Link Questions

Close Reading Revision

Linking Sentences

• Good writers make their argument flow by leading the reader from one idea to the next.

• They do this by using linking sentences which refer to both the idea they have just been discussing, and also to the next idea to be dealt with.

Linking Sentences

• Usually a linking sentence will come at the beginning of a paragraph, but occasionally it will come at the end, or even in the middle of a paragraph which deals with more than one topic.

Link Questions

• When answering a link question, you need to follow these 4 steps:

– QUOTE the word or words in the link sentence which refer to the previous topic.

– EXPLAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS what that topic was.

– QUOTE the word or words referring to the new topic.

– EXPLAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS what the new topic is.

Link Questions

You could use the following template to help you answer link questions:

The word / expression ‘_____’ refers back to ______ which was discussed in the previous paragraph.The word / expression ‘______’ introduces the idea of _____ which is going to be discussed in the new paragraph.

Practice QuestionThe presence of humans long ago taught the local carnivore populations who really is the king of the jungle. Just in case one of them attempts a takeover, however, we’re going to be accompanied by an armed warden. Dave will be there too.That’s not what I’m worried about. What really concerns me is the fact that, in order to make this test a little more “interesting” as he puts it, Dave has decided not to tell his clients who I am.

Show how the sentence highlighted in red is a successful link between the two paragraphs above. 2A

Answer

Answers must explain how ‘that’s’ refers to the latter part of the previous paragraph (about the possibility of being attacked), while the whole sentence introduces the writer’s real concerns which are the subjects of the rest of the paragraph containing the link sentence.

Answer using template:

The word ‘That’s’ refers back to the possibility of being attacked which was discussed in the previous paragraph.The expression ‘what I’m worried about’ introduces the idea of the writer’s real concern (that the clients won’t know the truth about him) which is discussed in the new paragraph.

Practice QuestionThe Great Outdoors is a giant funhouse where we can cast off adult worries and become carefree kids again. It’s not accident that kids love climbing.Yet there must be more to it than the desire to have fun, or else why do I keep going when it ceases to be fun? When I’m cold and tired and out of breath, why do I keep putting one foot in front of the other and, when I’ve returned to the comfort of my home, why do I recall those times with a glow of satisfaction?

Explain how the sentence highlighted in red above performs a linking function. 2A

Answer:

The expression ‘a desire to have fun’ refers back to the idea of childish fun which was discussed in the previous paragraph.The expression ‘there must be more to it’ or ‘when it ceases to be fun’ introduces the idea of him considering why he does do it which is going to be discussed in the new paragraph.

Practice QuestionChocolate was seen as the cure for all ills. And it’s true – as the confectionary industry is keen to point out – that cocoa beans contain flavanoids which help high blood pressure. And chocolate doesn’t have the teeth-rotting qualities of other sweets.But that’s more than counterbalanced by the fact that it’s still crammed full of fats and sugar. “We’re looking at 9 to 10 calories per gram,” says Professor Tom Sanders, the head of nutritional sciences at King’s College, London.

Explain why the sentence in red provides an effective link between the paragraph it begins and the previous one.2A/E

DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE 4 STEP

PROCESS WHEN ANSWERING LINK

QUESTIONS!

Find as many examples of linking sentences in a newspaper or magazine as you can.