CAW LibGuides: Paragraph Structure

Resource focus 

This aim of this handout is to provide a guide for functional and effective paragraphs within academic writing, introducing two different paragraph models. It uses APA 7^th edition referencing style; however, the guidance applies to academic writing using any style of referencing.   

What is a paragraph?

A continuous series of sentences ending with a line break. It can be considered as

• The smallest significant unit for the development of an idea

• A text unit within which a single idea, or one aspect of a large and more complex topic, is developed and supported through a series of closely related sentences.

Some general rules:

• An effective paragraph has a clear and logical development over several sentences (around 6-10).

• Each sentence has its role in building up an argument, whether by introducing a claim, expanding upon it, providing or analysing evidence, or drawing a conclusion.

• The structure your paragraph might take will depend upon the aim of your paragraph, so ask yourself what you are trying to achieve, and work out what elements you might need to include. The following models may help for paragraphs in the main body of your assignment (paragraphs that are not your introduction or conclusion).

Paragraph structure models

P.E.E. (Point, Explanation, Example)

P.E.E. paragraphs tend to be more descriptive than critical, explaining a particular topic.

The P.E.E. paragraph has three main components:

• Point (introduce the point you are developing over the paragraph)
• Explanation (explain your point using evidence)
• Example (give an example that further develops your point)

A sample paragraph: Sports and Exercise Science

(Paragraph written by Mike Smith, Senior Lecturer in Sports and Exercise Science, Coventry University)

Most people are motivated to participate in physical activity for intrinsic reasons. They enjoy the competition, they like the action, they feel good when they perform well, and they have fun. However, people are also motivated to participate in physical activity for extrinsic rewards, such as trophies, T-shirts, and scholarships. While the practice of giving extrinsic rewards may seem harmless, it can create serious problems. There is an assumption that at worst, extrinsic rewards would have no effect and they would certainly do no harm. However, in a study by Lepper and Greene (1975), it was demonstrated that extrinsic rewards can actually undermine intrinsic motivation. The authors found that children who had used felt pens for the expected extrinsic reward (a certificate for drawing) one week later showed a drop in intrinsic motivation when the reward was removed.  References Lepper, M. R., & Greene, D. (1975). Turning play into work: Effects of adult surveillance and extrinsic rewards on children’s intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31(3), 479-486.

We can split the paragraph into various parts to see P.E.E. in action:

            Point

Most people are motivated to participate in physical activity for intrinsic reasons. They enjoy the competition, they like the action, they feel good when they perform well, and they have fun. However, people are also motivated to participate in physical activity for extrinsic rewards, such as trophies, T-shirts, and scholarships. While the practice of giving extrinsic rewards may seem harmless, it can create serious problems.

We can consider this section of the paragraph as working towards the overall point that will be discussed over the paragraph. The author introduces the topic of the paragraph (extrinsic motivation and physical activity), and then moves to take a stance based on that topic (that this topic can cause serious problems). This is considered the Point.

Explanation

There is an assumption that at worst, extrinsic rewards would have no effect and they would certainly do no harm. However, in a study by Lepper and Greene (1975), it was demonstrated that extrinsic rewards can actually undermine intrinsic motivation.

Here, the author moves to develop the point that has just been introduced, providing evidence designed to provide proof.

Example

The authors found that children who had used felt pens for the expected extrinsic reward (a certificate for drawing) one week later showed a drop in intrinsic motivation when the reward was removed.

Here, the author gets specific, providing an example from the evidence they have just used to develop their point.

P.E.A.C. (Point, Evidence, Analysis, Conclusion)

Whilst descriptive writing is an important skill, you will often be expected to include critical analysis in your academic writing, and you might want to try P.E.A.C. These paragraphs are generally more critical than P.E.E. paragraphs: They require you to not just provide and explain evidence, but to analyse it.

