Writing Skills—Both Tasks Dyce 27 eat oun festa a etn ences sell-written esta, transition words and phrases are used to make connections berween leas, There i variey of sentence structure and vocabulary. The reader can easly fellow the unite’ ideas and stays interested in them, TRANSITION: CONNECTING AND LINKING Transition Words ‘Transition words and phrases help the reader follow your ideas from sentence to sentence and Paragraph to paragraph. They show the relationships between ideas and connect the ideas to your thesis, In this section, you will learn about transition words and phrases that show different kinds of relationships between ideas. Transition words can be used to show time, degree, compari- son and contrast, cause and effect, and the addition of new information TIME ‘When you ate explaining the sequence of events, you may want to use these expressions. before first while after then second meanwhil once next finally at the same time. when ExunG The school counselors should help students who are new to a school. Before the first day of school, they should give an orientation to the bullding. When school ‘opens, they should introduce the students to the teachers. After the students have gotten used to thelr classes, the counselors should find out about the student's hobbies and recommend some extracurricular clubs. At the same time, the counselor should Invite the parents to visit the school so they can meet the teachers and ‘administrators. WRITING SKILLS—BOTH TASKS. ‘See pages 74 and 133 for Information ‘about using ‘commas with 7DEGREE When you are explaining why one @ ‘want to use these expressions. iis more or less important than another thing, you may most important even more in the first place primarily mre importantly even tess to a certaln extent principally less important above all toa greater/lesser degree chiefly SSS i ‘A pet is one of the most important things psychologists con recommend to patients suffering from loneliness. Pets can de many things for lonely people, but above ail they provide companionship. To a lesser degree, they provide a distraction trom anxieties, But primarily, they help isolated people stay emotionally connected with the world Comparison and Contrast ‘When you are explaining how two or more things are similar or how they are different, you ‘may want to use these expressions. ‘TO COMPARE too. likewise similarly by the same token also. compared to similar to in a like manner just as by comparison in the same way in a similar fashion TO CONTRAST yet where conversely in contrast to but unlike nevertheless fon the other hand white however although otherwise Although my friend chose to buy a car with his gift, | would have gone on vacation, He said he needed the car to go to work, but | think he should take the bus. He also wanted the car for convenience. However, a taxi is just as convenient and doesn't have to be serviced. We are both alike in that neither of us knows how to drive. Otherwise, | might have bought a car, too. 156 WRITING FOR THE TOEFL 18STCause and Effect ‘When you are explaining how something caused a change in something else, you may want to use these expressions. thus consequently therefore asaresult because, because of owing to duo to accordingly as a consequence ee eee ee shew coffer of peor Whe led ef ne cancer 4s = rout int Reon have aoe troking. Other eds show glamorous people smoking: consequently young people tart to tmoke, Owing fo the influence ef adverting on youth, many cigarette ads Explanation ITyou are explaining what something is by giving an example or fyou are restating somed for emphasis, you may want to use these expressions. in other words to clarity to explain for one thing Iimean specifically that is for example auch as for instence ‘0 illustrate namely cnr fe ck Sa Ee: FR NTO a SASH steyed et bore ore th foes and now have tine fo ratrt ea schons Sis xh ecanghos Ft avian paop io Howe Sw Gonege Go RTS Say pra tejalecorra wig clausaastv nar ee scaln ner feces ecm Adding More Information If you are adding more information to make your point stronger, you may want to use these expressions, In addition besides furthermore as well as moreover in fact also what's more ~ 1 in acddon to mse, etalars can ute ghtng to improve the store envionment Berkisholping customers co te product better, carain types of Bghing ean crete cierent moods. Soft music creates ®relaced atmosphere. sii, sft Hahtng hole customer ec curtomrs sayin ho sor longer Whats more they make 9 greater mura of purchases at ease. R WRITING SKILLS—BOTH TASKS 159,enon ten . Language ow PRACTICE 1 Choose the best transition word or phrase to complete each sentence. ny people move to the suburbs when they start 1, City living expensive, having children. (A) Because (B) Asa result (©) naddition 2. Many people enjoy the excitement of city li I prefer the peace and quiet of the countryside. (a) but (@) and (C) therefore 3. When you travel, you have the chance to see new places and meet new people. ‘you have the opportunity to learn about the customs and ideas of other cultures. (A) Next (B) Furthermore (C) However 