Transitions: Answer Key
Alys Avalos-Rivera and Yelin Zhao
Activity 1
1.2. In the following box, list the passages in which ‘however’ has been accurately and appropriately used.
| Passages | |
| 1 | Department of Education noted that state and local officials should have the flexibility to determine appropriate content for a student’s summary, which must be based on the student’s individual needs and postsecondary goals. However, this flexibility must be balanced with the need to assure that students with disabilities, upon leaving high school, have a comprehensive summary of performance (SOP) that promotes self-determination. |
| 4 | Brazil’s average per capita income had fallen from a peak of 25 percent of the U.S. average in the 1960s to just 16 percent by the late 1990s. In the last decade, however, that number began to climb, and it has now risen to roughly 20 percent. |
| 6 | It cannot be established with any certainty what happened to the Titanic during its descent to the seabed. However, what is now known is that once the ship disappeared below the ocean’s surface, it broke into three pieces. |
| 9 | 25 Male participants’ favorite brand of cigarettes remained stable across the 5 telephone surveys (2003-2008); however, female participants’ favorite brand changed dramatically after the Camel No. 9 advertising campaign. |
| 10 | Teachers, students, and tutors responded that some student materials could be clearer; however, overall the clarity of those materials was acceptable. |
1.3 In the following chart list the problematic cases and write down a brief explanation about the problem.
| Problematic Passages | Problem | |
| 2 | One of the greatest advantages of using technology at schools is that students can communicate with people all over the world. However, in contrast there are also some disadvantages. | The writer is using two transitional devices “however” and “in contrast” to compare two attributes of “using technology.” Only one transition word is necessary in this passage. |
| 3 | After I finished my first year of college, I decided to move off campus and I saw many differences between living on and off campus. However, there are many differences between living on and off campus that can impact on students’ health, academic performance, and personal comfort. | The writer is not presenting a contrast but adding information about the “many differences” of living in and off campus. |
| 5 | Nowadays most teachers can optimize instruction by using technology in their classes instead of just talking or using the chalkboard. However, digital devices such as the smartphone have become an essential tool for students. | “Optimize instruction” and “become essential” are not set in comparison with one another, but as different examples of how technology is used by teachers and students. |
| 7 | Nowadays, students spend a great deal of money on textbooks, however, the idea of replacing textbooks with tablets may be a solution to reduce the cost o