5

Linking 1: Connecting sentences

Writing is the best way to talk without being interrupted. - Jules Renard
(French autho r)

Writing needs to flow - from the fi rst line to the last. Just as we talk about a fluent
speaker, whose language flows natural ly, we can talk about a fluent writer. The
techniques for fluent speech and fluent writing are different, but the effect is the
same. In fluent writing, the reader can easily follow the internal structure of a
document a n d the connections between the writer's ideas. So, while Unit 4 focused
on the external structure of a document in terms of its clear format and layout, this
unit will look at techniques for creating a transparent internal structure.

We will look at two types of linking:

1 Logical connections, e.g. as a result, in contrast, in a ddition
2 Chronological connections, e.g. first, second, after that, finally
Both types of link ing make it easier for the reader to follow the flow of ideas or
information. Leaving them out gives the reader a sense of uncertainty and makes it
more difficult to read comfortably.

Let's look first at logical connections. I n the sample text below, the logical linking
words are shown in bold:

We launched the new products at a ttme when competltton was fierce.

Therefore · was difficult for us to get the comm1tment of all our senior
management In addition, the high bank interest rates made it hard for us to
get the necessary fmancial backmg; however, after lengthy negotiations we
managed to ..

Notice how the l inking words are used either between sentences (separated by a
fu ll stop) or between cla uses (separated by a semi-colon).

The linking words and phrases above have very specific meanings:
• therefore: cause i n the previous sentence; result i n the present sentence
• in addit1on: extra information in the present sentence to be read together with the
first information given in the previous sentences
• however: contrast between expected outcome, based on expectation from
previous clause, and actual outcome as stated in the present clause.

You can find a fuller list of logical linking words and phrases in Appendix 2.

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 UNIT 5 I Linking 1 : Connecting sentences

Chronological connections, as you would expect, have to do with time and order of
occurrence. You can see some uses of chronological linking words in the following
sample text. The linking words are shown in bold:

I would like to go over the actton plan before our next meeting so that we are
aligned on the next steps. First of all, you will need to extract the sales figures
from the P&L account. Next, these figures wtll require some analyss i so that we can
see where the major sales outlets are. At the same time, we will be in a better
position to identify where we have incurred stgnificant costs. Finally, I would like
you to put these figures into a spreadsheet and circulate it to the whole team.

Here the writer shows the time link between ideas or actions, i.e. what comes first,
second, next, etc. Chronological links include phrases such as:
• First/first o f all/initially/to start with/the first step/at the first stage
• Second/secondly/the second step/at the second stage
• Then/after that/next/subsequently/the next step/at the next stage
• Finally/the final step/at the final stage

You can find a fuller list of chronological linking words and phrases in Appendix 2.

Again, the use of these phrases makes the relationship between information and
actions explicit and transparent, and, as a result, improves the readabi lity of the text.

Useful tips

• Linking words and phrases show the relationships between your ideas and information.

• They make your writing more fluent and your documents easier to read.

• Logical links help the reader to follow the logical relationships between your ideas and information.

• Chronological links help the reader to follow the time relationships between information and actions.

II Underline the linking words and ph rases in the following conclusion from a
marketing report.

In short, last year was a fantastic year for us. Obviously, we are confident about next year; however,
we recognise the risks of over-rapid growth Therefore, we are going to put 1n a prudent forecast.
For 1nstance, we feel that some of the Far Eastern markets have bounced back too quickly. In addition.
Eastern Europe is still somewhat unstable, though it has become a lot firmer 1n the last few months.
In other words, let us not become overconfident. Usually a company 111 our pos1t1on would take a very
optimistic v1ew of future prospects Our competitors have. For example. lntersearch IS investing huge
sums in development. Similarly, QWX has bought a number of smaller prov1ders in various countries.
We, too, have been act1ve. In particular, our acquisitions in Northern Europe have taken us into the
heart of technological developments. Yet. let us not be complacent. In conclusion, this is a tough
market but we can feel quietly confident.

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 Underline the linking words and phrases in the following extract from a report
about Corporate Responsibility.

In recent years Corporate Responstbility (CR) has moved further and further up the agenda
of the world's biggest orqanisauons. but what does CR really mean? In short, CR is the 1dea
that an organisation should choose to demonstrate respect for the rights of workers. local
communities. and the envtronrtlent throughout thetr operations. In other words. the obligations
of the organisation extend beyond what they are legally requ1red to do. In fact, C R encourages
organisattons to voluntarily tty to improve performance 1n a wide range of areas.

Globalisation has clearly Increased the power and tmpact of transnational organtsattons but this
1mpact can be both positive and negative. For example, the current media locus on green issues
has htghlighted pu b li c concerns about protecting the environment. Compan tes. therefore, need to
take responsibility and respond to these wornes.

CR can bnng many beneftts to an organtsauon. For 1nstance. 1t can help a company establish a
clear posttton tn a busy market, alternatively, it can help to protect a part1cular brand. The process
of creating a new set of values and responsibilities can also create a more developed identity for
an organisation. However, it is cnttcal for the CR process to be part of the day-to-day running of
the company rather than it just being a process to please stakeholders.

