Writing Basics - Unit 6
Unit 6 - The Multi-Paragraph Essay
KPC TAACCCT Grant
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This project has been funded by the US Department of Labor, TAACCCT (Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career) program, and 100% of the total cost of the online College Readiness Resources has been funded by federal money out of a $2.5 million TAACCCT Department of Labor project. However, these materials do not necessarily represent policy of the Department of Labor or endorsement by the Federal Government.
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The TAACCCT grant is an equal opportunity program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. This grant has been conducted in partnership with the UAA Community and Technical College and the Architectural and Engineering Technician program. |
The Writing Basics course material is the product of efforts by a talented and collaborative team of higher education professionals. The list below acknowledges contributions from the following:
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This list represents those whose contributions are integrally embedded in the design of the course. Specific and unique credits are provided throughout the course for individual art and media resources.
The faculty and staff of Kenai Peninsula College also wish to acknowledge the learners who will be engaging with the course content.
You will be able to identify the building blocks for multi-paragraph development and to build multi-paragraph compositions. |
We will begin by discussing the purpose for multi-paragraph compositions and then take an in-depth look at how to build them. We will examine the general components of a multi-paragraph composition and discuss how to write them well. We will also discuss common terms for the various components within a standard academic essay, like introduction, body, and conclusion. All the while, we will draw on the concept of rhetorical modes to build ideas and support into your compositions.
Work your way through the following three modules. Consisting of content, practice, and review, each module will answer a series of three questions:
1. What is an essay?
2. Why do essays matter?
3. How do essays work?
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Click here to begin your exploration of Module 1: Essay Structure.
In this module, students will examine the general format of a multi-paragraph composition.
You will be able to examine the general format of a multi-paragraph composition and identify four main components: the title, the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.
To understand the structure of an essay, we will be covering three areas of exploration, highlighted in the slide show below:
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Click on the link below to begin slide show on Essay Structure. |
Click here to begin slide show.
Introduction Body Conclusion Thesis Topic Sentence |
Mouseover each term to see the definition. |
Click here to learn more about Essay Structure.
Please watch the following video which gives an overview of essays and may answer some of your questions about essay structure.
Please watch this video presentation by S2S Community.
Whether you are sitting down to your computer to write an email to a friend, an essay for a history class, or a report for an incident on an oil platform, chances are you'll be writing more than one paragraph. When we speak of weaving together ideas in a single document, usually in a cohesive form, we are discussing multi-paragraph compositions.
Multi-paragraph compositions of all forms share a structure: they begin, they are developed, and they end. In a more formal structure, we call this an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. In different contexts, these elements may look very different.
Consider the following example contexts:
You are writing a short email to your best friend explaining the date you had the previous night. Though the message may be short, you orient your friend to the context or situation: information he or she may not have. You might explain with whom you went or where you went. You may indicate, even in the opening, if this had been a good experience.
Then you explain what took place. Finally, you end the email is some way, perhaps concluding your thoughts or perhaps leaving room for more conversation. Still, you conclude writing for that period of time. Then you hit "send."
You were tasked with summarizing your thoughts on a historical novel for a history class. After reading the texts and taking notes, you begin to write. First, you indicate the name of the text you read and necessary background information. You might even include your preliminary thoughts on the text. Then, in several paragraphs, you explain two or three points you found particularly interesting. You conclude by giving your overall analysis of the text and by summing up your thoughts.
You were on the scene when a small incident took place on an oil platform. You are asked by your supervisor to fill out an incident report and summarize what happened. You first explain the situation and then, in several paragraphs, you give the details of what unfolded. You are not required to give your opinion, so you conclude the report with the final details of what occurred.
In each of the above contexts, the purpose of your writing is to communicate effectively. The purpose of a multi-paragraph composition is to discuss a subject in more depth than can be covered in one paragraph. Within this writing, you may have a goal to share a story, provide information, or persuade someone of your opinion, but in any case this must be communicated clearly and effectively.
