Paragraphs
Paragraphs are one of the most basic of all XHTML elements. They start with <p>
and end with </p>. Paragraphs are a block of text. As you
may recall from your English classes, well-written paragraphs contain a main
idea, usually (but not always) at the beginning, with relevant supporting information.
Example Paragraph:
<p>The "placebo effect" is evidence that the way
one thinks can influence one's health. Scientific studies consistently show
that some people respond therepuetically when they believe that they are
receiving medicine, even when they are receiving nothing more than inert
pills (placebos) with no medicinal properties. This effect is so strong,
and so well documented that researchers must take the placebo effect into
account when designing medical trials, to ensure that any positive results
are greater than would be obtained with just the placebo. If researchers
did not take this into account, they may assume that a pill exerts a therepuetic
effect, when in fact, the only real effect is the patient's (mistaken) belief
that the pill contains beneficial medicine.</p>
Here are a couple of things worth knowing about paragraphs:
- You can place inline elements (such as links, images, or emphasized text) inside of paragraphs, but you cannot place block level elements (such as headings, tables, or other paragraphs) inside of paragraphs.
- Unlike some word processors, browsers do not indent the first line of a paragraph. Instead, they place some "white space" above and below paragraphs, to make them appear visually separate.
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