The only sentence that could start an essay is sentence 3:
Scientists, engineers and technologists can be expected to increase a manufacturing company's profits, but at a diminishing rate because their cost reducing and/or quality improving activities will be subject to diminishing returns.
The paragraph would continue by describing the activities of SETs.
Sentence 1 could begin a paragraph in the middle of an essay.
Although scientists, engineers and technologists can be expected to increase a manufacturing company's profits, this may occur at a diminishing rate because their cost reducing and/or quality improving activities will be subject to diminishing returns.
The preceding paragraph would have described how SETs increase profits. The remainder of this paragraph would explain diminishing returns.
For the middle of a paragraph, sentence 4 is the most suitable. The topic of the paragraph would be diminishing returns. After a few sentences explaining this concept, this sentence would show the effect of diminishing returns on profits.
Because their probable cost reducing and/or quality improving activities may be subject to diminishing returns, scientists, engineers and technologists can be expected to increase a manufacturing company's profits, but at a diminishing rate.
The remainder of the paragraph would clarify, perhaps with examples, the diminishing rate of profit growth.
Sentence 2 is the most suitable for the end of a paragraph, even the end of a section or an entire essay. It has the feel of a conclusion about it. We can imagine a sequence of at least three paragraphs: the first describing how SETs increase profits, the second describing the problem of diminishing returns, the third combining these two points to demonstrate the relationship between diminishing returns and profit increase. Our sentence would end this paragraph with a balanced conclusion to the argument:
While their probable cost reducing and/or quality improving activities may be subject to diminishing returns, scientists, engineers and technologists can still be expected to increase a manufacturing company's profits, though at a diminishing rate.
Though vital, the control of emphasis is, of course, not the only component of an effective style. Equally important are momentum and clarity. Ideally, momentum, emphasis, and clarity should complement and reinforce each other.
Momentum is defined as 'the force of motion gained in movement'. Writing must have such force otherwise the reader has to expend too much energy and loses the incentive to read on. While logical argument builds up its own momentum, the style should contribute to this not act against it. Consider the following versions. Which has more momentum and why?
Discipline is the order which is necessary in the classroom for pupil learning to occur effectively. There is a massive amount of literature on discipline in schools, which includes a number of books offering sound practical advice (Robertson, 1996; Rogers, 1994), those reporting the results of research studies dealing with teachers' and pupils' views and experiences (e.g. Munn et al., 1992a, 1992b) and a major government report on the topic: the Elton Report (DES, 1989). Discipline is one of the major areas of concern for student teachers, and is also identified in the Elton report as a major area of need within the in-service education of experienced teachers.
Effective learning depends on classroom discipline. Student teachers worry greatly about discipline, and a major government report on the topic, the Elton Report (DES, 1989), identified discipline as a major area of need within the in-service education of experienced teachers. Among the massive amount of literature on discipline in schools, some books report the results of research studies dealing with teachers' and pupils' views and experiences (e.g. Munn et al., 1992a, 1992b), others offer sound practical advice (Robertson, 1996; Rogers, 1994).
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© 2002 Martin Paterson