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Conclude: finish, finalize, stop
It happens to the best of us. Sometimes, we talk a lot and offer a lot of examples. This is great, but we might need to remind people of our original point. How do you conclude or restate your idea in your writing or speech? The answer…. transition words! Here are a few of the most common transition words for wrapping up or concluding your statement: All in all, for these reasons, to sum up, in brief, in conclusion, in short, in summary, to conclude, to summarize, these examples show …, it is clear that …, you can see that... Transition words are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence, followed by a comma. The last three phrases also start the sentence, but you don’t need to use a comma. Here are some practice questions. Share your idea first, then restate your opinion with one of the words listed above.
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Cause: source, root, origin, or beginning
Effect: result, consequence, or outcome Many writing assignments will ask you to explain the cause and effect relationships between different events. For example, you might be asked to explain the consequences of a political policy...cause and effect! Maybe your professor or boss will ask you to explain mistakes you made in a project and their impact on the final result.... cause and effect! As you can see, cause and effect reappears again and again in conversations. So, how do you show cause and effect in your writing or speech? The answer…. transition words! Here are a few of the most common transition words for cause and effect: For cause: Because, since, as, because of (+ noun) For effect: Therefore, consequently, as a result, so Transition words are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence, followed by a comma. See if you can use some of the words listed above to answer these questions.
Order: sequence, organization, or series
You might need to show or explain the order of activities for many different situations. Recipes, driving directions, experiments, dances, and craft projects are just some examples of things that usually have a specific sequence of steps. How do you show order of steps in your writing or speech? The answer…. transition words! Here are a few of the most common transition words for order: first, second, third, etc., first of all, next, then, after that, finally, now, soon, meanwhile, following this, at this point, afterward, subsequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently Transition words are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence, followed by a comma. See if you can use some of the words listed above to answer these questions.
Hopefully, you have a basic understanding of the rules controlling modifiers. Now it's time to practice! Here is a link to my favorite list of absolutely misplaced modifiers. How would you correct them?
Rule 3: Make the connection between clauses clear
Some words have a very special role in a sentence. For example, because let's you know that the sentence is about cause and effect. When let's you know that two things happened at the same time. If we forget these words it might make the sentence confusing. Here are a few examples of confusing sentences: Getting a good night sleep, the day is always easier. Running out of money, the refrigerator was empty. Carrying the heavy bag all day, my back was very sore. As you can see, making small changes to these sentences would make them much clearer. These sentences need actors, and they also need words to show the relationship between each clause. How would you change my sample sentences? Rule 2: Don't forget the actor.
Sometimes, you know what you want to say, so it is hard to see what you've really said. Here are a few examples of confusing sentences: Switching on the TV, the room seemed brighter. After spilling the milk, the power went out. Closing the windows and curtains, the storm continued to rage outside. What's missing in all of these sentences? Yup! The actor. The person who did each of the actions is implied, but not stated. This makes each sentence a little bit confusing. By adding the person to each sentence, you can make the information much clearer. So, how would you change my sample sentences? |
AuthorEast Bay ESL is an English language school for learners in the San Francisco East Bay. Archives
October 2015
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