concluding/transitional sentences

Remember, again, to stick with your topic, and don’t throw your readers’ attention away from the subject! Now, before you try to write a paragraph that discusses your favorite coffee, band, and politician, you should remember the wise words of this hand out:

think UNITY!