Democratizing Twentieth Century America - Sentence Starters and Other Writing Supports

Introducing authors/comparing authors: 

Zinn suggests that...

Franklin argues...

Franklin questions whether...

Zinn casts doubt upon the idea...

Zinn asserts

Franklin quotes a _________ who embodied this sentiment.

Gosse denies...

Even Zinn concedes that......

Franklin believes.....

_______ admits that....

While Zinn suggests, Franklin takes a different approach

While Franklin is more critical, Zinn only suggests...

Zinn urges us to believe....

Creating context:

First it is important to establish....

During this period.....therefore it comes as no surprise that...

The social/political/economic climate created...

It was common for...

Jim Crow was ubiquitous...

Viewed in this context,....

Significance: 

It is important to consider...

In this context, _________ is especially significant because....

This _________ matters because....

Ultimately this is important...

Extension of a point/Another viewpoint/Counterclaim: 

Moreover.... 

Furthermore....

It is also important to note

One the other hand,

In addition,

While there is some merit to this argument,...

Clarifying Arguments, Introducing evidence, Analyzing Evidence:

Considering the status of....

In this context...

In a sense,

For example,

For instance,

Franklin quotes a _________ who embodies this sentiment.

One might also argue,

In this context, it is difficult to deny...

Franklin succinctly makes the point...

This excerpt/letter/essay underscores the 

This rhetoric suggests

Simply put,

Simply stated,

In other words,  

The essence of the report's findings suggested...

Using a Quotation (i.e., Backing up your argument with proof)

• Zinn 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).

• President Truman himself writes, “_______” ( 4).

• In the commission's report, ______________, 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).

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