The following paragraphs will discuss

You’ll almost always find this phrase sitting right at the end of an introductory paragraph. It serves as the transition point. After you’ve hooked the reader and given some background, you use this to lay out your plan. To use it effectively, follow it with a list of two to four main points. For example: The following paragraphs will discuss the economic impact of the pandemic, the shift toward remote work, and the long-term changes in consumer behavior. Notice how the list is balanced? Each point is a noun phrase. It keeps things tidy. If your essay was a pizza, this phrase would be the cardboard box—it holds everything together so it doesn't get messy during delivery.

This phrase is the "tuxedo" of English expressions. It is strictly formal or very formal. You’ll see it in university essays, PhD theses, white papers, and heavy-duty business reports. You would almost never use this in a casual email to a colleague, and you definitely wouldn't use it in a text message. If you texted a friend, "The following paragraphs will discuss why I am five minutes late," they would probably think you’ve been replaced by a very polite robot. Use it when you need to sound authoritative and scholarly. It’s the linguistic version of wearing a suit to a job interview; it shows you’ve put in the effort and you're taking the situation seriously.

Imagine you are writing a report for a tech company about a new software rollout. Your intro explains why the update was needed. Then you drop the line: The following paragraphs will discuss the technical specifications of the update, the user feedback from the beta phase, and the scheduled timeline for the global release. It’s clean and professional. Another scenario? You're a university student writing about Shakespeare. Your intro talks about 16th-century theater. You finish with: The following paragraphs will discuss the use of dramatic irony, the theme of betrayal, and the role of the supernatural in Macbeth. Your professor will love it because they don't have to guess what's coming next. It’s like giving your reader a "skip to" menu on a YouTube video.

Use this when the stakes are high and the word count is long. It’s perfect for papers over 1,000 words where the reader might actually get lost. It’s also great for grant proposals or formal project pitches where you need to show you have a solid plan. If you're taking an English proficiency exam like the IELTS or TOEFL, this phrase is a golden ticket to showing the examiner you understand academic structure. It’s the safe, reliable choice for anyone who wants to sound like they spent three years in a library (even if they actually spent that time on Netflix).

Avoid this in creative writing, like short stories or novels. It breaks the "show, don't tell" rule and ruins the immersion. Don't use it in short, punchy blog posts or social media captions either—it’s too heavy and slow. Also, be careful not to use it if you only have one paragraph left in your essay. If there’s only one paragraph, use "The following paragraph will discuss" (singular) or better yet, just get straight to the point. Using it for a tiny amount of text is like using a massive semi-truck to deliver a single cupcake. It’s overkill.

One of the most frequent errors is a simple grammar slip-up: confusing the plural paragraphs with the singular paragraph. If you're only going to talk about one thing in the very next block of text, keep it singular. Another big one is the tense. Some people try to use the past tense, but that doesn't work because you haven't discussed it yet!

✗ The following paragraphs discussed...

✓ The following paragraphs will discuss...

Also, don't forget the comma after the list starts if you're using "Oxford comma" style, but more importantly, ensure your list items are grammatically similar.

✗ The following paragraphs will discuss cats, how to feed them, and dogs are great.

✓ The following paragraphs will discuss cat care, feeding schedules, and the benefits of dog ownership.

If you find yourself using this phrase too much, you can switch it up to keep your writing fresh. For something slightly more modern, try This section explores. For a more direct approach, This essay will examine works wonders. If you want to sound particularly fancy, you could go with The subsequent analysis focuses on. In British English, you might see The following sections set out to address. All of these do the same job: they are the turn signals of your writing, letting the reader know which way you’re about to swerve. Just don't use all of them in the same paper, or you'll sound like a thesaurus that's had too much coffee.

Is this phrase too old-fashioned? Not at all; it’s a staple of academic writing that hasn't gone out of style in decades. Can I use it in a business email? Only if the email contains a very long, formal report attached. Does it count toward my word count? Yes, it's a nice five-word boost, but use it for the structure, not just the padding! Should I use it in every essay? Most formal ones, yes, but maybe not in a personal reflection or a narrative piece. It’s a tool for logic, not for storytelling. Think of it as the "Terms and Conditions" of your essay—not always the most exciting part, but absolutely necessary for everything to work correctly.