A paragraph is a block of text that develops a single, coherent idea or focus.

In some types of writing, paragraphs may be only a line or two (e.g., journalism, creative writing, business communication, social media, and online pages like this one). In longer pieces, writers use paragraphs (and sections featuring multiple paragraphs) to organize their thinking and to help make that thinking evident to readers.

The term "paragraphing" gets at the decisions writers make in developing, separating, ordering, and transitioning between paragraphs for their readers.

Overview

Guidelines for paragraph development: this website explains the concepts of unity and coherence, provides strategies for developing and organizing paragraphs, and offers a five-step process. The site also provides model paragraphs and advice for revising problematic paragraphs.

Strategies

Parts of the paragraph: this brief resource outlines the main parts of a paragraph, their purpose, how to write them, and an example of each. 

Coherent paragraphs: this Wheaton College webpage highlights how to achieve coherence in your writing and analyzes the effectiveness of a sample paragraph.