Paragraph Clusters

This page describes how to join paragraphs together in longer essays. Independent Paragraphs are described separately. In many cases, you cannot fully develop a topic in a single paragraph. Instead, you will find it more useful to think in terms of groups or clusters of paragraphs within your essay.

A paragraph cluster is a group of paragraphs that develop the subtopics of one main idea. There are no rules for the number of paragraphs that an essay must contain. To decide whether to divide one main idea into a paragraph cluster, use the criteria for paragraph unity and coherence.

Ask yourself: Will my paragraphs:

• Be focused on a main idea?
• Contain sentences that all relate to that main idea?
• Be logically ordered?
• Have transitions so that readers can follow the logic of your thinking?

Relationships Between Paragraphs

When paragraphs are organized logically, an essay has unity and coherence. Sometimes, what your are writing about gives you a clear way of organizing. If you are describing an experience, you may decide to organize chronologically: First one thing happened, and then another thing happened. If you are describing an object or scene, you may decide to organize spatially:

a. top to bottom or bottom to top;
b. near to far or far to near;
c. left to right or right to left;
d. clockwise or counterclockwise;
e. from the dominant impression to details.

Often, however, the topic you are writing about does not give you such clear hints for organization. You, as the writer, need to discover the connections between sentences within a paragraph and between paragraphs within the essay.

Cause-effect relationships can help you order paragraphs too. One or more paragraphs may describe a cause; the following paragraph or paragraphs may discuss the effect. Several terms may signal a reader to look for this relationship:

accordingly	for
because of	therefore
consequently	thus

Cause-effect is not the only relationship that can occur between paragraphs. Sometimes you want to summarize ideas for your reader; sometimes you might want to illustrate your ideas by giving examples. Many kinds of transitions are possible.

Transitions

• Transitions are words or phrases that indicate relationships between sentences or paragraphs.
• The following list may help you as you organize your ideas.
• See also the Transitional Expressions page.

Terms that help you:

• Sumarize (signal the reader that you are clarifying your points by restating them): in other words, in simpler terms, briefly, in short, in conclusion, to sum up.
• Contrast (signal the reader that a new idea is different from a previous one): still, nevertheless, but, yet, however, on the other hand, whereas, although, in spite of, on the contrary.
• Compare (signal the reader that two ideas are similar): similarly, likewise, in the same way.
• Expand (signal the reader that you are developing an idea further): and, also, too, in addition, besides, as well, furthermore, likewise, similarly, in effect.
• Illustrate (signal the reader that you are using an example to support an idea): for example, for instance, in particular, to illustrate.
• Concede (signal the reader that you are considering other viewpoints): of course, to be sure, granted, no doubt, undoubtedly.
• Qualify (signal the reader that you grant exceptions to your ideas): for the most part, with few exceptions, mainly, in most cases, sometimes.