Multi-paragraph compositions are made up of the building blocks we discussed in the prior unit: paragraphs. In a multi-paragraph composition, like an essay, email, or report, your task is to develop effective paragraphs that are linked together as a cohesive whole.
Readers often look for essay structure when reading. They expect information at the opening that orients them to the topic and focus at hand.
They expect those ideas to be fully developed with supporting details.
They also want a summation at the end of the text.
Think about your own reading. If you are skimming an article, you may be looking for key ideas in the opening, topic sentences, or headings that outline the structure, and a brief synopsis in the close. Readers often look in specific places for these items, so following this structure can be very helpful. The structure of the essay helps guide the reader and gives internal cues. This is essential to make your writing communicate effectively.
Click here to begin the lesson on Essay Structure.
To discuss the structure of an essay, we will discuss four major components: the title; the introduction and thesis; the body paragraphs and topic sentences; and the conclusion.
The construction of an essay is like the construction of a paragraph, discussed in Unit 4. Remember the image of the hamburger?
To create this sandwich, you need a recipe (outline), the top bun (topic sentence), the hamburger and condiments (supporting sentences), and the bottom bun (conclusion). A tasty sandwich depends on having all of the ingredients in the correct order.
Let's consider the way you create a paragraph:
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In an essay, we have much the same process:
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In creating a paragraph, we have this process: a topic sentence guides the focus of the paragraph; the supporting sentences develop the idea fully; and the conclusion ties it all together. In an essay, a thesis serves much the same role as the topic sentence in a paragraph. It is your guiding idea, your point, or your direction. You need to prove this statement throughout the course of the essay itself. You will be using supporting paragraphs to flesh out the essay. Then you will tie it all together with your final paragraph -- the conclusion.
In a traditional academic essay, the paragraphs serve specific roles. We will use the five-paragraph essay as a model for how this works:
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Paragraph 1: Introduction paragraph (often includes a thesis statement) |
Paragraph 2: Body paragraph (the topic sentence in the supporting point of the thesis) |
Paragraph 3: Body paragraph (another topic sentence in the supporting point of the thesis) |
Paragraph 4: Body paragraph (another topic sentence is the supporting point of the thesis)
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Paragraph 5: Conclusion
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Here is an example of a five-paragraph essay. (Use the controls within the frame to scroll through the essay, increase/decrease the font size, or even print out a copy.)
In academic contexts this structure is often the same, though the "pattern" shifts: your introduction may be more than one paragraph, and your thesis may come after the first paragraph, even toward the end of the essay in some disciplines; each supporting idea or topic may govern more than one paragraph; your conclusion will sum up the writing, may capture research findings, or may pose more questions. Nonetheless, essays have an introduction, body sections, and a conclusion. This concept rarely changes.
Even in other forms of academic writing, such as technical reports, there is a short opening, maybe only a sentence; headings and support details; and a concluding statement. There are fairly clear beginnings, middles, and ends.
Let's look at what is traditionally involved in each of these components:
A title connects with the content of the essay and presents an idea that will capture the audience's interest. A title may be very straightforward, in the case of titles for scientific papers, or more clever or subtle, as is the case with narrative essays or creative writing.
This paragraph or section usually contains three key components:
1. An attention-getting hook
2. Background information
3. A thesis
The Attention-Getting Hook
First, you need a statement in the opening that gets the reader's attention. This should open the essay and be clearly related to content, designed to grab the reader's interest. Sometimes this is a statistic, or a probing question, or a controversial statement.
Background Information
This attention-getting hook is followed by information that helps the reader understand the background or context for the essay.
Finally, the thesis statement sets the direction of the essay by providing the point on which you will inform or argue. It is clear and focused. If the thesis is not focused and specific, the essay itself will often lack structure or internal continuity.
