英语写作提案技巧：高效连接信息的方法解析

This is our final lesson in our course on Meetings. So far this week you've learned about how to run and participate in effective brainstorming meetings. In the previous lesson you learned about the language and organization of written proposals. In this final lesson you'll learn how to identify appropriate language to connect ideas in writing. In this lesson you'll combine information from written texts and a discussion at a meeting to write notes for a proposal. Then at the end of this lesson you'll write your own proposal based on these notes. During this lesson we'll be talking about some different areas around Seattle and you'll also hear from some Seattle companies about how they choose a location for a store. Let's start by talking about the language we can use to connect information in different ways. First we'll look at adding information. Look at the following two pieces of information and think about how you can connect the ideas. By the way, median age means that half the people in the area are older and half the people are younger. If we want to just add one piece of information in a sentence to another we can use language that means AND. Here are two common ways we can do this using ORSO and in addition. The median age of people living in the North Lake neighborhood is 37. Also a lot of single professional people live there. The median age of people living in the North Lake neighborhood is 37. In addition a lot of single professional people live there. Notice how we can use there instead of repeating the North Lake neighborhood. If we want to not only add another piece of information but also use it to help support an argument we can use a phrase like more importantly, furthermore or what is more? What is more or what's more is informal. These phrases show that the second piece of information is an additional and stronger support to our argument. The median age of people living in the North Lake neighborhood is 37. More importantly a lot of single professional people live there. The median age of people living in the North Lake neighborhood is 37. What's more a lot of single professional people live there. Now let's see if you can choose the best way to connect these ideas. Because the second piece of information could support the first piece of information more importantly is a good choice. If we wanted to use the word addition we would have to say in addition or additionally.

What about if we wanted to connect information to show a different option? Look at these two sentences and think about how you can connect the two ideas. We can locate the new store near Pike Place Market to attract tourist customers. We can concentrate on student customers at a location near the university. Of course we could use OR to connect the two sentences but here are two other phrases we could use alternatively and either OR. We can locate the new store near Pike Place Market to attract tourist customers. Alternatively we can concentrate on student customers at a location near the university. Either we can locate the new store near Pike Place Market to attract tourist customers or we can concentrate on student customers at a location near the university. Now let's see if you can choose the best way to connect these ideas. Because this is giving a different option we can use phrases that mean OR. If we want to use either we would have to say either at the beginning of the sentence and OR in the middle.

Sometimes we want to connect two ideas by comparing how they are different. We don't want to say which one is better just that they are different. Look at these two ideas. How would you connect them? The North Lake location has lower lease costs. The South Lake location has more visitors. What we can do here is use a word like WHERAS or WHILE. The North Lake location has lower lease cost, whereas the South Lake location has more visitors. The North Lake location has lower lease costs while the South Lake location has more visitors. Now, take a look at these two pieces of information. The first sentence is an advantage to a location. The second sentence is a disadvantage. How could you connect the ideas? The subway station will open later this year near the university. The price of property near the university has increased rapidly in the last year. A simple way would be to use the word but. Instead, we can use however. We can use on the other hand here too. When we do this, it makes the first sentence less strong in support of an argument. The new subway station will open later this year near the university. However, the price of property there has increased rapidly in the last year. The new subway station will open later this year near the university. On the other hand, the price of property there has increased rapidly in the last year. We can also use a conjunction like although. To join everything in one sentence like this. Although the new subway station will open later this year near the university, the price of property there has increased rapidly in the last year. Notice the position of although. We use although with the idea that becomes less strong in our argument. Now, let's see if you can choose the best way to connect these ideas. When we use although, we don't need to use but. Because it has a similar meaning. Also, when we use while or whereas, we don't need another word like however.

In the next example, we have two ideas that are related. The second idea is a result of the first. Again, how could you connect the ideas? The university village shopping area has a lot of high end stores. The rents in the university village shopping area are high. A simple way to connect these ideas is with the word so. The university village shopping area has a lot of high end stores. So the rents are high. Notice that so joins the two ideas into one sentence. Generally in writing, we use so like this. It's not common to begin a sentence with so like we do in spoken English. Alternatives to so are therefore and as a result. The university village shopping area has a lot of high end stores. Therefore, the rents are high. The university village shopping area has a lot of high end stores as a result, the rents are high. Notice that here the sentences are not joined into one sentence. There's still two sentences. If we want to connect the ideas by focusing on the reason instead of the result, we can use because or because of. Look at these two examples. In the first example, we use because to join two clauses. In the second example, we use because of with just a noun phrase. In summer, the North Lake neighborhood attracts a lot of visitors because people like to walk around the lake or have picnics. In summer, the North Lake neighborhood attracts a lot of visitors because of the outdoor opportunities. Now, let's see if you can choose the best way to connect these ideas. The best answer is as a result because it is used with the result. So has a similar meaning, but it's not used at the start of a sentence in more formal written English. Because is used with the reason not the result. Also, both because and so connect two ideas in one sentence. Here are the ways we can connect these ideas correctly with so and because. Because the East Lake store is next to a bookstore, it has more customers than the West Lake store. The East Lake store is next to a bookstore, so it has more customers than the West Lake store. So let's review what we've covered so far. You've seen how to connect ideas in different ways related to addition, a different option, comparison, contrast, result, and reason.