To me, the crucial part here is "before you begin" - this means that we're being asked for the steps before you write the first letter.
First, it's good to have a topic (1) for your paragraph - or a leading thought if your paragraph is a part of a bigger piece. This will ensure you stay on this topic and not digress.
Second, it's good to have the content ready (2) - so the arguments and the examples you want to give.
Third, it's good to have a structure(3) - this way your paragraph will be easy to read.
If you have those before you even start writing, your paragraph will be well-structured and well-written!
Answer:
In the past couple of weeks nothing interesting has happened.
Nixon was already President of the United States when he and his staffers broke the law in the
Watergate scandal. What about their positions of power may have contributed to their
corruption?
<span>When checking for subject-verb agreement, you want to identify </span>the simple subject.