Getting the flow

Working at the paragraph level Part II

Internal flowHow do the sentences flow within one

paragraph?

Internal flowExample text comparison: pg. 26 in Swales

and Feak

What makes one flow better than the other?

- Linking words and phrases

Linking words & phrases

Adding a thought - furthermore, moreover, in addition, in

addition to

Adverse- although, even though, however, nevertheless, despite

Linking words & phrases cont’d…

Cause & effect:Because, since, therefore, as a result,

consequently, hence and thus

Contrast:While, whereas, in contrast, however, on the

other hand, conversely

Linking words & phrases cont’d…Illustration:

for example, for instance

Intensification:in fact, on the contrary

Try task 16, pg 31 in Swales and Feak

Punctuation to help with flowSemicolons:

- join 2 independent but related sentences; can be used with connectors; they could be separate sentences (handout chart from Swales and Feak, pg. 29)

e.g. Plant biomass is related to root volume; plants increase their biomass in response to increased root volume.

OR Increasing the number of petioles can cause rapid

flowering; however, flowering is also dependent on other factors.

Summary words

Using this or these helps with flow in a paragraph

This or these refers back to a noun in the previous sentence, it is either used alone or with the noun if the reference is unclear.

e.g. Recently, the number of asthma cases has been increasing. This could be the result of more air pollution than ever before. (clear what ‘this’ refers to?)

Summary words…..cont’dWhat if it is not so clear?

High altitude forests are characterized by highly leached soils. These also tend to be poor in nutrients.

What does ‘these’ refer to?

Other paragraph issues – the article

Articles: Definite, indefinite or none?All nouns need articles unless they are non-

countable or used in a general sense.

a)Research is an important activity in universities.b)The research undertaken by Dr. Pereira was supported

by a grant. c)An interesting piece of research was conducted by the

Swiss team.

Come up with some general rules about which article, if any, to use when, given the sentences above.

Other paragraph issues – the article

Articles are also used in definitions – using ‘the’ or ‘a’ depends if there has been previous mention or if it is a broad category.

e.g. Polymerase chain reaction is a method used in biotechnology labs.

VS.

Polymerase chain reaction is the method used in biotechnology labs.

Are these sentences saying the same thing?

Other paragraph issues – using examples

You use examples in the introduction and discussion of your paper, to support your ideas and to help readers understand particular points.

Fits into your paragraph structure – start with a generalization, then support it with examples.

Using example cont’d…..

For example:

Generalization:Many plants and animals are threatened by global

warming.

Refine the idea:Many plants and animals are threatened by global

warming. Polar bear, for example, are suffering from the lack of sea ice.

Using examples cont’d….

Introducing examples:

You can use the following phrases:For instance, for example, such as , e.g.

To emphasize an idea with an example:Particularly, especially

For a single example:A case in point

Using example cont’d….Add a suitable example to each sentence

with one of the phrases above:

1.Lately many countries have introduced fees for university courses.

2.A small group of root crops constitute an important part of our diets.

3.Certain countries are frequently affected by earthquakes.

Using examples cont’d….Practice examples:

Practice A and B on pages 132 – 133 in Bailey

HMWK: Analyze your own manuscript’s introduction