A good thesis statement presents the central idea of your writing. It may suggest a dominant impression you have of the subject or it may present your interpretation of something. It may present an opinion or a particular point of analysis. In any case, the thesis should limit the focus of the essay, state your perspective, and give direction. The thesis does not need to list the details of your points; rather, it provides guidelines and/or an overview.
Your first draft of your thesis statement probably won't be your last. You may revise it after you are done writing your paper to make sure it matches the content and is accurately focused.
Some common advice in writing a thesis, your paper, and the conclusion is as follows:
However, this is not necessarily "an exact science." You want to preview but not sound repetitive as you weave all components together: the intro and thesis, the body, and the conclusion. Let's examine some common "pitfalls" in writing a thesis statement.
COMMON THESIS PITFALLS |
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Original Thesis |
Revised Thesis |
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Too Broad |
Focused |
Schools in the United States should consider how much sugar they serve in their lunches. |
Elementary schools in rural Alaska should reduce the amount of sugar they serve in their hot lunches. |
Not Arguable |
Arguable |
Elementary, middle, and high schools serve a hot lunch to their students. |
High schools should serve an affordable hot lunch that consists of whole wheat, one fruit, and at least two vegetable options. |
Not Clear |
Clear & Direct |
Too many students eat lunches at schools that should be better. |
Schools in rural Alaska should provide students with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options for their lunches. |
The body of the essay should support the thesis, making points that "back up" what you are claiming. Each section should be cohesive and fully developed, according to the principles we learned for writing solid paragraphs. You can draw on rhetorical modes, such as narration or persuasion, to develop content in these paragraphs.
The concluding paragraph should help "close" the essay. It should sum up the main points of what has been discussed and revisit your thesis statement, though not usually word for word.
Now let's take another look at that five-paragraph essay from above and examine it more closely for the essay components we have just discussed.
Use the controls within the frame to scroll through the essay,
increase/decrease the font size, or even print out a copy.
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Let's check your understanding of the use of structure in an essay. |
Open/Close Self Check Activity
Click here to go to the review section for Module 1: The Structure of an Essay.
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Key Takeaways |
There are three basic components in an essay structure:
1. The introduction
2. The body
3. The conclusion.
Although this structure seems simple, it governs the flow of the essay. It can be applied to a simple five-paragraph essay or a whole chapter of a textbook. The expectations will be the same.
Read the five-paragraph essay below: Waiting for "Super Bowl". Use the controls within the frame to scroll through the essay, increase/decrease the font size, or even print out a copy. Then do the matching activity below and match up the essay structure parts to the corresponding numbered areas within the essay.
Essay Structure Matching Activity
Did I Get This? |
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Click on the "Essay Structure Review Quiz" wording to check your knowledge of essay structure. |
Open/Close Essay Structure Review Quiz
Level 2 Quiz: Essay Structure |
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If you scored 90 points or above on the "Essay Structure Review Quiz", you might like to see how you do on this "Advanced Essay Structure Quiz". Click on the "Level 2 Quiz" wording below to begin. |
Open/Close Level 2 Essay Structure Quiz
If you scored less than 90 points on the "Did I Get This" quiz above, please click here and review this module again before continuing on to Module 2.
If you have scored 90 points or above on the "Did I Get This" quiz, Congratulations!! You are now ready to continue on to Module 2.
Continue here to continue on to Module 2: Essay Content.
In this module, we will discuss three purposes for an essay and identify methods for generating content.
You will be able to identify means for generating content through assessing audience, purpose, and context.
To understand essay content, we will be covering three areas of exploration, highlighted in the slide show below:
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Click on the link below to begin slide show on Essay Content.
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Click here to begin slide show.
Purpose Audience Context Rhetorical Modes |
Mouseover each term to see the definition. |
Click here to learn more about Essay Content.
This video by Emily Hunter describes four types of essay content.
In Unit One, Module Three, we discussed writing in academic contexts. The form of your multi-paragraph composition will depend on its purpose and audience expectations. You will want to examine the expected genre and style for your work. As you develop content you'll also want to consider what the audience knows, their perspective on your topic, and what knowledge you have that needs to be conveyed.
