Dr. Shades's Grammar Lesson of the Day

[_Res Ipsa]

Shades, man it's hard for us old guys who learned on typewriters decades ago.

Would it also have been acceptable for the author to treat the last line as a separate paragraph? In other word, two hard returns after the word "porch."

[_Choyo Chagas]

paragraphs...

generally - in most of word processings - paragraphs can be marked as:
1. indentation of the first line of the paragraph
--- this site suppresses leading spaces or leading tabs, so this is not an option
2. spacing before/after the paragraph
--- no such thing here; there are only whole lines (beginning at 1st position), at least here may be empty lines.

both fault can be stepped over with a simple trick...

example 1:

par1; long text: 1xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
par2; long text: 2xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
par3; long text: 3xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

example 2:
insert this line before all paragraphs:
123
don't you see the empty line above? it is white...
here is it with underlines... you can store it in a text file; without underlines --- then insert them before every paragraph...
[_color=#FFFFFF][_size=200]123[_/size[_/color]

123par1; long text: 1xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
123par2; long text: 2xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
123par3; long text: 3xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

[_Ceeboo]

Awesome to see the that the thread lives again!
Thanks Shades!

Peace,
Ceeboo

[_Dr. Shades]

You're welcome, BUT:

Awesome to see the that the thread lives again!<---mistaken hard return
Thanks Shades!

Peace,
Ceeboo

Did you learn nothing from what I wrote? Did you even read what I just wrote?

Shades, man it's hard for us old guys who learned on typewriters decades ago.

I don't know how to make it easier than this: Rule of right pinkie finger: It presses the "Enter" key twice, **NOT** once.

Would it also have been acceptable for the author to treat the last line as a separate paragraph? In other word, two hard returns after the word "porch."

No. Whenever humanly possible, a single paragraph should contain two or more sentences.

par1; long text: 1xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
par2; long text: 2xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
par3; long text: 3xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

NO. I just got done telling you to press the "Enter" key twice, **NOT** once. Did you not read what I wrote?

example 2:
insert this line before all paragraphs:
123
don't you see the empty line above? it is white...
here is it with underlines... you can store it in a text file; without underlines --- then insert them before every paragraph...
[_color=#FFFFFF][_size=200]123[_/size[_/color]

NO, that's WAAAAAAY too complicated. It's several orders of magnitude easier to just press the "Enter" key twice, wouldn't you say?

From now on, it is not necessary for you to add advice to my grammar lessons. You may just let them stand as given without comment. Thank you.

[_Ceeboo]

You're welcome, BUT:

Awesome to see the that the thread lives again!<---mistaken hard return
Thanks Shades!

Peace,
Ceeboo

Did you learn nothing from what I wrote? Did you even read what I just wrote?

Yes, I read!
Peace,
Ceeboo
(Is this better ?)

[_Res Ipsa]

Your rule is simple and crystal clear. The problem is the neural pathways etched in my fossilized brain.

I generally agree that single-sentence paragraphs should be avoided. However, when used sparingly, they can emphasize an important point that the author wishes to make. Isolating a single sentence as a paragraph tells the reader that it is both important and is a complete thought in and of itself.

The purpose of style is effective communication, not mechanical adherence to rules.

[_Dr. Shades]

Yes, I read! <---mistaken single return (should be double)
Peace,
Ceeboo<---mistaken single return (should be double)
(Is this better ?)

No, it isn't.

RULE OF RIGHT PINKIE FINGER: Ceeboo may NEVER press the "Enter" key once. He may ONLY press it ZERO times or TWO times.

Please practice a few times. Practice pressing the Enter key two times or zero times. Do not ever allow yourself to press it one time or three times. ZERO or TWO.

Now go practice for a while.

I generally agree that single-sentence paragraphs should be avoided. However, when used sparingly, they can emphasize an important point that the author wishes to make. Isolating a single sentence as a paragraph tells the reader that it is both important and is a complete thought in and of itself.

Agreed. But before we learn how to run we must learn how to walk. Before we learn how to walk we must learn how to crawl.

Milk before meat until we're all caught up.

The purpose of style is effective communication, not mechanical adherence to rules.

Right. But as with anything else, familiarity and proficiency with the rules must be demonstrated long before we can start talking about the exceptions to them.

[_Ceeboo]

Awesome to see that the thread lives again. Thanks Shades!

Peace,
Ceeboo

[_Dr. Shades]

Much better, Ceeboo. Let this be the pattern for all things to come.

[_Ceeboo]

No, it isn't.

RULE OF RIGHT PINKIE FINGER: Ceeboo may NEVER press the "Enter" key once. He may ONLY press it ZERO times or TWO times.

Please practice a few times. Practice pressing the Enter key two times or zero times. Do not ever allow yourself to press it one time or three times. ZERO or TWO.

Now go practice for a while.

Going to practice!