444 / Glossary
opinion a method of developing a paragraph or multi-paragraph paper by which
the writer expresses a personal belief. [See Chapter 12, Opinion, for details, sample
paper, and analysis.]
order, in paragraph development the method of organizing a paragraph or
multi-paragraph paper. The orders include chronological, spatial, and order of
importance. [See Glossary entries for each.]
order of business the usual order in which business is conducted during a meet-
ing. [See Chapter 29, Minutes of a Meeting, for a list of the usual order.]
order of importance a method of organizing a paragraph or multi-paragraph
paper according to the relative significance of the subtopics. One standard
arrangement is from most to least important; another is from least to most. A fre-
quently used variation begins with the second most important idea, followed by
the remaining details, listed from least to most important.
organization the way in which the parts of a paragraph or multi-paragraph paper
are put together, with all parts properly connected. General plans of organization
vary with the kind of writing. [See individual listings in Parts II and III.]
outline a plan for a paragraph or multi-paragraph paper, generally using letters
and numerals to designate the relationships among and between topics. [See
Chapter 31, Outlines.]
paragraph a section of a paper, letter, and so on, dealing with a particular point
and made up of one or more sentences. A paragraph begins on a new line and is
usually indented. [See Writing a Paragraph in Chapter 2, Writing.]
paragraph development the means by which the main point of a paragraph is
explained, supported, or detailed. [See all of Part II, Methods of Development.]
parallel structure like grammatical structures used for ideas of equal rank.
Example: Using computers and accessing databases are second nature to him.
(Two gerund phrases form parallel structures in compound subjects.)
paraphrase to put something spoken or written into different, more simple words
having the same meaning. Used frequently in writing research and technical
papers. [See Chapter 32, Paraphrase.]
parentheses punctuation marks ( ) always used in pairs to set off a word, clause,
remark, and so on, added as an explanation of comment within a complete sen-
tence. Example: The television special tomorrow night (Channel 9, 8:00 pm) will
discuss laser surgery. Note: Parentheses rarely appear in formal writing.
parenthetical element a word, phrase, or clause added as an aside or additional
comment within a complete sentence. Example: He is, Iām convinced, an honest
person. Note: The parenthetical element is set off from the rest of the sentence
with commas. [See Chapter 45, Punctuation.]