Introductions

EEL 3008

Today’s Aims

• Take up last week’s homework (tran-sitional signals)

• 2 Introductions

• 3 Lexical chaining & pronouns

Read the Passage below:

There are too many people who visitShinsegae on the weekends. It’s just too crowdedto enjoy myself. It is very difficult to find a goodparking spot and room to walk without bumpinginto people. Every department store is going to becrowded on the weekends because that’s whenmost people have free time. It’s super crowded onholidays. I am unable to go because it’s far toostressful. I often go to Shinsegae on the weekdays. It’s the only time I can go and enjoy my shoppingexperience.

Read the passage below:There are too many people who visit Shinsegae onthe weekends. As a result, it’s just too crowded toenjoy myself. Furthermore, it is very difficult tofind a good parking spot and room to walk withoutbumping into people. Granted, every departmentstore going to be crowded on the weekendsbecause that’s when most people have free time. Likewise, it’s super crowded on holidays; therefore,I am unable to go because it’s far too stressful. Inthe end, I often go to Shinsegae on the weekdays.In fact, it’s the only time I can go and enjoy myshopping experience.

Transitions / Transitional signals

• Gives the reader signs as to how you are organizing your writing.

• Without transitional signals the read-ing can feel awkward and frag-mented.

• I don’t think enough people care about the environment; (1) _________________, I believe most people are ignorant to how much damage they are causing by being careless. (2) _____________ I see many people throw their garbage on the sidewalks, or on the grass instead of putting it in a trash can. (3) ______________ someone else must pick up the trash, (4) __________________an elderly man or woman. It’s very disturbing to me, and (5)____________________ I don’t have respect for those who have no respect for keeping their environment clean.

• I ____________ (6) see lots of empty bottles and plastic wrappers when I go hiking or to the park. If only these people could see how other countries keep their cities, parks, and mountains free of garbage. (7) ___________________ if you are caught littering in America, you must pay a $500 fine, sometimes $1,000 fine depending on the state. (8) __________________ I don’t expect that people will alter their terrible habits (9) __________________ harming the world we live in.

• I don’t think enough people care about the environment; (1) moreover I believe most people are ignorant to how much damage they are causing by being careless. (2) For example I see many people throw their garbage on the sidewalks, or on the grass instead of putting it in a trash can. (3)Eventually someone else must pick up the trash, (4) namely an elderly man or woman. It’s very disturbing to me, and (5) as a result I don’t have respect for those who have no respect for keeping their environment clean.

• I also (6) see lots of empty bottles and plastic wrappers when I go hiking or to the park. If only these people could see how other countries keep their cities, parks, and mountains free of garbage. (7) For instance if you are caught littering in America, you must pay a $500 fine, sometimes $1,000 fine depending on the state. (8) In the end I don’t expect that people will alter their terrible habits (9) further harming the world we live in.

Additive, Contrastive & Sequencing Transition Signals

 Additive transition signals add more information. Common additive tran-sition signals are: And… In addition… Also… Further… Moreover… What’s more… Contrastive transition signals contrast information with the previous sentence or phrase. Common contrastive transition signals are: But… However… On the other hand… On the contrary… While… In contrast… Sequencing transition signals tell us the sequence or order of informa-tion. Common sequencing transition signals are: To begin with… Firstly… Secondly…. After that… Then… Finally…

Introductions

According to a recent survey, approximately forty-one percent of Americans fear speaking in public. That statistic places public speaking as the number one phobia in the United States. More than a fear of spiders, death and the Internal Revenue Service, public speaking is something that often causes people to break out into a cold sweat, start shaking uncontrollably, and even feel as though they are about to die. Fear of public speaking can come from a number of sources, including childhood events and continuous me-dia attention to the problem. Perhaps more important than the causes of this phobia are the strategies for overcoming the fear of public speaking. Many people are unaware that the fear of speaking in front of others can be overcome by visualization exercises, deep breathing, and preparedness.

QuestionsDiscussion1. Do you like the introduction above?

Why or why not? What is interesting or boring about it?

2. Write down a few adjectives to describe the introduction.

3. How is the introduction organized?

Introductions

According to a recent survey, approximately forty-one percent of Americans fear speaking in public. That statistic places public speaking as the number one phobia in the United States. More than a fear of spiders, death and the Internal Revenue Service, public speaking is something that often causes people to break out into a cold sweat, start shaking uncontrollably, and even feel as though they are about to die. Fear of public speaking can come from a number of sources, including childhood events and continuous media attention to the problem. Perhaps more important than the causes of this phobia are the strategies for overcoming the fear of public speaking. Many people are unaware that the fear of speaking in front of others can be overcome by visualization exercises, deep breathing, and preparedness.

