Small changes. Stronger paragraphs.
534 examples and lessons to explore. Find an approach, follow the thinking, and try it in your own writing.
Integrate a Contrasting Example
Learn how a carefully chosen contrast can sharpen a paragraph’s main point instead of distracting from it.
Distinguish a Reason from a Restatement
Learn to tell whether a sentence supports a paragraph’s claim with a reason or merely says the claim again, then revise a fictional paragraph to add useful support.
Build a useful topic sentence
A useful topic sentence makes a specific paragraph-level claim and shows how that claim advances the essay’s thesis.
Split a Paragraph with Two Jobs
When one paragraph shifts from describing a problem to proposing a solution, use that change in purpose to choose a clear boundary.
Return from Evidence to Reasoning
Learn to explain how a detail changes a reader’s understanding instead of leaving evidence to speak for itself.
End a Paragraph with a Consequence
A paragraph ending can move reasoning forward by showing what follows from its evidence, rather than repeating its opening claim. Learn to distinguish a consequence from a restatement and revise an ending to make that connection clear.
Explain a Quotation After Introducing It
A practical method for making a short quotation support the paragraph’s exact claim: introduce it, quote only what matters, and explain how its wording demonstrates the claim.
Introduce a Concrete Example
Learn to give readers the context they need before presenting an illustrative detail, then revise a paragraph so its example clearly supports its point.