When To Start A New Paragraph

Paragraphs are absolutely essential when it comes to writing.

They help to break up and format any body of writing or text and they overall make the writing a lot easier to read.

If you’re writing something for yourself, you might be wondering how it is you start a new paragraph, and more importantly when to start a new paragraph.

It can get quite confusing if you don’t know when the right time is, but don’t worry!

In this article, we’ll be going over the basics of paragraphs, what they are, and how you can know when to start a new paragraph in your writing.

So let’s take a look!

What Is A Paragraph?

Before we get into when you need to start a new paragraph, let’s take a brief look at what a paragraph actually is.

A paragraph consists of a group of sentences that are all related to one another in the subject.

Every sentence in that paragraph will all connect to each other and flow together perfectly.

When you’re ready to start writing and talking about a new topic, this is when you’ll start a new paragraph.

Paragraphs are not only great for organizing your writing, but they are also great for formatting and making the whole body of text easier to read for your readers.

How To Start A New Paragraph?

When it comes to starting a new paragraph, there are three basic times when the beginning of a new paragraph is acceptable.

Let’s take a look at them here.

Introducing A New Idea

Every single time you are talking about or introducing a new idea, this is the perfect time to begin a new paragraph.

It shows the reader that they are about to start a new subject or idea and gives them a break from the previous one.

By doing this, your writing makes a bit more sense, it’s easier to read, and it will also keep the whole piece of writing a lot more organized.

Introduction & Conclusion

Any time you are introducing or concluding a subject, this is a good time to start a new paragraph.

This also helps to keep your readers engaged and shows them when a new idea is being introduced or an old idea is being concluded.

When You Want To Give Your Readers A Break

Another great way to start a new paragraph is simply when you want to give your readers a little break.

No one likes to read huge walls of text in any format, be it an article or a novel.

The breaks in the text allow your readers to catch their breath and take a moment before they absorb any more information.

You can use this option even if you’re still talking about one particular idea too.

Perhaps the subject you’re talking about requires a lot of information and it needs to be organized into different parts.

Breaking this idea or topic up into paragraphs is a great way to keep your writing organized, but stops it from being overwhelming to the reader.

How To Know When To Start A New Paragraph?

If you’re still a bit confused about how to start a new paragraph for yourself, here are some further tips and examples of when you should start a new one:

• If you are talking about an idea that has contrasting views, you can break them up into paragraphs. Perhaps you are talking about something that has two different arguments and you want to cover them both. You should designate each argument to its own paragraph.
• Put yourself into the shoes of your readers. When you are writing a paragraph, do you find yourself needing a break? If you do, that probably means that your readers do too! These breaks and “pauses” make your whole piece of writing a lot easier to read, which in turn, will keep readers interested and engaged for longer.
• Every single time you start a new point or idea, this is when you should start a new paragraph. Regardless of if the paragraph might seem a bit short, it makes more sense to start a new paragraph when a new idea or point is introduced. Every single point or idea should have its own paragraph. The same goes for conclusions as well!
• Your introduction and conclusion to the whole piece of writing should also have their own paragraphs. As soon as you’ve written your full introduction, you need to start a new paragraph. The same goes for your conclusion. Keep them isolated from the rest of the writing. It is normal for introductions and conclusions to sometimes have multiple paragraphs within, but make sure that it’s distinct and obvious when the introduction and conclusion segments start.

Transitions And Signposts

One of the most important tricks you can use to understand paragraphs is transitions and signposts.

Transitions can be several or one sentence that quite literally transitions from one idea or point into the next one.

They are usually sentences that are used at the end of a paragraph to help it flow into the next paragraph in a fluid way.

They also make the writing a lot easier to read. Signposts on the other hand are usually implemented into the writing to assist the readers.

They are usually made of multiple sentences or a single paragraph that outlines what has been covered in the writing so far and what the reader can further expect.

Conclusion

If you haven’t had much experience writing, understanding paragraphs can be quite confusing at first.

You want to make sure that your paragraphs all make sense, both internally and throughout the whole piece of writing.

As long as you follow the tips we have provided in this article, you will be a paragraph pro in absolutely no time at all!

It just takes practice to know when you need to start a new paragraph, and once you do, you will find your writing makes a lot more sense and flows a lot better!