paragraph

The word “paragraph” means a distinct section of writing, usually several sentences long, dealing with a single idea and starting on a new line. In plain terms, a block of writing focused on one idea, set off from the rest of the text.

“Paragraph” is pronounced PA-ruhg-rahf (/ˈpæɹəɡɹæf/ in IPA).

Here is “paragraph” used in a sentence: “Break the essay into shorter paragraphs for clarity.”

“Paragraph” is a noun.

The word “paragraph” comes from Greek. From Greek paragraphos, from para- ("beside") + grapho ("to write") — originally a mark noting a new section of text.

“Paragraph” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

There is no fixed rule. A paragraph is usually several sentences long, and school writing often suggests three to five, but a single sentence can stand as a paragraph if it fully covers one idea. What defines a paragraph is that it deals with a single idea and starts on a new line.

A sentence is a single complete statement. A paragraph is a larger unit: a distinct section of writing, usually made up of several sentences, that deals with one idea and begins on a new line.

Start a new paragraph whenever you move to a new idea, and in stories whenever the speaker, time, or place changes. Visually, a new paragraph begins on a new line, usually marked by an indent or a blank line before it.

A topic sentence states the single main idea the paragraph deals with, and it usually comes first. The rest of the paragraph develops, explains, or supports that idea.