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1、6.5SENTENCESANDPARAGRAPHS636.5SentencesandparagraphsLecturershateitwhenyoumakeeverysentenceaparagraphdontuseparagraphs.(Pethatesnumbers6and7,fromChapter1.)Sentencesprovidethebuildingblocksforparagraphs,anotherbugbearforKimandasourceofannoyanceforlecturers.Itseemsthatsomestudentsmakeeve
2、rysentenceaparagraphandothersdonthaveanyparagraphsatall.Bothstemfromthesamecause;writersdontknowwhataparagraphisfor.Paragraphsshouldbevisible,eitherbecausetherearespacesbetweenthemorthefirstwordisindentedfromthemargin.Theformerisnowmorecom-mon,thoughmanytextbooks(includingthisone)stillu
3、seindentationstoindicatenewparagraphs.Spacingusesupmorepaper.Ifyouarenotindenting,thenyoushouldconsiderusingextraspacingevenifyouressayisalreadydouble-spacedbecauseaparagraphdoesneedtobeclearlyseparatedfromthenextone.Youmaylosemarksunnecessarilyifalecturercantseewhereyourparagraphsares
4、upposedtoend.IparticularlywelcomeGowers(1973)view(seeBibliography),sharedbyotherwriters,thatparagraphsprovidebreaksforthereader.Thistakesusawayfromtheideaofwhatsrightandemphasizeswhathelps,whichseemsagoodprincipletofollow.Theeyegetsarestafterasuitableinputofinforma-tion.Soaparagraphrep
5、resentsachunkofinformationaroundanidea.Ifthereisashiftindirection,thenanewparagraphisnecessary.Ifthereseemstobetoomuchtotakein,thenitisagoodideatolookatanappropriateplaceforabreak.Veryshortparagraphssuggestashortattentionspan.Youwillseethemintabloidnewspapersandinchildrensbooks,forexam
6、ple.Inacademicwriting,youaremorelikelytobeexpandingonaparticularpoint,soifyouhaveashortparagraphyoupossiblyhavenotsaidenoughaboutthatpoint.Askyour-selfwhetheryouneedmoreevidence,moreexamples,moredetailsoranalternativeperspective.Often,aparagraphexpandsonamainstatement,sometimesknownasa
7、topicsentence.Thisisquitelikelytobethefirstsentenceintheparagraph;sometimesitisthelastone.Therestoftheparagraphgivesadditionaldetailaroundthismainpoint,eitherexpandingfromitorbuildinguptoit.Thisisaveryusefulthingtoknow;ifyouhavetoreadabookveryquickly,itmaybepossibletogetthegistfromrea
