Suspense And Tension In Jaws Film Studies Essay

Suspense And Tension In Jaws Film Studies Essay How does the director Stephen Spielberg use film technique to build suspense and tension for the audience in the film Jaws? The film Jaws was directed by Stephen Spielberg. The film is about the incessant shark attacks that happened in Amity in USA. It was set up in Amity which is near Kansas in USA. It is set on 4th July which was an Independence Day in USA. Everyone has the day off to celebrate their holiday very year and it is a national holiday in America. Throughout the film we are about to discover the fantasy of the war between Shark and People, which the director Spielberg uses the devises to build that tension, suspense and fear. The music is played when the shark comes in distance and closer to the beach. First the music very slowly and when it gets louder and louder we feel like the shark is coming. This sound is like a theme of the film, which makes everyone to keep attention to the film. This type of music is Non-Diegetic music. This gives the audience that they are below the sea imagining the shark is waiting for them. If the shark be revealed straight away, it would destroy the whole story. Stephen Spielberg wants to build suspense by suspense to create the film attentive to it audience. One technique is that the music is used to build up the tension. Stephen Spielberg uses long shot to show this and cover all the details in the proof to show what happened. Second attack was quite different. It is the attack of the little boy whose name was Alex. He swam in his inflatable lilo away from the rocky sand to the sea. When he was there the shark attacked him. We know this by looking from the music and fins coming out from the shark. The camera angles builds up the tension and suspense to show like we are looking from the angle of shark and when the attack happened from the distance it shows people to show exact how the boy was attack. The Director builds up the fear of the shark by making music devious and dangerous like you get on the horror film. Director uses music like dun, dun sound/music that makes you follow the shark on its trail. You will follow the music as well as you are looking from the shark perspective. On this second attack he uses lots of close-up shots of the boy to show off the detail. The camera shot tracking is shown as though as you are shark and following the boy on his lilo. Jump cut is shown to take close shot of the people by cutting people shot one by one. After that camera moves into a close-up of the boy, who is now lying on a yellow lilo. Brody continues to look at the water, which raises tension. When we look around the beach we see yellow objects; umbrella, bathing suits, towels and a boys lilo. This is because yellow associate with fear because most of the warning signs have yellow sings like a hazardous sign. As the camera films the shore, we see a man wearing a yellow shirt playing with his dog. Moments later when he was playing fetch with his dog pippin, pippin goes missing. Dog is nowhere to be seen but only a stick floating on the surface of the sea. This is known as a camera focused, focusing on the stick only and usually called Miss -en- scene. There is no music being played, audience dont know whether the shark came again or the dog run off somewhere along the beach. This creates suspense as well as a fear. Director use number of techniques to build up fear of shark in numerous. At the first attack, Spielberg doesnt reveal the shark so audience will use their imagination a visual picture in their mind of what the attacker looks like. Tension is increased by the music factor. It is played in fast tempo and played in slow and silent way. At the second attack he builds fear for the characters by making a fin visible in the ocean surface bed. This may be first time the audience and characters in the story seen the shark and able to come to decision about first and second attack. Spielberg uses lot of camera techniques as well as music to create the suspense during the story. We hear shark music dun dun sound to tell us that the shark is coming. The music is like a heartbeat which makes louder and louder as it represent mainly shark. The music is like theme or symbol that represents the shark in the film. This is how Spielberg uses the film to become more tense and interesting. As we get to shark, we expect shark to attack or we know it is lurking quite close. Spielberg structured the film so that first and second attacks are together each other. First he kept audience alert at the first attack then continues to build fear and tension at the second attack which we see a boy in his lilo and dog goes missing. Broodys predicted that first attack was done by shark. Most of the films there is some kind of hero. In the film hero is Brody. In first attack he was the male actor to spot the theory of the shark and we were side of him. At the third attack, tension increased after a smaller shark had been killed and it was been killed by two people. But Brody thinks that the shark is too small to bit the people and this tells us more tension is about to come. This third attack is difference by manipulating others. In this attack Spielberg chose Broodys son as an alone poor child. First two attacks were involved strangers, now in the third attack its the Broodys son being involved because this has an effect on Broody. Its the last section of the film which has more tension than any other part. Whereas two attacks had been occurred in beach but now they will be out in sea to catch that killer shark in a small boat. They are fearful because they suddenly remembered that shark will be gone forever. After the investigation team have found a size of the shark, they become more afraid and couldnt believe the size of it. It putting a dramatic suspense on now because the team now realised that they now need a bigger boat to kill the shark. Now the suspense begins and audience knows that shark is going to hunt and maybe eat them. Spielberg made sure the small boat was involved to create that fear, tension and suspense. At the very last, Tension decreased because Broody kills that shark for last blowing the audience remains on seat though out the rest of the film.

