I am in dire need of someone with good background on American English Grammatical...um... things! My Literature teacher constantly points out on my paper that I need "Transitional Clauses" or "Clause Transitions". Could someone please give me an example, or preferably several examples of Transitional Clauses. Here below is a sample of my writing, and I was told that I need them at the beginning of my paragraphs.




I would greatly appreciate this as I have no idea what one is. Also, I need this as soon as you can tell me! Please hurry, my grade's depending on it! Thank you for your time and consideration!

If that's all your teacher caught, perhaps you should switch schools.

For example: "A customer came through...complaining they had..."
Pronouns should agree with their antecedents.

"The missing ten nuggets were handed out with an apology."
Avoid passive voice when you can.

"In fact," Hmmm... It seems he missed this transitional clause. You might point out that you did indeed use one . Normally they're preceded by a semicolon though.

A transitional clause does what its name implies; (notice correct use of "its," by the way) that is, it helps the transition from one clause to the next. To illustrate this point, I just used one in the last sentence.

"That is," preceded by a semicolon, in this case.
Uh oh, when I start to write in sentence fragments I should stop.

The above examples are not a dig on you or your writing. Nothing asses me up more than an instructor who does not know his own material. I once had a professor at SUNY who used the word "expellation" in his syllabus. I pointed it out to him, and naturally received a less than satisfactory grade on my next exam. When I made my case to the Dean of Students, I was withdrawn from the course with a full refund, although the time to do so had long passed. A few years later, thinking I still had to make up expository writing, I discovered I had been credited with the course. I guess the last laugh was on the professor.

Sorry to ramble on. I hope I've helped. Your instructor should have done so himself. If you're a mind to, tell him a grunt (you know, the guys who have to have the instructions for a LAW printed on the tube, or "Front Toward Enemy" cast on the front of a Claymore) helped square you away.

I am considered a fairly good writer, but I don't have a clue what all these "freaky-deaky" terms are. I will bow to 18 bravo's corrections and explaations. I just had a similar situation once happe to me. While in college, I worked at a Taco restaurant. We had a customer call us and say we shorted him which he had discovered when he got home. "No problem sir, next time you come in we will make up the shortage" The next week we get a call in order from the guy who reminds us we had shorted him a taco. He calls later stating this time we had shorted him 2 tacos. OK, once again no problem. The next week same thing occurs only this time its 2 burritoes. Ok for the third time no problem. The next week he calls his order in again. I personally check order and go so far to add an extra taco. That's right, you guessed it. The call comes in and he was short 2 tacos. This time the answer was. You're a liar and a cheat and we will no longer do business with you sir. The rule is don't push it as eventually they will tell you t flake of.

I have a hard enough time speaking "JOISEY".... but now I know how to get an extra ten nuggets......

"Thanks McConnell"......... :-) :-)

Wow, someone actually called for an English Major. I do not get that often.

Usually, transitional clauses are used to tie the last idea in a paragraph to the next paragraph.

From Shrunk and White's "The Elements of Style," page 16:

"As a rule, begin each paragraph either with a sentence that suggest the topic or with a sentence that helps the transition. If a paragraph forms part of a larger composition, its relationship to what precedes, or its function as part of the whole may need to be expressed. This can sometimes be done with a mere word or phrase (again; therefore; for the same reason) in the first sentence."


For example
In fact, McDonald’s official procedures required it.
(Place Clause Here) A mere ten minutes later, a peculiar thing happened...

would be better like this

In fact, McDonald’s official procedures required it.
After dealing with the previous customer complaint, a mere ten minutes later a peculiar thing happened. (I would end the sentence there and start a new sentence.)

Shaun

"Elements of Style" is less than one hundred pages long and highly recommend.