| |
| |
|
Writing Information |
|
|
|
Go With The Flow: Write With Transition Words and Phrases
One of the most common weaknesses I see in day-to-day writing is poor logical flow from one idea or point to the next. This usually takes the form of a bunch of seemingly unrelated phrases thrown together with little or no sense of sequence, continuity, or relativity. Although the overall subject may be obvious, the words to describe it seem to be scattered on the page like an almost random set of unconnected thoughts. On a regular basis, I see letters and reports in which each phrase seems to be independent of the one before and the one after, when in reality, there is an actual sequential and/or logical flow. Consider the following three sentence example: 1. The entire building had to be searched. 2. They started the search on the third floor. 3. It took three hours to complete the search. Notice that the three separate statements are all valid sentences. They convey the bare essential facts of the situation, but nothing more. In fact, they raise almost more questions than they answer. For example: - Was it a serious incident? - Had it ever happened before? - Why did they start on the third floor? - What about the first two floors? - How big/high was the building? - Is three hours a long time for that? - How long does it usually take? These are all logical (and obvious) questions that the average person might ask when reading a paragraph made up of the three sentences above. Let's transform these now, using transition phrases: "UNLIKE the previous minor incident, this time the entire building had to be searched. BECAUSE the fire was still smoking on the first two floors, they had to start on the third, working upwards to the tenth, covering the first two floors last. CONSEQUENTLY, it took them a full three hours before they finally completed the typical two-hour job." Notice the use of the transition words: UNLIKE, BECAUSE, and CONSEQUENTLY. Using these three words has allowed us to easily connect the three independent sentences and give them a sense of chronological order and logical flow. They also allow us to answer ALL of the obvious questions, either with the transition word itself, or by adding a couple more words. In short, transition words/phrases have turned three dry independent phrases into a little story that makes sense to the reader. These types of words/phrases are ideal for allowing one to easily connect thoughts, and create logical sequences between sentences and paragraphs. They are usually inserted at the beginning of a sentence and normally refer directly back to the previous sentence and/or paragraph without repeating the specific subject. The following paragraphs list some of the more common transition words and phrases that will help make your text more understandable and interesting to the reader. For each one, I have included a typical example of how the word/phrase might be used in a typical sentence. Note that I have capitalized the transition words/phrases for emphasis and easy identification. CAUSE AND EFFECT... THEN, he moved on to the next work station. AS A RESULT, the team lost the game. FOR THIS REASON, she always went home for the weekend. THE RESULT WAS always predictable. WHAT FOLLOWED was as painful as it was inevitable. IN RESPONSE, he quickly upped the ante. THEREFORE, the aircraft overshot the runway. THUS, it was just a matter of time. BECAUSE OF THIS, the results were always the same. CONSEQUENTLY, he was no longer friends with Frank. THE REACTION to this event was swift and decisive. IN CONTRAST TO... UNLIKE last year, this one was highly profitable. DIFFERENT from this, was our approach to manufacturing. IN SPITE OF the dot com bust, the company prospered. ON THE OTHER HAND, earnings per share have increased. ON THE CONTRARY, the impact was less than expected. OPPOSING that idea was the move to new technologies. HOWEVER, that approach may actually prove better. CONTRARY to his findings, the revenue picture is good. NEVERTHELESS, something still appears to be missing. SEQUENCE AND RELATIVITY... THEN, each one followed in numerical sequence. IN ADDITION, a fourth material was added to the mix. TO ENUMERATE, first there was the car, second the boat,... NEXT in the series was the "outrigger" brand line. BESIDES THAT, there were two other possible sources. SIMILARITY AND COMPARISON... LIKE always, he took the company on a dangerous course. SAME as before, he managed to meet all of the requirements. SIMILAR things were known to happen at certain times. CLOSE to that was the result of the second round of voting. LIKEWISE, they made similar changes in the factory. ALSO, there were the worker's families to consider. NEAR that one, was where we found the faulty component. EXPLANATION AND EXAMPLE... FOR EXAMPLE, last year's model was underpowered. ONE SUCH occurrence was last week's power outage. FOR INSTANCE, earnings this year are higher than last. TO ILLUSTRATE, he went to Chicago just to make his point. ALSO, there is a new approach to sheet-metal moulding. TO DEMONSTRATE, I will use the new model throughout. The above are just examples, and there many other such transition words and phrases that are used in everyday conversation and writing. In my opinion, appropriate use of these words/phrases is the number one technique for making any type of writing flow logically and clearly. Bottom line: Smooth, orderly and logical transitions from one thought to the other, one sentence to the next, and one paragraph to another -- are key to creating clear meaning and flow in any document. Transition words and phrases will achieve this for you. © 2005 by Shaun Fawcett Shaun Fawcett, is webmaster of the popular writing help site WritingHelp-Central.com. He is also the author of several best selling "writing toolkit" eBooks. All of his eBooks and his internationally acclaimed f-r-e-e course, "Tips and Tricks For Writing Success" are available at his writing tools site: http://www.writinghelptools.