Athletes Leaving College Early :: essays research papers fc

`1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story of Korleone Young is a saddening one. Korleone was one of the top high school basketball players in the nation while he was in high school. At all the summer basketball camps, he played above his high school peers. During his senior season he dominated all his team’s competition. He had every major Division I basketball program wanting to give him a full scholarship. All of the national powerhouses like Duke, North Carolina, Michigan State, and many more all recruited Korleone heavily. He also had another bug in his ear. The recent trend of high school stars like Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant skipping college to go to the pros appealed to him. He figured since he was a star he could skip college too. This was a big mistake. While his counterparts, Garnett and Bryant were drafted in the first round, Korleone fell to the second round. Once he got into camp he proved he was not ready for the physical style of play. After a couple seasons spent on inj ured reserve he is now out of the league. It is becoming more and more a trend for high school and underclassmen basketball players to forgo their college eligibility to enter the NBA draft. Most professional sports have restrictions to limit mentally and physically immature players from throwing away their college education to be unsuccessful in the professional ranks. In the National Football League, NCAA football players are not allowed to declare for the pro draft unless they have been in the school’s program for at least three years. In professional baseball and hockey, although they do draft players straight from high school, they have a minor league system set up. These minor leagues allow players the time to develop and still play against an excellent level of competition. This helps their growth process so that when they get into the real big leagues, they are somewhat ready to play and be a factor. 2 This influx of young players is not only hurting the player, but it is hurting the league and college sports. The NBA is now becoming filled with talented but immature players. College sports is losing it’s top athletes, sometimes after one year of college play. The players are also not graduating. This hurts because when a basketball player does not make it in the NBA, he has no degree to fall back on.

How a Ups Manager Can Cut Turnover Essay

1. In Buffalo New York, UPS operations prime objective was to find a way to fix the fifty percent a year turnover rate that costs them millions of dollars per year. To do this the company promoted Jennifer Shroeger to District Manager. The first thing she needed to do is to find what was costing the company so much money and why there was so much turnover. She knew that they had high turnover rates resulting in an increase of recruiting, selection, and training costs. She also knew a high rate of turnover could disrupt the efficient running of an organization (Judge, 2007). For example, on UPS’s Pressroom website states, â€Å"UPS spends more than $300 million per year on training and education programs for its worldwide workforce†. Jennifer saved over $1 million dollars in 2002 and dropped the turnover rate from fifty percent to six percent saving the company a lot of money (United Parcel Service of America, 2004-2009). 2. Ms. Shroeger also examined how to improve hiring, communication, the workplace, and supervisor training. Ms. Shroeger followed the Basic OB Model, Stage II and modified the hiring process to screen out people who wanted full time jobs and focused more on the college students. She offered classes on Saturdays for computer-skill development and career planning discussions, updated the break rooms and installed more personal computers on the floor. She also modified the communication style and motivation of each employee in his or her group (Judge, 2007). The importance of evaluating the different criteria is to see what effect it will have on the organization, the employees and their behavior. Then apply that knowledge to make the organization work more efficiently. The program is designed to improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, turnover, and deviant workplace behavior; and increase organizational citizenship behavior and job satisfaction so that managers can offer guidance in creating an ethically healthy work climate (Judge, 2007). 3. Ms. Shroeger found that college students were most interested in building skills that they could apply later in their careers so she offered them Saturday classes for computer-skill development and career-planning discussions. Since many new UPS employees in Buffalo are intimidated by the huge warehouse where they had to work, Ms. Shroeger improved lighting throughout the building and remodeled break rooms to make them more user-friendly (Judge, 2007). To help new employees adjust, she turned some of her best shift supervisors into trainers who provided specific guidance during new hires’ first week. She also installed more personal computers on the floor, which gave new employees easier access to training materials and human-resource information on UPS’s internal network. Shroeger also expanded training so that supervisors had the skills they needed to handle increased empowerment and to see how difficult it is to be a manager (Judge, 2007). 4. In my opinion, I don’t think that it is unethical to teach supervisors to demonstrate interest in their workers as individuals. I know from personal experience that when my supervisor treated me more like a partner/friend I worked harder and felt more proud to be where I was working. I valued my job and valued the people I worked with. I think that when a supervisor shows interest in their employees, the employee will be more likely to be at work and be proud and productive. 