The P.E.A.C. paragraph has four main components:

• Point (introduce the point you are developing over the paragraph)
• Evidence (introduce evidence to support your point)
• Analysis (critically appraise your evidence. For example, is this evidence trustworthy/reliable/consistent with other studies in the field?)
• Conclusion (summarise the importance of your point, ideally linking to the overall aims of the essay)

A sample paragraph: Humanities

It is now relatively common knowledge that in order to address the labour deficits caused by military conscription, British women were encouraged to become agricultural workers during WWI. However, the ultimate impact of government-endorsed schemes, such as the Women’s Land Army (WLA), which raised 23,000 female agricultural workers, remains debatable (Grayzel, 1999), and may have exacerbated rural poverty. For example, Grayzel (1999) notes that the WLA was predominantly aimed at urban, educated, middle-class women intended to act as a patriotic presence in rural villages, whilst it is likely that the bulk of manual labour continued to be undertaken by locals. The WLA’s actual contribution to agricultural economies consequently remains unclear. Post war, the WLA could also be seen to displace the remaining agricultural workforce, offering farmers the opportunity to dilute labour costs. The 22s. maximum weekly wage received by WLA members was lower than the 30s. minimum wage proposed in the Wage Board Bill of 1924 (Howkins & Verdon, 2009). Whilst this proposed minimum wage was not settled, and the average agricultural labourer’s actual wage varied nationally, it is clear that the scheme may have provided a way for farmers to further cut back on labour costs in the “locust years” of 1921-1937 (Howkins, 2003, p. 65). So considered, scholarship on the WLA needs to consider the impact potential wage disparities may have exerted on local labourers. References Grayzel, S. (1999). Nostalgia, gender and the countryside: Placing the “Land Girl” in First World War Britain, Rural History, 10(2) 155-170. doi:10.1017/S095679330000176X Howkins, A. (2003). The death of rural England: A social history of the countryside since 1900. Routledge. Howins, A. & Verdon, N. (2009). The state of the farm worker: The evolution of the minimum wage in agriculture in England and Wales, 1919-1924. The Agricultural History Review, 57(2) 257-274.

We can again look to separate out the various components of this paragraph:

Point

It is now relatively common knowledge that in order to address the labour deficits caused by military conscription, British women were encouraged to become agricultural workers during WWI. However, the impact of government-endorsed schemes, such as the Women’s Land Army (WLA), which raised 23,000 female agricultural workers, remains debatable (Grayzel, 1999), and may have exacerbated rural poverty.

As with the earlier P.E.E. example, the author of this paragraph leads gradually towards defining the overall point of the paragraph, starting with a more general topic (the WLA in WWI) and narrowing down towards the paragraph’s overall focus (the ultimate impact of WWI), and point (that the WLA contributed to poverty).

Evidence

For example, Grayzel (1999) notes that the WLA was predominantly aimed at urban, educated, middle-class women intended to act as a patriotic presence in rural villages, whilst it is likely that the bulk of manual labour continued to be undertaken by locals. The WLA’s actual contribution to agricultural economies consequently remains unclear. Post war, the WLA could also be seen to displace the remaining agricultural workforce, offering farmers the opportunity to dilute labour costs. The 22s. maximum weekly wage received by WLA members was lower than the 30s. minimum wage proposed in the Wage Board Bill of 1924 (Howkins & Verdon, 2009).

Here, the author introduces specific evidence to back-up their point.

Analysis

Whilst this proposed minimum wage was not settled, and the average agricultural labourer’s actual wage varied nationally, it is clear that the scheme may have provided a way for farmers to further cut back on labour costs in the “locust years” of 1921-1937 (Howkins, 2003, p. 65).

In this section of the paragraph, the author critically analyses the evidence provided. They consider an alternative perspective that might change our assessment of whether this evidence is reliable. This analysis helps to back up the point of the paragraph.

Conclusion

So considered, scholarship on schemes like the WLA needs to consider the impact potential wage disparities may have exerted on the poverty of local labourers.

Based on their analysis of the evidence, the author concludes their point.

You might have noticed that the above sample paragraph included more information than was strictly needed for each component suggested by P.E.A.C. This is because

• There are no definite rules in paragraph making. Whilst you may use models to guide you, it is also likely that you will need to include different elements in your paragraphs. Flexibility is key!

• Paragraphs can also introduce secondary points or claims as they work through their primary argument.

• Additional information may help to contextualise your point: this can be especially useful when you want to build links between paragraphs throughout the essay.

• Likewise, you may want to supplement models by adding different components. For example, it is common for P.E.E. paragraphs to also include their own conclusion sentence, or link to the next paragraph.

 

Try the two exercises that can be found in Appendix One in the pdf version of this resource.

Glasgow Caledonian University. (2010). Descriptive v critical writing [Resource]. 

To cite this resource 

Coventry University. (2023). Paragraph Structure. [Resource]. Centre for Academic Writing. 

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