4, Tread whenever I have the chance. I always have a book with me when riding the bus to work. Tusually read during my lunch hour (A) in contrast {B) nevertheless (C) also 5. ‘There are many ways to learn a foreign language. you can buy a computer program and study in the comfort of your own home. (a) since (B) Similarly (C) For example 6, 1 find living in the city to be very stressful. I don’t like the noise and crowds. I can’t afford the high prices. The high rate of crime makes me nervous. city life is not for me. (A) In other words (B) Even more (C) Meanwhile 7, It isn't hard to plan a fun vacation, First, decide how much money you can spend. , think about what kind of place you would like to visit (A) Finally (8) Then (C) Specifically 140 WRITING FOR THE TOEFL iBTPRACTICE 2 Read the following paragraphs. Choose the appropriate transition words or phrases to complete each sentence, 1 If chose my own roommate, 4 (1) pick some candidates from the list supplied by the university. (2)____T'd write to them and they’d write back. Through our letters, we'd find out if we shared common interests, (3) sports or movies. (4) we'd find out if we had similar habits 6) my investigation, I'd probably find someone compatible with me. next first as a rosult of in addition such as Billions of tons of plastic are produced every year, and it takes hundreds of years for plastic to break down. (1) the ocean is filled with plastic trash, Many birds, (2) ___ seagulls, commonly eat fish eggs. These birds eat small pieces of plastic that look like fish eggs. (3) eating a big meal of plastic, a bird might starve to death. This is because the plastic has no nutritional value, @ many birds choke when they try to swallow plastic pieces. ©) whenever we throw plastic away, we are contributing to the threats to ocean life moreover such as consequently In other words after |. A major part of adapting to life in a new country is learning that country's language. Generally, children have an easier time with this than adults do. (1) children’s young brains are ready to lear many new things, including language ) they spend most of the day in school using their new language in class and on the playground. Adults, (3) their time and their minds. They have to find ways to make a living and take care of their families, (4) Since they aren't in school all day long, they have fewer opportunities to make new friends who speak the country’s language 6) adults may take longer learning the language of their new country. have many other things to fil moreover on the other hand asa result in the first pl for example WRITING SRILLS—BOTH TASKS 161‘One of the best ways to increase your vocabulary Isto reada lot. ‘The more you read, the more ‘opportunities you have to learn few words in context. 4, Decorators may choose certain colors for rooms in order to create certain moods, « __ they may use blue in a bedroom to create a relaxing atmosphere or red in a kitchen (o stimulate the appetite. (2) a decorator may choose yellow for a sitting room to give it a cheerful ai. Beige is a color that gives a feeling of cleanliness. (3) it is often used in doctors’ offices. This neutral color helps the doctors and nurses stay clear and focused, (4) 6 many people believe that color has @ strong influence on mood, scientists are skeptical. as well for example simitarly because of this although 5. People often say that itis always important te be honest, hut I don't agree with this a , [feel that sometimes honesty is not the best policy. You wouldn’t ‘want to tell your best friend that her expensive new dress doesn’t look good on het, 2) That would only hurt her feelings and possibly damage your friend ship. (3) you wouldn't tell your neighbors that you don’t like the way they redecorated their house. That would just cause bad feelings between you. @_ _ honesty isn’t always a good thing, (5) _itcan lead to problems that could easily be avoided by telling people what they want to hear. so fon the contrary by the same token in fact In fact VARIETY: WORDS AND SENTENCES A good essay holds the reader's interest. One way you can keep your reader interested! is by varying your vocabulary. You can learn to express similar ideas in different ways by using synonyms, Learning about word families is another way to vary your vocabulary. You can also avoid repetition by using pronouns ‘A good essay also has a variety of sentence structures that keep the ideas clear and interest. ing to the reader. You can develop variety in your prose by using parallel structures, making ‘your paragraphs cohesive, and writing sentences that vary in type, length, subject, and voice. ‘Synonyms When you are writing on one topic, you don’t want to repeat the same verb or adverb, noun or adjective in every sentence. You should try to use words that ae similar in meaning, and that wil cary the meaning of the sentence. Synonyms ate important Lecause dey help you link closely related words or ideas. Synonyms provide coherence in your essay. Read the paragraph on page 143. Look for these synonyms of discuss and discussion. WRITING FOR THE TOEFL 18T