The content generation will occur through your planning process and even into drafting the essay. As you re-read and re-write, you'll find places where you want to expand what you've said, clarify something for the audience, include more information, and argue your point with more evidence. All these considerations for content will be driven by purpose, audience, and context.
Your content can be developed through brainstorming, planning, research, and using rhetorical modes.
Remember, your content is the substance of your essay. You may understand the form, but you need to develop and connect your ideas fully to make your writing work.
Click here to begin the lesson on Essay Content.
Your purpose for writing will generally fall in one of three categories:
We often call these categories narrative, informative, and persuasive writing.
Consider the following three discussions of the same topic, "Hot" Bikram Yoga:
(Use the controls within the frame to scroll through the essay, to increase/decrease the font size, or even print out a copy.)
Narrative:
Informative:
Persuasive:
Do you see the difference in focus for each of the above selections?
1. The first (narrative) takes you into the author's experience, relating a story or narrative.
2. The second (informative) informs you of a process.
3. The third (persuasive) argues a particular point.
Depending on your purpose, you may structure your essays differently. In addition to defining the general purpose, you will want to identify your specific objective(s) in writing. What should the audience learn or believe after reading your essay? What is your specific goal?
As you brainstorm or outline your essay, consider the points you'll be making. This outline of general points may help you reach your goal.
Consider the following outline on an essay related to the Bowl Championship System (BCS). (Remember that five-paragraph essay from the review area in Module 1?):
I. Thesis: The Bowl Championship System (BCS) should be changed to more closely resemble the National Football League's (NFL) playoff system.
A. The Problems with the Subjectivity of Polling
B. The Distracting Nature of a Profit-Driven Bowl System
C. Increased Engagement (and Spending) Among Fans
Do you see how the points in a short outline may help achieve a specific goal, as stated in the thesis? You can use your paragraphs and even specific rhetorical modes to help build these points.
Once you've defined your purpose, you'll want to consider your audience.
These questions and others you may generate will help you effectively analyze your audience and then decide what you should include in your essay to communicate effectively.
Everything you'll write occurs within a specific context: the time in which you are writing your point. In order to do so effectively, you'll need to consider what has been said before and what perspectives exist on your topic. How much is known about this subject? What are the issues?
Think about yourself as entering an ongoing conversation. It is important to listen first and then share your perspective. Whether you are telling a story to entertain, presenting information, or arguing a side, other "conversations" have been ongoing. Consider what has been said and how what you will have to say fits into the conversation. This helps make your writing effective.
Another factor in "context" is where and how you'll be delivering the information. Writing a speech you'll deliver orally to a classroom looks much different than a ten-page paper you'll write for a history class. Writing a standard paper document may look much different than an interactive web essay you want to post online. Even a multi-paragraph composition posted as a blog will "unfold" according to issues of context: what has been said before and what is expected in this format.
If you can organize your thoughts according to purpose, audience, and context, you'll be on your way to developing an essay that is organized effectively.
Organizing content according to rhetorical modes is one way to develop specific content. For example, if you are conveying a dominant impression of the town in which you grew up, you will need to use vivid details to capture it. This mode is called description. If you are trying to convey an epiphany you had because of a life-changing circumstance, you might draw heavily on narration. Chances are you'll need to blend these modes in either of these topics noted above.
Here are some of the most common rhetorical modes used in academic writing:
Self Check Area |
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Use this short practice to see how well you understand developing content in your essay. |
Open/Close Self Check Quiz
Click here to go to the review section for Module 2: Essay Content.
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Key Takeaways |
Content in your essay is driven by three things:
1. Purpose
2. Audience
3. Context
Examining purpose, audience, and context will help you as you generate content for an essay. You need to clearly know your reason for writing; what you need to include in order to entertain, inform or persuade your audience; and how and when you'll be delivering the information. You can use rhetorical modes to help develop much of this content in an organized, effective fashion.
