Intellishop & Paragraphs.

October 22, 2013 01:17AM

I received the following comment for a shop I did -- "The comments were grouped into paragraphs of multiple sentences instead of one sentence per break."

Where does it say in Intellishop's guidelines only one sentence to a paragraph. I rarely have more than three sentences in a paragraph.

Nothing about my grammar, vocabulary, etc. . . . so they just have to have something to find fault in . . . it drives me crazy!

How many sentences to a paragraph do you guys usually have?

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October 22, 2013 01:33AM

I have always put more than 1 sentence in a paragraph with them.....and have never had a comment like that. You must have gotten a misguided editor for your shop. I wouldn't pay much attention to their ratings unless your overall average goes below a 5 and you can't self assign shops.

October 22, 2013 03:00AM

Yikes, last I checked, a paragraph consisted of more than one sentence. Usually there's an introduction to the paragraph and supporting sentences to follow. Haven't done much for Intellishop lately, but when I did, my paragraphs consisted of several sentences because their reports were narrative heavy.

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The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

October 22, 2013 03:21AM

I feel like we should start new topic "The weirdest Intellishop editor's feedback"

October 22, 2013 03:25AM

Yes, my paragraphs have more than once sentence, too.

Definition via Merriam-Webster

paragraph
: a part of a piece of writing that usually deals with one subject, that begins on a new line, and that is made up of one or more sentences

I honestly don't think I have ever written a once sentence paragraph.

October 22, 2013 04:04AM

I did a phone shop for them- and the feedback was to confirm the rep didn't call back as promised. They said they noticed he didn't call me as promised. They said if he did, check yes.
The person I shopped called at the exact time he promised- and I did check yes! I hope they notice this time and don't dock the guy his points. Also, when I tried to email them, delivery of my message failed.

October 22, 2013 04:08AM

Gee, my professor last semester told us that a paragraph was at LEAST 3 sentences. Maybe he was wrong, you know since he teaches college, is the editor of a major news magazine and all. Lol.

October 22, 2013 10:52AM

I thought a paragraph was supposed to have an introductory sentence, a concluding sentence, with at least one supporting sentence in between.

Who ever heard of a one-sentence paragraph?! Sheesh. How silly.

Practitioner of the Nerdly Arts.

October 22, 2013 01:03PM

There are rare instances in which a paragraph might consist of just one sentence, but few and far between! It's really very weird that an editor would claim that there should be one sentence per paragraph! So bizarre! (I'm a writer and editor by trade and have never of such a requirement and can't begin to think of a rational reason for it!)

I'm wondering if this editor is confused between paragraphs and double spacing between lines? I know that sounds bizarre, too, but I can't think of any other semi-plausible explanation (other than the editor isn't a pro and doesn't know better).

There's nothing wrong with "Paragraphs of multiple sentences"! A paragraph should be as long as it needs to be before a transition point is reached.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

October 22, 2013 04:14PM

"I'm wondering if this editor is confused between paragraphs and double spacing between lines? I know that sounds bizarre, too, but I can't think of any other semi-plausible explanation"

I never double space my narrative. I do double space between paragraphs.

Does anyone double space their narrative? MAYBE that is what she meant . . . but no where in Intellishop's guidelines does it say to do so.

October 22, 2013 04:16PM

Why are you so confused about what she said? It is as clear as mud to me.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

October 22, 2013 04:38PM

This is so funny! Last May, I was advised by one of their editors: "In the future, keep like-minded sentences in one paragraph, rather than splitting them up into multiple paragraphs."

(heart)

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

October 22, 2013 04:44PM

I've had a variety of comments regarding paragraphs: Indent, don't indent, space between paragraphs, no spaces, make paragraphs, don't make paragraphs, etc. I have never seen any guidelines as to how they should be used, just comments afterward. It seems to be at the whim of the particular editor.

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I'm "Sandi" in the Middle!

October 22, 2013 04:55PM

They say Intellishop uses college students who are English majors. Maybe this one is a journalism major.

My experience with newspaper writers is that many of them use one-sentence "paragraphs" and try to blame it on AP Style. I had that very argument with an editor of a major U.S. publication who said we should be using one-sentence paragraphs. Neither AP nor the Chicago Manual of Style support one-sentence paragraphs except for emphasis. As others have pointed out, a paragraph consists of two or more sentences.

When I was I in school I was taught that if a thought could be limited to one sentence, it might not be important enough to include. I always double check my sentence structure for that very reason. Often that single sentence or thought relates and can be included in another section of the report OR it is important enough to be expanded upon.

