The little red writing book - Brandon Royal 2007
Use transition words
Structure
Principle #3: Use transition words to signal the flow of your writing.
“Transition” words, such as "but" and "however," have been called the traffic lights of language. They serve one of four primary purposes: to show contrast, illustration, continuation, or conclusion. On the next page, you will see transition words highlighted in two sample paragraphs. Words of illustration include "first," "second," "for instance," and "for example." "So" signals conclusion. "However" signals contrast. "Moreover" signals continuation.
Transition words appear underlined in the following examples.
EXAMPLE 1
Time management involves thinking in terms of effectiveness first and efficiency second. Whereas efficiency is concerned with doing a task in the fastest possible manner, effectiveness is concerned with spending time doing the “right” things. Effectiveness is therefore a broader, more useful concept, which questions whether we should even do a particular task.
EXAMPLE 2
The process of evolution takes two distinct forms: organic and exosomatic. In the first, which is commonly called Darwinian evolution, a plant or animal develops a genetic mutation that may be either helpful or harmful. If the change is helpful, the organism is favored by the process of natural selection and flourishes; if it is harmful, the organism suffers and eventually dies out.
The whole of what we call human culture, on the other hand, is a result of exosomatic evolution. Such a change may be gradual, but it represents conscious choices that enable human beings to adapt to environments that would otherwise be inimical to their survival.
THE FOUR TYPES OF TRANSITION WORDS
EXERCISE
Read the sentences below, arranging them in a manner that makes the most sense in terms of logic and flow.
TOPIC: THE WHALE
1. When people think of ants, on the other hand, they tend to think of hardworking, underfed creatures, transporting objects twice their body size to and from hidden hideaways.
2. When most people think of whales, they think of sluggish, obese animals, frolicking freely in the ocean and eating tons of food to sustain themselves.
3. In fact, when we compare the proportionate food consumption of all living creatures, we find that the whale is one of the most food-efficient creatures on earth.
4. However, if we analyze food consumption based on body size, we find that ants eat their full body weight every day, while a whale eats the equivalent of only one-thousandth of its body weight each day.
5. The whale is the largest mammal in the animal kingdom.
THE SIMPLEST WRITING APPROACH
Here is a sure-fire way to write just about anything. It might not be the most exciting writing structure, but it is clear and it works.
Instructions
1. Take a stance.
2. Write your conclusion.
3. State “There are several reasons for this.”
4. Use transition words. Voilà.
EXAMPLE TOPIC: RENAISSANCE
