Answer:
A paragraph is a self-contained unit of discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea. A paragraph consists of one or more sentences. The Greek ' evolved into the pilcrow, which in English manuscripts in the Middle Ages can be seen inserted inline between sentences. The hedera leaf has also been used in the same way.
In ancient manuscripts, another means to divide sentences into paragraphs was a line break followed by an initial at the beginning of the next paragraph. An initial is an oversized capital letter, sometimes outdented beyond the margin of the text. This style can be seen, for example, in the original Old English manuscript of Beowulf. Outdenting is still used in English typography, though not commonly. Bringhurst explains as follows:
The function of a paragraph is to mark a pause, setting the paragraph apart from what precedes it. If a paragraph is preceded by a title or subhead, the indent is superfluous and can therefore be omitted. An em space is the most commonly used paragraph indent.
When referencing a paragraph, typographic symbol may be used: "See § Background".
Explanation:
