Grammatical signals or expressions

• Grammatical signals and expressions


  Writing devices that serve to maintain text coherence, signal the relationship between new sentences and the one before it, and are important writing devices in text construction
• Idea development


  The manner or pattern by which a writer or speaker explains their main idea about a topic in a paragraph or paragraphs
• Patterns of idea development/organization

  • General to particular
  • Claim and counter claim
  • Problem solution
  • Cause and effect
• General to particular


  • Starts with a broad or big idea and follows it with specific or small ideas in support
  • Also called deductive method
• General statements


  Broad and unspecific statements that need to be explained further
• Signal words for general statements


  • Generally
  • Primarily
  • Largely
  • In general
• Claim


  A statement or declaration of belief, stance or opinion that is arguable and used to support or prove an argument
• Counter claim


  An idea that opposes or is against a claim, and is provable and supportable by reasons and evidence
• Signal words/verbs for counter claims

  • Argue
  • Refute
  • Disagree
  • Oppose
  • Contradict
  • However
  • But
  • In contrast
  • Otherwise
  • Notwithstanding
  • In opposition
  • Nevertheless
  • On the other hand
  • On the contrary
  • Although
  • Even though
  • While it may be true
  • Still
  • Others may say that
  • But it is often thought
  • Supposed
  • Imagined
  • It's easy to think
  • But when you look at the facts
• Transitions to show evidence


  • According to
  • Evidence shows
  • The work of blank indicates
  • The study reveals
  • Based on the evidence or data
  • The author claims
• Problem and solution


  The text presents a significant problem and explains it in detail, then suggests a possible solution
• Cause and effect

  Describes or discusses an event or action that is caused by another event or action, with single or multiple causes and effects
• Grammatical signals for causes


  • Because
  • Causes
  • Creates
  • Due to
  • For this reason
  • If this then leads to
  • On account of
  • Produces
  • Since