{"id":3929,"date":"2015-12-11T11:31:25","date_gmt":"2015-12-11T19:31:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constant-content.com\/blog\/?p=3929"},"modified":"2023-12-04T13:43:44","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T21:43:44","slug":"paragraph-sentence-structure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constant-content.com\/content-writing-service\/2015\/12\/paragraph-sentence-structure\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Paragraph and Sentence Structure"},"content":{"rendered":"

When writing articles, the paragraph is probably the most important unit of composition. A paragraph is a group of sentences that, when put together, discuss one main idea. Paragraphs have three main parts: the topic sentence, body sentences, and the concluding sentence. Let’s cover how a paragraph should be put together by you or a content writer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Paragraph Structure<\/span><\/h2>\n

Paragraph structure simply refers to the arrangement of sentences that make up a paragraph.<\/p>\n

Topic Sentence<\/span><\/h3>\n

The topic sentence is normally the first sentence in a paragraph. This sentence gives the reader an idea of what is coming up in the paragraph, and it is normally the most general of the paragraph’s sentences. There won’t be a whole lot of detail in this sentence, but it is there to introduce the main idea.<\/p>\n

Body Sentence<\/span><\/h3>\n

The body sentences (or supporting sentences) reinforce the topic sentence by fleshing out the details. If something in the body sentences does not support your paragraph, it needs to go somewhere else in the article\u2014probably in a new paragraph. If your topic sentence is the \u201cwhat\u201d of your paragraph, the body sentences are the \u201cwhys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concluding Sentence<\/span><\/h3>\n

The concluding sentence is not always necessary, but if you have a longer paragraph, it is something that should be included. The concluding sentence will summarize your topic sentence and reinforce it.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometimes you can picture your paragraph like a hamburger. The topic sentence is the top bun. The body sentence are the meat, cheese, condiments and veggies that make the whole thing taste delicious. The concluding sentence bottom bun helps keep the whole thing from falling out all over the place and making a mess. You can go further with the analogy by noticing that the top and bottom bun of a hamburger are very similar, just like the topic and concluding sentences. Build your paragraphs like a hamburger, and you won’t make a literary mess all over the page!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here is a sample paragraph that contains all three parts described above:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Topic Sentence)<\/strong>My hometown of Oregon, Illinois, is known for its abundance of landmarks. <\/em>(Body Sentences)<\/em><\/strong> One of the most famous landmarks is \u201cThe Eternal Indian\u201d sculpture that stands over 75 feet high and looks out over the Rock River. Also looking out over the river is Castle Rock, a massive natural rock formation that gives hikers to the top a fabulous view of surrounding landscape. Speaking of castles, Stronghold Castle was built by one of the former owners of the Chicago Tribune and is an exact replica of an ancient fortress in Germany. <\/em>(Concluding Sentence) <\/em><\/strong>All these landmarks make Oregon, Illinois, a great place to visit.<\/em><\/p>\n

A well-crafted paragraph<\/a> makes it easy for a reader to access the facts you are trying to convey. Read over your article before submitting to make sure that your paragraphs are a juicy hamburger of written information.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sentence Structure<\/span><\/h2>\n

The sentence is one of the most basic building blocks of communication, so making sentences clear, concise, and complete is fundamental. Common problems with sentence structure involve sentence fragments, sprawling sentences, and run-on sentences.<\/p>\n

Sentence Fragments<\/span><\/h3>\n

A sentence fragment is a grouping of words that fails to contain even one independent clause. (Note: an independent clause contains both a subject and a predicate\/verb.) The editors at Constant Content often see sentence fragments in short summaries; errors like this always lead to a submission being rejected.<\/p>\n

Examples:<\/p>\n

An article dealing with widgets and gadgets. <\/em>(This has the makings of a sentence, but it doesn’t have an auxiliary to complete an independent clause<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Better:\u00a0 This is<\/em> <\/strong>an article dealing with widgets and gadgets. <\/em><\/p>\n

In space, after the moon landing. <\/em>(This fragment does a good job of setting the stage, but it doesn’t contain a subject or a verb.)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Better: In space, after the moon landing, Buzz Aldrin ate his celebratory astronaut ice cream. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Sprawling Sentences<\/span><\/h3>\n

A sprawling sentence contains too many equally important independent clauses in a single sentence. Since they’re all independent clauses, this error has an easy fix. Just review your articles or web site content writing\u00a0and break the sprawl up into more easily digestible sentences.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Example:<\/p>\n

Johnny Depp played Captain Jack Sparrow, and he also acted in the movie <\/em>Blow, but he doesn’t let his numerous famous roles affect his personal life; he loves tattoos, so he has a lot of ink all over him. <\/em>(It’s pretty obvious that this sentence has way too much going on. It’s sprawling and wordy.)<\/p>\n

Better: Johnny Deep played Captain Jack Sparrow and acted in the movie <\/em>Blow. He doesn’t let his numerous famous roles affect his personal life, though. He loves tattoos and has been inked many times.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Run-on Sentences<\/span><\/h3>\n

Run-on sentences contain independent clauses that are incorrectly connected to each other. Usually, you need a comma with a coordinating conjunction, a semicolon, or a colon to properly glue these clauses together.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/p>\n

It’s raining outside, take an umbrella. <\/em><\/p>\n

Better: It’s raining outside. <\/strong>Take an umbrella. <\/em><\/p>\n

It’s raining outside;<\/strong> take an umbrella. <\/em><\/p>\n

It’s raining outside, so <\/strong>take an umbrella. <\/em><\/p>\n

Making sure sentences are complete is an excellent first step in proofreading your own writing. Businesses hire Constant Content article writers<\/a> because of the quality of your writing. Well-written sentences are the foundation of good writing, so compose clear, concise, and complete clauses.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When writing articles, the paragraph is probably the most important unit of composition. A paragraph is a group of sentences that, when put together, discuss one main idea. Paragraphs have three main parts: the topic sentence, body sentences, and the concluding sentence. Let’s cover how a paragraph should be put… Continue Reading <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[250],"tags":[14,7],"yoast_head":"\nThe Importance of Paragraph and Sentence Structure - Constant Content<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constant-content.com\/content-writing-service\/2015\/12\/paragraph-sentence-structure\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Importance of Paragraph and Sentence Structure - Constant Content\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When writing articles, the paragraph is probably the most important unit of composition. A paragraph is a group of sentences that, when put together, discuss one main idea. Paragraphs have three main parts: the topic sentence, body sentences, and the concluding sentence. Let’s cover how a paragraph should be put... 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