Abstract
When was the last time you stepped back and viewed your paragraphs critically? As one of the most powerful tools a writer has for organizing and developing their argument, paragraphs deserve conscious attention. In this chapter, we treat paragraphs as both a structural feature of writing and a rhetorical device. We offer two principles for judging their effectiveness, unity and coherence, and present a model that you can use to enhance your ability to pinpoint the strengths and weakness in your own paragraphs and in others’. Five paragraphing pitfalls are described – the Infinity, the Hiccup, the Blindfold, the Maze and the Cliffhanger – with tips for addressing these when you find them in your writing.
All writing is a march of paragraphs, each of which provides a clear step forward in the progress of the piece.
–Charles Euchner
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Lingard, L., Watling, C. (2021). From Semi-Conscious to Strategic Paragraphing. In: Story, Not Study: 30 Brief Lessons to Inspire Health Researchers as Writers. Innovation and Change in Professional Education, vol 19. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71363-8_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71363-8_17
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