Transitions / Connectors

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Transitions / Connectors
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Types of Sentences
Sentence
Simple Sentence
Complex Sentence
Compound Sentence
1 independent clause
2 or gt independent clauses
At least 1 independent clause with other
dependent clause(s)
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Identify the sentence types

• Politicians and scientists should work closely to
  solve environmental problems.
• The conservation of energy is an urgent matter.
• Engineers play an important role in society
  through technological advances which cover
  various fields such as healthcare, computing, and
  stem cell research.

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Answers
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Errors in Transitions

• Ambiguous or illogical connections between words,
  clauses, sentences or paragraphs
• Engineering is an important discipline, it is
  considered the engine of any economy. X
• (punctuation use of comma splice)
• To save the earth, we should not only focus on
  energy conservation and also renewable energy. X
• (wrong use of connector)

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Corrections

• v Engineering is an important discipline it is
  considered the engine of any economy.
• v To save the earth, we should not only focus on
  energy conservation but also consider renewable
  energy.

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Transitions

• Connect ideas e.g. similarities, differences,
  consequences and so on.
• Provide coherence
• within a sentence
• across sentences
• within a paragraph
• across paragraphs

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Types of Transitions / Connectors

• Join similar grammatical structures
• v Oil and water do not mix. (noun and noun)
• Link sentences and paragraphs
• v Bioengineering is an expanding field however,
  job opportunities may be limited.
• v Bioengineering is an expanding field. However,
  job opportunities may be limited.
• .

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Types of Transitions / Connectors

• Subordinators connect a dependent clause with at
  least one independent clause
• When accurate weather prediction tools are
  available, we should be able to anticipate the
  disasters and hopefully reduce the fatalities.

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Meaning of Connectors

• To add information
• To illustrate or give an example
• To show contrast
• To show concession
• To show similarity
• To show a result
• To provide a reason or cause
• To establish a time relationship or order
• To show a condition
• To explain or emphasize
• To give a choice or alternative

Reference Lane and Lange (1999) pp.170-175.
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To Add Information
Coordinating Conjunctions and
Coorrelative Conjunctions not onlybut
also bothand
Transitional Words and Phrases also besides moreov
er furthermore in addition additionally
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To Illustrate or Give an Example
Coordinating Conjunctions
Coorrelative Conjunctions
Transitional Words and Phrases for example for
instance such as to illustrate specifically in
particular
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To Show Contrast
Coordinating Conjunctions but
Coorrelative Conjunctions
Transitional Words and Phrases however in
contrast conversely on the contrary on the other
hand otherwise still instead
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To Show Concession
Coordinating Conjunctions yet
Coorrelative Conjunctions
Transitional Words and Phrases nevertheless even
so admittedly
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To Show a Similarity
Coordinating Conjunctions
Coorrelative Conjunctions
Transitional Words and Phrases likewise similarly
in the same way
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To Show a Result
Coordinating Conjunctions so
Coorrelative Conjunctions
Transitional Words and Phrases accordingly as a
consequence as a result consequently hence therefo
re thus
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To Provide a Reason or Cause
Coordinating Conjunctions for
Coorrelative Conjunctions
Transitional Words and Phrases
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To Establish a Time Relationship or Order
Coordinating Conjunctions
Coorrelative Conjunctions
Transitional Words and Phrases first/ly second/ly
afterwards finally in conclusion meanwhile previou
sly next subsequently
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To Show a Condition
Coordinating Conjunctions or
Coorrelative Conjunctions whetheror
Transitional Words and Phrases
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To Explain or Emphasize
Coordinating Conjunctions
Coorrelative Conjunctions
Transitional Words and Phrases in
fact namely that is actually in other words
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To Give a Choice or Alternative
Coordinating Conjunctions or
Coorrelative Conjunctions eitheror
Transitional Words and Phrases alternatively
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Punctuation Rules 1

• Coordinating Conjunctions.
• A comma before the conjunction is optional if
  the two independent clauses are short.
• v Having LASIK is an important decision and the
  patient should consider all factors carefully.
• v Having LASIK is an important decision, and the
  patient should consider all factors carefully.

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Punctuation Rules 2

• Correlative Conjunctions
• Only use a comma before the 2nd correlative
  conjunction for joining 2 clauses, not words or
  phrases.
• v Not only does LASIK treat common
  ophthalmic conditions like nearsightedness, it
  also treats farsightedness and astigmatism.
• v LASIK not only treats common ophthalmic
  conditions like nearsightedness but also
  farsightedness and astigmatism.

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Punctuation Rules 3

• Transitional words/phrases
• To join 2 independent clauses, use semicolon
  transitional signal comma
• Technological breakthroughs have been rapid in
  recent decades however, the public need to be
  educated on their use.

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Punctuation Rules 4

• Transitional words/phrases
• To introduce an independent clause
• full stop Transitional signal comma
• Technological breakthroughs have been rapid in
  recent decades. However, the public need to be
  educated on their use.

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Subordinators

• Appear before the dependent clause
• Have a comma at the end of the dependent clause
• Although academic studies are challenging,
  most students will persist in their efforts.

Reference Oshima and Hogue (2006) pp.292-299
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Subordinating Words for Adverb Clauses

• A subordinating conjunction is the first word in
  a dependent clause.

• Subordinators for Adverb Clauses of Time
• after before whenever
  
• as, just as since while
• as long as until
• as soon as when

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Subordinating Words for Adverb Clauses

• Subordinators for Adverb Clauses of Place
• where
• wherever
• anywhere
• everywhere

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Subordinating Words for Adverb Clauses

• Subordinators for Adverb Clauses of Manner
• as, just as
• as if
• as though

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Subordinating Words for Adverb Clauses

• Subordinators for Adverb Clauses of Distance
• as far as
• as close as
• Subordinators for Adverb Clauses of Frequency
• as often as

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Subordinating Words for Adverb Clauses

• Subordinators for Adverb Clauses of Reason
• as
• because
• since
• Subordinators for Adverb Clauses of Purpose
• so that
• in order that

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Subordinating Words for Adverb Clauses

• Subordinators for Adverb Clauses of Result
• sothat
• suchthat
• so few/many/little/muchthat
• Subordinators for Adverb Clauses of Condition
• if
• unless

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Subordinating Words for Adverb Clauses

• Subordinators for Adverb Clauses of Partial
  Contrast
• although
• even though
• though
• Subordinators for Adverb Clauses of Contrast
• while
• whereas

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Subordinating Words for Adjective Clauses

• To refer to people
• who,whom
• whose, that
• To refer to animals and things
• which, that
• whereas
• To refer to a time or place
• When, where

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Subordinating Words for Noun Clauses

• Used in That clauses
• Do you believe that there is life in outer space?
• Used in If/Whether clauses
• which, that
• whereas
• Used in wh- and how clauses
• When, where

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References

• Lane, A. and Lange, E. (1999). Writing Clearly
  An Editing Guide (2nd ed.). Boston Heinle and
  Heinle Publishers, 165-178.
• Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (2006). Writing Academic
  English (4th ed.). New York Pearson Education,
  292-299.
• Raimes, A. (2006). Grammar Troublespots A Guide
  for Student Writers (3rd ed.). New York
  Cambridge University Press, 9-17.