An integrated approach to teaching English composition to undergraduate students in Indian universities is proposed. The integration in approach is realized in terms of an onward progression from the first to the third year of the degree course. The idea of an integrated approach (viewing the sentence and the paragraph in an integrated manner) can be realized through the adoption of two teaching strategies. The first strategy, dealing with the sentence, is called "meristic" and the second, dealing with the paragraph, is called "holistic." The meristic approach seeks to equip the student with an ability to grasp the mechanics of expression, while the holistic approach is aimed at facilitating an understanding and control of the nature and processes of paragraph organization. It is suggested that a composition instructional program at the undergraduate level necessitates a meristic approach in the initial stages and a holistic approach at an advanced level. It is further suggested that the theory of discourse be introduced at the holistic level. At the advanced level, the students will be able to understand and appreciate the distinct organizational formats and grammatical components of the various types of discourse. (SW)