Purpose

When we talk about the purpose of a paragraph, we are talking about the reasons
that a writer is writing a paragraph. For writers to stay focused on the topic, the
must understand the purpose that they are trying to accomplish. The purpose is
the goal the writer is trying to achieve.
The three most common purposes of academic writing are:
to inform
to persuade
to entertain
Writers often create a purpose statement before they begin. A purpose
statement is a short sentence that clearly defines the purpose of the paragraph,
which is the reason for writing the information. The purpose statement will help
you stay within your topic and maintain the focus of the writing.

Audience
The term audience refers to the readers the writer expects to read the paragraph.
Good writers know who their audience is before they start writing.
Techniques for establishing audience:
Person: a paragraph should stay consistent with respect to person.
Formal or informal
Person
Writers can choose among three different persons, or points of view, when
writing.








Person
The first person refers to the person or thing that is speaking. Paragraphs written
in the first person use (I, we or me,our). Paragraphs that explain personal
experiences often use the first person.
The second person refers to the person or thing that is being spoken to. It is
usually used to give instructions or directions. The second person is often used for
informal writing. Paragraphs written in the second person use (you, yours or
your).
The third person refers to the person or thing that is being spoken about.
Paragraphs written in the third person use (he, she, it, they, him, her, them, his,
hers, theirs or his, her, their) most academic paragraphs use third person.
Formal or informal writing
Most of the writing you do for college is considered formal writing. The first
person is generally used in writing a personal story or description. In most cases,
academic writing uses formal techniques in the third person.

Clarity
Clarity refers to how easy it is for the reader to understand you r writing. Good
writers explain their point easily and clearly. Clear sentences are not vague or
indirect; they get the point across to the reader using specific, concise language.
Here are two ways that you can improve clarity:
Use descriptive (or precise) words
Use clear pronoun references






Unity
Unity in a paragraph means that all sentences are related to the topic sentence
and its controlling idea. Good writers stay on topic by making sure that each
supporting detail sentence relates to the topic sentence.


Coherence
A piece of writing is said to have coherence when all of its parts are organized and
flow smoothly and logically from one idea to the next. Writers strive for
coherence so the readers can follow along more easily.
There are three important features of coherence:
Logical order
Repetition of key words
Use of transitional words and phrases.
Logical order
It is important to follow a logical order in your writing.
Repetition of keywords
Good writers know that certain key words need to be repeated in paragraph to
keep the reader focused on the topic. To avoid sounding too repetitive, writers
can also use pronouns to take the place of these key nouns.
Transitional words and phrases
Transitional words and phrases are essential to maintain the flow and coherence
of a paragraph. They are the links between the ideas.






Proofreading
Good writers know that it takes more than just one session of writing to create a
good paragraph. Proofreading is an essential last step of the revision process.
Five proofreading strategies are:
1. Take a break from the work.
2. Read the writing aloud.
3. Read your paper backward.
4. Cover your work.
5. Pretend that you are someone else.