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Paragraphs - 1/6/2011 3:45:07 PM   
AquaticSub


Posts: 14867
Joined: 12/27/2005
Status: offline 		Ok, I'm just fascinated by this now and I don't have any of my college writing books on hand. I'm searching the Internet to find a standard definition of what constitutes a paragraph in writing. Does anyone have any on hand? I'm having trouble even remember the acronyms for the styles I used to have to follow in my papers.

This got triggered in another topic but now I'm just bloody curious!


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RE: Paragraphs - 1/6/2011 4:46:47 PM   
MasterG2kTR


Posts: 6677
Joined: 8/7/2004
From: Wisconsin
Status: offline 		School starts in 10 days. If you can wait a couple months until I finish my first semester I should be able to provide you an answer.

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/6/2011 4:49:30 PM   
AquaticSub


Posts: 14867
Joined: 12/27/2005
Status: offline 		Better late than never as they say! Since this is simply out of curiosity, I wouldn't mind if you contacted me later with what you found. 


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Without my dominance you cannot submit. Without your submission I cannot dominate. You are my equal in this, though our roles are different.-Val

It was ok for him to beat me but then he tried to cuddle me! - Me

Member:Clan of the Scarlet O'Hair

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/6/2011 4:51:51 PM   
tazzygirl


Posts: 37833
Joined: 10/12/2007
Status: offline 		What is a paragraph?
Paragraphs are the building blocks of papers. Many students define paragraphs in terms of length: a paragraph is a group of at least five sentences, a paragraph is half a page long, etc. In reality, though, the unity and coherence of ideas among sentences is what constitutes a paragraph. A paragraph is defined as "a group of sentences or a single sentence that forms a unit" (Lunsford and Connors 116). Length and appearance do not determine whether a section in a paper is a paragraph. For instance, in some styles of writing, particularly journalistic styles, a paragraph can be just one sentence long. Ultimately, a paragraph is a sentence or group of sentences that support one main idea. In this handout, we will refer to this as the "controlling idea," because it controls what happens in the rest of the paragraph

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/paragraphs.html

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/6/2011 5:14:56 PM   
shallowdeep


Posts: 343
Joined: 9/1/2006
From: California
Status: offline 		Pretty much beaten to it by tazzygirl, but another explanation taken from the Fourth Edition of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style:

quote:

The paragraph is a convenient unit; it serves all forms of literary work. As long as it holds together, a paragraph may be of any length – a single, short sentence or a passage of great duration.

Basically, a logical and visually pleasing division of a subject into smaller topics generally makes it easier (and less intimidating) to read and understand, but there aren't many hard and fast rules.

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/6/2011 5:29:30 PM   
AquaticSub


Posts: 14867
Joined: 12/27/2005
Status: offline 		This is very interesting as this is not what I was taught while going through school.


_____________________________

Without my dominance you cannot submit. Without your submission I cannot dominate. You are my equal in this, though our roles are different.-Val

It was ok for him to beat me but then he tried to cuddle me! - Me

Member:Clan of the Scarlet O'Hair

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/6/2011 7:31:39 PM   
KatyLied


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From: Pennsylvania
Status: offline 		I was taught that paragraphs are defined by ideas that are grouped together.  Have a new idea that doesn't belong with the others or requires expansion - start a new paragraph.  This usually works for me.

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/6/2011 7:36:11 PM   
DarkSteven


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Status: offline 		Two graphs together.  

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 1:59:53 AM   
sunshinemiss


Posts: 17673
Joined: 11/26/2007
Status: offline 		What is a paragraph?
A paragraph is a collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic. Learning to write good paragraphs will help you as a writer stay on track during your drafting and revision stages. Good paragraphing also greatly assists your readers in following a piece of writing. You can have fantastic ideas, but if those ideas aren't presented in an organized fashion, you will lose your readers (and fail to achieve your goals in writing).



From this website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/606/01/

Many academic writers use that website.

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 2:17:02 AM   
omkfY


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quote:

ORIGINAL: AquaticSub

I'm having trouble even remember the acronyms for the styles I used to have to follow in my papers.


MLA and APA are the ones I used

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 2:20:26 AM   
CherryNeko


Posts: 330
Joined: 12/29/2010
From: Mexico City
Status: offline 		Use MLA! So charming!

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 2:25:57 AM   
Termyn8or


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Status: offline 		FR < in this context universifies the response, indicating that it is not directed at any one person

Hi ;  < a customary greeting, oft omitted. The semicolon is one way to end it, some may use commas, others who knows.

This is a traditional paragraph, is it indented at the first line. Many paper books are still written this way. It can be as many sentences as the writer

pleases, or just one.

This is apparently the new style paragraph. It seems to be adopted by most as acceptable. It is probably even acceptable for term papers and such in universities. Previously it was easy to start a new papragraph on a typewriter by using the tab key, however now the tab key does other things. Doublespacing the lines is a way of the past, and on paper would make more dead trees. Now it serves to conserve electrons. You know there are only so many to go around.

