TRANSITION

SENTENCES
TRANSITION SENTENCES
(OR WORD PHRASES)
ARE WORDS THAT CONNECT THE SUBJECTS DISCUSSED IN
DIFFERENT PARAGRAPHS
THEY GUIDE THE READER BY LINKING THE PARAGRAPHS,
THEREBY PROVIDING COHERENCE TO THE OVERALL WRITING.
THE TOPIC OR CLOSING SENTENE OF A PARAGRAP MAY INCLUDE
THE TRANSITIONAL LANGUAGE.
TRANSITIONAL WORDS, PGRASES, AND SENTENCES ARE USUALLY
PLACED AT EITHER THE BEGINNING OR THE END OF THE
PARAGRAPH.
TRANSITION SENTENCES
(WHEN USED AT THE BEGINNING OF A PARAGRAPH)
EXAMPLE:
IF THE ABOVE MENTIONED REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET, BREACH OF
CONTRACT MAY NOT BE CLAIMED.
THER ARE, HOWEVER, EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE.
IN ADDITION TO A CAUSE OF ACTION FOR NEGLIGENCE, MR. X MAY
ALLEGE
NOTE: USE WHEN THE BODY OF THE PARAGRAPH ADRESSESS THE OTHER
POSSIBLE AUSES OF ACTION, AND THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH DISCUSSES THE
NEGLIGENCE CAUSE OF ACTION.)

THE SECOND ELEMENT OF THE STATUTE

NOTE: USE WHEN THEN THE SEPARATE PARAGRAPHS DISCUSS SEPARATE
ELEMENTS)
TRANSITION SENTENCES
(WHEN USED AT THE END OF A PARAGRAPH)
EXAMPLE:
THE STATUTE, HOWEVER, DOES NOT DEFINE PUBLICATION;
THEREFORE, CASE LAW MUST BE CONSULTED.
NOTE: USE WHEN THE NEXT PARAGRAPG INTRODUCES THE CASE LAW)

IN ADDITION TO THIS CASE, OTHER CASES ALSO DISCUSS THE REQUIREMENTS OF

THE STATUTE.
NOTE: USE WHEN THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPG DISCUSSES THE OTHER
CASES.)
PARAGRAPH
LENGTH
PARAGRAPH LENGTH
AS WITH THE SENTENCES, THERE IS NO RULE THAT ESTABLISHES A STANDARD
LENGTH FOR PARAGRAPHS.
PARAGRAPHS USUALLY ARE THREE TO SIX SENTENCES IN LENGTH.
MOST PARAGRAPH TOPICS CAN BE COVERED COMFORTABLE IN SIX TO SEVEN
SENTENCES, ALTHOUGH A PARAGRAPH MAY BE AS SHORT AS ONE SENTENCE OR AS
LONG AS TEN.
DETERMINE THE LENGTH BY KEEPING IN MIND THE GOAL OF CLEARLY AND
COMPLETELY COVERING THE TOPIC OF THE PARAGRAPH.
THE READER MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING OR BECOME CONFUSED BY
EXTREMELY LONG PARAGRAPHS.
A SERIES OF SHORT PARAGRAPH, ON THE OTHER HAND, MAY LACK TRANSITION AND
DISTRACT THE READER.
THEREFORE, EXTREMELY LONG AND SHORT PARAGRAPHS SHOULD BE THE EXCEPTION
IN LEGAL WRITING.
PARAGRAPH LENGTH
EXAMPLES:

(ONE-SENTENCE PARAGRAPH)
THE SECOND ELEMENT OF THE RULE REQUIRES THAT THE WITNESS BE PRESENT AT THE
SIGNING.

(TWO-SENTENCE PARAGRAPH)
SECTION 2(B) OF THE STATUTE ADDRESSES THE REQUIREMENT OF THE NUMBER AND
PRESENCE OF WITNESSES. IT REQUIRES THAT THERE BE A MINIMUM OF TWO WITNESSES
AND BOTH MUST BE PRESENT AT THE SIGNING.