TRANSITIONS: stock words/phrases & the paragraph hook
LOGICAL RELATIONSHIP
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TRANSITIONAL EXPRESSION
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Similarity
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also, in the same way, just as ... so too, likewise, similarly
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Exception/Contrast
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While this may be true, it is also true, but, however (careful of this one—it belongs in the middle of a paragraph), in spite of, on the one hand ... on the other hand, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, in contrast, on the contrary, still, yet
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Sequence/Order
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first, second, third, ... next, then, finally
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Time
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after, afterward, at last, before, currently, during, earlier, immediately, later, meanwhile, now, recently, simultaneously, subsequently, then
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Example
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for example, for instance, namely, specifically, to illustrate
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Emphasis
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even, indeed, in fact, of course, truly
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Place/Position
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above, adjacent, below, beyond, here, in front, in back, nearby, there
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Cause and Effect
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accordingly, consequently, hence, so, therefore, thus
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Additional Support or Evidence
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additionally, again, also, and, as well, besides, equally important, further, furthermore, in addition, moreover, then
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Conclusion/Summary
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finally, in a word, in brief, briefly, in conclusion, in the end, in the final analysis, on the whole, thus, to conclude, to summarize, in sum, to sum up, in summary
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The paragraph hook is a more sophisticated and stronger connection.
You probably use the paragraph hook often in your own writing without knowing it and see it constantly in your reading without realizing it (as in this sentence, for example). But to take full advantage of its possibilities, you should learn to use the paragraph hook consciously, to direct and control it for your own purposes. Control, remember, is the essence of style, and the handling of transitions is an important part of any writer's style.
To see how the paragraph hook differs from the standard transitional device, look first at the example below. Here the transition from one paragraph to the next is accomplished by a standard transition alone-the word but:
Mark Twain is established in the minds of most Americans as a kindly humorist, a gentle and delightful "funny man." No doubt his photographs have helped promote this image. Everybody is familiar with the Twain face. He looks like every child's ideal grandfather, a dear old white-thatched gentleman who embodies the very spirit of loving-kindness. (Standard transition)
But Twain wrote some of the most savage satire ever produced in America....
The standard transition indicates clearly enough that the writer is preparing to take off with a new idea in opposition to the one in the first paragraph. But the transition is far too abrupt. The leap from one idea (how Twain looked) to the next (how he wrote) is simply too great to be handled by a mechanical transition. Observe how much more firmly the paragraphs hang together with this transition
…a dear old white-thatched gentleman who embodies the very spirit of loving-kindness. (paragraph hook)
The loving-kindness begins to look a little doubtful in view of some of his writing. For Twain wrote some of the most savage satire ...
Here you see demonstrated the simplest kind of paragraph hook. The last word of the first paragraph is hooked into the first sentence of the second paragraph and used as a point of departure for introducing another idea. This repetition hooks the paragraphs together solidly. The hook need not be one word; it can be a phrase. It should not, however, exceed two or three words.
Although the last word or phrase of a paragraph frequently serves as the simplest and strongest kind of hook, you can go back farther than this, sometimes to even better effect:
…a dear old white-thatched gentleman who embodies the very spirit of loving-kindness. (deeper hook)
This dear old white-thatched gentleman happens to be the author of some of the most savage satire ...
Generally speaking, the last sentence of a paragraph is the best place to find the hook for your new paragraph, for this sentence is the one freshest in the reader's mind. If you go back much deeper than this, you will usually need a multiple hook, as in this example:
No doubt his photographs have helped promote this image.... He looks like ... the very spirit of loving-kindness.
(Still deeper: the multiple hook)
To accept such an image is to betray greater familiarity with the photographs than with the writing. For Twain wrote some of the most savage satire ...
Here both image and photographs are repeated, thus "double hooking" the paragraphs to make up for the greater distance between their first and second appearance. The greater the distance, the more likely you are to need a multiple hook. But no arbitrary rule in this matter is possible. Let your inner ear and your good sense guide you. The important thing is to remember the reader. Make certain that the connection is clear to him. But don't insult him by making the connection too clear-that is, by repeating huge sections or whole sentences from the preceding paragraph. One or two key words will do the job.
All the examples so far have been simple word or phrase hooks. Another variation of the paragraph hook is the idea hook. The principle is the same; you hook into the preceding paragraph, but instead of repeating an exact word or phrase you refer to the idea just expressed, compressing it into a single phrase:
Mark Twain is ........................................................................................... the very spirit of loving-kindness. (Idea hook)
Such a view of Twain would probably have been a source of high amusement to the author himself. For Twain wrote some of the most savage satire ...
Or Any resemblance between this popular portrait and the man who reveals himself in his writing is purely imaginary. For Twain wrote ...
