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Transitional Devices

Brought to you by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab

Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They encourage the reader to easily interpret ideas in the way that you, as a writer, want them to understand. Transitional devices help you carry over a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another with words or phrases.

There are several types of transitional devices, and each category leads your reader to make certain connections or assumptions about the two areas that you are connecting. Some lead your reader forward and imply the "building" of an idea or thought, while others make your reader compare ideas or draw conclusions from the preceding thoughts.

Here is a list of some common transitional devices that can be used to cue your reader in a given way.

By Addition

and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more

By Comparison

whereas, but, on the other hand, except, 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

By Proof

because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is

By Exception

yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes

By Emphasis

definitely, extremely, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation

By Sequence

first, second, third, and so forth. A, B, C, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon

By 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

By Summary or Conclusion

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

Adding Emphasis

 

I. VISUAL DEVICES FOR ACHIEVING EMPHASIS:

A. Perhaps the simplest way to call attention to an otherwise unemphatic word or phrase is to underline it.

Jones is the new committee chair.

B. Boldface or capital letters will also emphasize a word or phrase.

The picture which television commercials portray of the American home is FAR FROM REALISTIC.

II. PUNCTUATION MARKS FOR ACHIEVING EMPHASIS:

A. Some punctuation marks prompt the reader to give a word or sentence more than usual emphasis. For example, a command with a period does not evoke the same emphatic response as the same command with an exclamation mark.

Watch out!

B. Also, a dash or colon has more emphatic force than a comma.

The employees were surprised by the decision, no change in company policy.

The employees were surprised by the decision-- no change in company policy.

The employees were surprised by the decision: no change in company policy.

III. CHOICE AND ARRANGEMENT OF WORDS FOR ACHIEVING EMPHASIS

A. The bluntest way to emphasize something is by using words which openly tell the reader that the phrase or clause is important: especially, particularly, crucially, most importantly, or above all.

B. Emphasis by repetition of key words can be especially effective in a series.

See your good times come to color in minutes-- pictures protected by an elegant finish... pictures you can take with an instant flash... pictures that can be made into beautiful enlargements.

C. When a tightly structured pattern such as in the previous example is broken, the varied part will be emphasized.

Murtz Rent-a-car is first in delivery, first in customer service, and last in customer complaints.

D. Besides disrupting an expectation set-up by the context, you can also work emphasis into a sentence by departing from the basic structural patterns of the language.

  • The merchants protested the new taxes.
  • By changing this common sentence pattern, the writer can emphasize "merchants."
  • It was the merchants who protested the new taxes.

*REMEMBER THAT WITHIN THE COMMON subject-verb-object PATTERN CERTAIN POSITIONS ARE MORE EMPHATIC THAN OTHERS. SPECIFICALLY INITIAL AND TERMINAL POSITIONS ARE EMPHATIC, AND THEREFORE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS SHOULD BE PLACED IN THOSE SLOTS.

Consider the following examples:

  • No one can deny that the computer has had a great effect upon the business world.
  • In this example "No one can deny" and "on the business world" are the most emphatic elements. In this example the writer has unconsciously embedded the most important ideas in a subordinating clause--"that the computer has had a great effect."

Consider the revision:

  • Undeniably, the computer's effect upon the business world has been great.
  • This revision correctly places the most important ideas in the main clause and in the initial and terminal slots of the sentence.

IV. ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES FOR ACHIEVING EMPHASIS:

Since the terminal position in the sentence carries the most weight and since the main clause is more emphatic than a subordinate clause in a complex sentence, the writer should place the subordinate clause before the main clause to give maximal emphasis to the main clause.

Consider the following examples:

  • I believe both these applicants are superb, even though it's hard to find good secretaries nowadays.
  • Even though it's hard to find good secretaries nowadays, I believe both these applicants are superb.

V. SENTENCE POSITION AND VARIATION FOR ACHIEVING EMPHASIS:

A. An abrupt short sentence following a long sentence (or a sequence of long sentences) is often emphatic.

Compare the following two paragraphs:

1. For a long time, but not any more, Japanese corporations used Southeast Asia merely as a cheap source of raw materials, as a place to dump outdated equipment and overstocked merchandise, and as a training ground for junior executives who needed minor league experience.

2. For a long time Japanese corporations used Southeast Asia merely as a cheap source of raw materials, as a place to dump outdated equipment and overstocked merchandise, and as a training ground for junior executives who needed minor league experience. But the Japanese corporations no longer use Southeast Asia in this way.

The second version emphasizes an important idea by placing it in an independent clause and placing it at the end of the paragraph.

B. Varying a sentence by using a question after a series of statements is another way of achieving emphasis.

The increased number of joggers, the booming sales of exercise bicycles and other physical training devices, the record number of entrants in marathon races--all clearly indicate the growing belief among Americans that strenuous, prolonged exercise is good for their health. But is it?

Natural Coherence

Make a coherent short story out of as many sentences from the list as possible. Do not rewrite the sentences for this purpose, but rather put down number one (1) against the sentences which will be the first sentence of the story, number two (2) against the next sentence, etc. Do not change anything in the form of the sentences or add anything to them: simply make a short story using all the sentences you can.

An unpleasant thing happened to X.
X played football on Thursday.
X adores music.
X's purse fell down on the road.
X joined the line for the fruit-stall.
In X's purse there was a purse.
X cannot see well in the dark.
At home X realized that he had lost his money.
X graduated from the university in 1975.
X walked in the street and stumbled.

"Learned" Coherence

The high jangling note __1__ the triangle put the __2__ Jody in motion. He __3__ only a little boy. __4__ years old, with hair __5__ dusty yellow grass and __6__ shy polite grey eyes, __7__ with a mouth that __8__ when he thought. The __9__ picked him up out __10__ sleep. It didn't occur __11__ him to disobey the __12__ note.

Coherence and Meaning

I bought a Ford. The car in which President Wilson rode was black. Black English has been widely discussed. The discussions between the miners and management ended last week. A week has seven days. Every day I feed my cat.

What is Coherence?

  • making connections between items
  • making meaningful connections between sentences
  • patterning information

Devices to Achieve Coherence

  • repetition of a key word: Jody, note, hair
  • use of personal pronouns: him, he
  • use of synonyms: Jody/boy
  • use of pointers: this, that, these, those
  • use of sentence patters: Some people ask why. I ask why not. Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

Are These Paragraphs/Sentences Coherent?

The Gaza "Strip" was created by 1948 Arab-Israeli war. It was the only bit of Palestine that the Egyptian army could salvage after fighting ineffectively against the creation of the state of Israel.

In what order do the following sentences come?

  • The Egyptians subsequently used the region as a base for raids into Israel.
  • Those raids ceased after the 1956 war between Egypt and Israel, when Gamal Abdel Nasser agreed to the placement of a U.N. Emergency Force along the Gaza-Israeli border.

In what order do the following sentences come?

  • "Doctors know that the vast majority of lung disease is related to cigarette smoking," one full page ad stated.
  • The dust began to fly when the North Carolina Textile Manufacturers Association Inc. placed advertisements in the state's leading news- papers blaming tobacco for the majority of lung diseases.
  • "This raises real questions about the role of cotton dust as a causative factor."
  • The worst aviation accident in United States' history occurred May 25, 1979.
  • It resulted in air travelers' widespread fear of flying on the DC-10 aircraft.
  • On a clear, beautiful day, beginning the Memorial Day weekend, the American Airlines flight 109 pilot was given control tower clearance for takeoff.

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