Use of transitional elements |
So far, we have discussed how to write an essay and the various components of an essay. In this volume, we will focus on the importance of transitional words in a piece of writing.
What are transitional elements? What purpose do they serve in a piece of writing?
Transitional words and phrases help the readers to better understand what they are reading and serve as cues for them to follow the flow of ideas in the way you want them to. These words and phrases bind together sentences and paragraphs in a piece of writing, forming a cohesive whole out of the different parts.
These words and phrases indicate the relations between sentences as well as paragraphs. We will analyze a paragraph from the essay discussed in the previous volumes to see how transitional phrases have helped in making it more cohesive.
Take the conclusion, for example: |
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As is increasingly becoming evident1, television is proving to be more harmful than beneficial. Unless alternative means of amusement are readily available2, people will resort to watching television. Increasing the number of parks and playgrounds in urban areas is one possible measure that can be taken to see that children get an opportunity to play outdoors. This3 will automatically take care of health issues arising out of a sedentary lifestyle. Changing the content and quality of prime time TV programs will ensure that children are not exposed to harmful shows. A conscious effort made by all family members to switch off the TV set and sit down for a family dinner can reinforce family ties. While these are just some suggestions to counteract the adverse effect of TV4, all of us collectively need to think how we can prevent TV from ruling our lives.
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This phrase serves to draw the reader's attention to the previously discussed points and evidences presented thus establishing a link between the conclusion and the rest of the essay. The reader understands that s/he is supposed to take into consideration the ideas raised earlier in the essay to understand the conclusion.
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"Unless" is used to talk about a situation that could happen or something that could be true in the future. Here, this transitional clause beginning with "unless" shows what could happen if certain steps are not taken. This serves as a cue for the reader and reminds her/him of all the fallout of watching television mentioned earlier in the essay.
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"This" is used to refer to something just mentioned and is a clear indication here that the writer is still talking about the point raised in the previous sentence.
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This long transitional clause summarizes the entire thrust of the paragraph for the reader. It tells her/him that steps to minimize watching TV have been mentioned along with the negative impact of watching too much TV.
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| Not all transitional words need to be phrases or clauses. Below is a list of simple and commonly used transitional words followed by examples-one from each category. |
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| Time |
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Cause + Effect |
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Opposition |
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Condition |
| After |
Because |
although |
If |
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| Before |
Since |
though |
unless |
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| When |
now that |
even though |
Only if |
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| While |
As |
whereas |
whether or not |
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| Since |
in order that |
while |
even if |
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| Until |
So |
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in case (that) |
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He came home from office quite early. After that, he went for a swim. (Shows relation in time) |
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Jane was late for the meeting because her car had punctured a tire on her way to office. (Shows cause and effect) |
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Although he had started late, he still managed to complete the test. (Used to introduce a statement that is in opposition to the main idea) |
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If I get a week off, I will go to the mountains and relax. (Used to introduce a condition where one thing might be true depending on another thing happening) |
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| In the next issue, we will discuss why it is important to eliminate wordiness from a piece of writing and how brevity is the soul of good writing. |
