The power of three

          The number three and signal words are important in writing, and we can see this in how we write a good paragraph. First of all, a good paragraph has three parts; a topic sentence (beginning), a body (middle), and a concluding sentence (end). If the paragraph is missing any one of these essential parts in its organization, it won't be as easy for the reader to read and understand. Second, we need to use signal words to help the reader find the three parts. For example, in the body of the paragraph, we can make three points. We make it easier for the reader to find the three points by beginning each of the points in the body with signal words like first, second, and finally.  That makes it easier for the reader to find the three points and know exactly what they are.  You can think of these signal words as "flags" or "signs" that guide the reader through the paragraph, like a map. You should use signal words like for example and for instance to show the reader that you are giving an example or detail to support one of your three main points. Finally, at the end of the paragraph, you need to begin the concluding sentence with a word like in conclusion, in summary, or to conclude  and then summarize the main ideas in the paragraph. For example, you can restate the topic sentence in different words. In conclusion, a good rule for writing good paragraphs is to follow "the rule of three" and use signal words to make it easy for the reader to find the three parts.