Transitions

Transitions 1. Read attached narrative.

2. Use Transition list to identify transitional words.

3. Write your list of at least 4 transitions words on separate sheet and turn in exactly 10 minutes after bell.

At the Food Court• It began in the Del Amo Mall food court. Resting at one of the tables

after my lunch, I casually glanced around the place. The food court wasn't crowded, and consequently I had no trouble spotting him: a tall, dark, gray-haired man. He caught my gaze, and started walking towards me. As I took in his gaunt frame, his tattered red t-shirt, and the holes in his great sweats, it dawned on me that before me stood a homeless man. Reaching my table, he asked if he could sit down with me but I declined. I wasn't in the mood to talk to him, and so mumbling a poor excuse and an apology that was probably a few octaves below any decipherable level, and not particularly caring whether the man heard me or not, I got up and walked away. The man called out after me, assuring me that he didn't want money, but rather only someone to talk to. I was rattled by his persistence, and pretending I didn't hear him I quickly walked away, my heart pounding in my chest.

At the Food Court

• Later that day the incident gnawed on my mind; that I coldly turned down a man who simply wanted someone to talk to was uncharacteristic and appalled me. As I lay awake that night, listening to the rain beat against my roof, my thoughts drifted back to the man at the mall. Was he outside in this rain right now? Was he cold, wet, and hungry? Was he lonely? The thought of him feeling abandoned because of me weighed even more heavily on my conscience. In my first year of high school I suffered through a terrible ordeal that distanced me from my friends for some time. I am familiar with the despair that arises from loneliness, and it made my guilt all the more acute. As I lay in bed, I felt frustrated and angry with myself for acting so callously.

At the Food Court

• I was eager to apologize to the man and the next day I returned to the mall in search of him. It was all in vain, however, as I could not find him, and the mere fact that I tried did nothing to mitigate my guilt. As days passed my thoughts wouldn't waver from the incident; it showed an ugly side of me I didn't like—a side of me that I was ashamed of. I felt the need to make it up to the person and atone for my impropriety, and I set about to create an organization where I would provide the homeless something I should have provided to that man: attention. And that was how I formed STATH—Students Talking To Homeless.

At the Food Court

• Through my organization I've 'adopted' many homeless people in Los Angeles and San Francisco. On weekends our members drive to the cities and spend the day with our adopted by taking them out for lunch, helping them carry around their possessions, or even sitting down and conversing with them. Working with the homeless has been a catharsis for me and I feel that I've become a better person because of it. Now I keep STATH active not because I still feel the urge to atone for the mall incident, but rather because I enjoy the interesting experiences it brings and watching the homeless' faces light up in astonishment and gratitude.

•  

At the Food Court• That the homeless desperately seek interaction with other people was evident in

Kevin, the first homeless I adopted. I met Kevin on STATH's first excursion; he was in an alley, sitting on a pile of newspapers beside his shopping cart. As I took in his ragged brown coat that was coated with bits of vegetables, straws, and other litter, and the pieces of cardboards tied to the soles of his decaying shoes, I recall wondering what horrible adversities this man had faced. Even his shopping cart, which contained his paltry possessions in the form of some aluminum cans, dirty blankets, and a cardboard box, bespoke his severe lifestyle. But all of this paled in comparison to his eyes; they were lackluster and downcast. They conveyed the impression that Kevin was the loneliest man in the world. Somewhat surprised, I approached him timidly and identified my organization and myself. To my delight he invited me to sit beside him and that afternoon Kevin regaled me with interesting tales from his past. He talked about his family and their Thanksgiving ritual where he would douse the entire turkey in gravy. I learned about the Air Force Academy and the crumbly corned beef they served every Friday. My favorite was when he talked about his participation in a fighter jet air show. Kevin was using his hands to simulate his F-22 Raptor, sending it into spirals and dives all the while rapidly describing the motions and imitating the jet sounds. Amidst all the sharp gesticulations, the flurry of descriptions, and the onomatopoeias, I had to smile. I was drawn to his face again and surprised at how his eyes seemed to sparkle with life. His effervescence was such a change from the torpid state I found him in and I was elated by the transformation.

At the food Court

• Since the mall incident my time with the homeless have widened my eyes considerably. I learned about panhandling, canning routes, and day labors.  I learned about the depression and loneliness that plagues many of the homeless. When I glance upon the effusive joy they derive from STATH's help, I get an idea as to how scathing my rejection might have been to the homeless at Del Amo. If only I could live the day over –It's a thought I've entertained on many occasions. I fear that in my callousness I have driven the man into a deep despair at the thought that no one wants to spend their time with him. Every time I adopt another homeless on one of STATH's excursions, I relive the incident at the mall. Only now, I take solace in the fact that I make the right decision.

WHY ARE TRANSITIONALWORDS & PHRASES

IMPORTANT?

THINK ABOUT IT….

• What would happen if the school bell did not ring?

• Would the transition from one class to another move smoothly?

THINK ABOUT IT?

• What if there were no traffic lights or stop signs?

• Would everyone start and stop appropriately?

Transitional Words are much like bells, lights and bridges…

• Transitional words and phrases indicate the relationship between one paragraph to another and one sentence to another.

• Transitions act like “bridges” to cross gaps that often occur between the sentences and paragraphs as the writer moves on to another topic, or point. Without transitions, your reader may not be able to understand the flow of the paper, and the progress of your thinking.

Transitions between phrases..

• When linking two paragraphs, the writer has limitless options—but whichever option chosen, the writer must demonstrate or explain how the two paragraphs are linked. This can be done with some imagination, focus and a single sentence.

Examples…• Example: No transitional phrase• Teresa Ayala eventually left

Mexico for the United States to pursue her education in law. She plans returning to Mexico one day to help her fellow citizens, particularly those in rural areas, who need representation in the halls of power.

• Antonio Duerte relocated his entire family to the United States. A member of an opposition party in an unidentified South American country, Antonio feared for his family’s safety, and therefore undertook the difficult step of leaving his country for another.

• Example: With transitional phrase• Teresa Ayala eventually left

Mexico for the United States to pursue her education in law. She plans returning to Mexico one day to help citizens in rural areas who need representation in the halls of power.

• Antonio Duerte’s reasons for leaving his country for the United States were more political than personal. Moreover he relocated his entire family to the United States. A member of the opposition party in an unidentified South American country, Antonio feared for his family’s safety, and therefore undertook the difficult step of leaving his country for another.