diff --git a/src/Yi/Buffer/HighLevel.hs b/src/Yi/Buffer/HighLevel.hs
--- a/src/Yi/Buffer/HighLevel.hs
+++ b/src/Yi/Buffer/HighLevel.hs
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@
     , scrollToCursorB
     , scrollToLineAboveWindowB
     , scrollToLineBelowWindowB
+    , selectNParagraphs
     , setSelectionMarkPointB
     , setSelectRegionB
     , shapeOfBlockRegionB
@@ -292,6 +293,16 @@
 -- | Move up prev @n@ paragraphs
 prevNParagraphs :: Int -> BufferM ()
 prevNParagraphs n = replicateM_ n $ moveB unitEmacsParagraph Backward
+
+-- | Select next @n@ paragraphs
+selectNParagraphs :: Int -> BufferM ()
+selectNParagraphs n = do
+  getVisibleSelection >>= \case
+    True -> exchangePointAndMarkB
+            >> nextNParagraphs n >> (setVisibleSelection True)
+            >> exchangePointAndMarkB
+    False -> nextNParagraphs n >> (setVisibleSelection True)
+             >> pointB >>= setSelectionMarkPointB >> prevNParagraphs n
 
 -- ! Examples:
 -- @goUnmatchedB Backward '(' ')'@
diff --git a/src/Yi/Buffer/Misc.hs b/src/Yi/Buffer/Misc.hs
--- a/src/Yi/Buffer/Misc.hs
+++ b/src/Yi/Buffer/Misc.hs
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE ExistentialQuantification  #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE FlexibleContexts           #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE GeneralizedNewtypeDeriving #-}
-{-# LANGUAGE ImpredicativeTypes         #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE LambdaCase                 #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings          #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE RankNTypes                 #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE ScopedTypeVariables        #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE StandaloneDeriving         #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell            #-}
@@ -245,12 +245,14 @@
 
 -- | Gets a short identifier of a buffer. If we're given a 'MemBuffer'
 -- then just wraps the buffer name like so: @*name*@. If we're given a
--- 'FileBuffer', it drops the the number of characters specified.
+-- 'FileBuffer', it drops the number of path components.
 --
--- >>> shortIdentString 3 (MemBuffer "hello")
--- "*hello*"
--- >>> shortIdentString 3 (FileBuffer "hello")
--- "lo"
+-- >>> let memBuf = newB (BufferRef 0) (MemBuffer "foo/bar/hello") ""
+-- >>> shortIdentString 2 memBuf
+-- "*foo/bar/hello*"
+-- >>> let fileBuf = newB (BufferRef 0) (FileBuffer "foo/bar/hello") ""
+-- >>> shortIdentString 2 fileBuf
+-- "hello"
 shortIdentString :: Int -- ^ Number of characters to drop from FileBuffer names
                  -> FBuffer -- ^ Buffer to work with
                  -> T.Text
@@ -260,10 +262,12 @@
 
 -- | Gets the buffer's identifier string, emphasising the 'MemBuffer':
 --
--- >>> identString (MemBuffer "hello")
--- "*hello*"
--- >>> identString (FileBuffer "hello")
--- "hello"
+-- >>> let memBuf = newB (BufferRef 0) (MemBuffer "foo/bar/hello") ""
+-- >>> identString memBuf
+-- "*foo/bar/hello*"
+-- >>> let fileBuf = newB (BufferRef 0) (FileBuffer "foo/bar/hello") ""
+-- >>> identString fileBuf
+-- "foo/bar/hello"
 identString :: FBuffer -> T.Text
 identString b = case b ^. identA of
   MemBuffer bName -> "*" <> bName <> "*"
@@ -389,13 +393,13 @@
           bb = fromIntegral b :: Double
 
 queryBuffer :: (forall syntax. BufferImpl syntax -> x) -> BufferM x
-queryBuffer = gets . queryRawbuf
+queryBuffer x = gets (queryRawbuf x)
 
 modifyBuffer :: (forall syntax. BufferImpl syntax -> BufferImpl syntax) -> BufferM ()
-modifyBuffer = modify . modifyRawbuf
+modifyBuffer x = modify (modifyRawbuf x)
 
 queryAndModify :: (forall syntax. BufferImpl syntax -> (BufferImpl syntax,x)) -> BufferM x
-queryAndModify = getsAndModify . queryAndModifyRawbuf
+queryAndModify x = getsAndModify (queryAndModifyRawbuf x)
 
 -- | Adds an "overlay" to the buffer
 addOverlayB :: Overlay -> BufferM ()
@@ -812,7 +816,7 @@
 withMode0 f FBuffer {bmode = m} = f m
 
 withModeB :: (forall syntax. Mode syntax -> BufferM a) -> BufferM a
-withModeB = join . gets . withMode0
+withModeB x = join (gets (withMode0 x))
 
 withSyntax0 :: (forall syntax. Mode syntax -> syntax -> a) -> WindowRef -> FBuffer -> a
 withSyntax0 f wk (FBuffer bm rb _attrs) = f bm (getAst wk rb)
@@ -826,7 +830,7 @@
 focusSyntax r = modifyRawbuf (focusAst r)
 
 withSyntaxB' :: (forall syntax. Mode syntax -> syntax -> BufferM a) -> BufferM a
-withSyntaxB' = join . withSyntaxB
+withSyntaxB' x = join (withSyntaxB x)
 
 -- | Return indices of strings in buffer matched by regex in the
 -- given region.
diff --git a/yi-core.cabal b/yi-core.cabal
--- a/yi-core.cabal
+++ b/yi-core.cabal
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:           yi-core
-version:        0.13.3
+version:        0.13.4
 synopsis:       Yi editor core library
 category:       Yi
 homepage:       https://github.com/yi-editor/yi#readme