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Writing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Iniquitous Slip All the famous writers I heard of could paper the walls of their offices with rejection notices.Rejection slips are the bane of all writers, yet they are inevitable. Good Writing Good writing is like sex. Two people are involved - the writer and the reader. Create the Writing Life You Want Ah, writing. For those of us who love to play with words, it's like standing in front of a smorgasbord, agonising over which delicacies to try. Memories Dont Fade Like Hair Does: Memoir Writing Help for You, Our Elders, to Tell Your Story ~~~Old age, to the unlearned, is winter; to the learned, it's harvest time. ~ Yiddish saying~~~You can tell your life story by biography, which is a whole book that starts from the start and ends at (or near) the end. Time to Write SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?Many people have entertained the idea of being a writer. They feel the passion to write. Seven Important Lessons for Experts Who Want to Get Published At first, I noticed that I could have written many of the articles that appeared in Instructor magazine. Having earned a B. Why Researching Is Good, And A Failure To Do So Is Not What a lack of research could do to you.When creating an ebook how well do you research the topic before hand?It's absolutely crucial that you research what problems your target market is having and what they're spending money on. Who Else Wants To Make $3546 By Simply Pressing a Button! If you have been online for any length of time you have probably stumbled across many of the incredible claims of online marketing gurus making thousands of dollars just by sending out simple emails with the click of a button.If you are like me, you are intrigued and want to learn exactly how these gurus make more money with a few minutes work, then most people bring home after working for an entire month!To me it just didn't seem fair. Under The Leaded Sky in Serbia by dr Mirjana Radovic When one population in one century survived five wars, two wars in just ten years, enforcment by self a question it`s the war destiny of Serbian people or his dare. With what a Serbian people has merit this - with his frankness, levity, with collective and national damnation or just with that fact which they are living in the territories which from its geopolitical consideration always were interesting orbit of much other populations. 7 Book Publicity Tips for Authors and Small Publishers The biggest mistake authors make when trying to get free publicity is pitching either themselves or their books.Don't pitch authors! Pitch issues. Mama Dont Allow No Fighting in Your Writing When you sit down to write a steamy romance, a spine-tingling horror story, or an action-packed adventure, lock the door. The last thing you need is your mother, father, coach, English teacher or pastor reading over your shoulder and giving you advice. Leveraging Your Writing A frequent conversation I have with my writing clients is how to best utilize their writing to gain more exposure and to create more income. If there is one thing that will accomplish both of these objectives, it's learning how to leverage your writing. How To Build A Successful Freelance Editorial Career In the current job market, many editorial freelancers have turned to freelance work as a matter of survival. I receive many queries from applicants regarding this part of the market. Retail Margin, Trade Discount, and What it Means for the Author DEFINITIONSRetail margin is basically the difference between your book's wholesale price and your book's retail price. For example, a book with a cover price of $10 and a wholesale price of $5 has a 50% retail margin. Writing Help Whether you are working for a small business, large corporation, or are a student, there are numerous sources that you can turn to for help with writing. Businesses need to be able to effectively communicate with their customers, their employees and their potential customers. Another Way to Show Your Expertise: Write a Book! Maybe you should write a book! This is not as difficult as it sounds. You're already an expert in a field by virtue of your work experience and/or academic credentials. 8 Ways to Improve Your Writing Immediately Is it possible to improve your writing instantly? The answer, happily, is "yes."While researching a book on famous speeches and essays, I found eight easily correctable mistakes writers often make. Finish Your Book Already! I owe the completion and success of my book to a big cardboard box that saw me through the entire process. I found this box and filled it with any and all information I could find on my topic 'advanced presentation skills for speakers and business presenters. Writer School? Here's something from my mailbag. "Dear Michael, do you need to do good in school if you want to be a writer? I stink at school and all my friends laugh at me when I tell them I want to write, but I'm serious. How Can You Find Freelance Work As A Writer? For those looking at the jobs listings for writers, they may find themselves feeling left out. There are simply not enough employment options available.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