Did I Get This? |
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Click on the "Essay Content Review Quiz" wording to check your knowledge of essay structure. |
Open/Close Essay Content Review Quiz
Level 2 Quiz: Essay Content |
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If you scored 90 points or above on the "Essay Content Review Quiz", you might like to see how you do on this "Advanced Essay Content Quiz". Click on the "Level 2 Quiz" wording below to begin. |
Open/Close Level 2 Essay Content Quiz
If you scored less than 90 points on the "Did I Get This" quiz above, please click here and review this module again before continuing on to Module 3.
If you have scored 90 points or above on the "Did I Get This" quiz, Congratulations!! You are now ready to continue on to Module 3.
Continue here to continue on to Module 3: Transitions in an Essay.
In this module, we will examine transitions in an essay.
You will learn how to create effective transitions in an essay.
To understand transitions in an essay, we will be covering three areas of exploration, highlighted in the slide show below:
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Click on the link below to begin slide show on Essay Transitions. |
Click here to begin slide show.
Transitions Implied Continuity Transition Paragraphs |
Mouseover each term to see the definition.
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Click here to learn more about Transitions in an Essay.
When we are speaking, we often naturally make transitions that allow the listener to know we are changing topics or focus. We give cues that alert the listener to a change in subject. When we don't, a friend might ask us, "What are you talking about?" or "How did you get that thought?" Then we have to explain how the idea developed.
To get a better idea of some ways transitions are used, please watch this Prezi.
To begin, click on the arrow in the center of the screen; then use the arrows at the bottom of the presentation to advance to the next view, or return to a previous view. By clicking the screen in the bottom right hand corner, you can view the presentation in a full-screen mode. If viewing in full-screen mode, you must click on the escape (ESC) button on your keyboard at the end of the presentation to return to this page. |
In this module, we will consider several types of transitions:
In writing multi-paragraph compositions, make intentional links or transitions as you develop your points and ideas. These transitions provide a flow for the essay and give the reader direction, a compass of sorts.
Click here to begin the lesson on Transitions in an Essay.
Often the topic sentences for each paragraph are constructed in such a way that they naturally help the essay "unfold" as you go. Topic sentences may be used to enumerate points in a persuasive paper.
Thesis
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) should be changed to more closely resemble the National Football League's (NFL) playoff system.
First Paragraph (Topic Sentence #1):
One major problem with the BCS system for ranking collegiate football teams is the subjectivity of the polling process.
Second Paragraph (Topic Sentence #2):
The BCS system should be changed to more closely resemble the NFL's playoffs so that the corporate drive for profits from the college bowl games will not distract from the football game itself.
Third Paragraph (Topic Sentence #3):
If the BCS were to change its approach, fans will be more likely to stay engaged and spend more money, from the start to the end of a series of playoff matches.
The topic sentences create a natural, internal order in the paper as ideas are developed. These topic sentences can go anywhere in the individual paragraphs, but they tend to go at the start to give the reader a clue on how to connect the ideas.
One of the easiest ways to transition between paragraphs is to link the last line of the prior paragraph to the first line of the following paragraph:
Consider these two paragraphs, and look at the way the last sentence in the first paragraph links with the first sentence in the second paragraph.
Both the legal and illegal use of prescription drugs in the United States is on the rise while the companies that profit from their use are making more and more money. Although medical doctors take the Hippocratic Oath which forbids them to do no harm, this vow can be hard to uphold under the pressure by patients to prescribe them a drug that a commercial has convinced them they need to take. Most countries have recognized the problematic nature of commercials that advertise prescription drugs; in fact, the United States stands only with New Zealand in allowing these commercials. As one of only two countries that permit the direct advertisement of prescription drugs to consumers (DTC), the United States should consider banning these false and misleading advertisements.