5. The supporting facts of the case that support the argument that OB should be approached from a contingency perspective are how she improved hiring, communication, the work place, and supervisor training. She analyzed the large database of information that UPS had on her districts employees and made many changes to adding skills and career development classes, improved conditions in the warehouse and buildings and finally expanded supervisor training. The approach made a statement that she was responsible for determining which managerial approach was likely to be most effective in achieving her cutting the turnover rate. It resulted from a fifty percent turnover rate per year to six percent and an annual savings of $1 million dollars. Buffalo district gained a twenty percent reduction in lost workdays and finally dropping from four percent to one percent in packages delivered on the wrong day or wrong time.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte â€Å"The human race is governed by its imagination. †(Napoleon Bonaparte)is This quote by Napoleon shows how he believed that government should be made by the voice of the people. Napoleon Bonaparte was a great leader of war for France, and ruled as a democratic reformer. Ever since he was a kid, Napoleon had great leadership skills, and a love for the military. He was an excellent student, and he studied the tactics of previous rulers. Napoleon led many great battles and won most of them by changing the style of the army.His new tactics, leadership skills, and many conquests led him to be praised by many people. This resulted to him being appointed Consul of the French Republic and gaining political power. Napoleon Bonaparte was a democratic reformer because he granted people rights based on the ideas of the French Revolution, understood the importance of civilians, and his people viewed him as a great ruler. Napoleon Bonaparte was a ruler who granted many rights and freedoms to his people. Many of his rights were based on the French Revolution such as the idea of equality.He believed that all people should be treated fairly no matter who they are. This is shown in document four, â€Å"No one should get special treatment based on birth or fortune, and this system of equality is the reason that your English monarchy hates me so much†. Napoleon also believed that improving education was very important, and that it would help bring their country forward. This belief is shown in document two, â€Å"Of all our institutions public education is the most important. Everything depends on it, the present and the future†.He also granted religious freedom, abolished serfdom, and respected his people. All of these freedoms are freedoms that a democratic reformer would certainly give to his people. Napoleon Bonaparte was a man who loved his country and his people which he showed by giving them many rights and freedoms. Napoleon was a man who believed in his people and understood them. He mainly gave his people equality because he understood how important it was throughout his life, especially his childhood. This is shown in document two, â€Å"Before I became a ruler, I was a subject, and before that I was a student.I can never forget how powerfully the sentiment of equality influenced my mind and excited my heart†. He told his civilians that he once was one of them, and he knows how tough life can get. Document four shows how he believes he can make their lives better, â€Å"I have always been of the opinion that the sovereignty should lay with the people†. A democratic reformer would let his people have a say in their government which is exactly what Napoleon did. He wanted the best possible for his people. Unlike an absolute monarch, he listened to what the people had to say, and he based the laws on them.Napoleon Bonaparte was an understanding person who helped the voice of the people be heard . Not only did Napoleon do such great things, but his people admired and praised him as a ruler. Christians believed that God had placed him on Earth to rule as their own benefit. This is shown in document ten, â€Å"God, who has created†¦ by loading our emperor with gifts both in peace and war, established him as our sovereign and made him the agent of his power and his image on earth. † Many of his people respected him, and they were able to list many positive things about Napoleon’s contribution to them.This is shown in document ten, â€Å"Napoleon, our emperor, love, respect, obedience, fidelty, military service, and the taxes levied for the preservation and defense of the empire and of his throne†. Such praise for Napoleon by his people clearly shows that what he does is for them which is a trait of a democratic reformer. His ways to connect and make his citizens happy definitely affected the way his people think about him. Napoleon Bonaparte’s rights and ideas based on the French Revolution, a strong understanding of his people, and his people praising him as a great person all lead to the conclusion that he was a democratic reformer.It is very important to know what his views on government were and how they resulted because we can relate it to governments of today. People can compare how certain rights given to people can better their view on their government. Additionally, it is a way to compare and contrast Napoleon and his ideas to present day government officials. With all of this information, people can make many connections to present day government to other’s such as Napoleon’s. Overall, Napoleon Bonaparte was a great democratic reformer of the past of France. Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte â€Å"The human race is governed by its imagination. †(Napoleon Bonaparte)is This quote by Napoleon shows how he believed that government should be made by the voice of the people. Napoleon Bonaparte was a great leader of war for France, and ruled as a democratic reformer. Ever since he was a kid, Napoleon had great leadership skills, and a love for the military. He was an excellent student, and he studied the tactics of previous rulers. Napoleon led many great battles and won most of them by changing the style of the army.His new tactics, leadership skills, and many conquests led him to be praised by many people. This resulted to him being appointed Consul of the French Republic and gaining political power. Napoleon Bonaparte was a democratic reformer because he granted people rights based on the ideas of the French Revolution, understood the importance of civilians, and his people viewed him as a great ruler. Napoleon Bonaparte was a ruler who granted many rights and freedoms to his people. Many of his rights were based on the French Revolution such as the idea of equality.He believed that all people should be treated fairly no matter who they are. This is shown in document four, â€Å"No one should get special treatment based on birth or fortune, and this system of equality is the reason that your English monarchy hates me so much†. Napoleon also believed that improving education was very important, and that it would help bring their country forward. This belief is shown in document two, â€Å"Of all our institutions public education is the most important. Everything depends on it, the present and the future†.He also granted religious freedom, abolished serfdom, and respected his people. All of these freedoms are freedoms that a democratic reformer would certainly give to his people. Napoleon Bonaparte was a man who loved his country and his people which he showed by giving them many rights and freedoms. Napoleon was a man who believed in his people and understood them. He mainly gave his people equality because he understood how important it was throughout his life, especially his childhood. This is shown in document two, â€Å"Before I became a ruler, I was a subject, and before that I was a student.I can never forget how powerfully the sentiment of equality influenced my mind and excited my heart†. He told his civilians that he once was one of them, and he knows how tough life can get. Document four shows how he believes he can make their lives better, â€Å"I have always been of the opinion that the sovereignty should lay with the people†. A democratic reformer would let his people have a say in their government which is exactly what Napoleon did. He wanted the best possible for his people. Unlike an absolute monarch, he listened to what the people had to say, and he based the laws on them.Napoleon Bonaparte was an understanding person who helped the voice of the people be heard . Not only did Napoleon do such great things, but his people admired and praised him as a ruler. Christians believed that God had placed him on Earth to rule as their own benefit. This is shown in document ten, â€Å"God, who has created†¦ by loading our emperor with gifts both in peace and war, established him as our sovereign and made him the agent of his power and his image on earth. † Many of his people respected him, and they were able to list many positive things about Napoleon’s contribution to them.This is shown in document ten, â€Å"Napoleon, our emperor, love, respect, obedience, fidelty, military service, and the taxes levied for the preservation and defense of the empire and of his throne†. Such praise for Napoleon by his people clearly shows that what he does is for them which is a trait of a democratic reformer. His ways to connect and make his citizens happy definitely affected the way his people think about him. Napoleon Bonaparte’s rights and ideas based on the French Revolution, a strong understanding of his people, and his people praising him as a great person all lead to the conclusion that he was a democratic reformer.It is very important to know what his views on government were and how they resulted because we can relate it to governments of today. People can compare how certain rights given to people can better their view on their government. Additionally, it is a way to compare and contrast Napoleon and his ideas to present day government officials. With all of this information, people can make many connections to present day government to other’s such as Napoleon’s. Overall, Napoleon Bonaparte was a great democratic reformer of the past of France. Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most powerful individuals in history. He was a great soldier, an unparalleled tactician and a skilled administrator. His dictatorship and ruthlessness led him to his thinking that he could do no wrong. As a teenager, he grew in a revolutionary era that gave him the opportunity to become an achiever. His first military opportunity came when he became the captain at the siege of Toulon. Here, he was able to seize crucial forts even bombed the British naval and land military men. The incident brought about the retreat of the British forces. When he was the brigadier-general, he joined the military campaign in Italy but was unfortunately arrested and sent to jail because of his association to his younger brother Maximilien Robiespierre. After his release, he worked with Paul Barras who was a member of the Directory. Barras used Bonaparte’s great passion to stop a royalist mob in 1795 with what the now famous â€Å"whiff of grapeshot.† Despite Napoleon’s leadership skills, he had certain weaknesses such as impatience dislike of criticisms and over-optimism. These qualities manifested when he controlled and censored the press. Perhaps, he would be more admired if he was able to face and do something about his shortcomings rather the controlling the press. One of the grave weaknesses that he committed was actually reforming the tax system. He imposed heavy taxes in Germany and even cut off imports because of the continued wars. This actually decreased his popularity among the people. It is never a good tactic to become a dictator. A leader will only be a good one if his leadership is ratified in the hearts of his people. This was violated by Bonaparte when he opted to put the burden to the people in order to prioritize the war. Bibliography Asprey, R. (2000). The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. New York: Basic Books. Connelly, O. (2006). Blundering to Glory: Napoleon’s Military Campaigns. London: Rowman and Littlefield. Cronin, V. (1994) Napoleon. London: Harper Collins. Durant, W. (1975). The Age of Napeleon. New York: Simon and Schuster.         

Essay on Heres how rates will affect your money next year.

