Stage III: Signal Words
Special signal words are commonly used to indicate the beginning of Stage III. Connectors such as however are used for this purpose. The connector is followed immediately by a gap statement in the present or present perfect tense, which often contains modifiers such as f ew, little, or no.
Subordinating conjunctions like although and while can also be used to signal Stage III. If you use these kinds of signals, you must write a complex sentence, using modifiers like some, many, or much in the first clause, and modifiers like little, few,or no in the second clause.
Notice that nouns like literature, research, and work are uncountable and are therefore followed by singular verb forms.
Stage IV and Your Research Question
Your statement of purpose (Stage IV) should be directly related to the research question upon which you based your study. Although you may not need to include the research question explicitly in your report, the statement of purpose should be written so that your reader can infer the research question behind your study.
If the implied research question is a yes or no question, the connecting words whether or if are used in Stage IV, and a modal auxiliary like would or could accompanies the verb.
When the implied question is an information question, if/ whether is omitted and an infinitive or noun phrase is used.
