信号词常用来连接细节或是强调内容,并可完成段落的转换,暗示读者下文要讲的内容,标志出作者要提出一个新的思想或者观点,或者是作者要对所论述的观点举例说明,或者要详细论述同一观点。例如:
To sum up,Aristotle thought that all motions resulted either from the nature of the moving object or from a sustained push or pull.(表明作者要做结论)
There is never only a single force in a situation.For example, in walking across the floor,we push against the floor, and the floor in turn pushes against us.(举例说明)
In other words, in an economic sense the family was analmost self—sufficient unit.(用不同的表达方法说明同一观点)
常用的主要有:
A.表示递进关系
如:also,besides,further,furthermore,even,too,moreover.in addition,in particular,even more important等。
B.表示时间和顺序
如:before,now,next,first,finally,at first,at last,then,until,soon,later,after,eventually,in the past,afterwards,meanwhile。in the meantime等。
C.表示空间顺序
如:beside,between,beyond,from(…to),outside,next to,opposite to等。
D.表示下文要引出例子
如:such as, i.e.,for example,for instance,in fact等。
E.表示因果关系
如:because,thus,so,so that,as a result,therefore,consequently, for this(that)reason,hence,accordingly等。
F.表示比较或对比(下文要开始转折)
如:(un)like,similarly,likewise,in the same way,in spite of,despite,on the contrary,by comparison,in contrast,but,however,although,on the other hand,yet,nevertheless,conversely,otherwise等。
G.表示结论和概括意义
如:to conclude,to sum up,in sum,in conclusion.In short,in brief,on the whole等。
在文中遇到此类词汇一定要做标记,考点也常常在这些地方出现。