The First Paragraph

The First ParagraphYou have your sample of good five-paragraph essay--you've read it many times and you are excited about the possibility of doing well. But you know that, at least for your grade, there is one thing that you need to work on--the first paragraph. So, what can you do?First, you need to prepare your first paragraph. Find a place where you can sit down and write for a few minutes without distractions. And be careful. You don't want to make a mess in the process.Be very careful about pacing. If you come across a big idea, be sure to get it out quickly and with minimal blather. Make sure you start with strong and supportive words and give them time to build up to your strong and supporting conclusion. Don't say something like this: 'I'm writing to you to show you how much I appreciate all of your help and support. My goal is to make this decision as easy as possible for you.'While you're thinking of strong and supporting words, be careful about using your strong and suppor ting words too often. You don't want to put too much emphasis on words that don't sound very appealing. But if you don't show your words clearly, they won't show up at all in your writing.Next, be careful about going back to your paragraphs after you've completed them. That's an easy way to get lost in your writing. As you start your writing on each paragraph, think of your strong and supporting words in those paragraphs and re-create them. Your chances of doing well will be better this way.One other tip is to make sure that youare comfortable with writing with short paragraphs. You need to be able to tell that you are writing from a certain point in time and you have been called upon to be concise. You don't want to be tempted to slip in a couple of sentences at the end of your paragraph or close to the end. And when you're being critical, you don't want to go back to your paragraph after paragraph.Finally, remember that you are allowed your own set of rules. Some people can do fin e with lots of dialogue; others are more comfortable with more intellectual discussions. Don't try to impose your own ideas on others--give them some room to do that.If you follow these tips, you should be able to get yourself a good five-paragraph essay. Be sure to write your first paragraph well.