Lesson 4: Process Essay Transitions & Language
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Lesson Objective: At the end of this lesson, you will be able to use transitions to create cohesive process essays
Transition signals and imperative statements
We already know that transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing. Transitions move you from one step to the next in a chronological order. They also allow your reader to understand the sequence of events in your process essay. Chronological transition signals establish clarity in your writing and take your reader on a clear and cohesive journey.
Time order words can be placed anywhere in a sentence. Often they are placed at the start of a paragraph or at the start of a sentence in a paragraph. You will find that they are typically followed by a comma.
The followings are transitions commonly used in process paragraphs:
Immediately following,
Afterwards,
Initially,
At last
In the end,
At the same time,
In the future,
Before
In the meantime,
Before this,
In the meanwhile,
Currently,
Last, Last but not least, Lastly,
During
Later,
Eventually,
Meanwhile,
Finally,
Next, Soon after,
First, Second, Third, etc.
Previously,
First of all,
Simultaneously,
Formerly
Subsequently,
Immediately before,
Imperative statements
Now let’s talk about the language of a process essay. In a directive, or how-to process essay, you are instructing your readers to follow a sequence of specific steps. In other words, you are giving commands directly to your reader for them to follow. Thus, process essays often use sentences written with an understood “you” or an imperative statement. Understood “you” means that the subject is the person to whom the command is directed. One thing that you want to avoid in a process essay is to keep repeating “you” over and over. Using command statements with an understood “you” will prevent this and make for a more readable essay. Remember, imperative statements are commands used to give direction. Since a process essay is all about giving direction, you will need to use a number of imperative statements to make your point.
Now, let’s have a look at the first body paragraph of an example process essay:
Begin by siding the flour into a large mixing bowl. Once the flour is sifted, make a dent in the center of the flour and add two eggs. Next, mix the flour and eggs using a whisk while gradually adding small amounts milk and water. Whisk the mixture until the batter is smooth and lump free. Be sure to use a spatula to scrape any excess flour off the sides of the bowl. Once the batter is mixed thoroughly, add the fruit and stirred in.
The instructions in the paragraph do not need to use the word “you” over and over because it’s obvious that you are giving instructions to the reader. You should also note how carefully the writer describes each step in the paragraph adding all the necessary tools and equipment needed to complete the process.
