Expressing Relationships Among Ideas - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Expressing Relationships Among IdeasSlide2

Different Categories of Signal Words: Meaning

Addition/

Listing (and)

Cause/

Result (so)

Condition (if)

Time (when)

Sequence (first, next)

Contrast (but)

Comparison (different from/similar to)Slide3

THE GRAMMAR OF SIGNALING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG IDEAS

CONJUNCTIONS

—

Join clause to clause

in one sentence

Example

Although

Massachusetts has abolished the death penalty, the Boston Marathon bomber could be sentenced to death.

T

he

Boston Marathon bomber could be sentenced to

death,

although

Massachusetts

has abolished the death penalty

TRANSITIONS

—Show the relationship between two different sentences.

Can NOT

join clause to clause

.

Example

Massachusetts has abolished the death

penalty

.

Nevertheless

,

the Boston Marathon bomber could be sentenced to death.

Massachusetts has abolished the death

penalty;

nevertheless

, the Boston Marathon bomber could be sentenced to death.

PREPOSITIONS

—Join a noun, noun phrase to a clause or other phrase.

Can NOT

join clause to clause.

Example

Despite

his conviction in a state without capital punishment, the Boston Marathon bomber could be sentenced to death

.

Despite

being convicted in a state without capital punishment,

the Boston Marathon bomber could be sentenced to death. Slide4

Contrast: Why is it important to distinguish different kinds?

Different types of signal words are used depending on the type of contrast. It is important to know this for both reading comprehension and writing. For example:

W

ords

used

only with

Expectation

vs.

Reality

are:

TRANSITIONS: Nevertheless

/

Nonetheless

CONJUNCTIONS: In spite of the fact that/ Despite the fact that/Notwithstanding the fact that

PREPOSITIONS: In spite of/ Despite/Notwithstanding

Words used only with

Emphatic Disagreement:

TRANSITION: On the contrarySlide5

Contrast, but what kind?

CONCESSION

WEIGHING/BALANCING

CONTRASTING

EXPECTATION VS. REALITY

EMPHATIC DISAGREEMENTSlide6

Contrast: Concession

The

contrast is between two opposing points of view, where your purpose

is to

make a concession to the opposing side, and thus make your point of view appear reasoned

.

EXAMPLE:

I

t is almost certainly true that

innocent people

have

been executed.

However,

DNA evidence has now made it possible to ensure that only the guilty are ever sentenced to death. Slide7

Contrast: Weighing/Balancing

The

contrast is between two

different,

but

valid,

options or points of view.

EXAMPLE

Inmates sentenced to life imprisonment must be fed and housed for years at taxpayers’ expense.

On the other hand/At the same time/However,

legal appeals for inmates convicted of capital crimes can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Slide8

Contrast: Different aspects

The contrast is between different aspects of things (people, ideas, objects, places, etc.) in the same category.

EXAMPLE

(Category= states; contrasting ideas on death penalty

):

Massachusetts

does not have the death penalty.

On the other hand/In contrast

/At the same time/However

, New Hampshire does. Slide9

Contrast: Expectation vs. Reality

The

contrast is between what is expected based on a fact (stated in the first sentence or clause) and what is actually true (stated in the second sentence or clause).

EXAMPLE

Massachusetts has abolished capital punishment.

Nevertheless/ Nonetheless

/However

,

the Boston Marathon bomber could receive the death penalty. Slide10

Contrast: Emphatic Disagreement

The

contrast is between what has been said or claimed—always stated in the negative—and what is actually true.

EXAMPLE: The

death penalty has not always been prohibited in Massachusetts.

On the contrary,

it was only abolished in 1984.