How do the results of the study contribute to the author's main claim in the text?

An argument, in the context of your university career, is a formal way to make a ... In paragraphs, a topic sentence often identifies the main claim or idea of the ... understand the arguments that the author is making.

after "before".

The brash seagull swooped over the divers. Before synchronizing their watches, they plunged into the water.

A participial phrase is a group words containing a present (-ing) or past (-en) participle, modifiers, objects, and complements. It functions as an adjective.