ඡේද(ය) - The Paragraph.

    # You have already studied the various kinds of sentences used in writing English. Now we have to study the Paragraph, which is usually a combination of sentences sometimes short, sometimes long. All writing is built up of sentences and paragraphs. Look at the following passage.

    Snow White and Rose Red kept their mother’s cottage so clean that it was a pleasure to look at it. In the evening when the snow fell, the mother would say: ‘Go, Snow White, and bolt the door,’ and then they sat down beside the hearth j and their mother took her spectacles and read out of a big book, while the two little girls listened as they sat and span. Near them, on the ground, lay a pet lamb, and behind them, on its perch, sat a little while dove with its head under its wine.

    One evening, when they sat thus lovingly together, somebody knocked at the door as if he wanted to be let in. 1 he mother said : ‘Quick, Rose Red, open the door, it may be a traveller who is sticking shelter.’ So Rose Red got up and unbolted the door, thinking that it might be a poor man ; but, no, it was a bear who thrust his big black head in. Rose Red screamed and ran away, the lamb bleated, the little dove fluttered about, and Snow White hid herself behind her mother’s bed. But the bear began to speak, and said: ‘Don’t be frightened; I won’t do you any harm. I am half-frozen, and only want to warm myself a little by your fire.’

    ‘You poor bear,’ said the mother, ‘lie down by the fire, and only take care that your fur doesn’t get burnt.’ Then she cried : ‘Snow White, Rose Red, come here. The bear won’t hurt you, he means no harm.’ So they both came, and by degrees the lamb and the dove also drew near, and Were no longer afraid. Then the bear said: ‘Children, please shake the snow out of my fur. So they fetched I broom and brushed it all out, and then he stretched himself in front of the fire and growled quite happily and comfortably. It was not long before they became very friendly and began to play pranks with their clumsy guest. They pulled his fur with their hands, put their little feet on his back and rolled him to and fro, and took a hazel stick and hit him with it, and when he growled they laughed.

    When it was bedtime, and the others went to rest, the mother said to the bear: ‘You may lie on the hearth, and then you will be safe from the cold and the stormy weather.' But as soon as the day dawned the two children let him out, and he trotted away into the wood. From that day the bear came every evening at the same time, lay down on the hearth” and let the children play with him as much as they liked; and they were so well used to him that the door was never bolted before their black playmate had come.

# This passage contains four paragraphs. You will see that each paragraph is complete in itself, with a main idea. All paragraphs, however long, should centre round a main idea or incident. If there is any break in the thought or in the action you are describing, a new paragraph should be begun. Many older writers did not trouble to divide their writing into paragraphs. So we find that what they wrote makes heavy reading. It is much easier to read a page that is divided into a number of paragraphs.

# You will see in the passage just quoted that each paragraph starts a little to the right of the beginning of the other lines. This is called indenting.