Time Order Signals
Time Order Signals
Msaddek
Time order signals are phrases/ words that reflect changes in time. They should be
implemented in writing narrative paragraphs to show the order in which events/ things
happen. In this way, the reader can smoothly follow the chronological (time) order of the
included events, and thus make complete sense of the narrative content. In fact, the use of the
appropriate time order signals contributes to the overall organization of the paragraph.
WORDS PHRASES
First (second, third,etc.) At 11:00,
Later, After a while,
Next, After that,
Now, Before that,
Soon, As soon as….
Tomorrow, At first,….
Suddenly, During the celebration,….
Afterward, For a minute or two,….
Ultimately, About 6:00 in the evening,…
then After lunch, dinner,….
Meanwhile, Before going out,….
Until Before beginning the lesson,
When In the morning/ evening…
Lastly The next day, week……
while At last,
Finally,
Today,
Professor : M. Msaddek
Faculty of Letters & Human Sciences- Mohammedia
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Professor : M. Msaddek
In writing any descriptive paragraph, spatial organization should be taken into account in
order to provide a detailed and effective description of the object/ person/ or place. For
instance, when you intend to describe your favourite room, you should first describe things on
the left side and then move around to the right side or vice versa (you could also start on the
right side and move to the left). Further, spatial organization can be from bottom to top, from
far to near, or from inside to outside for describing any item.
WORDS PHRASES
-Across - outside -Next to…
-Above - beneath -In the back of…
-Behind -here/ there -From the doorway,…
-Below - under -In the center..
-Beside - down -At the top of…
-Beyond - among -On the right
-Inside - between -On the left
-In front of/ in the front of…
Professor : M. Msaddek
Faculty of Letters & Human Sciences- Mohammedia
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