Paragraphing and Page Setting – JSS2 Business Studies Lesson Note (Third Term)

A paragraph is a group of sentences that deals with one particular idea. In typing, paragraphs are set out in three styles: blocked, indented and hanging. Page setup covers margins, print quality and page size, and text alignment (left, right, centred or justified) decides how lines sit between the margins.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define a paragraph;
2. name and describe blocked, indented and hanging paragraphs;
3. explain what page setup means and list its parts;
4. describe left, right, centred and justified text alignment.

What is a paragraph?

A paragraph is a part of a document, made up of a group of sentences that deals with a particular idea.

• One idea: each paragraph carries a single main point.
• New idea: a new paragraph starts when the writer moves to a new point.
• Easy reading: paragraphs break a long document into small parts that are easy to follow.
• Neat layout: the style used must be the same from the start to the end of a document.

What are the types of paragraphs?

There are three types of paragraphs: blocked, indented and hanging.

Blocked paragraph

A blocked paragraph is one in which all lines, including the first line, begin from the left margin.

• Layout: no line is moved in from the left margin.
• Use: business and official letters use this style.

Indented paragraph

An indented paragraph is one in which the first line begins a few spaces in from the left margin.

• Pica type: the first line begins five spaces from the left margin.
• Elite type: the first line begins six spaces from the left margin.
• Other lines: all the remaining lines begin at the left margin.
• Use: general typed work such as essays and reports.

Hanging paragraph

A hanging paragraph is one in which the first line sticks out to the left of the lines that follow it.

• Layout: the first line of each paragraph begins three spaces to the left of the lines that follow.
• Spacing: typing can be done on single-line spacing as well as double-line spacing.
• Use: legal matters, poems and drama use this style.

How do the three paragraph types compare?

What is page setup?

Page setup means the parameters that a user normally defines to determine how a printed page will appear. These parameters include margins, print quality and size, among others.

What are the parts of page setup?

• Margins: the blank spaces between the text and the four edges of the paper (left, right, top and bottom).
• Paper size: the size of the sheet to be printed on, such as A4.
• Orientation: the direction of the page, either portrait (upright) or landscape (sideways).
• Print quality: how clear the printed text is, often measured in dots per inch (dpi).

How do you set up a page in a word processor?

1. Open the document in the word processor, such as Microsoft Word.
2. Click the Layout tab (called Page Layout in some versions).
3. Click Margins and choose a ready-made setting or Custom Margins.
4. Click Size and choose the paper size.
5. Click Orientation and choose portrait or landscape.
6. Check the page on screen before printing.

What is text alignment?

Text alignment is the way lines of text sit between the left and right margins of a page.

• Where to find it: the program’s toolbar.
• How it looks: a row of four icons: left-aligned, right-aligned, centred and justified.
• Keyboard shortcuts in Microsoft Word: Ctrl + L (left), Ctrl + R (right), Ctrl + E (centre) and Ctrl + J (justified).

Left alignment

Left alignment is a style in which each line begins along the left margin of the document.

• Other names: flush left or left justified.
• Link to paragraphs: it is used like the blocked style.
• Result: a straight margin on the left and an uneven margin on the right.

Right alignment

Right alignment is a style in which each line of text ends along the right margin of the document.

• Other names: right justified or flush right.
• Direction: the text expands to the left of the cursor.
• More than one line: the next line also begins along the right margin.

Centred alignment

Centred alignment is a style in which the text is placed in the centre of each line.

• Direction: the text expands equally to the left and right.
• Result: the same amount of space is left on either side.

Justified alignment

Justified alignment is a style that combines left and right alignment.

• Result: each line fills the entire space from left to right.
• Space used: the text occupies 100% of the space between the margins.
• Margins: both the left and right margins look straight.

How do the four alignments compare?

Evaluation

1. What is a paragraph?
2. Name the three types of paragraphs and state where each is used.
3. What does page setup mean?
4. List three parts of page setup.
5. Describe how text looks when it is right aligned and when it is justified.

Assignment

1. Write the meaning of a blocked paragraph and an indented paragraph, and state one difference between them.
2. List the four text alignment options found in the toolbar and describe each in one sentence.