After reading through the article, I realized that this was the method that I used to learn how to write essays in elementary school! The book I learned from called it a “sandwich method” but the concept is the exact same. In Chapter 7, the author uses all of the connective statements outlined in the article, and he uses them very often. The structure of the chapter is very formal, which makes sense for the genre, working well with the essay structuring outlined in the article.
An example of a transition can be found in the movement from the first section, to the section titled “The Rise of Networked Uncertainty.” Before the next section starts, the former section ends off with, “It is not about predicting particular events in the near term but sketching out a broad range of pathways that our planetary civilization may follow over the long term.” This summarizes what was discussed in the section, and also teases and ties into what will be in the next one. The next section starts off with, “Uncertainty about the future has always been a barrier to long-term forecasting.” This sentence ties the gap between the ideas of the last paragraph into what will be discussed in the next one. The theme that is tied together can be seen by the fact that in the first section, its conclusion portrays a sense of something you can’t pin down as a specific idea. Specifically with the wording “It is not about predicting particular events in the near term but sketching out a broad range of pathways” This displays a more vague or broad concept, which ties into the beginning of the next section with ” Uncertainty about the future”. Both of these sentences talk about concepts that are not precise, helping to ease the transition from one paragraph to the next.
An example of a signpost can also be found in the first section of the chapter. Krznaric writes “This chapter presents what I call ‘holistic forecasting’ as the fifth of six key tools for long term thinking.” This works well as a signpost because, if you’ve been paying attention to the order in which he has presented the ‘tools for long-term thinking’ it helps you to understand where you are and how many you have left to learn about.
An example of a bridging statement can be found in the section titled “The Rise of Networked Uncertainty” towards the beginning. The section opens talking about uncertainty and how it plays into our ability to think and plan long-term. It then begins to describe ‘black-swan’ events, a concept that helps guide the reader from the opening paragraphs into what the section will be all about. “We have also witnessed a proliferation of ‘black-swan’ events – things that are not only difficult to predict and highly consequential, but which the experts can only retrospectively claim they saw coming all along” it then gives some examples of those types of events that will likely be familiar to the reader. This sentence helps float the concept to the reader, letting their mind absorb what it means before they get to more examples and explanations of the topic. The next paragraph starts with, “We appear to have entered the age of an unknowable future.” This sentence helps to tie up what the bridging statement was doing, and lead the reader into the rest of the section.