October 22, 2013 05:21PM

I posted this in another thread, but I once got a 9 on a report and the only feedback from the editor was:

"Hi Shopper,
Thank you for your report. Be sure to upload your upright. Thanks."

That's copied and pasted directly from the reviewer comments.

The only attachment required was for the receipt and it was already uploaded correctly, so I still don't know what the editor meant.

October 22, 2013 05:48PM

"Be sure to upload your upright"????? Hmmmm..... maybe this editor had something else on her (if it was a her) mind!

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

October 22, 2013 09:15PM

I'm probably reading too much into this but could they mean the place where they ask an open-ended question but then they give you a little tiny box for an answer?

Those boxes drive me crazy. I keep those short because I can't even read what I am entering anyway.

October 22, 2013 09:23PM

wouldnt surprise me if intellishop used college students
and used them via an internship so they can avoid paying
their editors altogether

= + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = +
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==
When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody

October 22, 2013 11:38PM

techman01 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> wouldnt surprise me if intellishop used college
> students
> and used them via an internship so they can avoid
> paying
> their editors altogether

OMG! Maybe we are all some student's senior project!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/22/2013 11:39PM by amabilis.

October 23, 2013 01:55AM

amabilis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> techman01 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > wouldnt surprise me if intellishop used college
> > students
> > and used them via an internship so they can
> avoid
> > paying
> > their editors altogether
>
>
> OMG! Maybe we are all some student's senior
> project!

Now that's pretty scary....

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

October 24, 2013 09:24PM

DRJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I posted this in another thread, but I once got a
> 9 on a report and the only feedback from the
> editor was:
>
> "Hi Shopper,
> Thank you for your report. Be sure to upload your
> upright. Thanks."
>
>
> That's copied and pasted directly from the
> reviewer comments.
>
> The only attachment required was for the receipt
> and it was already uploaded correctly, so I still
> don't know what the editor meant.

Holy Moses! How do you upload your upright? lol!

October 25, 2013 05:26AM

Maybe the AP emphasis style of one-word sentences means that reviewer basically wanted bullet points instead of a narrative paragraph? I have yet to receive feedback, aside from type in ALL CAPS...hated those reports. I'd forget I was still on CAPS lock and 'yell' my email to people.

October 25, 2013 12:23PM

I don't think any style guide encourages one-sentence paragraphs, but journalists tend to write such long sentences that sometimes they make up a full paragraph.... I use "Chicago" myself, unless I'm doing a newsletter, so I can't imagine an editor taking a shopper to task for using more than one sentence per paragraph!!!! And I don't see how bullet points, as effective as they are in many usages, could properly form a narrative.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

October 25, 2013 06:36PM

Don't take it personal, the editor must have been having a bad day. Unfortunately shoppers are at their mercy. Complaining may jeapordize your standing. Fortunately it does not or should not happen very often.

October 25, 2013 06:49PM

While a paragraph may consist of one sentence, it is unusual and most writers are seldom equipped to write such a paragraph. Unless that editor was used to editing Hemingway I'd find that a point of contention.

October 25, 2013 06:59PM

Ms.Gail Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While a paragraph may consist of one sentence, it
> is unusual and most writers are seldom equipped to
> write such a paragraph.

Exactly!

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

October 25, 2013 08:19PM

I have received a similar email...probably from the same grumpy editor who was having a bad day. The funny thing is, when I went back and looked at the virtual copy I saved, the error wasn't even there! Like I said...grumpy...or just flat-out whimsical!

October 25, 2013 08:21PM

BirdyC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are rare instances in which a paragraph
> might consist of just one sentence, but few and
> far between!

I seem to recall learning in elementary school that a paragraph had to be at least three sentences long. The only time a one sentence paragraph would be correct would be when it is part of a dialog.

"Evolve thyself and lose all hate...." Orphaned Land

October 26, 2013 09:57AM

IntelliShop has one editor that nitpicks every
thing I submit, not shopping IntelliShop a
nymore because of it. Proofreader #5

MSPA Gold Certified
Undercover Essentials Video Specialist

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2013 06:27PM by beadzoo.

October 26, 2013 02:27PM

hahaha these guys need to go back to school. We always teach the kids a paragraph is 4-5 sentences! What really gets me is when they criticize my grammar. Ahem, I'm an English teacher. Yes, I know I make spelling errors/typos (but there is spellcheck for that!), but I think they are having a problem with me writing lengthy sentences, with clauses. Nothing incorrect about that!

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