This profound metamorphosis of the species has caused the waste of paper and electrons to be considered abbhorent. Many in this new, enlightened age are practicing conservation, such as making sure the beer can is empty before tossing it out [of] the car window. Note the use of brackets, those indicate a word that could be there or not without significantly changing the meaning of the statement. Using it on small words is a necessary evil to improve comprehension, but on big words it disturbs many electrons.

We better quit abusing these electrons lest they decide to leave. Y'know if you get rid of the electrons, what's left makes positive ions look friendly. You don't want to live in a world with positive ions in the majority.

Oops, that was policitally incorrect. Positive ions have the same rights as...............

Nevermind.

T

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 6:56:27 AM   
RCdc


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quote:

ORIGINAL: AquaticSub

This is very interesting as this is not what I was taught while going through school.



Now Aqua ya got me nosey now... what did you think they were?

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 7:09:49 AM   
Aylee


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quote:

ORIGINAL: RCdc

quote:

ORIGINAL: AquaticSub

This is very interesting as this is not what I was taught while going through school.



Now Aqua ya got me nosey now... what did you think they were?


Maybe she is thinking of the five sentance paragraph as part of the five paragraph essay.  I remember being taught that. 

1. Intro sentence.
2. First point.
3. Second point.
4. Third point.
5. Conclusion sentence.

It is a very structured way of writing a paper which is good when kids are first learning that skill.  Think seventh through ninth grade, if I recall correctly. 

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 7:15:53 AM   
RCdc


Posts: 8674
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Aylee

quote:

ORIGINAL: RCdc

quote:

ORIGINAL: AquaticSub

This is very interesting as this is not what I was taught while going through school.



Now Aqua ya got me nosey now... what did you think they were?


Maybe she is thinking of the five sentance paragraph as part of the five paragraph essay.  I remember being taught that. 

1. Intro sentence.
2. First point.
3. Second point.
4. Third point.
5. Conclusion sentence.

It is a very structured way of writing a paper which is good when kids are first learning that skill.  Think seventh through ninth grade, if I recall correctly. 


Ah ok Aylee thank you... I was taught that was the five point essay or as you say five paragraph.


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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 8:01:48 AM   
Aylee


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quote:

ORIGINAL: RCdc

Ah ok Aylee thank you... I was taught that was the five point essay or as you say five paragraph.



It is just a guess on my part.  We will have to wait until Aqua comes back for an actual answer.

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 9:29:36 AM   
VaguelyCurious


Posts: 5264
Joined: 12/2/2009
From: United Kingdom
Status: offline 		Woooooooah. Five sentences? Srsly?

English kids are taught to use three-sentence structures.

1. Point
2. Evidence
3. Comment/conclusion.

Three points in a single paragraph would have got me in trouble.

Ed: [looking two posts above] no, wait, obviously not all English kids. Maybe modern English kids?


< Message edited by VaguelyCurious -- 1/7/2011 9:32:25 AM >

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 10:02:34 AM   
FirmhandKY


Posts: 8948
Joined: 9/21/2004
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quote:

ORIGINAL: VaguelyCurious

Woooooooah. Five sentences? Srsly?

English kids are taught to use three-sentence structures.

1. Point
2. Evidence
3. Comment/conclusion.

Three points in a single paragraph would have got me in trouble.

Ed: [looking two posts above] no, wait, obviously not all English kids. Maybe modern English kids?


I think all the information mentioned in this thread is good.  However, we are missing an important point.

The primary purpose of "paragraphs" is to make reading easier to understand.  It is just one technique for effective writing and communications, and - like all "rules" - attempted adherence to some artificially defined "standard" can sometimes get in the way of clarity.

So, while we can debate the nits of "what is a paragraph", I think the most important question is: "How can one structure their writing to make it as easy to read and understand as possible?"

Firm


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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 10:12:08 AM   
Aylee


Posts: 24103
Joined: 10/14/2007
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quote:

ORIGINAL: VaguelyCurious

Woooooooah. Five sentences? Srsly?

English kids are taught to use three-sentence structures.

1. Point
2. Evidence
3. Comment/conclusion.

Three points in a single paragraph would have got me in trouble.

Ed: [looking two posts above] no, wait, obviously not all English kids. Maybe modern English kids?



http://www.studygs.net/fiveparag.htm 

That link might help a bit.  Especially the outline.

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Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam

I don’t always wgah’nagl fhtagn. But when I do, I ph’nglui mglw’nafh R’lyeh.

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RE: Paragraphs - 1/7/2011 10:24:46 AM   
VaguelyCurious


Posts: 5264
Joined: 12/2/2009
From: United Kingdom
Status: offline 		Ohhh, I misread. Five paragraph *essay*, not five sentence paragraph.

Sorry. Brainfail :-(


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