162 Essential Skills for Health Careers Success
The Paragraph
A paragraph is a part of a written composition, which consists of a collec-
tion of sentences all related to one topic. Paragraphs express one idea or present
the words of a single individual. Each paragraph can begin with an indented
line. An indent is signifi ed by hitting the
Tab
key, or inserting fi ve spaces.
Example:
In our offi ce, Tony is always the fi rst one at work each morn-
ing. He was elected Employee of the Month three times because
of how hard he works. Tony sets a good example for others.
I fi rst met Tony when I was hired last year. He always has
made me feel welcome in the offi ce.
When writing a business letter, paragraphs are often not indented.
Instead, the single-spaced paragraphs are separated by an extra line, or
return, in between to clearly mark each paragraph.
Example:
Today there are many styles of writing paragraphs. Some styles
include indenting paragraphs, and others do not.
Whichever style you choose, be consistent. Also, remember that a para-
graph with more than six or seven sentences may be too long and will need
to be broken up into a second paragraph. Chances are that there is more
than one idea represented in that long paragraph.
Today, many instructors will tell you that they prefer you have at least
two sentences in a paragraph. Be mindful of the length of your paragraphs.
Paragraphs should be neither too short nor too long.
Punctuation
Punctuation is defi ned as the practice or system of using certain con-
ventional marks or characters in writing. Proper punctuation guides the
readers and helps them understand the meaning of sentences.
End Punctuation
There are only three ways to end a sentence: a period (.),
a question mark (?), and an exclamation point (!). The
period is by far the most used mark of punctuation.
Periods. Paragraphs can contain several sentences, and the
period is used to provide structure and separate thoughts
by marking the end of each sentence. Periods are also used
to divide parts of an abbreviation (p.m.) or signal the end
of an abbreviation. An abbreviation is a shortened form
of a word or letters used to represent a word or term.
Figure 7.17 provides a list of commonly used abbrevia-
tions in healthcare.
paragraph
part of a written composi-
tion, which consists of
a collection of sentences
related to one topic
punctuation
the practice or system of
using certain conventional
marks or characters such as
commas, question marks,
and periods in writing
Healthcare Abbreviations
with Periods
Term Abbreviations
three times a day t.i.d.
doctor Dr.
company co.
association assoc.
orthopedics ortho.
Figure 7.17 Some medical abbreviations are
created using periods.