The feedback on exercise A: Transitional devices

  1. The transitional devices in clip III were:

    first--> time sequence                      

    again--> addition

    second--> time sequence

    summarising--> summary or conclusion

    nevertheless--> contrast

    also--> addition

    however--> contrast

    now--> time sequence

    third--> time sequence

    finally-> summary or conclusion/time sequence

    to conclude --> summary or conclusion

In this clip there were quite a few devices indicating time sequence. Some of them won’t be discussed here because they will be dealt with later on this page. Again is a slightly tricky device in the sense that it can belong to two very different categories. It can show addition or time sequence. In this case it could be argued that it serves both functions because the speaker adds information but he also shows time by referring to something that has already happened before. (At) Summarizing is an easier one to classify and it obviously shows summary or conclusion. Nevertheless is also quite straight forward and indicates contrast. Also, however and now we’ve already discussed earlier in the exercise relating to video clip I, so they shouldn’t have been difficult for you to place in the right category. Finally is a device which could also go into two different categories: summary and conclusion, or time sequence. In this instance, it is probably save to say that it is used for time sequencing rather than showing summary or conclusion, although the speaker is talking about how he will finish off his presentation. To conclude is the device to indicate summary or conclusion.