CSS Essay Paragraph Writing

Paragraph craft: Topic sentence, claim, evidence, analysis, link. Transitions that carry the argument.

In short. Each paragraph proves one step of the argument: a topic sentence stating the claim, an explanation, evidence, your analysis of what the evidence shows, and a link to the next step or the thesis. Examiner reports criticised disconnected sentences in place of cohesive paragraphs.

By the end of this module you can

Write paragraphs with one controlling idea
Use evidence and then explain it
Connect paragraphs so the logic is visible

Examiners in 2014 and 2016 described disconnected sentences instead of cohesive paragraphs. A paragraph is one step in the argument. If you cannot say what step it is in one line, it is not ready.

Topic sentence: the claim this paragraph proves.
Explanation: why the claim holds.
Evidence: a fact, figure, case or authority.
Analysis: what the evidence shows, in your words.
Link: how this step leads to the next, or back to the thesis.

WeakAgriculture is important for Pakistan. Floods came in 2022. Many crops were destroyed. The government gave relief. Climate change is dangerous.

StrongClimate change attacks the base of Pakistan's economy, not just its people. The 2022 floods submerged large parts of Sindh and destroyed crops across millions of acres, pushing food prices up across the country. A terrorist attack, however devastating, does not wipe out a season's harvest. This is why the economic cost of climate shocks belongs in any honest comparison of the two threats.

The weak paragraph is five unconnected facts. The strong one states a claim, proves it, explains it, and links to the thesis.

To add: moreover, in addition, equally.
To contrast: however, yet, by contrast, on the other hand.
To show cause: because, since, as a result, therefore, hence.
To concede: admittedly, it is true that... but.
To conclude: thus, in short, this shows that.

Tip. "However" between two independent clauses needs a semicolon or a full stop: "The plan was sound; however, it failed." A comma there creates a comma splice.

Activity: Rebuild the paragraph

Rewrite this paragraph using topic sentence → explanation → evidence → analysis → link. Fix the grammar as you go. "Education is backbone of any nation. In Pakistan millions of childrens are out of school. Government have made many policies but they was not implemented. Teachers are not trained. So the education system is failure."

Model answer

Pakistan's education crisis is a failure of implementation rather than of policy. Successive governments have announced ambitious plans, yet millions of children remain out of school, a figure that has barely moved in a decade. The gap lies in delivery: teachers are recruited on patronage rather than merit, receive little training, and face no accountability for results. Policies written in Islamabad therefore change little in the classroom. Until delivery is reformed, new policies will continue to repeat the failures of the old.

Grammar fixes: "the backbone" (article); "children" (already plural); "the government has" (agreement); "they were not" (agreement); "is a failure" (missing article).

This week's grammar: Pronouns: reference and agreement

Unclear 'it', 'they' and 'this' break coherence (E4): the reader loses track of what the argument is about.

Open grammar unit 6

Deliverable: 5 rewritten paragraphs

Frequently asked questions

How do I use 'however' correctly?

Between two complete sentences, put a semicolon before 'however' and a comma after: 'The plan was sound; however, it failed.'

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