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TRANSITION

除了英文段落結構可以影響到文章寫得讓人看得懂或不懂之外, 牽涉到coherence的另一個因素是Transitional Words. 甚麼是Transitional Words? 首先中文的意思是連接詞, 但此處的連接詞在詞性上是屬於副詞adverb,因為它在連摜兩個或兩個以上的
句子” (意見). Transitional words不是一般詞性的連接詞如and but (and but只連接 名詞” noun片語” phrase). 最常見的是 “for example”, “for instance”這個片語. 舉上面的例子來說在major support (….do many things...) 之後, 有些作者會在 “Many women buy books to…..” 這個minor support之前加 “for example”,  告訴讀者現在要把比較空洞的概念轉移為實際的例子.
 
但是你會問 “such as”  “like”   “such students as…等片語, 不也是 例如”,  “好像? 有什麼不同呢? “for example”, “for instance” 是在連接兩個句子, 所以是副詞; “such as” , “like” ,  “such … as…就好比是介係詞(preposition), 所以後面跟的是名詞, 絕不是句子. 千萬不可以寫這樣的句子 “Such as they buy many books on marriage to improve personality and appearance.” 但你可以寫這樣的句子 Plant foods are full of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates that we need.  Plant foods are full of such nutrients as vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates that we need. 這種連接詞亦稱為片語訊號 (phrase signal), 但連接兩個句子的則另稱為句子的連接者(sentence connector). 兩者同屬transitional words.
 
依此類推, 如果你是在陳列例子 (enumeration) 或敘述時間次序 (time order), 你就可以在兩個句子間用時間的連接詞, first, second, third, next, then, finally, meanwhile,  in addition, moreover, furthermore.  Transitional words (signals, sentence connectors) 在文章的連貫性上所扮演的角色類似中文文章的起承轉合中的 ”. 除了時序副詞具有 的功能 之外, 以下的副詞也有此轉的功能. 譬如你在解釋 因果關係” (cause and effect) 時常用的連接詞是: as a result, consequently, therefore, because, hence, because of this, 如果在比較相同的東西時 (compare),  可用similarly, likewise, in the same way, by the same token, 比較不同的東西時 (contrast), 可用比較級 er…than more…. than, less…than, in contrast, however, on the other hand. 使用transitional words, 要使用得宜不要濫用.
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

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