The signal word can be either: DANGER, WARNING or CAUTION. Products with the DANGER signal word are the most toxic. Products with the signal word CAUTION are lower in toxicity.
Common signal words show emphasis, addition, comparison or contrast, illustration, and cause and effect.
Examples of Signal Words and Phrases
Example: for instance, for example, for one thing… Contrast: however, but, on the other hand… Sequence: first, second, next, finally… Amplification: again, in addition, furthermore… Emphasis: in fact, yes, no, indeed… Restatement: in other words, that is, by way of explanation…
However, but, then, now, first, second, similarly, although, let us, and to begin with.
There are only two words used as signal words, “Danger” and “Warning.” Within a specific hazard class, “Danger” is used for the more severe hazards and “Warning” is used for the less severe hazards.
Signal phrases are short phrases that introduce a quote, paraphrase, or summary; they signal to readers that an outside source is being used.
A signal is anything that is visible, audible, observable or measurable with the help of some machine. Examples include speech, audio, light, radio, TV, radar, supersonic, temperature, ECG, EEG, etc.
Signal phrases and attributors may come anywhere within your sentence—at the beginning, to introduce a quotation; in the middle of a quotation; or at the end, after the quotation has been given. For example: “We have a crime problem in this country,” writes Barry Goldwater, “not a gun problem.”
Examples of such 'detour' signpost words include: but, despite, yet, however, unless, in spite of, rather, although, nevertheless, in contrast, the opposite, while, on the other hand, on the contrary, still, otherwise, unfortunately, nonetheless, even though, conversely, etc.
"Signal words" give hints about what is about to happen in what you're reading. Understanding them is a key to comprehension. Reading and making up examples which use them is a good way to understand them at whatever level of abstraction a student is prepared to comprehend.
The definition context clue might include signal words such as “is” or “are.” Sometimes punctuation can also be a signal. For example, authors might use commas to separate the definition of a word from the rest of the sentence.
Effect is defined as what happened. Cause is defined as why something happened. Clue words that signal causal relationships include: such as, because, so, consequently, therefore, thus, and since.
Sometimes writing prompts include signal words that show cause/effect relationships, such as: because, so, so that, if… then, consequently, thus, since, for, for this reason, as a result of, therefore, due to, this is how, nevertheless, and accordingly.
Order of Importance
Central, principal, chief, major, main, key, primary, significant, finally, lastly, most important It is used to show information from either the least important part to the most important part OR vice versa. It is used in sciences, especially lab texts and experiments.
Simple Present signal words: always, every, never, normally, now and then, occasionally, often, rarely, seldom, sometimes, usually.
Purdue OWL defines a signal phrase as: A word or words that introduce information from someone else. A signal phrase or a lead-in phrase comes before a quotation, paraphrase, or summary, and it includes citation information, like the author's name, title of the source, the year the source was published.
In-text citations include the last name of the author followed by a page number enclosed in parentheses. "Here's a direct quote" (Smith 8). If the author's name is not given, then use the first word or words of the title. Follow the same formatting that was used in the works cited list, such as quotation marks.
In general, if it's your words, your opinion, your photo, or your graph, of course, you don't need to cite it. HOWEVER, if you are using information from one of your own previously published works (journal article, book chapter, etc.), you MUST cite it just as you would cite another author's work.