Activity: Relationship and Transition Fill-in-the-Blank
Do this activity to practice thinking about relationships between ideas and using transitions to connect ideas and create stronger coherence in the two- and three-sentence passages.
Relationship and Transition Fill-in-the-blank Activity
Fill in the blanks in the following passages. Really think about what relationship exists between the ideas and what transition word will best express that relationship. Before determining what word to use, figure out what type of relationship exists between the ideas and answer the question following the passage with one of the transition types listed earlier (time, space, change of direction, illustration, or conclusion). After you determine the type of relationship the transition should show, use trial and error to find the best word (there are no specific "right" answers here) to fill in the blank. Reading aloud is a great technique to use for this!
- After the ingredients are completely mixed together forming a light brown batter that has the consistency of syrup, let it chill in the refrigerator for a half hour. _______ take it out to add the last cup of flour and the chopped fruit.
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the blank?
What transition word works best in the blank? - It had been raining every day for four full days and I was certain the championship game was going to be rained out. _______ the morning of, the sun came out from behind the clouds, and the rain finally stopped.
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the blank?
What transition word works best in the blank? - My psychology professor assigns a lot of homework. ______ I have 40 pages to read and a two page response to write for tomorrow. ______ I have a presentation to get ready for next week!
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the first blank?
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the second blank?
What transition word works best in the first blank?
What transition word works best in the second blank? - My car has been having a lot of problems. First, it is having trouble starting. Even when it isn’t cold outside, it takes at least three tries to get it running. _____ the power windows have stopped working. ______ the front passenger side will not close all the way and rain and snow get in through the one inch gap.
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the first blank?
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the second blank?
What transition word works best in the first blank?
What transition word works best in the second blank? - The mythology class looked like it would be really interesting. For one thing, it was going to look at ancient Sumerian culture. _____ it was going to explore the stories from ancient Greece. ______ the class ended up being very dry and uninteresting.
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the first blank?
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the second blank?
What transition word works best in the first blank?
What transition word works best in the second blank? - It was a beautiful scene he saw out the window where he had built his little bird sanctuary. Above the flowers, he had hung hummingbird feeders. _____ the oak tree he had placed four different feeders. There were two seed-filled feeders and two suet feeders. _____ all that, was the multi-family bird house he had pieced together from sticks and bark.
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the first blank?
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the second blank?
What transition word works best in the first blank?
What transition word works best in the second blank? - I have had an awesome week at my new job. For one thing, my boss has been really great. ______ she already gave me a raise based on how quickly I am picking up the training. ______ she gave me a special piece for my computer that will make it easier on my eyes.
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the first blank?
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the second blank?
What transition word works best in the first blank?
What transition word works best in the second blank? - After we checked into the hotel, we changed into our swimsuits to head to the beach. We spent the whole afternoon sunbathing and playing in the water. ______ we started planning our evening. _____ dinner, we decided to check out the outdoor sculpture exhibit to build up our appetites.
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the first blank?
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the second blank?
What transition word works best in the first blank?
What transition word works best in the second blank? - I am really excited about a project we are doing in my biology class; we are building a board game that will show how the respiratory system works. _____ it is finished, the class will take it to the local high school to teach a group of juniors how to play. My job is to make the oxygen particle cards. I _____ volunteered to drive my group over to the high school on game day.
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the first blank?
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the second blank?
What transition word works best in the first blank?
What transition word works best in the second blank? - The house was getting cold and the snow was falling even harder than it had been earlier in the day. Some of the drifts between the back door and the wood pile were probably as deep as three or even maybe four feet. _____ she decided she would put on her snow shoes before heading to the wood pile.
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the blank?
What transition word works best in the blank? - The new IMAX theater in town is very expensive with $20 tickets. _______, viewing movies there is a really cool experience, and if you have the money, it is well worth it.
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the blank?
What transition word works best in the blank? - One way to improve a bad grade is to get together with the professor of the class to determine what is causing the bad grade and work on a series of steps to fix it. _______ way is to join or start a study group with other students in the class.
What relationship do you see between the ideas separated by the blank?
What transition word works best in the blank?