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Your Research Paper = a Train

The introduction is the locomotive, or engine. It has a clear view of where the train (your paper) is headed and provides direction.

All Aboard!!!

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The conclusion is the caboose. It shows you where you’ve just been.

The body paragraphs are like freight cars on the train. They are full of the knowledge you have gathered.

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Why should we care about linking paragraphs?

In order to keep a train together, the cars must be firmly linked together. If a connection is loose, your train is in danger of falling apart.

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Similarly, in your paper, you must include strong connections, or links, between the paragraphs to keep your paper from “derailing,” or falling apart.

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What is missing here?

Girls spend far too much time in front of a mirror. They spend at least half their waking hours examining their pores or brushing their eyelashes or adjusting a curl over their right ear to an exact 45-degree angle. They primp constantly.

Girls tend to be good students. They do their assignments faithfully and neatly, organize their work well, and maintain consistently high grades.

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A LINK, of course! These two paragraphs seem completely unrelated except for the fact that they are both about girls. How can we connect them?

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Using Transitions

Primp as they may, however, girls tend to be good students…

Make this the first sentence of the second paragraph, and…BOOM! You have a great transition that connects the ideas together and keeps your train from going off the tracks!

RESEARCH PAPER!

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3 Types of Transitions

Standard Device (transition word/phrase)
Paragraph Hooks
Combination of #1 and #2

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Standard Devices

Words or phrases that lead the reader through an argument
Different transition words are used to show opposition, addition, emphasis, and many other relationships between ideas

Addition: also, furthermore, moreover, in addition to, as well as, besides, likewise, etc.
Opposition: by the same token, in contrast, conversely, however, but, yet, even though, nevertheless, in spite of, etc.
Emphasis: above all, in fact, particularly, especially, etc.

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Example Sentences

Without Transitions

Girls are a nuisance.
They are wonderful.
The project had value.
It wasted time.
He was a brilliant actor.
He often performed terribly.

With Transitions

Girls are a nuisance.
Nevertheless, they are wonderful.
The project had value.
It was, however, a waste of time.
He was, in fact, a brilliant actor.
Even so, he often performed terribly.

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Paragraph Hooks

Allow you to transition from one paragraph to another with a little more style than merely using transition words.

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Mark Twain

Ideal Grandfather?

Crotchety Old Man?

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Mark Twain is established in the minds of most Americans as a kindly humorist, a gentle and delightful “funny man.” No doubt his photographs have helped promote this image. Everybody is familiar with the Twain face. He looks like every child’s ideal grandfather, a dear old white-thatched gentleman who embodies the very spirit of loving-kindness

But Twain wrote some of the most savage satire ever produced in America…

Standard Transition

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Some Words of Wisdom

This transition shows that the next paragraph is going in another direction than the previous one with the use of the transition word “but.” The transition, however, seems very abrupt and does not flow as well as we might like.

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A Real Live Paragraph Hook

...a dear old white-thatched gentleman who embodies the very spirit of loving-kindness.

(Paragraph Hook)

The loving-kindness begins to look a little doubtful in view of some of his writing. For Twain wrote some of the most savage satire…

The last word of the first paragraph is hooked into the first sentence of the second paragraph and used to launch into the next idea.

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Deeper Paragraph Hook

You can even get your hook from earlier in the sentence than the last word.

…a dear old white-thatched gentleman who embodies the very spirit of loving-kindness.

(Deeper Paragraph Hook)

This dear old white-thatched gentleman happens to be the author of some of the most savage satire…

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Multiple Paragraph Hooks

If you use a phrase from earlier than the last sentence, you might need more than one hook (a multiple hook), as your reader might not remember earlier sentences from the paragraph as well as the last sentence.

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Multiple Paragraph Hooks (contd.)

…No doubt his photographs have helped promote this image…He looks like…the very spirit of loving-kindness.

(Multiple Paragraph Hook)

To accept such an image is to betray greater familiarity with the photographs than with the writing. For Twain wrote some of the most savage satire…

Both the words image and photographs are repeated to provide a “double hook.” The further back in the previous paragraph, the more hooks you might need to include in the first sentence of the next paragraph.

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Idea Hook

You can also use an Idea Hook. This type of hook refers to the idea expressed in the previous paragraph instead of an exact word or phrase.

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Idea Hook (contd. 1)

Mark Twain is ………….the very spirit of loving-kindness.

(Idea Hook)

Such a view of Twain would probably have been source of high amusement to the author himself. For Twain wrote some of the most savage satire…

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Idea Hook (contd. 2)

(Another option…)

Any resemblance between this popular portrait and the man who reveals himself in his writing is purely imaginary. For Twain wrote…

An exact phrase is not repeated in the two examples above, but the paragraphs are still clearly hooked together since the second paragraph refers to the idea expressed in the first paragraph.

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Practice!

Supply a transition word or phrase for the second sentence of each pair:

He received the highest praise for his efforts to improve living conditions in the slums.
He was frequently criticized.�
The study of science can be a tremendously exciting intellectual experience.
The study of science can have a narrowing effect.

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Practice Answers!

Supply a transition word or phrase for the second sentence of each pair:

He received the highest praise for his efforts to improve living conditions in the slums.
Even so, he was frequently criticized.�
The study of science can be a tremendously exciting intellectual experience.
The study of science, however, can have a narrowing effect.

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Create a paragraph hook for the following sentence pairs.

Students are showing greater interest in baseball as a school sport.
Students are showing a greater interest in dramatics.

The furniture he had acquired for his living room was surely as ugly as anything ever made by man.
It was comfortable.

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Paragraph Hook Answers!

Not only is student interest in baseball rising, but students are showing a greater interest in dramatics as well.

In spite of the furniture’s ugly appearance, it was comfortable.

Here we used a transition phrase AND a paragraph hook.

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Create an idea hook for the following sentence pairs.

Far too much emphasis has been placed on psychology and too little on personal responsibility.
A knowledge of psychology can be very valuable.

She caused trouble wherever she went.
She was the kind of woman who could turn a peaceful exchange of views on the weather into a war of nerves.

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Idea Hook Answers!

In spite of this popular view held by the field’s critics, a knowledge of psychology can be very valuable.

Further evidence of this opinion of her character was supported by her actions. She was the kind of woman who could turn…