paragraphing

-To be as effective as possible, a paragraph should contain each of the following: Unity, Coherence, A Topic Sentence, and Adequate Development.

-start new paragraph when: When you begin a new idea or point, To contrast information or ideas, When your readers need a pause, When you are ending your introduction or starting your conclusion.

-Two very important elements of paragraphing are signposts and transitions. Signposts are internal aids to assist readers; they usually consist of several sentences or a paragraph outlining what the article has covered and where the article will be going.

Transitions are usually one or several sentences that "transition" from one idea to the next. Transitions can be used at the end of most paragraphs to help the paragraphs flow one into the next.

All this info was from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/606/01/