The linking words and phrases in the following marketing email have been omitted.
Complete the email with a suitable word or phrase from the list below.
Note: sometimes, more than one option is possible.

alternatively consequently however normally

as a result finally tn addition of course
but first of all tn summary secondly
clearly for example naturally therefore

To: [email protected]
Subject: New product

Dear Peter

We would like to draw your attention to a new product that we have added to our range.
1 . .. . .. .... .. . .
.. . . .. . ... , as a stockist of our products. you are aware that customers have
been asking for an enhancement to the 'utility' feature on the Alpha model. We have,
2 . .. .
..... . . . , developed the new Alpha Plus to provide customers with just this
.. . . . . . . . ...

function. 3 . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . the new model offers increased efficiency;

. . . 4 . . . ..................... ,
as you will see, the operation has been simplified by the new 'Quick Start' button.
5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
. . .. . .. , we expect that customers will appreciate the new control panel,
which looks much more attractive than i n previous models. 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , this is a . . . . . . .

major renovation for a well-established product, which we believe will be very attractive
to your customers.

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 U N IT 5 1 Linking 1 : Connecting sentences

7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , you would expect that the above enhancements would involve an

. . .

increase in price 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . we have managed to negotiate favourable terms with

. . .

our sub-contractors. 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , we are able to offer you the Alpha Plus at the same
. .. . . .

price as the Alpha. This compares very favourably with competitor products. The Blaster,
1 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , retails at £59.99.
. . . . .

1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , I hope that this pricing will be an incentive for you to place an initial
. .

order for this product.

We are planning a promotional campaign next month, and will be demonstrating the
product to our key customers. 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . we would like you to be the first in your
region to stock the product. 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . we hope you will take advantage of our
. . . . . .

free demonstration service. We will be in your area from 1 3- 1 5 November and our sales
rep will be pleased to visit you at a convenient time. 1 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . if these dates are . . .

not suitable, we can arrange a visit at another time.

1 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , one of our sales team will call you in the next few days to get your
. . . . . . .

feedback. 1 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .'. . . if you'd like to speak to me personally, please call me on

. . .. .

0845 5632 5683.

Regards

Ranjit Mahotra

Regional Sales Director

The texts presented in this unit follow a particular development, going from the
general. i.e. presentation of the topic, to the specific, i . e . detailed information. This
approach is typical of deductive logic. The aim of this pattern is to establish the topic
immediately so that people know from the start what you are talking about. After
that the details can be presented deductively as they are needed. This is a common
Western approach to business communication.

In inductive logic, you go from specific to general. The minor points of an argument
are stated first and the main point is then arrived at as a conclusion. The focus here
is on how the details relate to the whole. Inductive logic requires you to gather the
information so that you can reach a logical conclusion. This creates a different feel
to communication, making it less rigid than the deductive approach. The inductive
pattern is a common Eastern approach to business communication.

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 6
Linking 2 : Sentence structure
A ll the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary ­
it's just a matter of arranging them into the right se11tences.
- W. Somerset Maugham (English playwright and novelist)

I n Unit we looked at one aspect of document structure - con nectors between

5,
sentences. In this unit, we will look at another dimension of structure which can
further improve the readability of your document. This is the relationship between
information within a sentence. To do this, we need to differentiate between the
following three types of sentence structure:
1 Simple sentences
2 Compound sentences
3 Complex sentences

The following sample sentences from reports i l lustrate these three types:

1 The product was launched ten years ago.

This is a simple sentence consisting of one clause.

2 lntersearch is investing huge sums in development and QWX has bought a

number of smaller prov1ders in various countries.

This is a compound sentence consisting of two cla uses, linked by 'and'. Clauses i n
compound sentences can also be linked by 'or' a n d 'but'.

3 lntersearch, who entered the market recently, is investing huge sums in

development.

This is a complex sentence consisting of two clauses, linked by the relative pronoun
'who'.

Bank interest rates made it hard for us to get the necessary financial backing,
especially since they were very h1gh initially.

This is a complex sentence consisting of two clauses, linked by the subordinating

conjunction 'since'. Complex sentences consist of two (or more) clauses, linked by
either a relative pronoun or a subordinating conjunction .

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 UNIT 61 Linking 2: Sentence structure

The main relative pronouns are:

The main subordinating conjunctions (with the meanings they express) are:

�
because/ after/
if when/as while while (al)though
as before

time!
reason condition tiiTIE> time purpose t contras t
contras t

We can now compare the various methods of connecting information and ideas
within a single sentence. As these sentences demonstrate, the effect is quite d ifferent:

They only set up the operat1on three months ago but they've already gone
bankrupt.

This is vaguer and less emphatic.

Although they only set up the operation three months ago, they've already
gone bankrupt.

Here, the subordinate clause is reduced to a less important role.

They only set up the operation three months ago; however, they've already
gone bankrupt.

In this example, more emphasis is placed on 'they've already gone bankrupt'.

None of these techniques is better or worse than the others. However, you need to
be aware of these techniques and make your choice on which to use in order to
create:

• different effects in your writing

• variety in your writing

Useful tips

• Use a range of techniques to show the relationship between information within a sentence.

