SENTENCE & PARAGRAPH TRANSITIONS BARRY SHANLEY JR.

WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH? A collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic.

TOPIC SENTENCE Indicate in a general way what the paragraph is about. No set rules for its placement, but for inexperienced writers, put near the beginning. Every sentence must develop topic sentence. ADEQUATE DEVELOPMENT Discuss topic fully and adequately. If only two or three sentences, probably not developed enough. 100-200 words; 4-10 sentences

TO BE EFFECTIVE Unity Coherence A Topic Sentence Adequate Development Overlap all of the above. Adapt them to your individual paper.

UNITY A Single Focus (All the details serve the topic sentence in a unified way.)

Not Unified Doing housework is hard. I have to get up early to get it all done, and my house is still too big. I feel very lucky being able to afford my house, as the economy is not good and the land value in my neighborhood has gone up since I moved in.

Unified Living in the city is a fascinating experience. There are various types of people, each offering different viewpoints. Also, there are many things to see and do, and everything offers a lesson of some kind. I have lived in a city my whole life and continue to find it fascinating.

COHERENCE Easily understandable. Create word bridges, carrying topic from sentence to sentence.

WORD BRIDGES Key words repeated in several sentences Pronouns refer to nouns in previous sentences Transition words link ideas from different sentences

WORD BRIDGES (cont’d) Hurricanes can be devastating to a community. They can destroy homes and rip up land. People can lose loved ones and sometimes never find them. Some may suffer long-term injuries, and others may never recover. However, there are those who are able to survive, so hurricanes don’t triumph over their stamina, and are not able to be completely devastating.

TRANSITIONAL DEVICES (cont’d) Make sure the transition words you use have a logical relationship with what comes before them.

TRANSITIONAL DEVICES To Add: Again; besides; further; lastly; moreover; To Compare: Whereas; yet; on the other hand; however; nevertheless; To Repeat: In brief; as noted; To Give Example: To demonstrate; for example; to illustrate; on this occasion; To Conclude: on the whole; summing up; in conclusion; as shown; hence; therefore; accordingly; thus; as a result; consequently;

CONCLUDING SENTENCE Tie it all up Return from examples to main point Do not leave readers hanging Use your own words

DEVELOPMENT METHODS Use examples and illustrations Cite data (facts, statistics, evidence, details, etc.) Examine testimony (quotes, paraphrases) Use an anecdote or a story Define terms Compare and contrast Evaluate causes and reasons Examine effects and consequences Analyze the topic

Is It An Effective Paragraph? Topic sentence? Adequate development? Unity: Cover one main idea? Coherence: Clear sentence transitions?

Example Paragraph (2) When I was a child, life was better. (3) In the first place, everything was new and exciting. (8) There was an innocence to everything because of that, and I was able to have more fun. (6) Furthermore, all of my friends were experiencing things in the same way, so I could share it with all of them. (1) Also, we had few responsibilities, so there was a sense of freedom that no longer exists. (5) Indeed, as an adult one feels a lot less freedom. (7) Finally, as a child there seem to be a lot more opportunities for the future, with a lot more time to dream. (4) As a result of all of this, life was better when I was a child.