Word Processing--Coherence & Transitions

Word Processing: ESL EXERCISE #3

COHERENCE AND TRANSITIONS
(Kathy Mahnke, adapted by Christine Bauer-Ramazani)

In this lesson you will practice :

Word processing English language skills

1. Mastery of insertion 1. Practice using transition expressions to add coherence to written discourse.

2. Review of deleting and adding 2. Review of proper spacing between words, capitalization and use of commas with certain transitional expressions.

Review the transition expressions discussed on your Techniques of Sentence Combination--Discourse Markers in English Sentences handout. To establish coherence, fill in the blanks in the following paragraphs with appropriate transition expressions. Add commas and capital letters where necessary.

Read the entire paragraph before deciding which transition to use. Remember, transitions signal relationships between sentences, and are very important in expressing meaning. Here you have the help of the punctuation, which limits the kind of transition you can put in each blank.

Directions: Open up a new Word document. Minimize the window. On this page, highlight the three exercises 3.a - 3.c. Click EDIT, then COPY. Click on the Word document on the taskbar to open it up again. Then click EDIT and PASTE. Now complete the exercise and submit it.

Follow the steps listed below to fill in the blanks:

1. Use the black arrow keys (on the keyboard) to position the cursor right over the first part of the blank area.

2. Press the key marked INSERT. (to the right of backspace) until you see OVR at the bottom of the screen (= overwrite/typeover mode).

3. Type in the transition word that you want to use.

4. Press the INSERT key again. The OVR will disappear.

5. Delete the extra part of the line. Add or delete spaces so that each word of the sentence is correctly placed.

6. Repeat these steps 1 to 5 above until you have filled in all the blanks.

7. Print each page with your work for the teacher. Move the paragraphs to the top of the next page so that you don't print the whole file and Current Page from the print menu.

Exercise 3a

Shopping at K-Mart enriches my vocabulary. __________ I don't like spending money, I like shopping ____________ it gives me a chance to practice my English. K-Mart is the best place to practice. _____________ it is a large store, there are many customer assistants who speak English fluently. I look for many items in the store,_______ in each area I find a different customer assistant who is eager to help me practice English. __________, I am careful to read the section names of the various parts of the store, _______ I read the information on the packages of the items that I want to buy; ____________, every time I shop at K-Mart, I leave the store with some new words that increase my English vocabulary.

Exercise 3b

The problem with an old car is that it always needs something replaced or repaired. _______ about the time the fourth tire is replaced, the first one begins to wear thin again; ____________ the rear brakes start to go. Another common problem is that some kind of pump is always breaking down and in need of replacement. ________________, the air pump may develop trouble; _________ the fuel pump may go bad, and ____________, the water pump may give up. These pumps require new hoses; _______, everything under the hood seems to need a new hose or a new engine. There seems to be no end to the trouble and expense of keeping up an old car.

Exercise 3c

____________ you have no matches, you can start a campfire, ________ doing it without matches is not easy. You can use a pair of glasses ___________ they work like a magnifying glass, _______ the sun must be out so that it can shine through the glasses. To start your fire, __________, collect plenty of dry paper. ______________ you don't have any paper, then substitute some dry leaves; _____________, collect plenty of very small twigs, some larger twigs, some small branches and ____________ some logs. Hold the glasses so that the sun shines on the paper or leaves ___________ they catch fire. ______________, put on the small twigs, which will burn, too. ____________ the twigs _____ paper are burning well, add some of the branches, which will soon catch fire as well. _______________, sit back, relax, and enjoy your warm fire.

Answers

Word processing	English language skills
1. Mastery of insertion	1. Practice using transition expressions to add coherence to written discourse.
2. Review of deleting and adding	2. Review of proper spacing between words, capitalization and use of commas with certain transitional expressions.