Even when one crafts a logical first draft with a clearly stated argument and carefully delineated sections, readers can still feel lost. Without the author telling the reader what they need to remember from section to section, what analysis from a previous paragraph must be recalled now, or how two sections relate, even the best of first drafts will not land with a punch. In our entry, Topic Sentence Check, we consider the importance of reviewing the topic sentence of a paragraph with an eye toward their role in communicating the argumentative/analytical purpose of each paragraph. But the first sentences of some paragraphs must do more: they must also convey a paragraph’s “location” with respect to the larger analysis being conducted. We call these kinds of sentences “signposts,” and they work like trail markers on a hike — they let the reader know 1) where they are; 2) where they’ve been; and 3) where they are going next. These kinds of sentences are related to the “Roadmap” Paragraph found in the introduction to an essay or chapter. But, unlike a roadmap paragraph which summarizes the steps the author will take to present their argument, signpost sentences prevent confusion as they clue the reader into what deserves particular attention.
When revising to ensure that your reader 1) knows where they are; 2) knows where they’ve been; 3) knows where they are going; and 4) knows the most important elements to remember, you’ll need to do two things:
- First, you’ll need to reverse outline your essay and restructure the argument so that you know where your key points are located in your text. Generally, a reverse outline allows you (the writer) to place yourself in the reader’s position and assess the current structure of your argument, determining the location of gaps, buried ideas, and overall clarity. Most important for this exercise, reverse outlining will help you discern the points of demarcation between distinct sections or “steps” and locate the key points of your argument. Mark them so that you can return to them later.
- Once you have settled on the location of your key points, you’ll need to return to the topic sentence of the paragraph that they are in, and revise that topic sentence so that it is a) signaling the purpose of that paragraph (For help, see Topic Sentence Check) and b) signaling to the reader that this purpose is particularly important. In other words, now that you see where the big gear-shifts are happening, you can concentrate sign-posting efforts on those moments.
NB: Not every paragraph needs a signpost, and you should not use signposting in every paragraph. It is a good rule of thumb to use a signpost in the middle of a section and then sprinkled throughout the sections and essay. To best determine where you will need to use signposting language, take a break from working on your essay and give yourself some distance from it. This will help you consider your work with a critical eye.
Luckily, the actual signal is easy to include for generally, it only requires the writer to include a few words or a phrase at most.
For example, if you want to remind the reader what they have just read and where you will go from here, you might say:
“Having discussed the arguments in favor of Butler’s reading, it is also necessary to consider their limitations.”
Similar terms include:
- In the previous section,…
- As we have seen,…
- As demonstrated above,…
- As indicated earlier,…
- As discussed previously,…
- Prior to this,…
- Initially,…
Or, if you want to signal the direction you’re headed in, you might use words like:
- Consequently
- As a result
- Alternatively
- However
- Additionally
- In the following section…
- As we shall see,…
- As explored below,…
- As will be explained later,…
If you want to emphasize that a particular paragraph is important, consider using the following to begin:
- In particular,…
- Especially…
- Indeed,…
- Importantly,…
- In fact,…
- Moreover,…
- Furthermore,…
- Chiefly,…
- Mainly,…
- Mostly,…
If you want to indicate that you are transitioning between points, these terms can come in handy:
- Turning now to…
- Moving on to…
- Having considered…we will now consider…
- It is now necessary to…
- This section identifies…
- Next…
Often in academic writing, the next step of an argument is born from points made previously. If a point you are making is the result of a previous one, consider using the following:
- Therefore,…
- Consequently,…
- Accordingly,…
- Thus,…
- As a result,…
- This means that…
- This causes…
- Hence,…
- For this reason…
- Because of this…
- In view of this,…
- With this in mind…
- It can be seen that…
- Resulting from this…
- As a result,…
- This suggests that…
- Subsequently,…
