C1 Stage 2: Linked sentences
Link back with this + a noun
Summary nouns: this trend, this shift, this development
You can link a sentence to the one before by summing up its idea in a few words, like 'this change' or 'such worries'.
This guide is for B2 writers moving to C1. It is a stage 2 skill: write 2-3 sentences (25-90 words).
When to use summary nouns
Whenever your next sentence talks about the idea you have just written. It is the easiest way to move from one sentence to the next in any paragraph.
Summary nouns: how to do it
Do not start your next sentence with a bare 'This', and do not repeat the same words. Sum up the last idea with this, these or such + a noun: 'Many banks are closing their branches. This trend hits older customers hardest.' Useful nouns: trend, change, shift, approach, problem, decision, concern. Do not use 'this + noun' every time: mix it with other ways to point back, such as 'which' after a comma ('..., which is why older people struggle'), 'doing so' for an action you just named ('Banks save money by closing branches. Doing so ...'), or 'the latter' for the second of two things you named. To move forward, ask: 'and what follows from this?' and write that.
Useful language for summary nouns
- This trend / shift / development ...
- Such an approach ...
- These concerns ...
- The problem with this ...
- ..., which is why ...
- Doing so ...
- The latter ...
Example of summary nouns
Many cafés in my city no longer accept cash. This shift is convenient for most customers, but it shuts out people without a bank card, which is easy to overlook when almost everyone around you pays by phone.
Topic: Cashless payments
How the BetterWrite coach checks summary nouns
The BetterWrite coach checks 4 points for this skill, plus accuracy and staying on topic, and quotes your own words when one is not there yet.
Try it
Write 2-3 linked sentences about streaming replacing cinemas. Link back to an earlier idea with this / these / such + a summary noun.
Write 25-90 words (2-3 sentences).