Résumé de section

  • It is quite common in French to start a new line within a paragraph.  This is often done in memos (notes de service) and sometimes in reports.  But you cannot do this in English.  Either you must continue writing on the same line in a paragraph or you must start a new paragraph, eg:

    It is not possible do use the following paragraph structure in English:
    Writing in a foreign language, especially writing well, is probably the most difficult task any language learner faces.  Communication by speech usually involves the speaker and the listener seeing each other.  It allows information and ideas to be transmitted not just via the words spoken, but also through the body language of both parties. [Return]
    When speaking, it is also possible to re-state ideas in a different way, should the listener not understand.  As a result, the listener is much more "tolerant" of possible language mistakes made by the speaker, and many of these mistakes pass unnoticed, as the listener concentrates naturally on the content and less on the style of what is said. [Return]

    You must use:
    Writing in a foreign language, especially writing well, is probably the most difficult task any language learner faces.  Communication by speech usually involves the speaker and the listener seeing each other.  It allows information and ideas to be transmitted not just via the words spoken, but also through the body language of both parties.  When speaking, it is also possible to re-state ideas in a different way, should the listener not understand.  As a result, the listener is much more "tolerant" of possible language mistakes made by the speaker, and many of these mistakes pass unnoticed, as the listener concentrates naturally on the content and less on the style of what is said.

    Or:
    Writing in a foreign language, especially writing well, is probably the most difficult task any language learner faces.  Communication by speech usually involves the speaker and the listener seeing each other.  It allows information and ideas to be transmitted not just via the words spoken, but also through the body language of both parties. 

    When speaking, it is also possible to re-state ideas in a different way, should the listener not understand.  As a result, the listener is much more "tolerant" of possible language mistakes made by the speaker, and many of these mistakes pass unnoticed, as the listener concentrates naturally on the content and less on the style of what is said.