12/7/2023 0 Comments Sentence transitions![]() ![]() ![]() Is it clear? If so, maybe you just need to tweak the transitions. When you’re done, have them tell it back to you. Have them take notes on what you're saying. Without looking at your essay, tell that person your essay. This short exercise takes about 10 minutes, and you can do it either with another person or on your own. So how do you diagnose if what you need to tweak is only (or mostly) your transitions? The Flow Diagnostic: Can you outline your essay from memory? Other times, the problem is that the territory of you that you’re discussing isn’t even on the same map, in which case you may want to consider either a larger restructuring or (honestly) a new topic. To explain using that map analogy: Sometimes, the problem is that you forgot to tell your reader/stranger to take a left at the fork (with a clearer transition). The Flow Diagnostic: How to know if your transitions are really the issueīecause one of the most common mistakes students make is thinking that they only need to tweak the transitions (when they actually need to do more). This guide will show you a few different options for setting up your signposts/transitions.īut before we show you different transition options, it’s first worth doing a quick diagnosis to make sure your transitions really are the issue. You can do this by a) providing a clear map at the start, b) using clear signposts/transitions along the way, or c) both. The takeaway for this section: Again, part of your job as a writer is to let the reader know they can trust you. But this essay works because the transitions-which we’ve highlighted in bold at this link-guide us through the twists and turns of the essay. But then it turns out to be about something else (environmentalism). Is this an essay about working with animals? Sort of. For that matter, I also don’t mind being pecked at, hissed at, scratched and bitten-and believe me, I have experienced them all. I have been pooped on by pigeons and possums, house finches and hawks, egrets and eastern grays.Īt the start, it’s not quite clear where we’re going. I mean this in the most literal sense possible. Why?Ĭheck out the “Poop, Animals, and the Environment” essay at this link. But if you choose a more creative opening, your transitions may be even more important. So here’s another possibility: Option B: Draw us in with a creative opening, then provide clear signposts (i.e., transitions) to guide us along the way.įor a list of 9 creative ways to start your essay, click here. We’ve bolded the “map” so it’s super clear.īut you don’t have to provide such a clear map at the start if you give clear signposts along the way. Reading this, we can pretty much tell that this essay is going to be about how animals have shaped the author. But why have I grown up with such a diverse cast? For many reasons, my connection and experiences with these animals have been a major part of shaping who I am today. ![]() These are actually some of my greatest teachers. No, these aren’t weird titles for kids books. Here’s an example intro from an essay that does this: Option A: Provide a clear map at the start. Two ways to build trust with your readerīelow are two ways-and neither is “better,” by the way both work great. Why do you want to build trust with your reader? Because if they don’t trust that your essay is going somewhere informative, or interesting, they might start skimming. ![]() Part of your job as a writer is to metaphorically put your hand on the readers’ shoulder and say, “I got you.” To build trust. Think for a minute from that stranger’s perspective-out in the wilderness, trying to navigate the twists and turns of your heart and brain, with just this map. Imagine your personal statement is a map that guides the reader-in the case of the admission reader, a stranger-through the territory of you. Way clearer now, right? And do you see how, even if you only read those bolded sentences, you can kinda’ still see where the essay is going? That’s what good transitions can do. Now read the transition sentences in the “ Builder and Problem-Solver” essay (the ones in bold). To get a clear sense of why good transitions are important, read the body paragraphs in the “ Builder and Problem-Solver” essay without reading the bolded parts. ![]()
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