Essay on Heres how rates will affect your money next year. Essay on Heres how rates will affect your money next year. Essay on Heres how rates will affect your money next year.The purpose of this paper is to discuss the perceived changes of interest rates over the next two years and to consider the changes that will happen to consumer spending plans and to personal spending plans related to the anticipated actions of the Federal Reserve. In my opinion, the Federal Reserve is about to start increasing interest rates as the Fed makes quite direct hints at the future rate increase; the increase of interest rates will happen in 6 months or in a year. Such changes will stimulate spending and short-term borrowing before the rates increase; after the increase, spending and borrowing will decrease, and the rates of saving will likely increase. As for me, I would consider making important purchases related to short-term borrowing now. I will try to concentrate short-term spending in the first half of the year, and focus on saving and repaying loans after the rates increase. Furthermore, since the Fed is plan ning to keep interest rates low for some more time (although it is not stated clearly how long it might take), I would consider making important purchases such as cars during the next year or two.Current forecasts of economic growth in 2015 indicate that GDP growth of the U.S. economy in 2015 will be between 3.0% and 3.2%, which is quite high compared to previous dynamics (Quinn, 2014). Currently the Federal Reserve still keeps interest rates at the record low level of 0.25% for 10-year Treasury Bonds. Such strategy started in 2008 and was part of expansionary monetary policy aimed at stimulating spending and reviving the economy. However, during the recent year the economy showed notable improvement 2.3% of real GDP increase in 2012 and 2.2% in 2013 (Saphir, 2014). The economy is expected to become even stronger in 2015. At the same time, there are two factors urging the Fed to increase interest rates soaring budget deficits accompanied by the danger of draining the U.S. economy by debts, and the probability of going to an inflationary spiral due to active spending. Both of these problems can be addressed by gradually increasing interest rates.According to Saphir (2014), the Federal Reserve officials state that June 2015 might be a reasonable starting time for implementing the liftoff. The initial position of the Federal Reserve was to wait with the rate increase until inflation reaches its goal of 2%, but the improvement of employment that was beyond expectations might encourage the Fed implement the liftoff earlier. Interest rate increases make it more expensive for consumers to finance goods, to pay off their debts and to borrow money. Therefore, the increase of interest rates will lead to the decline of spending and investment, and will encourage savings (Rabbior, 2010). In general, people with liquid assets such as short-term deposits might benefit from higher interest rates (Rabbior, 2010).As for me, I would like to use the opportunities of low intere st rates such as low-cost borrowing while the rates are still at their record low level, so I would make short-term purchases such as car, household appliances and equipment using borrowing. If I have available funds, I would like to repay long-term debts during the next 6 months or, maximally, 1 year, because after that time the cost of servicing the debt will increase.If I were to buy a home, I would be reluctant to do this now since the interest rates are likely to increase in the future. However, if I had good job perspectives for several years and could expect high earnings during these years, I might prefer buying a home and repaying the loan as quickly as possible. Since in the long-term perspective interest rates are expected to grow, it is best to take advantage of the period of inexpensive borrowing. It might be efficient, for example, to purchase a home or an apartment using fixed-rate mortgage while the rates are still favorable.As for refinancing a home, it would be ben eficial provided that two conditions are satisfied that it is possible to refinance a loan and to have a new fixed-rate loan, and that the initial interest rate of the loan was higher than the actual interest rate. In general, it is not reasonable to start refinancing loans now, since the interest rates are about to increase. However, if refinancing helped decrease the loans term, then such decision might be appropriate because the current strategy of borrowing should be focused on repaying the loans before the interest rates change.Regarding saving more money in the bank, it is more beneficial to save when the interest rates increase, i.e. in 6 months or in a year. Currently, it is beneficial to spend and to make important purchases, and then to start saving when the Federal Reserve finally applies the liftoff. Regarding investing into stock market, the strategy is just the opposite it is beneficial to invest into stock market currently when the interest rates are low since it is possible to use low-cost debt to finance investments, but it would be less beneficial when the interest rates increase. So I might engage into stock market investments during 6 months or maximum a year, and will be more reluctant to invest into stock market when the interest rates increase.

How to Use Transition Words Effectively

How to Use Transition Words Effectively Choppy! How is this related? Flow needs work! Have you ever received comments like these on your paper from professors or editors? If so, it is highly likely that you need to work on transition words and phrases to help bridge ideas and allow the flow of your writing to move in a more logical, coherent path. That coherency is what separates good writing from bad writing.Problems with transitions in writing often happen in the following scenarios:Youre working on a group project and need to combine chunks of writing from multiple students to make one paper or presentation. So, they give you their separate writing and leave it up to you to put it all together.You begin your writing without an outline to follow in the writing process.You write your paragraphs out of order when writing an essay or story, because you dont want to start with the hard stuff- hooks, introductions, and conclusions.So how do you fix the problem? Consider these tips for using transitional words and phrases the way theyre meant to be used.Know the purpose of transitions in writingI start with this tip because you have to know the purpose before you can learn the rules. Transitional words and phrases are not only a way to present your ideas logically- they