How long should a paragraph be, really? Explanation and tips

What is a paragraph?

A paragraph is a unit comprised of one or more sentences that all center around a common idea. A paragraph can be a single word, or it can go on for as long as a writer wants to keep writing. In essays or books, multiple paragraphs function as sections or units that make up the piece as a whole. The generally agreed-upon structure for a good paragraph is that it starts with a topic sentence, which is followed by a few supporting sentences, and ends with a conclusion or transition sentence. A strong paragraph focuses on a single idea or thought—when you’re ready to move on to a new topic or theme, it’s time to start a new paragraph.

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How many sentences and words are in a paragraph?

As mentioned, the length of a paragraph really depends on the content and should be driven by an idea rather than a word count. However, knowing the common guidelines that educators prescribe can provide helpful context when you’re outlining your own paragraphs. Teachers of middle school and high school students typically ask for paragraphs with three to five sentences. In magazines and newspapers, on the other hand, journalists may write paragraphs as short as one or two sentences, which helps readers digest information quickly. In university-level academic writing, paragraphs commonly follow a structure that prioritizes developing and supporting arguments and include six to eight sentences. Creative writers such as novelists and essayists may use a combination of shorter and longer paragraphs, depending on how they want to communicate their ideas and affect.

Tips on writing balanced and engaging paragraphs

While the length of a paragraph depends on the aim of the writing, employ the following tips when you’re writing to ensure that you’re crafting strong paragraphs of an appropriate length:

• Stick to one central idea per paragraph. New idea, new paragraph.
• Try to use around three to five sentences per paragraph for standard essays. Of course, this may vary, but three to five is a good benchmark when you’re first starting out unless you’re writing at a university level.
• Combine shorter paragraphs into longer paragraphs if it makes sense to do so. Have three one-sentence paragraphs? Combine them into one three-sentence paragraph.
• Each page of your document should be about three paragraphs long.
• Paragraphs should be proportional to the length of your text. Longer texts can have longer paragraphs, whereas shorter texts should have shorter paragraphs.

How to lengthen a short paragraph

Too many short paragraphs can make a text feel jumpy and disconnected. If you’ve read through the tips above and realized that some of your paragraphs are too short, there are a few ways to lengthen them. First, go through your text and see if there are any paragraphs that cover similar ideas and can be combined into one longer paragraph. Once these paragraphs have been identified, simply delete the line break to combine the two paragraphs. However, if the short paragraphs covering the same idea are sprinkled throughout the text, you might need to make some structural changes. Think about how you can move around these sections to create a more cohesive overall argument or structure before combining them into a single section.

How to shorten a long paragraph

While too-short paragraphs can break up an idea and make a text feel disjointed, paragraphs that are too lengthy risk losing a reader’s attention. The simplest way to identify potential places to shorten a long paragraph is by reading through your text and keeping an eye out for places where the idea shifts, or a new theme is introduced. Places where the focus of a section changes are opportunities to add a line break and create new paragraphs. When breaking up long paragraphs into short ones, you may need to add transitional or linking sentences to maintain the flow of your piece.

Depending on your writing, ensuring that your paragraphs are an appropriate length improves the overall tone and effectiveness of your work and helps develop your relationship with the reader. Become a stronger writer with more writing tips, from penning five-paragraph essays to starting with the basics.