A strong academic paragraph has a clear purpose. State one idea in its opening sentence, explain it and give evidence or an example. The final sentence should show why that evidence supports the idea. Length alone does not make a paragraph persuasive.
Before writing, turn the assignment into a question you can answer. Draft a short answer and use it to choose what belongs in the paragraph. Details that do not help answer the question can be moved or removed.
When reading for an assignment, keep the author's claims separate from your own comments. Summarise after closing the source, then reopen it to check accuracy and record attribution. Changing a few words in a copied sentence is not the same as summarising an argument.
Practise with a course description from your programme. Write a short explanation of what the course teaches, then ask a classmate to identify your main point. The Academic Writing and Study Skills short course includes paragraph, summary and outline exercises to support this practice.
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