A primary reasonwhy the United States should consider a ban is because direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs persuades would-be patients into pressuring their doctors for prescriptions they do not really need. Imagine the following commercial: a one-dimensional cut-out doll is walking through her overwhelming, busy cut-out life. Her facial expression is one of despondency and insecurity. Her every move seems controlled by forces outside of herself. She takes the drug being advertised, and suddenly color is literally painted into her existence. Where she once trudged through life, she now dances. She is the picture of complete control. While the images of the ad purport to represent the condition of bi-polar depression, they actually represent feelings many people may feel for brief or extended periods of life. Although prescription drugs certainly play an important role in the recovery of many medically diagnosed cases of depression, their advertisements target too broad an audience. The misleading nature of these advertisements might give an otherwise mentally-sound individual who is having a bad day (or month) the idea that he or she needs a prescription for a very powerful drug.
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Let's go back to the example above and take a look at some of the transition words in these two paragraphs. Remember that transitional words keep the ideas moving and demonstrate how ideas connect. Mouseover the turquoise highlighted transitional words to read about their function.
For your future use, you can find a document with a comprehensive list of transitional words and phrases in the right side bar.
Sometimes a line or two is just not enough to bridge the gap between ideas, and it may take a whole transitional paragraph to make the move effective. The purpose of the transitional paragraph is not to provide new information or a new point, but rather to connect ideas and concepts. Transitional paragraphs may be needed in lengthy papers where using a simple topic sentence transition does not make the connection needed for the audience's understanding.
Consider our example paragraphs again, but with a middle transitional paragraph added. Take a look at this middle paragraph and its role within the two surrounding paragraphs. Mouseover the middle transitional paragraph to read about its function.
Both the legal and illegal use of prescription drugs in the United States is on the rise while the companies that profit from their use are making more and more money. Although medical doctors take the Hippocratic Oath which forbids them to do no harm, this vow can be hard to uphold under the pressure by patients to prescribe them a drug that a commercial has convinced them they need to take. Most countries have recognized the problematic nature of commercials that advertise prescription drugs; in fact, the United States stands only with New Zealand in allowing these commercials. As one of only two countries that permit the direct advertisement of prescription drugs to consumers (DTC), the United States should consider banning these false and misleading advertisements.
While arguing for an outright ban may seem extremist and unnecessary, there is perhaps no better reason for a country's governing body to make a change than for the safety and protection of its citizens. Three main reasons for a ban support the notion that, when the rights of a few suppress the rights of the many, it is the government's job to intervene. The following reasons explain why the advertising of highly powerful, highly addictive prescription drugs is beyond regulation, and anything less than a ban endangers the physical and mental health of the United States' citizenry.
Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs persuades would-be patients into pressuring their doctors for prescriptions they do not really need. Imagine the following commercial: a one-dimensional cut-out doll is walking through her overwhelming, busy cut-out life. Her facial expression is one of despondency and insecurity. Her every move seems controlled by forces outside of herself. She takes the drug being advertised, and suddenly color is literally painted into her existence. Where she once trudged through life, she now dances. She is the picture of complete control. While the images of the ad purport to represent the condition of bi-polar depression, they actually represent feelings many people may feel for brief or extended periods of life. Although prescription drugs certainly play an important role in the recovery of many medically diagnosed cases of depression, their advertisements target too broad an audience. The misleading nature of these advertisements might give an otherwise mentally-sound individual who is having a bad day (or month) the idea that he or she needs a prescription for a very powerful drug.
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Finally, don't forget those sentence-level transitions that help make connections for readers. Words like "although," "however," and "in addition" let the reader know that you are building on prior ideas. These words help signal continuity in a multi-paragraph composition as well.
Sometimes transitions are implied and not overt. There may not be a transitional phrase, or word repetition, but it happens on an intuitive level. Implied transitions can show how ideas are related logically or sequentially. Without using transitional words overtly, implied transitions show cause-and-effect or chronology through the content alone.
Excerpt from Memoirs of the Private Life, Return, and Reign of Napoleon in 1815, Vol. I by Pierre Antoine Edouard Fleury de Chaboulon (Copyright expired).
