Paragraphs
English Language: Edexcel IGCSE - Specification B, topic 3.1.2
Paragraphs
You need to be able to comment on how writers structure their paragraphs to shape meaning.
Structure of paragraphs
- Generally, each paragraph in a piece of writing contains one key point.
- Writers often begin paragraphs with a topic sentence, which introduces the key point. They then expand on these sentences with evidence and examples.
- Writers often end paragraphs with hooks, which encourage readers to think about the main point of the paragraph. Writers may also end by leading into the following paragraph.
Things to comment on in your exam
- The order of the ideas (paragraphs).
- The number of paragraphs in a piece.
- The length of the paragraphs.
- How the paragraphs are structured.
Paragraph length
- Paragraphs can be lots of different lengths.
- For example:
- A writer may use a long paragraph to build up a detailed description of a setting.
- A writer may use a one-sentence paragraph to emphasise a rhetorical question or to emphasise a point.
When to begin a new paragraph
- You need to start a new paragraph when:
- You start writing about a new idea.
- You write about a new character.
- The location changes.
- The time changes.
- The action or main theme changes.
- Someone starts speaking. When you are using dialogue, you need to start a new paragraph every time you change the speaker.
Analysis of J.K. Rowling's use of Paragraphs
Harry felt, afterwards, that he should have known it was all too good to last. This is a one-sentence paragraph. The author uses a short paragraph to emphasise Harry's realisation and to build suspense for what will happen next.
Test yourself on Paragraphs
Which of these are generally true of how writers use paragraphs?
A writer wants to give a piece of writing a stop-start feel. Which of these are they more likely to use?
Why might a writer use a one-sentence paragraph in a piece of writing?
What do we call this opening sentence of a paragraph?
'Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time.'Why might J.K. Rowling have used a one-sentence paragraph here?
'Harry felt, afterwards, that he should have known it was all too good to last.'