Politics and Government Essay - Sentence Starters

Sentence Templates + Transitions

Taken, with some edits, from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sCbZ7FHOQLQxMdMM4h5o6v8wkMJPFfISmwNPY8xcvOw/edit

Introducing What “They Say” A number of _______ have recently suggested that __________. It has become common today to dismiss (or make fun of) __________. In their recent work, Y and Z have harshly criticized ___________ for ___________. Introducing What an Author Says X acknowledges that _____________. X agrees that _____________. X argues that _____________. X believes that _____________. X denies/does not deny that _____________. X claims that _____________. X complains that _____________. X concedes that _____________. X demonstrates that _____________. X celebrates the fact that _____________. X insists that _____________. X questions whether _____________. X reminds us that _____________. X reports that _____________. X suggests that _____________.

Introducing “Standard Views” Americans today tend to believe that ______________. Common sense seems to say that _________________. It is often said that __________________. Many people assume that ______________.

Introducing an Ongoing Debate In discussions of __________, one controversial issue has been ____________. On the one hand, ______________ argues __________________. On the other hand, ______________ opposes _____________. Others even believe ______________. My own view is ______________. When it comes to the topic of ________, most of us will readily agree that __________. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of _____________. While some are convinced that _____________, others believe that _____________.

Using a Quotation (i.e., Backing up your argument with proof) X states, “_______” ( ). Standage states, “Some [drinks] have served to highlight the power and status of the elite” (2). According to X, “____” ( ). According to Standage, “Wine was the lifeblood of [Greece]” (3). X himself writes, “_______” ( ). Standage himself writes, “Six beverages... chart the flow of world history” (2). Odysseus himself says, “I longed for sweet Penelope” (9.21). In his book, ______________, X maintains that “________” ( ). In his book, A History of the World in Six Glasses, Standage maintains that “Greek and Roman knowledge... had been safeguarded and extended by scholars in the Arab world” (4). Writing in the magazine ________, X complains that “____________” ( ). Writing in the online magazine Salon, Weitz complains that “reality television is little more than gladiatorial combat” (3). X agrees when she writes, “_____” ( ). I believe wine was the most influential drink in history. Standage agrees when he writes, “Wins was the lifeblood of [Greece]” (4).

Explaining a Quotation (i.e., Showing that you understand what the quote says) Basically, X is saying _______. Basically, Standage is saying that wine is what made Greece and Rome so powerful. That’s a pretty bold claim. In other words, X believes ____________. In other words, Standage believes that beer was crucial in the founding of ancient civilizations. It’s almost as if he’s saying that beer built the pyramids. In making this comment, X urges us to ________. In making this comment, Standage urges us to look at something as common as a bottle of Coca Cola and to consider its historical significance. X’s point is that _________. Odysseus’ point is that, since he is a man, he couldn’t help but fall for Circe’s beguiling manner. The essence of X’s argument is that _____________. The essence of Tanner’s argument is that memorizing massive lists of vocabulary will pay off in the future when difficult words are encountered.

Establishing Why Your Claims Matter (i.e., Why should I care about this argument?) X matters because _____________________. High school matters because it either opens or closes doors into the rest of my life. Although X may seem trivial, it is in fact crucial in terms of today’s concern over _________________. Although doing homework may seem trivial, it is in fact crucial in terms of succeeding in high school and developing my brain. Ultimately, what is at stake here is ________________________. Ultimately, what is at stake here is my lifelong flourishing; being lazy now means being unhappy for decades. Although X may seem of concern to only a small group of _________________, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about ________________. Although high school may seem of concern to only a small group of nerdy students, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about having an enjoyable life.

Transitions

For ADDING IDEAS:

also                            another                      in fact        equally important         moreover
furthermore                  additionally                indeed        in addition              

For MAKING A CONTRAST:

however                             nevertheless                      although                       conversely   
on the contrary                 notwithstanding                 even though                  all the same                             on the other hand             by contrast                         nonetheless

For COMPARING:

likewise                               equally                      along the same lines
similarly                             in comparison            in the same way

For CITING AN EXAMPLE:

for example                          in other words            in fact
for instance                          specifically                 after all
as an illustration                 consider        

For SHOWING RESULTS:

accordingly                                hence                              consequently
as a result                                  thus                                 therefore

For REINFORCING AN IDEA:

especially important                          above all                                        most noteworthy
especially relevant                            a significant factor                         most of all       

For ELABORATING (expanding upon a point):

actually                      by extension                  to put it another way
to put it bluntly          in short                         to put it succinctly
in other words           ultimately

For CONCLUDING:

clearly                                  hence                        consequently
obviously                             therefore                   thus
in short                                all in all