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A paragraph (from Ancient Greek παράγραφος (parágraphos) 'to write beside') is a self-contained unit of discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea. Though not required by the orthographic conventions of any language with a writing system , paragraphs are a conventional means of organizing extended segments of prose .
The last line of a paragraph continuing on to a new page (highlighted yellow) is a widow (sometimes called an orphan). In typesetting, widows and orphans are single lines of text from a paragraph that dangle at either the beginning or end of a block of text, or form a very short final line at the end of a paragraph. [1]
In expository writing, a topic sentence is a sentence that summarizes the main idea of a paragraph. [1] [2] It is usually the first sentence in a paragraph. Also known as a focus sentence, it encapsulates or organizes an entire paragraph. Although topic sentences may appear anywhere in a paragraph, in academic essays they often appear at the ...
For example, in the sentence, "The neighbor is at the door," at is the preposition indicating location. In "We will be there by noon," by is the preposition indicating time.
In order to create a reader-friendly prose, writers structure their paragraphs using BLUF format to better aid the reader's ability to recall the paragraph's main idea or content. BLUF-structured topic sentences are applicable when writing literature review, experimental results, and argumentative essays. [16]
When placed at the end of a sentence, an ellipsis may be used to suggest melancholy or longing. [18] In newspaper and magazine columns, ellipses may separate items of a list instead of paragraph breaks. [2]: 21 Merriam-Webster's Manual for Writers and Editors uses a line of ellipsis to indicate omission of whole lines in a quoted poem. [2]: 147
The rule of three can refer to a collection of three words, phrases, sentences, lines, paragraphs/stanzas, chapters/sections of writing and even whole books. [2] [4] The three elements together are known as a triad. [5] The technique is used not just in prose, but also in poetry, oral storytelling, films, and advertising.
Its structure normally builds around introduction with a topic's relevance and a thesis statement, body paragraphs with arguments linking back to the main thesis, and conclusion. In addition, an argumentative essay may include a refutation section where conflicting ideas are acknowledged, described, and criticized.