• Use linking words and phrases to show the relationship between sentences (see Unit 5).

• Use a variety of sentence structures to make your writing more interesting and engaging.

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 D What type of sentence is each of these? Write the sentence number into the correct
column.

Simple Compound Complex

1
1 The economic crisis has clearly had a significant effect on our business environment.
2 Although our sector has been affected by the impact of the global recession,
it has shown a greater resilience than other parts of the economy.
3 As we are all aware, during periods of rapid economic decline, our customers look
carefully at their expenditure.
4 We have therefore responded to this pressure on household and business expenses
with new price plans that are specifically designed to address customers' needs.
5 If we look at society, our services have clearly become increasingly i m portant in
the day-to-day lives of our customers.
6 We see this especially in the way in which our services offer people new flexibility
i n their business and personal lives.
7 This new flexibility will encourage more growth and lead to more social changes.
8 We have also continued to see pricing pressure in Europe.
9 Because the period of rapid growth in new customer numbers is now over we
need to adjust our resources accordingly.
10 So that we can remain competitive, we are committed to reducing operating costs.
11 We will maintain this focus over the coming year and drive down costs.
12 Unfortunately, this involves reducing our workforce but our company will
certa inly continue to be a good place to work.

FJ In the following text, underline all the words and phrases used to link clauses
together within a single sentence. Remember that a subordinate clause may appear
at the beginning of a sentence.

As we are changing the current reporti ng process, we must keep a clear record
of the number of products which we have renewed. This will enable us to
monitor our progress more closely. So, when the new version of the XYZ Technical
Production Management software is installed, we will be able to maintain this
information directly within the database. After all technical reports have been
created within the database, we will be able to ana lyse data directly, which will
eliminate the need to request this information from Application Groups via
surveys, as it is done today.

The new technical solution will provide us with global visibility on products so
that we can see the specific renovations that we have plan ned. The quality of the
database is, of course, dependent upon the quality of the data which has been
entered by the Application Groups. Data must be reliable and credible so that it
can su pport analyses within the organisation. It must also allow commun ication
to external partners, when this is relevant. It is, therefore, critical that Application
Groups enter and maintain correct data.

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 UNIT 6 1 Linking 2: Sentence structure

The following extract from a report includes simple, compound, and complex
clauses. Where there is a gap, complete the sentence with a suitable word or phrase.
In some cases, there is more than one possible option.

Over the last year, our strategy has focused on the development of our new
technology for agricultural uses 1 .... .. ......... .... we have made significant advances . . .

in the commercialisation of the associated products. There was a significant

m ilestone in spring 201 0 2 . ....... ............. we got approval for the launch of these
. .

products. 3 ...... ......... .... . we were required to carry out one further study, this did
. . .

not delay the product launch. This additional work has now been completed
4 ......... . . . . . . . we hope to have the final results around the end of this year.
... ... .

During 2009, negotiations were opened with a n umber of different local

companies 5 . . . . . . . are interested in representing us in Europe. This will
..... .. . ... .. . ..

help to make us better known in countries 6 ... . . . . we currently don't have .. .... .... ......

an office or a representative.
We have also made significant changes to our personnel 7 .. .. ..... . .. ...... the .. .. .

company has developed into new areas, especially developing contracts and links
with industry. Peter Bartlett has been appointed to the post of Managing Director
8 . . ................. I hope you will join with me in congratulating him on this well-
.. . .

earned promotion. Meanwhile, Jane Davies has moved on 9 ... . ................. I would . .

like to express our thanks to her for all her work d uring the early stages of the
company. 10 . . ...... .. . we are moving on to this new stage, it is appropriate
.. . ...... ..

for Peter to assume that role.

1 1 . . ..... ... ..... . I look ahead, there are two things which I would like to comment
. . ... .

on. We now feel 12 . . . . . . . the company can move to the stock m a rket
.. ..... .. . .. . ..

in the next two years 1 3 . . . . . . . . . . we will investi g a te that objective at

...... . . . . . .

the beginning of next year 14 . . . . . ... we can be sure to have sufficient

...... ... .. . . .

capabil ity for the new opportunities 15 . . ............ . . I described earl ier. .. . . ..

So, we are now in a much better p osit ion to move forward 1 6 .. . . . . .. . . . the . ...... . . ..

options have become much clea rer. In a year's time, I hope 17 . . . . . . we will ...... . .... . ....

be able to report on a significant number of events 1 8 . .... . .. .. . have occurred . . .. ... ....

in that period.

The contrast between structured and flexible styles is commonly used to describe
differences in personality. However, it is also a feature of cultures, where some prefer a
more planned approach to working, while others prefer a more organic style.

When we look at documents, we can see this difference reflected in approaches to

writing. In some cultures, it is important to have a document structure with a clear,
logical development of information. In others, more attention is paid to building the
relationship with the readers or to creating impact by the flow of ideas. When writing
for an international audience, it is important to reflect on one's own preferred writing
approach; and also to analyse the approach of others.

What structure and organisation for my document?

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