are also a vital part of the writing process and cant be ignored. Whether youre writing for an academic assignment or writing a fictional novel, without mastering how to transition from one thought to another, or one paragraph to another, your writing will be confusing, at best. And this is regardless of the amount of time and effort you put into researching or preparation beforehand. At worst, a lack of proper transitioning between thoughts or steps will make your writing a jumbled, incomprehensible mess that is impossible for your reader to follow (and therefore likely to result in a less-than-stellar grade or college admission denial letter).Understand that logic is essential, especially in academic writingThe second point you need to know is that transition words (also known as conjunctive adverbs) are necessary in almost every genre of writing to form a logical narrative or argument. Really, theres no way to escape them. The only categories of writing that might not need transitions would fall into the poetry genre. As mentioned above, using the correct transition- whether in a single word or a phrase- is important for building logic into your paper or moving your story along.Even in our daily speech, we use transition words and phrases in our communication with others to change topics, tell a story, or even recount the events that occurred throughout our day. So then, and finally are just a few examples of commonly used transitions within our daily speech. Heres an example of a teenager accounting for his whereabouts:Mom: Where have you BEEN all day I was so worried.Teen: Mom, you have to listen, it wasnt my fault.Mom: So, whose fault was it?Teen: First, our bus was late leaving the school then we got caught i n traffic. There were wrecks or something blocking the freeway for miles. For that reason, we turned around and went back to the school; but there was traffic there too!As you can see from the underlined transitions, without them, the teen would surely be grounded.Realize that there are categories and learn themTransition words and phrases include several categories of transitions, and there are over 200 words and phrases that can be used for purposes of transitioning within your writing. These words are divided into categories based on the logical flow of your writing. There are different reasons for using transitions- sometimes to move the writing along, sometimes to show contrast, etc. For example, if you are using transition words to clarify, youd choose transitions like to put it another way, or to rephrase. If you are using them to move time along in a plot or research study, youd use words like then, once, next, etc.The differences between these categories and when to use eac h are nuanced, as are the differences between the words within each category. Expert writers might easily know which transition category and word/phrase to use. However, non-native writers are likely to have a less developed understanding of the nuances of each, simply because they have not had enough experience with the language to recognize the subtle differences. These things take time to learn.Below are the common categories in which transitional words and phrases are used, and some example words for each. If you use different sources, youll find that they may provide different categories (or arrangement of categories), but each place transitions into categories of purpose.Take the following example from the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin- Madison.AdditionFurthermore, moreover, too, also, in the second place, again, in addition, even more, next, further, last, lastly, finally, besides, and, or, nor, first, second, secondly, etc.TimeWhile, immediately, never, after , later, earlier, always, when, soon, whenever, meanwhile, sometimes, in the meantime, during, afterwards, now, until now, next, following, once, then, at length, simultaneously, so far, this time, subsequentlyPlaceHere, there, nearby, beyond, wherever, opposite to, adjacent to, neighboring on, above, belowExemplification or illustrationTo illustrate, to demonstrate, specifically, for instance, as an illustration, e.g. (for example), for exampleComparisonIn the same way, by the same token, similarly, in like manner, likewise, in similar fashionContrastYet, and yet, nevertheless, nonetheless, after all, but, however, though, otherwise, on the contrary, in contrast, notwithstanding, on the other hand, at the same timeClarificationThat is to say, in other words, to explain, i.e. (that is), to clarify, to rephrase it, to put it another wayCauseBecause, since, on account of, for that reasonEffectTherefore, consequently, accordingly, thus, hence, as a resultPurposeIn order that, so that, to that end, to this end, for this purposeQualificationAlmost, nearly, probably, never, always, frequently, perhaps, maybe, althoughIntensificationIndeed, to repeat, by all means, of course, certainly, without doubt, yes, no, undoubtedly, in fact, surely, in factConcessionTo be sure, granted, of course, it is trueSummaryTo summarize, in sum, in brief, to sum up, in short, in summaryConclusionIn conclusion, to conclude, finallyDemonstratives acting as transitionsThis, those, these, thatTransition mistakes to avoidNow that you know the purposes and situations in which to use transitional words, lets take a moment to look at mistakes to avoid when writing. While transition words and phrases are necessary to make your writing coherent, the misuse of them can result in the exact opposite, leaving your reader confused and unable to understand your point (or story). Here are some common mistakes that professors and editors often find regarding the use of transition words.Illogical transiti onsIf the ultimate aim of using transition words is to bring logic to your writing, then using illogical transitions defeats the purpose. As I previously pointed out, each transition word or phrase has its own nuanced meaning and belongs to its own category. Using the wrong one can further confuse the point you are trying to make, or the relationship you need to show for it to make sense to your reader.Heres an example:Aliya was one of the most gracious hostesses I have ever met. However, she spoke with each person in the room, calling them by name, and smiling the whole time.In the above example, we can clearly see the use of the transition word however, followed correctly by a comma to separate it from the rest of the sentence. However, since the word chosen is a transition word denoting contrast, the lack of logic in these sentences creates confusion for the reader.Heres why. In the first sentence, we are given a statement about Aliya being a gracious hostess. In