Definition and Examples of Paragraph Breaks in Prose

Definition and Examples of Paragraph Breaks in Prose A paragraph break is a single line space or an indentation (or both) marking the division between one paragraph and the next in a body of text. It is also known as a  par break. Paragraph breaks conventionally serve to signal the transition from one idea to another in a stretch of text, and from one speaker to another in an exchange of dialogue.  As Noah Lukeman observes in A Dash of Style, the paragraph break is one of the most crucial marks in the  punctuation  world. History Few readers would think of the  paragraph break  as a  punctuation mark, but it certainly is, says Lukeman: In ancient times there were no paragraphs- sentences simply flowed into one another without interruption- but over time text became segmented into paragraphs, first indicated by the letter C. During medieval times, the mark evolved into the paragraph symbol  [ ¶] (called a  pilcrow or a paraph) and eventually became the modern-day paragraph break, which is now indicated by only a line break and indentation. (By the  17th century, the  indented  paragraph had become  the standard paragraph break in Western  prose.) The indentation was originally inserted by early  printers so that they would have space for the large illuminated letters that used to herald paragraphs. Purpose Today, the paragraph break is used not for the convenience of printers but to give readers a break.  Paragraphs that are too long leave readers with dense blocks of text to wade through. To fully understand when to insert a paragraph break or paragraph breaks, its helpful to know that a  paragraph  is a group of closely related sentences  that  develop  a central idea. A paragraph conventionally begins on a new line. Paragraphs are generally two to five sentences- depending on the type of writing you are doing or context of your essay or story- but they can be longer or shorter. The art of creating paragraphs is called  paragraphing, the practice of dividing a  text  into  paragraphs. Paragraphing  is a kindness to your  reader because it divides your thinking into manageable bites, say  David Rosenwasser and Jill Stephen in Writing Analytically. They add, More frequent paragraphing provides readers with convenient resting points from which to relaunch themselves into your thinking. Paragraphs used to be longer, but with the advent of the internet, which gave readers access to literally millions of sources of information from which to choose, paragraphs have become increasingly briefer. The style for this website, for example, is to make paragraphs no more than two to three sentences. The Little Seagull Handbook, a grammar and style reference book widely used at many colleges, includes mostly two- to four-sentence paragraphs. Using Paragraph Breaks Correctly Purdue OWL, an online writing and style resource published by Purdue University, says you should start a new paragraph: When you begin a new idea or pointTo contrast information or ideasWhen your readers need a pauseWhen you are ending your introduction or starting your conclusion For example, a story published in the  New York Times  on July 7, 2018 (North Korea Criticizes ‘Gangster-Like’ U.S. Attitude After Talks With Mike Pompeo) covered a complex subject- high-level talks between U.S. and North Korean officials regarding the denuclearization of North Korea. Yet the story contained paragraphs that were no more than two or three sentences, each providing self-contained units of information and linked by transition terms. For example, the second paragraph of the article reads, Despite the criticism, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, still wanted to build on the friendly relationship and trust forged with President Trump during their summit meeting in Singapore on June 12. The ministry said Mr. Kim had written a personal letter to Mr. Trump, reiterating that trust.​ And the third paragraph reads, The two sides have a history of veering between harsh talk and conciliation. Mr. Trump briefly called off the Singapore summit meeting over what he called North Korea’s open hostility, only to declare it back on after receiving what he called a very nice letter from Mr. Kim. Note how the first paragraph contains a self-contained information topic: that despite some kind of criticism (described in the opening paragraph of the article), there are two sides involved in denuclearization talks and at least one of the sides, North Korea, wants to retain friendly relations. The next paragraph is joined to the first with transition phrases- the  two sides and the letter- but it covers a totally different topic, the history of tense relations between the two sides. The paragraphs are also roughly equal in size- they are both two sentences long, while the first contains 52 words and the second is made up of 48. Breaking up the paragraphs in any other way would have been jarring to readers. The first paragraph clearly refers to the present situation between the two countries, while the second talks about their up-and-down history. Thoughts on Paragraph Breaks Paragraph breaks allow the writer to change the subject and give the readers eye a rest, says  John Foster, author of Writing Skills for Public Relations: Style and Technique for Mainstream and Social Media. He says that when the text moves from one point to another, that is the time for a paragraph break: However, much will depend on the style of the publication or document and on the column width. For news-style print jobs, using double or multicolumn format, paragraph breaks are usually needed after every second or third sentence- say about every 50 to 70 words. Foster says that for single-column reports, books, manuals, leaflets, and  brochures, it is usually better to have slightly longer paragraphs with perhaps four or five sentences. Much depends on the context, your audience, and the medium in which the work is published. If you remember that each paragraph should discuss one unified topic and that you should use a paragraph break before each new topic, your writing will flow and youll help the reader proceed through your writing in a logical fashion and without straining to get to the last line. Source Rosenwasser, David. Writing Analytically. Jill Stephen, 8th Edition, Cengage Learning, January 1, 2018.

