Determining paragraph length
REASONS FOR BEGINNING A NEW PARAGRAPH
to mark off the introduction and the conclusion
to signal a shift to a new idea
to indicate an important shift in time or place
to emphasize a point (by placing it at the beginning or the end, not in the middle, of a paragraph)
to highlight a contrast
to signal a change of speakers (in dialogue)
to provide readers with a needed pause
to break up text that looks too dense
REASONS FOR COMBINING PARAGRAPHS
to clarify the essay’s organization
to connect closely related ideas
to bind together text that looks too choppy
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