the second sente nce, we are given a reason why or example of why she deserves this praise. The use of the transition word however between the two causes confusion, because the second sentence illustrates the first, or provides an example of the first.Looking then into the Exemplification and illustration category of common transition words and phrases, we see that a better choice for transitioning between the two sentences would be for example, or to illustrate. The incorrect transition (however) doesnt fit because it belongs to the Contrast category, which means the second sentence is contrasting the first- which of course, isnt true in this case.Heres another example of this same mistake being made in an academic paper:The studys participants were chosen by the random sampling method and were given questionnaires about their experiences with social media. In other words, the sample population submitted their responses to be included in the data.As can be seen from the example above, the two sente nces are connected together by time, as in one event (the second sentence) occurring after the other (the first sentence). The transition word chosen, however, is from the Clarification category instead of the Time category, leaving the reader with a confusing statement to sort out.Transition overuseThe final mistake to avoid is overuse. Editors see this mistake often, mainly because the writers language skills are limited and do not yet include knowledge of the proper use of transitions. Using too many transitions can cause your writing to be difficult to read, since they are essentially road signs showing your reader how the content is moving forward. Using too many at once would be like coming to a 4-way stop that included hundreds of signs- some saying stop, some saying yield, but all putting out a different message.Heres an example of transition overuse:Arcadia was a town like any other. Therefore, the police patrolled the streets, the shopkeepers kept their shops, and children attended school on account of three weeks until summer break. For example, when a stranger walks through Arcadia, everyone notices; however, it was the secret to keeping their town well protected. In such, while adults spoke to each other in hurried conversations, at the same time, their eyes were always scanning to make sure things were going as normal there.So, what was the first thing you noticed while reading this passage? Was it the way the words interrupted the story unnecessarily? Did those transition words hurt instead of help make the paragraph clear and coherent?The mistake of using too many transitions and transitional phrases often occurs when someone is trying to beef up their writing. Transitions like however, for example, and in such seem somehow academic, and must make your writing sound more cultured or professional, right?Wrong.Overusing transitions creates distracting, incoherent writing that does not serve the intended purpose of the transitions in the first pla ce, which is to move the story along.

The 5 Best SAT Prep Games

The 5 Best SAT Prep Games SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You may have heard of a new trend in test prep:games. That’s right- studying for your SAT by playing computer (and even phone) games! If this sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is. Most of the SAT prep games out there are pretty bad.However, there are a few games that may genuinely help you with some aspects of your test prep experience- although they won’t do much other than supplement your more typical studying activities like taking practice tests and doing practice problems. In this article I’ll break down the SAT prep game trend, explain why most prep games won’t help you, describe what makes a good prep game, offer some recommendations for games that will help you, and offer some advice on how to use them. SAT Prep Games: An Overview The past few years have seen a rise in â€Å"gamification,† or the attempt to make regular, tedious life tasks more game-like and thus more fun and exciting. There are apps for gamifying exercise, productivity, household chores, finance, and even shopping. Given the ever-increasing circle of things that have been gamified, it’s no surprise that SAT games have proliferated in the past few years. Lots of test-prep companies have gotten on the train. Kaplan, the Princeton Review, the Idiot’s Guide- they all have created or helped create SAT practice games. The general idea behind SAT games is that if preparing for the testis fun, you will want to do it. If you want to do it, you’ll spend more time preparing. But is this true? And even if it is, is the preparation you get from playing games comparable to that from less fun modes of studying? Can you game your way to SAT success? Why Most SAT Prep Games Are Bad The truth is that there are very few test-prep games that will actually provide substantial help on the SAT. In fact, they may even be detrimental, because you may play them thinking you are getting in some valuable preparation when you really aren’t. The problem with most SAT prep games is that they are mostly just glorified multiple-choice quizzes. However, the questions are generally of low quality and don’t resemble real SAT questions very much. Answers are sometimes truly ambiguous or unclear, and explanations are often lacking or nonexistent.Further limiting the utility of many of these games is that they haven’t been updated for the revised SAT. So you’ll be hit with outdated question styles that aren’t even on the SAT anymore, like Sentence Completion and Sentence Error. If a game just asks you â€Å"SAT-style† multiple choice questions, I advise you to stay away from it unless you can thoroughly vet that the questions actually resemble real SAT questions. You are much better off using genuine College Board SAT practice tests or even ACT tests if you need more sample questions to prep for the SAT. It might be marginally more fun to see yourself get points for correct questions in an app or on a website, but you’ll be much happier in the long run if you spend that time answering well-written sample questions that will actually help you. Also, the College Board has now partnered with Khan Academy to create SAT prep resources online, which has both gamified aspects like earnable badges and College-Board official practice questions. You are better off using Khan Academy than any other multiple-choice-based SAT prep game. There are many SAT games that are very focused on vocab. However, while a diverse vocab is still important for the SAT, the revised test places much less emphasis on knowing arcane words out-of-context. So exclusively â€Å"SAT