---
title: "Markdown concordance template: words in their passage"
slug: markdown-concordance-template
excerpt: "Keep an invented passage beside chosen keywords, with a paragraph label and exact nearby wording for every occurrence on its own plain line."
quickAnswer: "Give the concordance a title and a sentence identifying the invented passage and the wording being studied. Label its paragraphs, then place each chosen keyword above plain lines quoting all its occurrences with nearby words."
keyTakeaways:
  - "Paragraph labels attach each quoted occurrence to its place within the passage."
  - "Every occurrence of a chosen keyword gets a separate plain line."
  - "Nearby words retain their spelling and punctuation from the passage."
  - "Jane Doe's fictional Doe project supplies the passage about a ribbon and a pebble."
  - "The title remains a placeholder for reuse with another invented passage."
publishedDate: 2026-10-24
dateModified: 2026-10-24
author: Bobby Huang
cluster: A
role: post
status: published
faq:
  - q: "What accompanies each occurrence?"
    a: "Its paragraph label and a short stretch of exact wording that includes the chosen word."
  - q: "Can two occurrences share a paragraph label?"
    a: "Yes. A paragraph with two occurrences contributes two separate lines bearing that paragraph's label."
  - q: "What changes when I replace the passage?"
    a: "Replace the identifying sentence, labeled paragraphs and occurrence lines together so the quoted wording belongs to the new passage."
related:
  - markdown-memo-template
---

A concordance preserves the places where chosen words recur within one passage. This Markdown concordance template puts an invented passage beside its keyword records. Each occurrence has its own plain line containing a paragraph label and exact nearby wording.

The passage stays in the file, so the quoted fragments have their surrounding paragraphs beside them. The keywords below it concern that passage alone.

## What belongs in this concordance

Begin with a title placeholder and a sentence identifying the passage and why its wording is being studied. Give each paragraph a short label such as P1 or P2. After the passage, write a chosen keyword on a line of its own, followed by a separate line for every occurrence.

A record combines the paragraph label with a quoted stretch containing the keyword. Preserve the order in which the occurrences appear in the passage. When a paragraph contains the same keyword twice, repeat its label on two occurrence lines.

An .md ending identifies the file as Markdown; [the guide to .md files](what-is-a-md-file.md) describes this kind of plain text file.

## The concordance template with an invented passage

Fictional writer Jane Doe studies repeated wording in a passage written for the fictional Doe project. Both the person and the project are placeholders. The passage below was invented for this example.

```text
# [Title of the invented passage]

Jane Doe studies the repeated words ribbon and pebble in this invented Doe project passage.

## Passage

P1
A blue ribbon lay beside the pebble on the sill. Beneath the ribbon lay a folded cloth.

P2
A small pebble rested near the ribbon by the door. Beside the pebble stood an empty cup.

## Chosen keywords and occurrences

ribbon
P1 "A blue ribbon lay beside the"
P1 "Beneath the ribbon lay a folded"
P2 "rested near the ribbon by the door."

pebble
P1 "beside the pebble on the sill."
P2 "A small pebble rested near the"
P2 "Beside the pebble stood an empty"
```

The title awaits the passage's own name. Beneath it, the identifying sentence names the two chosen words and the purpose of studying their repetition. P1 and P2 label the passage paragraphs; those same labels accompany the occurrence lines below.

Reuse the shape by replacing the identifying sentence, the passage and the occurrence records together. The fictional attribution belongs only to the supplied example. Each new invented passage needs occurrence lines drawn from its own wording.

The surrounding fence carries the text tag. [Markdown code blocks](markdown-code-blocks.md) explains the fence punctuation that holds these lines together as written, including the paragraph labels and the quoted fragments.

## Exact wording around each occurrence

Quote each occurrence as written, with a few neighboring words on either side where the paragraph permits. Retain capitalization and punctuation within the quoted stretch. At a paragraph boundary, use the words present there rather than inventing extra context.

The first ribbon occurrence begins with "A blue ribbon"; the next begins with "Beneath the ribbon". Both belong to P1, yet they occupy separate lines. Their nearby words distinguish the two places without changing the passage.

These fragments preserve wording rather than paraphrasing what the passage says. Keep any brief note about quoting outside the occurrence lines, so every quoted stretch remains text taken exactly from its labeled paragraph.

## Naming the concordance file

For this invented passage, `doe-ribbon-pebble-concordance.md` names its subjects and its purpose. Keep the passage and its occurrence records within that file. [Markdown file naming](markdown-file-naming.md) explains hyphens and the file ending.

If the passage changes, revise the affected occurrence lines beside it. A fragment quoting earlier wording no longer represents the paragraph now present in the file.

## Where Sashmark fits

Reading and editing agent-written Markdown on a desktop are the intended uses of Sashmark. Its app remains in development, with those uses still planned.