190  Fixed Perspective Paragraph Structure

The Fixed Perspective approach allows the subject of the topic sentence to determine the point-of-view of all following sentences. The subject, its synonyms, or its pronouns, are repeated as subjects throughout the paragraph, maintaining a fixed perspective. Therefore, in each sentence a reverse-link is made to the starting, topic sentence.

Remember that repeating the same key words and phrases throughout a paragraph, and the paper, is a powerful way to achieve cohesion and flow. You might be tempted to use a broader vocabulary for variety, but only do so if this does not introduce confusion, inaccuracy or clutter. Decide on the key terms for your study and avoid substituting them with other similar words or even with exact synonyms.

The subject of the topic sentence should be a key term. Key terms include technical words, such as a gene, biological process, or disease, or non-technical words, such as a descriptor or a change of state. Whatever key term is used, it represents the most important concept of the paragraph and should be repeated in a way that clearly links it to the topic sentence.

190.1 Fixed Perspective Paragraph Structure

Hemoglobin is an oxygen-transporting metalloprotein. It is found in the red blood cells of all but one vertebrate family studied so far. In mammals, this protein alone accounts for about 97% of red blood cell dry mass. In human, hemoglobin is a tetramer, consisting of two α and two β subunits. High hemoglobin concentration reduces hypoxic stress in high-altitude environments.