When readers can find the main point of every paragraph in the paragraph’s first sentence, we call that “deductive structure.” Structuring your paragraphs deductively will not only give your readers the content they need most right up front, but it will also help them make sense of the data, evidence, and analysis you must present to support the main point of the paragraph.
Look at the following paragraph. Which sentence contains the main point?
There is no central registry of military veterans, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) cannot count all veterans because only about 50 percent register with the department after leaving the military. And while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Defense have partnered with the VA to share databases to more accurately estimate the number of veterans who die by suicide, it’s still an imperfect system. The best estimate we have is that 22 veterans die by suicide daily, and some data suggest the rate may be higher for veterans under the age of 30. The VA cannot accurately estimate the number of veterans who die by suicide without better data.
The main point comes at the end of the paragraph: “The VA cannot accurately estimate the number of veterans who die by suicide without better data.” The author of this paragraph used an inductive structure, meaning they presented the main point last—after they traced the path they took in thinking through the finding.
Take another look at the example paragraph above on the Department of Veterans Affairs’ need for better data. Did you feel a little lost after a sentence or two? It’s all right if you did. If you read it again, you’ll notice that it’s front-loaded with a series of facts and pieces of evidence—(1) there is no central registry, (2) only 50 percent of veterans register with the VA, and (3) the best estimate is that 22 veterans die by suicide daily. Without a deductive statement at the beginning to put everything into context, readers are left wondering what it all means and why they need to know it.
Conversely, when we write deductively (see the revised paragraph below), our readers can see why all the data, evidence, and analysis we present is important. Put another way, only after a reader knows what we think the data, evidence, and analysis mean (sentence in boldface) will they want to wade through all that information to decide for themselves if the conclusion we reached was logical and persuasive.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) cannot accurately estimate the number of military veterans who die by suicide without better data. First, there is no central registry of veterans, and the VA cannot count all veterans because only about 50 percent register with the department after they leave the military. And while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Defense have partnered with the VA to share databases to more accurately estimate the number of veterans who die by suicide, it is still an imperfect system. The best estimate we have is that 22 veterans die by suicide daily, and some data suggest the rate may be higher for veterans under the age of 30.
Writing with a consistently deductive structure will also help you write more unified paragraphs. What do I mean by unified? It’s simple. A unified paragraph has one main point—and only one main point. Commit this mantra to memory: “One paragraph, one point.” If you try to pack too much into a paragraph, your readers will feel like they’re lost at sea, and readers don’t like to feel that way.
Achieve Unity with Strong Topic Sentences
The best way to ensure that paragraphs are both deductive and unified is to write strong topic sentences. By beginning with a strong topic sentence, you’ll be able to determine what you should include in the paragraph and, perhaps more importantly, what you should leave out.
What do we mean by strong? If, after reading your topic sentence, your reader finds key terms and concepts developed in the remainder of the paragraph, we’d call that a weak topic sentence. If, on the other hand, the topic sentence states the main idea and the rest of the paragraph develops and supports that main idea, we’d consider it strong.
One thing to keep in mind is that not all topic sentences are created equal. Some are so broad that the writer could write practically anything in the rest of the paragraph:
Sometimes you may need more than one sentence to introduce your main point. If you’re writing about something complex, don’t be afraid to take two sentences to introduce key terms and concepts. One thing to keep in mind, though: your readers likely will not base their expectations on the beginning of your first topic sentence. Therefore, if you are going to use more than one sentence, you must put your most important terms and concepts at the end of the second sentence.
Two other tips to keep in mind:
Sentence Length
The best paragraphs consist of sentences of various lengths. A string of long sentences is difficult for readers to get through, while a string of short sentences will come across as choppy. If you vary the length of the sentences by combining some and shortening others, you’re more likely to hold your readers’ attention.
Repetition
You do not have to make your point more than once in a paragraph. Many of us were taught to add a concluding sentence to each paragraph that reiterates the main point. This is not necessary in public policy writing. Simply state your point, provide your data and evidence, and move on to the next paragraph.
