Before the First Sentence
There may be a statement before the first sentence that announces the link
between sentences at the start of the paragraph, or between several paragraphs
at the start of the first paragraph. First an example from outside law:
Many things happened in those first five minutes. Men shouted. Children ran to their mothers.
Doors banged shut. Thunder clapped. Women cried out. Plates fell off the shelf. The duke box
kept playing country and western.
As the opening sentence tells us, each sentence contains one item on a list of
the things that happened in those first five minutes.
Now for a legal illustration, from torts:
There are three matters concerning torts that require discussion at the outset. They were once
connected with criminal law. Many tort feasors are insured. In modern form torts display
substantial traces of their ancient origins.
A variation is that the writer connects two or more sentences by a prior
statement of the overall structure of the text. An example:
Jane decided that the best way to photograph the eagle was on the mountain. It took several
days to implement her plan. Jane climbed to the top of the mountain. She photographed the
eagle hovering and diving.
In the First Sentence
Something in the first sentence may make it clear why the second sentence
flows from it. For example
the first sentence is a question and the second
sentence is an answer.
In the Second Sentence
There are several devices by which the second sentence can show its
relationship to the first –
it might repeat a word, repeat a concept, use a
pronoun, use a synonym or use a similar idea. To illustrate these devices,
assume that the first sentence is: "Jane climbed to the top of the mountain”.
Now let us state and illustrate some of the ways in which the second sentence
can explicitly state the link to the first sentence:
(1)
Repetition. This involves internal transition because the word or phrase
creating the transition lies naturally within the second sentence. Repetition of a
word or idea creates a thread that gives continuity to the text. There are four
forms of repetition:
(i)
Repetition of a word. Illustration: “Jane climbed to the top of the
mountain. Climbing was one of her favourite activities”.
(ii)
Use of a pronoun. By definition, a pronoun represents a
previously used noun. Illustration: “Jane climbed to the top of the mountain.
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