Introduction: Paragraph Construction | Writing Help

One of the most obvious and prominently displayed issues in underdeveloped writing is an anemic, terse, run-on, or unorganized paragraph. In dissertation writing, you must strive for conciseness, directness, literal statements, and tight language. Focus. You do not have time nor space to ramble, stray off-topic, or waste words on disconnected passages. Similarly, you are not writing a newspaper article or a social media post; a short two- or three-sentence paragraph cannot adequately build a strong paragraph. Paragraph construction and writing help may be among the most valuable pieces of advice to seek while working on a thesis or other academic paper.

Many paragraph writing styles exist, but not all are ideal for dissertation writing. Dr. Stimers developed a hybrid construct based on several widely accepted methods (e.g., Schaffer, SEE-I, MEAL) to create a 5-6 sentence paragraph style that best suits the needs of building direct, literal paragraphs for master’s or doctoral work (although you can easily and directly adapt the style is to undergraduate or graduate writing assignments outside the scope of thesis documents).

Paragraph Construction | The Seeker Structure

The basic structure of a Seeker (SEEECR) paragraph is:

• S: State the paragraph’s purpose
• E: Elaborate on the purpose/show importance
• E: Example or evidence
• E: Explain or expand on your example or evidence
• C: Conclude the paragraph
• R: Re-read the passage

State

State the purpose of your upcoming paragraph; this should be like an introductory paragraph to a section, but in one sentence. State concisely, be direct, be literal, be firm; try to build this sentence in 20 words (not always possible, but the introductory paragraph must be a short burst of information, limited or devoid of granular details; just introduce the topic).

Elaborate

Construct the Elaborate sentence to extend the introduction. In the State paragraph, you want conciseness; you want a little bit of extension. Think of the Elaborate paragraph as a further introduction. Do not re-state the introductory material; expand on it. A little detail here is good, but a run-on sentence is not, as you’ll provide specifics in the next two steps.

Example

Extend the Elaborate sentence with a specific example. Facts, statistics, a one-sentence recap of an event, any germane example will work here; all paragraphs are unique. In an Example paragraph, you do not want to prove your point; you support the State and Elaborate sentences, which should set up your paragraph’s thesis; show the reader support for your contention.

A common error we see is the student ending the passage after presenting an example. Through many client conversations, we’ve gathered that the thought process is: (a) I’ve introduced the topic; (b) here’s an example to support that; (c) I’m done with this paragraph, seeing as how I’ve stated something and shown an example with a citation, so the reader gets it, so now I can write the next snippet of info.

If you have ended your paragraph with an example, it is more likely than not that you have a terse and weak passage, one that is probably lacking in depth and substance, lacking in explanation.

Explain

Before starting the Explain sentence, take a moment to review briefly: (a) Does your intro make sense? (b) Does your elaboration extend the intro? (c) Does your example logically follow the thought process and support the content? If you can say yes to all three, move on to the Explain passage. Provide context for your example and explain how that context supports your point. But didn’t we support the point with the example? Yes, but the example simply makes a statement of fact (be it data or narrative), and the explanatory sentence tells us why your example makes your case (again, here’s the key component many writers miss…show me, don’t just tell me). A point of syntax: In order to avoid the unclear antecedent, you may need to combine the Example and Explain sentences with a semicolon. We suggest you write the passage as a separate sentence first and combine it if necessary when you revise the draft.

Conclude

At first glance, you might be thinking that this is the easiest paragraph to construct; conclude the passage, and you are done. But like a well-built argument in formal logic, the conclusion to a good paragraph must cleanly tie all of the preceding material together, and tell the reader why your statement, elaboration, and example lead to a sentence that supports your paragraph’s thesis. Don’t forget to transition to the next sentence!

Re-Read

While re-reading may not appear to be a writing step, there is nothing stopping you from revising your draft as you write (draft with speed, revise with care). Re-read the passage and look carefully for the five SEEEC elements. Is there a solid introduction that contains very limited detail? Does the elaboration extend the introduction and provide a broader level of detail? Did you provide some evidence (the example) to support your statements? Following that, did you explain your example? And finally, how does your conclusion read? Does it bring the passage together? Once you have reviewed the passage and determined if it aligns with the SEEEC structure, you can move on to the next passage!

Paragraph Construction | Writing Help | An Example

I dissected the passage below to show each component of the SEEEC structure.

Here is the passage without annotation:

Humans have an inherent need to comprehend their physical surroundings and to put atypical events into perspective (Davis et al., 1998). For communities that have experienced a tornado, the idea that tornadoes are unusual may not seem applicable to their reality. Any home in the United States can expect to be hit by a tornado once every 1,000 years, and less than 1% of the U.S. population will ever find themselves in the path of a tornado (Grazulis, 2001). But for those who do find their lives affected by a tornado event, the impact can range from practically none to severe and life-changing. As science continually advances in understanding physical processes, researchers must also consider who and what these processes affect—people and the communities in which they live.

Here, the passage is annotated with the SEEEC components.

State

Humans have an inherent need to comprehend their physical surroundings and to put atypical events into perspective (Davis et al., 1998).

The topic (human understanding) is clearly stated, and the passage focuses on understanding one’s physical surroundings and putting events that may not be typical into perspective.

Elaborate

For communities that have experienced a tornado, the idea that tornadoes are unusual may not seem applicable to their reality.

Sentence two elaborates on the environment as well as the atypical event humans recognize as a tornado.

Example

Any home in the United States can expect to be hit by a tornado once every 1,000 years, and less than 1% of the U.S. population will ever find themselves in the path of a tornado (Grazulis, 2001).

The example illustrates the atypical nature of tornadoes from a household perspective and provides a peer-reviewed source.

Explain (or Expand)

But for those who do find their lives affected by a tornado event, the impact can range from practically none to severe and life-changing.

The example is placed in the context of those outside the quoted statistic, expands on the idea of environmental interaction, and sets up the conclusion.

Conclude

As science continually advances in understanding physical processes, researchers must also consider who and what these processes affect—people and the communities in which they live.

The passage concludes by tying back to the introductory statement and finalizing the idea that both physical processes (the environment) and human processes (effects on people) must be considered.

Re-Read

Take a second look at the passage to ensure it aligns with the structure.

Concluding Remarks on Paragraph Construction and Writing Help

Of course, not all paragraphs in a thesis can be constructed using the SEEECR method. You may need to use shorter paragraphs to lead into a short list, a block quote, or to introduce the research questions. In cases where a narrative approach is not ideal or necessary, the Elaborate and/or Example components are the most likely candidates to exclude. If the paragraph is leading to a list, the Conclusion sentence may follow the list or be eliminated. As you work through your draft and employ this structure, remember that upon review, you will probably make changes, but for most of paragraphs in a thesis, use the narrative approach. The SEEECR method will help you construct strong paragraphs!