As long as good fortune waited upon Napoleon, his most ambitious attempts commanded the applause of the nation. We boasted of his profound political wisdom, we extolled his genius, we worshiped his courage. When his fortune changed, then his political wisdom was called treachery, his genius, ambition, and his courage, fool-hardiness and infatuation.
Napoleon was not to be depressed by ingratitude or misfortune. He re-assembled the feeble fragments of his armies, and proclaimed aloud that he would conquer or die at the head of his soldiery. This resolution only produced a momentary impression. The French, who so lately believed that the happiness and salvation of France depended only upon the life of Napoleon, now coolly considered that his death, the fate which he was prepared to encounter, afforded the only means of putting an end to the calamities of war, for peace otherwise appeared unattainable. |
To understand the implied transition, look at the last sentence of the first paragraph in the above example. This sentence explains the role "fortune," or fate, played in the life of Napoleon. The last sentence says that everything that once appeared to be an advantage for Napoleon was suddenly despised when his successes diminished.
There is no transition word like "next" or "second," but the first sentence of the second paragraph explains Napoleon's reaction to his change of fortune. If the first sentence was a direct transition, it might say, "Napoleon reacted to the public's new perception of him in many ways." Instead, the first sentence states his reaction, and the connection between the two paragraphs is implied.
Self Check Area |
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It's time to see if you can match some transitional words with their usage. |
Click here to go to the review section for Module 3: Transitions in an Essay.
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Key Takeaways |
There are six ways we use transitions in an essay:
1. Topic Sentence Transitions
2. Beginning and Ending Sentence Transitions
3. Transitional Words Within Paragraphs
4. Transitional Paragraphs
5. Sentence-Level Transitions
6. Implied Transitions
Without transitions your reader may get lost in the writing. They may not be able to follow the logic in how the points were constructed, or how they build on one another. Transitions create a flow in the paper that keep the reader both interested and informed. Though a small part of the essay, transitions are vitally important to an essay's success. They may make the difference in whether or not your ideas are communicated effectively.
Did I Get This? |
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Open/Close Transitions in an Essay Review Quiz.
Level 2 Quiz: Advanced Essay Transitions Quiz |
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If you scored 90 points or above on the "Transitions in an Essay Review Quiz", you might like to see how you do on this "Advanced Essay Transitions Quiz". Click on the "Level 2 Quiz" wording below to begin. |
Open/Close Level 2 Essay Transitions Quiz
Level 3 Quiz: Placement Test Practice Quiz |
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This final quiz is for those of you interested in the Accuplacer test. It contains questions you might encounter on college-level placement exams. Click on the "Level 3 Quiz" wording below to begin. |
Open/Close Level 3 Quiz
If you scored less than 90 points on the "Did I Get This" quiz above, please click here and review this module again before continuing on to the next unit.
If you have scored 90 points or aboveon the "Did I Get This" quiz, Congratulations!! You are now ready to continue on to Unit 7.
Understanding the components of essay structure and how to build content are important steps in the drafting process. However, when you have a first draft, it needs to be revised and edited. You'll need to go back and link those critical questions:
What was the point of the story?
Did I include effective details?
What did I want to argue?
Did I make the point clearly?
What did I want to explain?
What steps or processes are missing?
Did I communicate effectively?
What is missing?
What should be included?
Analyzing your own work will help you improve your writing. Then you'll want to address all those little errors that also get in the way of comprehension: grammar, spelling, and typos.
In Unit Seven, we'll discuss the steps involved in revising an essay.
Before continuing on in this course, please complete a survey on the Writing Basics Unit you have just completed. Click on the following link to be taken to the survey. The survey will open in a new window.
Writing Basics Unit 6 Survey
Once you have completed the survey and submitted your answers, you will be redirected back to the KPC College Readiness Resources page. You will then need to click on the Writing Basics course listing in the left or right navigation bar to continue on to the next unit. |