47 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
47 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
# Paragraph Flow
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Use this reference when the user asks whether a paragraph flows, makes sense, or
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is clear.
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## Core principle
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Flow is not decoration. A paragraph flows when an external reader can identify:
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- the paragraph's single message
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- how the first sentence announces that message
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- how each following sentence relates to the previous one
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- how the paragraph supports the section thesis
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## Reader test
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Read as a skeptical but fair external reader:
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1. Does the paragraph have one explicit message?
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2. Does the first sentence state what the paragraph is doing?
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3. Are all key nouns, terms and abbreviations readable without hidden context?
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4. Does each sentence connect by cause, contrast, consequence, refinement, or example?
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5. Is any sentence carrying material that belongs in another paragraph?
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## Reverse outlining
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For a section-level flow check:
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1. Write down the section thesis or main claim.
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2. Write down each paragraph's topic sentence.
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3. Write down the evidence or explanation under each paragraph.
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4. Check `topic sentence -> section thesis`.
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5. Check `evidence -> topic sentence`.
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6. Revise or remove any paragraph that cannot be mapped cleanly.
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If reverse outlining is hard, the section probably has a hidden structure problem.
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## Repair moves
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- Split paragraphs that contain two messages.
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- Move definitions before terms are reused.
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- Replace vague transitions with explicit relations such as `therefore`,
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`however`, `by contrast`, `for example`, or `as a result`.
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- Add temporary subsection labels during revision, then remove labels that are
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not needed in the final manuscript.
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- Keep paragraph openings claim-first unless the section needs a brief setup.
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