paragraph
paragraph — noun
1. a small chunk of writing built from a sentence or several sentences about one to
a small chunk of writing built from a sentence or several sentences about one topic, with its first sentence usually starting on a fresh line and often slightly pushed in from the margin.
Maya rewrote the opening paragraph of her essay three times before lunch.
collocation: opening / closing paragraph
The article about the earthquake had a short paragraph on each affected village.
paragraph + on/about [topic]
Each new paragraph in the textbook begins on a new line and is slightly indented.
Mr. Lin asked the children to write one paragraph about their favourite animal.
There is a useful paragraph on safety rules at the top of page twelve.
文法句型
paragraph + about/on
first/last/opening/closing paragraph
用法筆記
Countable; usually preceded by an ordinal or position word (first, second, opening, closing, final) or modified by a topic phrase with 'about' or 'on'.
常見錯誤
paragraph — verb
1. to mention someone or something briefly in a short news item, usually a single p
to mention someone or something briefly in a short news item, usually a single paragraph in a newspaper or magazine.
The local paper paragraphed the mayor's small donation to the children's hospital.
paragraph + [person/event] in journalism
Every weekend the gossip column paragraphs at least one minor film star.
Reporters paragraphed the singer's surprise visit to the school in Tainan.
The evening edition paragraphed the new bus route on its city news page.
文法句型
paragraph + [person/event]
用法筆記
Rare and formal; almost only used in newspaper or magazine contexts. Subject is typically a publication or journalist; object is the person or event being briefly noted.
常見錯誤
2. to break a piece of writing into separate paragraphs, deciding where each one sh
to break a piece of writing into separate paragraphs, deciding where each one should start and end.
The editor paragraphed the long letter so that readers could follow each idea more easily.
subject is editor / typesetter
Carlos paragraphed his messy notes before printing them for the meeting.
Old printers paragraphed manuscripts by hand using small marks in the margin.
Please paragraph this report properly before you send it to the head office.
文法句型
paragraph + [text]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (WRITE ABOUT): here the object is a piece of text already written, and the action is splitting it; in sense 1 the object is a person or event, and the action is reporting on them.
常見錯誤
3. to write short news items for a newspaper or magazine, especially as a regular p
to write short news items for a newspaper or magazine, especially as a regular paid job; used without an object.
Lina paragraphs for two small magazines while she finishes her novel.
intransitive: no direct object
David paragraphs from a tiny office above the bakery in Taipei.
Several students at the journalism school paragraph for the campus newspaper each week.
Old reporters who paragraph for a living often work very long hours.
文法句型
paragraph (alone, no object)
用法筆記
Used without an object; typically describes someone's job or regular activity. Distinguish from sense 1, which always takes a person or event as its object.