Transition & Coherence College English Yichun Liu

Why it’s important? Good transitions can connect paragraphs and turn disconnected writing into a unified whole. Instead of treating paragraphs as separate ideas, transitions can help readers understand how paragraphs work together, reference one another, and build to a larger point. The key to producing good transitions is highlighting connections between corresponding paragraphs.

How to do it? Picking up key phrases from the previous paragraph and highlighting them in the next can create an obvious progression for readers.

Example: Overall, Management Systems International has logged increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant rise in third-quarter profits. Another important thing to note is that the corporation had expanded its international influence. Revision: Overall, Management Systems International has logged increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant rise in third- quarter profits. These impressive profits are largely due to the corporation's expanded international influence.

Example: Fearing for the loss of Danish lands, Christian IV signed the Treaty of Lubeck, effectively ending the Danish phase of the 30 Years War. But then something else significant happened. The Swedish intervention began. Revision: Fearing for the loss of more Danish lands, Christian IV signed the Treaty of Lubeck, effectively ending the Danish phase of the 30 Years War. Shortly after Danish forces withdrew, the Swedish intervention began.

Coherence Coherence is the trait that makes the paragraph easily understandable to a reader. You can help create coherence in your paragraphs by creating logical bridges and verbal bridges

Unity The entire paragraph should concern itself with a single focus. Logical bridges The same idea of a topic is carried over from sentence to sentence Verbal bridges Key words can be repeated in several sentences Synonymous words can be repeated in several sentences Pronouns can refer to nouns in previous sentences Transition words can be used to link ideas from different sentences

Transitional devices Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are cues that help the reader to interpret ideas a paper develops. Transitional devices are words or phrases that help carry a thought from one sentence to another to link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.

To Add: and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.) To Compare: whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis a vis, but, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true

To Prove: because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is To Show Exception: yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes To Show Time: immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then

in brief, as I have said/noted, as has been noted To Repeat: in brief, as I have said/noted, as has been noted To Emphasize: definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation To Show Sequence: first, second, and so forth. A, B, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this time, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before this, hence, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore

To Give an Example: for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate To Summarize or Conclude: in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently, on the whole

*List of comparison conjunctions : Short Conjunctions Longer Expressions Similarly, Likewise, in the same way ...the same as... ...also... ..., too. both as…as similar to neither …nor In the same way, X is similar to Y in that (they)... X and Y are similar in that Like X, Y [verb]... In like manner, One way in which X is similar to Y is (that)... Another way in which X is similar to Y is (that)...  

Contrast Conjunctions Short Conjunctions Subordinating Conjunctions However, In contrast, By contrast, ..., but ..., yet 比較級 not the same as not as… as different from On the other hand, even though + [sentence] although + [sentence] whereas + [sentence] unlike + [sentence] while + [sentence] nevertheless,