FormaTeX
FatalDocument Structure

Paragraph Ended Before Command Was Complete

! Paragraph ended before \XXX was complete.

What this error means

A blank line (paragraph break) appeared inside a command argument that doesn't allow paragraph breaks. Most standard LaTeX commands that take short arguments cannot span paragraph boundaries.

Common causes

  • A blank line inside a command argument like \textbf{} or \section{}
  • A missing closing brace that causes LaTeX to keep reading into the next paragraph
  • Multi-paragraph content given to a single-paragraph command

How to fix it

Remove the blank line from inside the command argument, or close the command before the blank line. For multi-paragraph content, use environments like minipage or a custom command that accepts long arguments (\long\def).

Code examples

Causes the error
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}

\textbf{This is bold text.

But this paragraph is inside the argument!}

\end{document}
Fixed
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}

\textbf{This is bold text.}

But this paragraph is outside the command.

\end{document}

Related errors

Missing \begin{document}

! LaTeX Error: Missing \begin{document}.

Mismatched Environment

! LaTeX Error: \begin{XXX} on input line N ended by \end{YYY}.

Preamble-Only Command Used in Body

! LaTeX Error: Can only be used in preamble.

Extra Closing Brace

! Extra }, or forgotten $.

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