In this session, we will first look at the building blocks of academic texts: paragraphs. What is a paragraph? How can I write good paragraphs? What is a topic sentence? How can I connect paragraph to paragraph and/or ideas and sentences within a paragraph? Which are common discourse markers and what do they mean?

• Structure of paragraphs
• Topic sentences
• Identifying discourse markers and how to use them

• W04-1: Paragraphs
• W04-2: Discourse Markers
• W04-3: Topic Sentences

At the end of this session you should be able to

• use the structure of a paragraph in your own writing
• write good topic sentences
• identify and use discourse markers (‘linkers’)
• connect paragraphs logically

Academic Writing: Paragraphs and Discourse Markers

Learn more about discourse markers and how to use them best for your writing:

• Using English for Academic Purposes
• Discourse Markers