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Termyn8or -> Paragraphs (10/10/2007 6:37:14 AM)
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Now be aware that I am impressed with the average intelligence of people on this forum, but there is one thing alot of people are missing here. Paragraphs.
Paragraphs delineate different concepts, but moreso, different phases of the concept of the whole post. Using proper form when it comes to paragraphs makes the piece alot easier to read. Using paragraphs has been around for a long time, and exists because when you have pages of material to read, it is hard to get your eyes back to the exact same spot in the document. And you do look away and you definitely blink from time to time.
The open space between paragraphs gives the eyes a reference point ^ see that one right there ? Now look across the room. See how easy it is to get get back to where you were ?
When you sit there and write a post, you are not getting paid, you simply want to express yourself. Well it follows that you want people to read what you wrote. Why not make it easy on them ?
I must admit that when I read a post that is only one paragraph, yet is a bunch of screenfuls of text, I might not read it all. If you thought it was bad with paper, well some people can't just stare at the monitor forever.
Precisely where the breaks go in is up to the author of course, but it should be done during the composition phase. I have seen where people seemingly went back and threw in a few line breaks. It is easy to tell. This because those line breaks indicate no seperation of thought, in fact sometimes break a sentence apart.
When you hit the dot (period) and look away from the screen, or take a deep breath, consider hitting the enter key twice. When you pause typing because your mind ran out temporarily and you, as the writer needs a few second break, don't you think it would be nice for the reader to have one as well ?
I am not going to iterate all the rules of spelling, grammar and punctuation here. I have no intention of starting a writing class. [But I offer up this, what I consider to be constructive criticism to those, who probably know who they are. ]
Now in that above paragraph, can someone point out what is wrong with it's structure ? Normally I would've fixed it, but in this case have specifically decided not to, for demonstrational purposes. Hint, it is in the last sentence.
I cannot, in technical terms only an English teacher knows, describe exactly what is wrong with that sentence, but it is formed incorrectly. Punctuation is perfect except for the fact that it does not match the form which makes it wrong.
Many people with high intelligence have poor writing skills. I have long admitted that I cannot read nor write. In a way. You see I cannot read cursive writing almost at all, and I certainly cannot write it. Moreover I can't even print worth a damn, and have trouble reading others' printing. But I know where to put an apostophe. When it is like a computer or typwriter, and the letters are as I expect them to appear, I read and type with no problem, but just writing down my phone number on a business card is a chore.
I consider this a cognitive disability, but not an overly debilitating one. I wonder if people who write incorrectly, I mean form sentences incorrectly and do not correctly format their documents have a similar disability. I have learned by example, by reading. My Mother is a Catholic school girl (well was) and every once in while I will just call her up, no longer with a spelling query, but about the form of a sentence. I admit that sometimes it is very difficult.
But I knew to hit the enter key twice right there.
If you're down here I guess this was readable. Comments welcome.
T
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