Battle of Fredericksburg in the Civil War

Battle of Fredericksburg in the Civil War The Battle of Fredericksburg was was fought December 13, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and saw Union forces suffer a bloody defeat. Having grown angry with Major General George B. McClellans unwillingness to pursue General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia after the Battle of Antietam, President Abraham Lincoln relieved him on November 5, 1862, and replaced him with Major General Ambrose Burnside two days later. A West Point graduate, Burnside had achieved some success earlier in the war campaigning in North Carolina and leading IX Corps. A Reluctant Commander Despite this, Burnside had misgivings about his ability to lead the Army of the Potomac. He had twice declined the command citing that he was unqualified and lacked experience. Lincoln had first approached him following McClellans defeat on the Peninsula in July and made a similar offer following Major General John Popes defeat at Second Manassas in August. Asked again that fall, he only accepted when Lincoln told him that McClellan would be replaced regardless and that the alternative was Major General Joseph Hooker whom Burnside intensely disliked.      Burnsides Plan Reluctantly assuming command, Burnside was pressured to undertake offensive operations by Lincoln and Union General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck. Planning a late fall offensive, Burnside intended to move into Virginia and openly concentrate his army at Warrenton. From this position he would feint towards Culpeper Court House, Orange Court House, or Gordonsville before quickly marching southeast to Fredericksburg. Hoping to sidestep Lees army, Burnside planned to cross the Rappahannock River and advance on Richmond via the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad. Requiring speed and guile, Burnsides plan built upon some operations that McClellan had been contemplating at the time of his removal. The final plan was submitted to Halleck on November 9. Following a lengthy debate, it was approved by Lincoln five days later though the president was disappointed that the target was Richmond and not Lees army. Additionally, he cautioned that Burnside should move quickly as it was unlikely that Lee would hesitate to move against him. Moving out on November 15, the lead elements of the Army of the Potomac reached Falmouth, VA, opposite Fredericksburg, two days later having successfully stolen a march on Lee. Armies Commanders Union - Army of the Potomac Major General Ambrose E. Burnside100,007 men Confederates - Army of Northern Virginia General Robert E. Lee72,497 men Critical Delays This success was squandered when it was discovered that the pontoons needed to bridge the river had not arrived ahead of the army due to an administrative error. Major General Edwin V. Sumner, commanding the Right Grand Division (II Corps IX Corps), pressed Burnside for permission to ford the river to scatter the few Confederate defenders in Fredericksburg and occupy Maryes Heights west of the town. Burnside refused fearing that the fall rains would cause the river to rise and that Sumner would be cut off. Responding to Burnside, Lee initially anticipated having to make a stand behind the North Anna River to the south. This plan changed when he learned how slow Burnside was moving and he instead elected to march towards Fredericksburg. As the Union forces sat in Falmouth, Lieutenant General James Longstreets entire corps arrived by November 23 and began digging on the heights. While Longstreet established a commanding position,  Lt. General Thomas Stonewall Jacksons corps was en route from the Shenandoah Valley.   Opportunities Missed On November 25, the first pontoon bridges arrived, but Burnside refused to move, missing an opportunity to crush half of Lees army before the other half arrived. By the end of the month, when the remaining bridges arrived, Jacksons corps had reached Fredericksburg and assumed a position south of Longstreet. Finally, on December 11, Union engineers began building six pontoon bridges opposite Fredericksburg. Under fire from Confederate snipers, Burnside was forced to send landing parties across the river to clear out the town. Supported by artillery on Stafford Heights, the Union troops occupied Fredericksburg and looted the town. With the bridges completed, the bulk of Union forces began crossing the river and deploying for battle on December 11 and 12. Burnsides original plan for the battle called for the main attack to be executed to the south by Major General William B. Franklins Left Grand Division (I Corps VI Corps) against Jacksons position, with a smaller, supporting action against Maryes Heights. Held in the South Beginning at 8:30 AM on December 13, the assault was led by Major General George G. Meades division, supported by those of Brigadier Generals Abner Doubleday and John Gibbon. While initially hampered by heavy fog, the Union attack gained momentum around 10:00 AM when it was able to exploit a gap in Jacksons lines. Meades attack was eventually stopped by artillery fire, and around 1:30 PM a massive Confederate counterattack forced all three Union divisions to withdraw. To the north, the first assault on Maryes Heights had commenced at 11:00 AM and was led by the division of Major General William H. French. A Bloody Failure The approach to the heights required the attacking force to cross a 400-yard open plain which was divided by a drainage ditch. To cross the ditch, Union troops were forced to file in columns over two small bridges. As in the south, the fog prevented Union artillery on Stafford Heights from providing effective fire support. Moving forward, Frenchs men were repulsed with heavy casualties. Burnside repeated the attack with the divisions of Brigadier Generals Winfield Scott Hancock and Oliver O. Howard with the same results. With the battle going poorly on Franklins front, Burnside focused his attention on Maryes Heights. Reinforced by Major General George Picketts division, Longstreets position proved impenetrable. The attack was renewed at 3:30 PM when Brigadier General Charles Griffins division was sent forward and repulsed. Half an hour later, Brigadier General Andrew Humphreys  division charged with the same result. The battle concluded when Brigadier General George W. Gettys division attempted to attack the heights from the south with no success. All told, sixteen charges were made against the stone wall atop Maryes Heights, usually in brigade strength. Witnessing the carnage Gen. Lee commented, It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it. Aftermath One of the most one-sided battles of the Civil War, the Battle of Fredericksburg cost the Army of the Potomac 1,284 killed, 9,600 wounded, and 1,769 captured/missing. For the Confederates, casualties were 608 killed, 4,116 wounded, and 653 captured/missing. Of these only around 200 were suffered at Maryes Heights. As the battle ended, many Union troops, living and wounded, were forced to spend the freezing night of December 13/14 on the plain before the heights, pinned down by the Confederates. On the afternoon of the 14th, Burnside asked Lee for a truce to tend to his wounded which was granted. Having removed his men from the field, Burnside withdrew the army back across the river to Stafford Heights. The following month, Burnside strove to save his reputation by attempting to move north around Lees left flank. This plan bogged down when January rains reduced the roads to mud pits which prevented the army from moving. Dubbed the Mud March, the movement was cancelled. Burnside was replaced by Hooker on January 26, 1863.