4 types of introductions

1. Interesting facts or statistics – to write this kind of introduction you need to be aware of commonly known informa-tion. You can expand your knowledge of facts and statistics by carefully reading newspapers, journals, Internet articles, etc.

4 types of introductions

2. General to Specific: This is perhaps the most common type of introduction. It begins with a general statement of a larger topic, and then each sentence narrows it down until you get to the specific thesis statement. The trick is to start out general, but not too general. Remember to keep the introduction relevant.

4 types of introductions

3. Anecdote: An anecdote is a brief story that illustrates your topic. You can ei-ther base this anecdote on your own experience or someone else’s experi-ence.

4 types of introductions

4. Historical: This kind of introduction is not meant to be a comprehensive ac-count of something; it simply provides general historical background very briefly.

Answers

• 1-C, 2-a, 3-d, 4-b• 5, 2, 3, 6, 1, 4 • General to specific introduction• 3-1-5-4-2• General to specific introduction• 3-5-7-1-4-2-6• Historical

Lexical Chaining – a sequence of re-lated words within a text

1. How many ways is the concept of ‘elders’ expressed in the text be-low?2. How about the concept of respect?3. Is there an expression that is overused?4. How many alternatives can you find for ‘young people’?

Young people today do not have enough respect for their elders. In the past, young people were expected to listen and answer politely to people senior in age to them, and always give up their seats for older citizens. Young people also respected the wis-dom and knowledge that elderly people had gained in their lives, and accepted the advice of their par-ents and grandparents. Nowadays, however, young people are much freer than in the past, they are more independent-minded, and in western society this type of individualism or originality is valued and en-couraged. Young people do not hold their teachers in as high esteem as in the past, and feel comfortable questioning their knowledge. Senior citi-zens are often shocked by the behavior of young people, and complain that they looked up to people senior to them in age when they were young. It is not uncommon to hear these kinds of complaints in our society, but are they justified? Should our elders be revered solely for their accumulated years?

Young people today do not have enough respect for their elders. In the past, young people were expected to listen and answer politely to people senior in age to them, and always give up their seats for older cit-izens. Young people also respected the wisdom and knowledge that elderly people had gained in their lives, and accepted the advice of their parents and grandparents. Nowadays, however, young people are much freer than in the past, they are more independent-minded, and in western society this type of individualism or originality is valued and encouraged. Young people do not hold their teachers in as high esteem as in the past, and feel comfortable questioning their knowledge. Senior citi-zens are often shocked by the behavior of young peo-ple, and complain that they looked up to people senior to them in age when they were young. It is not uncommon to hear these kinds of complaints in our society, but are they justified? Should our elders be revered solely for their accumulated years?

What can be replaced with a subject or object

pronoun? (he/him/it)

What can be replaced with a possessive form?

(his/its)

What can be replaced by an alternative word?

(synonym)

What can be omitted?

Using Pronouns

Bob visited Paris and wanted to see the Eiffel Tower. When Bob’s flight descended into Paris, Bob was sitting on the wrong side of the airplane, and so Bob was unable to see the Eiffel Tower from the air. After Bob’s plane landed, Bob took the train to the area where Bob’s hotel was located. The train was an underground train, and so Bob could not catch sight of the Eiffel Tower from the train, only dark tunnels and metro tunnels. Bob’s hotel was not near the Eiffel Tower, and did not have a view of the Eiffel Tower, and by the time Bob arrived at Bob’s hotel it was late, so Bob just went to sleep. The next day Bob woke up early, and left Bob’s hotel, very excited about finally seeing the Eif-fel Tower. After some confusing directions, and a few wrong trains, Bob fi-nally arrived at the Eiffel Tower. Bob climbed the Eiffel Tower, and took photos from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Bob walked around the Eif-fel Tower, and took many photos of the Eiffel Tower. For the rest of Bob’s life, Bob would never forget the day Bob visited the Eiffel Tower.

Bob visited Paris and wanted to see the Eiffel Tower. When his flight de-

scended, he was sitting on the wrong side of the airplane, and so was

unable to see

the tower from the air. After his plane landed, Bob took the train to his

hotel. The train was an underground train, and so he could not see the

Eiffel Tower, only dark tunnels and metro tunnels. Bob’s hotel was not

near tower, and did

not have a view of it, and by the time he arrived at his hotel it was late,

so

he just went to sleep. The next day Bob woke up early, and left his hotel,

very excited about finally seeing the Eiffel Tower. After some confusing

directions, and a few wrong trains, Bob finally arrived. Bob climbed it

and took photos

from the top. Bob walked around the base, too, and took many photos .

For

the rest of his life, Bob would never forget the day he visited the Eiffel

Tower.