Chapter 10 Talks About the Basic Reading Cues Used by Writers

Even the best readers need guidance. Writers use a variety of cues to guide readers through their work. Chapter 10 talks about the basic reading cues used by writers. These cues include thesis statements, paragraphing, cohesive devices, transitions and headings.

The easiest cue to look for is the writer’s thesis statement. This statement directs the general opinion of the writer. It gives a clear understanding of the writers tone in his writing. This statement is also considered a form of foreshadowing. Paragraphing cues such as indentation keep the reader on track. To make their writings flow better the writer can use paragraphing to group ideas together, each paragraphing relating to the next. This cue is used to help readers by making it clear where ideas start and end.

Cohesive devices help the reader follow the writer’s train of thought. These devices connect ideas through pronoun references, word repetition, synonyms and collocation. Transitions are also used to connect one idea to another. They help readers anticipate what the next paragraph will be about. There are three types or transitions. Logical transitions include for, thus, as well as, and nevertheless. Temporal transitions refer to transitions in time such as then, evening, at first, and after. Spatial transitions are used to show relationships in space. Headings are another cue used by writers. They are used for visual organization of a text. Headings are indicated by font, size, bold and capital letters.

Chapter 11 shows readers how to analyze and synthesize arguments. These two strategies