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Tips for Paragraph Length

If your paragraph is too LONG, it is likely discussing too many ideas. Break it up into several smaller paragraphs.

If your paragraph is too SHORT, almost always the problem is that you need to explain or describe something in more detail.

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  • Do NOT write more simply to fill up space!

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  • Go back and see what you should explain more thoroughly. Are there more details or clarifications you could give? Have you given (and explained!) an example or two?

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  • If – and only if! – you are absolutely certain that you cannot explain/describe anything more, then (1) see if the paragraph would make sense incorporated into a neighboring paragraph, or (2) let it be. Sometimes shortness itself serves a purpose.

Remember that paragraph length is always secondary to paragraph cohesion! If your paragraph is cohesive, and this cohesion would be ruined if you added or subtracted anything, then leave it as it is.

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