On March 18, 2026, Moon Chun Memorial College of the University of Macau held a combined session of the Research Writing Series, covering two core themes: Academic Paragraph Construction and Academic Essay Structure. The workshop aimed to help students master the logical framework of academic writing, from paragraph-level organization to full essay coherence, and to enhance their ability to produce clear, structured, and academically rigorous research papers. It attracted students from diverse disciplines, reflecting strong demand for systematic academic writing training.

Led by Residential Tutor Irene Zeng, the session began with a paragraph ordering exercise to diagnose common pitfalls in logic, coherence, and structural flow. Based on observed mistakes, she first explained the standard TEEL paragraph structure (Topic, Explanation/Evidence, Example, Link) and the strategic use of linking words to maintain continuity. Students then practiced refining topic sentences, filling in transitions, and reorganizing scattered sentences into coherent paragraphs.

Building on paragraph skills, the second half of the workshop focused on essay-level construction: introducing the classic introduction-body-conclusion framework, explaining how to align paragraphs to support a central thesis, and demonstrating how to create smooth transitions between sections. Students applied these skills by outlining a short essay and revising sample texts to improve overall flow and argumentation.

Through interactive discussions, peer sharing, and step-by-step guidance, participants gained a holistic understanding of academic writing. The lively and constructive atmosphere encouraged active participation, with students reporting increased confidence in structuring both paragraphs and full essays. This combined session effectively bridged micro-level paragraph skills and macro-level essay organization, laying a solid foundation for their future research and thesis writing.               

Text: Irene Zeng

“This workshop provided me with systematic and practical guidance on academic paragraph writing. Through the paragraph ordering exercise, I clearly recognized my problems in logical organization and textual coherence. The tutor’s detailed explanation of topic sentences, supporting evidence and linking words helped me understand the complete structure of a standard academic paragraph. The hands-on practices of summarizing ideas and filling in transitions were highly useful and allowed me to apply what I learned immediately. Communicating and sharing with peers from different academic backgrounds also inspired me to think from multiple perspectives. This activity not only improved my paragraph writing skills significantly but also strengthened my logical thinking and academic expression abilities, laying a solid foundation for my future research paper writing.” – Carrie Wu