Vocab† focused games may not have much utility for you. STOP before you play bad SAT games! What Makes a Good SAT Prep Game? There are, in general, three things that make for a good prep game. #1: Targets a Specific SAT Skill or Content Area A game aimed at a specific concept that’s tested on the SAT- trigonometry, modelling, punctuation, etc- will be much more useful than something that just offers half-baked multiple choice questions on vocab words. This means that the best SAT prep games may not even be designed specifically for the SAT! They just need to work on building a skill or reviewing material that is covered on the SAT. #2: Engaging If the game is boring, you might as well just take practice tests. A prep game doesn’t have to be the most fun you’ve ever had, but it should break up your practice routine a little bit. #3: Content Is Accurate This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s very important to make sure that the game is actually presenting content accurately. Otherwise you could be studying incorrect material! I would include in this that multiple-choice questions need to actually resemble real SAT questions. Keep your SAT ducks in a row! Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! 5 Solid SAT Prep Games If you want to incorporate some academic and SAT-prep games into your studying, there are several sources where you might look for actually useful games. #1:Sheppards Software This site has a variety of simple, educational flash games for pre-K through 12th grade. The math page has games for probability, algebra, geometry, and several other topics that appear the SAT. There are also word games in the Language Arts section that test your skill with punctuation and parts of speech. This is a solid resource if you find yourself getting stuck on a particular concept in math or language arts, and you just need to drill recall in a non-boring way. #2:FreeRice FreeRice is an online game in which you answer questions to fill up your bowl of rice; every correct question answered actually provides rice to someone in need. FreeRice has an SAT prep category, but I don’t advise using it as the questions are based on the old SAT. I think the English grammar mode is much more useful; you’ll pick the grammatically correct sentence and move through progressively harder levels as you keep choosing the right answer. This is good practice for your wrong-answer elimination skills on the Writing portion of the SAT! #3:NYTimes Student Crosswords This page has printable crosswords (and answer keys) in a variety of academic subjects, including several that are relevant to the SAT, like grammar, geometry, and algebra. These could function as a fun review of some key subject-matter concepts for the SAT. #4:Quizlet With a free account on Quizlet, you can access thousands of flashcard sets that others have uploaded to the site, including a variety of SAT prep sets. Of course, you’ll want to check out a set before you use it to study to make sure it actually has useful (and correct) information. What’s even better is that you can make a set yourself with the things you really need to drill down on. Once you make or choose a set, you can play with it in two game modes. There’s a matching game and a game where you prevent asteroids from hitting the planet by typing the correct answer. #5:Daily SAT Practice This is one of the less gamelike options out there, but it is an official College Board app. It offers you an official practice SAT question every day; once you answer the question you can compare how you did with other students. A solid option simply because all of the questions are College Board-approved. Make your SAT prep arsenal a full deck. How to Use SAT Prep Games in Your Own Studies While SAT games won’t replace the majority of your regular, unglamorous studying, they can supplement it in a few key ways. #1: To Target Specific Skills/Concepts SAT prep games can be helpful in targeting specific skills or concepts that you have trouble with. If commas stump you, try a punctuation game; if triangles trouble you, play a trigonometry or geometry game. Games can be a fun way to learn or reinforce an underlying concept you need to know for the SAT. #2: Keep Material Fresh Between Study Sessions A quick SAT game can be a good way to keep things fresh between dedicated preparation sessions. A few grammar questions on FreeRice will help keep your grammar brain fresh when you go a day or two without any serious prep time. #3: As Warm-ups, Breaks, and Rewards SAT practice games are also a great way to warm up your brain at the beginning of a study session, and a good way to re-energize yourself during a quick break. Playing an SAT game you like for a few minutes before you take a practice test will help turn on your brain and get the gears moving before the main event. You can also use prep games as a reward after you finish a study session to help wrap things up on a low-stress note! The judicious use of prep games can help you hit an SAT home run! Key Takeaways Do I think you could do all of your studying with prep games and do well? No, especially because most prep games are just poorly-written SAT quizzes. That said, here’s what does make a solid SAT prep game: It presents skills and content that are tested on the SAT It’s engaging It presents accurate information There are several sources you might look for to find game-like resources for SAT prep: Sheppards Software- Simple flash games for math and English concepts. FreeRice - Has an English grammar mode that’s useful for the Writing section. NYTimes Student Crosswords - A fun way to review fundamental concepts in a subject. Quizlet - Make your own flashcards and then play games with them! Daily SAT Practice - this College Board official app offers a question a day and lets you see how others did. While they won’t replace most of your studying, there are some targeted ways you might deploy SAT prep games as part of your preparation plan: To target specific skills/concept areas you are weak in Keeping material fresh between study sessions Warm-ups, breaks, and rewards during studying With these tips in mind, you’ll be sure to be able to get the most out of your SAT prep games instead of being played by them! What's Next? Looking for more SAT practice resources? Check our list of best SAT prep books.Or see our list of SAT practice tests. Want to score a super high SAT score?Get all the tips and expert advice you need inmy guide to getting a perfect SAT score. Looking for additional SAT prep help?Check out our picks for thetop SAT prep websitesandappsyou should be using in your studies. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: