4 mai 2010

linking words

Linking words and phrases

Sequence
First, firstly, second, secondly,
third, thirdly
next, last, finally
in addition, moreover
furthermore
also
In conclusion, to summarise

The first …
The/a second….
One…..
Another …..
An additional….
Addition
In addition
Furthermore
Also
and
as well as

Cause
For
because
since
as
because of
to cause

Effect
So
as a result
as a consequence
therefore
thus
consequently
hence
to result from
due to
as a result/consequence of
to result in
to affect
Emphasis
Undoubtedly
Indeed
Obviously
Generally
Admittedly
In theory/fact
Particularly
Especially
Clearly
Comparison
Similarly
Likewise
Also
Too
as
just as
and
like
just like
similar to
be similar to/ the same as
be alike
not only…but also
to compare to/with

Contrast
However
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
Still
Although, Even though,
though
but
yet
Despite , In spite of
In contrast, In comparison
While, whereas
On the other hand
On the contrary
But
Example
For example
For instance
That is
Such as
Including
Namely

Learning Links www.rmit.edu.au/studyandlearningcentre
Quick Tips/linking words February 2007 Learning Links www.rmit.edu.au/studyandlearningcentre
Quick Tips/linking words February 2007
Reporting words

These words are useful for integrating references into your writing.

Suggest(s) (that) Maintain(s) (that)
Argue(s) (that) Found (that)
According (to) Promote(s)
Outline(s) Establish(ed) (by)
Focus(es) on Asserts (that)
Define(s) Show(s)
Conclude(s) (that) Claim(s) (that)
State(s) Report(s)
Mention(s) Address(es)

Posté par belletrealenglis à 16:09 - Commentaires […] - Permalien [#]

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4 mai 2010

writing an essay tips for bac students

There are many ways to write an essay. However, the standard essay form follows the same basic patterns as discussed in this 'how to'.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 30 minutes

Here's How:

Select the topic of your essay.
Choose the central idea, or thesis, of your essay. For example: Information technology has revolutionized the way we work.
Outline your essay into introductory, body and summary paragraphs.
The introductory paragraph begins with an interesting sentence. For example: Home workers have grown from 150,000 to over 12 million in the past 5 years thanks to the wonders of the computer.
After this first sentence, add your thesis statement from above.
Use one sentence to introduce every body paragraph to follow. For example: The Internet has made this possible by extending the office into the home.
Finish the introductory paragraph with a short summary or goal statement. For example: Technological innovation has thus made the traditional workplace obsolete.
In each of the body paragraphs (usually two or three) the ideas first presented in the introductory paragraph are developed.
Develop your body paragraphs by giving detailed information and examples. For example: When the Internet was first introduced it was used primarily by scientists, now it is common in every classroom.
Body paragraphs should develop the central idea and finish with a summary of that idea. There should be at least two examples or facts in each body paragraph to support the central idea.
The summary paragraph summarizes your essay and is often a reverse of the introductory paragrah.
Begin the summary paragrah by quickly restating the principal ideas of your body paragraphs. For example: The Internet in the home, benefits and ease of use of modern computer systems...
The penultimate sentence should restate your basic thesis of the essay. For example: We have now passed from the industrial revolution to the information revolution.
Your final statement can be a future prediction based on what you have shown in the essay. For example: The next step: The complete disappearance of the workplace.

Tips:

Use strong verbs and avoid modals to state your opinion. It is better to write: The workplace has evolved than The workplace seems to have evolved
Do not apologize for what you are saying. An essay is about your opinion.
Do not translate from your mother tongue. It will quickly get you into trouble!

Posté par belletrealenglis à 16:06 - Commentaires […] - Permalien [#]

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4 mai 2010

writing tips

Writing

Developing Coherent Paragraphs

Paragraph structures provide a map for your ideas, guiding readers through your reasoning. Keep this simple set of principles in mind while you write, and use it as a checklist when you're revising

Use Topic Sentences

State the central idea of each paragraph explicitly in a topic sentence. That's one way to show that you have thought through your material.

In academic writing, the topic sentence nearly always works best at the beginning of a paragraph so that the reader knows what to expect. Don't count on your readers to guess what your paragraph is going to be about.

NOTE: The first and last paragraphs of an essay are exceptions to this rule. In both instances, readers already know you're leading up to something, and you can save the topic sentence to make a strong paragraph ending.

Expand on the Topic Sentences

The body of a paragraph develops and demonstrates what your topic sentences state. Here are some common patterns:

Explain more fully what you mean, giving definitions or indicating distinctions.
Offer details, examples, or relevant quotations (with your comments).
Follow through a logical sequence, showing the connections among your ideas in a recognizable pattern such as cause and effect or comparison and contrast.

(To see other strategies for developing paragraphs, follow this link to U of Ottawa's HyperGrammar. To learn more about topic sentences, see our file on Using Topic Sentences.)

Show Connections

Be sure your intended logic is clear. Often the simplest words do the most to pull together ideas. Pronouns such as it and they and this keep the focus on the ideas announced at the beginning of the paragraph—as long as they are clearly linked to specific nouns (see the

Purdue

University

file on pronoun reference). Deliberate repetition of key words also helps. This paragraph shows the interweaving of key nouns and pronouns to emphasize the point that Canadians share an interest in communication:

It's perhaps not surprising that Marshall McLuhan, the most influential communications expert of the twentieth century, was a Canadian. As a nation, we have been preoccupied with forging communication links among a sparse, widespread population. The old Canadian one-dollar bill, with its line of telephone poles receding to the distant horizon, illustrates this preoccupation. Year after year we strive to maintain a national radio and television broadcasting system in the face of foreign competition. We have been aggressive in entering the international high technology market with our telecommunications equipment.

(from Northey, Impact: A Guide to Business Communication.

Toronto

: Prentice-Hall, 1993, p. 3.)

Certain specialized linking words can also be powerful tools for pulling ideas together. But don't just sprinkle them into your sentences-- use them to support your logic. Here are some examples

To signal a reinforcement of ideas:

also	in other words	in addition
for example	moreover	more importantly

To signal a change in ideas:

but	on the other hand	however
instead	yet	in contrast
although	nevertheless	in spite of [something]

To signal a conclusion:

thus	therefore	accordingly
in conclusion	finally	so [informal]

Choose Appropriate Paragraph Length

A series of long paragraphs can make prose dense and unpleasant to read. Check any paragraph that is longer than a page to see if it would work better as two or more paragraphs. Break it at a logical place (e.g., where your focus shifts), and see whether you need to create new topic sentences to make the shift clear

Also look for paragraphs only two or three sentences long. They make academic writing seem disjointed or skimpy. Try combining a few short paragraphs into one, using a single topic sentence to hold them together.

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