# Paragraph Flow

Use this reference when the user asks whether a paragraph flows, makes sense, or
is clear.

## Core principle

Flow is not decoration. A paragraph flows when an external reader can identify:

- the paragraph's single message
- how the first sentence announces that message
- how each following sentence relates to the previous one
- how the paragraph supports the section thesis

## Reader test

Read as a skeptical but fair external reader:

1. Does the paragraph have one explicit message?
2. Does the first sentence state what the paragraph is doing?
3. Are all key nouns, terms and abbreviations readable without hidden context?
4. Does each sentence connect by cause, contrast, consequence, refinement, or example?
5. Is any sentence carrying material that belongs in another paragraph?

## Reverse outlining

For a section-level flow check:

1. Write down the section thesis or main claim.
2. Write down each paragraph's topic sentence.
3. Write down the evidence or explanation under each paragraph.
4. Check `topic sentence -> section thesis`.
5. Check `evidence -> topic sentence`.
6. Revise or remove any paragraph that cannot be mapped cleanly.

If reverse outlining is hard, the section probably has a hidden structure problem.

## Repair moves

- Split paragraphs that contain two messages.
- Move definitions before terms are reused.
- Replace vague transitions with explicit relations such as `therefore`,
  `however`, `by contrast`, `for example`, or `as a result`.
- Add temporary subsection labels during revision, then remove labels that are
  not needed in the final manuscript.
- Keep paragraph openings claim-first unless the section needs a brief setup.
