Connectors
Compare the two short paragraphs below. Which one is easier to understand?
a. In my country teachers are often politically
radical. In their own classrooms they are
conservative. They are afraid. They make
their classrooms more open and democratic.
They will lose some of their authority and
some of the respect they are given. I think
authority and respect are especially important
to teachers. They are poorly paid. Educational
reform is difficult in my country.b. In my country teachers are often politically
radical, but in their own classrooms they are
conservative. They are afraid that if they
make their classrooms more open and democratic,
they will lose some of their authority and,
therefore, some of the respect they are given.
I think authority and respect are especially
important to teachers because they are poorly
paid. As a result, educational reform is difficult
in my country.
Isn't the second one easier to understand? The "content" of the two paragraphs is the same, but in the second paragraph the logic markers, the highlighted words, make the logical relationships between clauses explicit, or obvious. The logic markers also improve the style, combining the short sentences into longer ones.
Of course you already use many logic markers, but
even advanced students are unsure of the exact meaning and use of the more
formal ones. The pages to the left consider logic markers in terms of
meaning, grammar and punctuation.
It is best to begin with the "clauses"
page to become familiar with the basic points of grammar and punctuation
referred to throughout the other pages.
09/03/2009