Transitions

Last Updated 10/9/2002 by Henri Dongieux

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Transitions
Transitions create bridges between sentences and paragraphs, helping an essay to flow smoothly and make
sense. Coherence in a paper requires transitions, and transitions can take the form of a word or a phrase.
Transitions carry your reader from one part of your paper to the next by showing the relationships
between ideas.
Sometimes specific transitional words, such as those listed below, can express these relationships. These
words are placed at or near the beginning of a sentence to show how that sentence is related to the
preceding sentence. The coordinating conjunctions and, but, or, nor, but, and yet are also used this way.
The following is a list of additional common transitional words and phrases. To decide which group of words
to choose from, ask yourself the question listed with each group.

Am I trying to show the NEXT THING that happened?
Use these transitions to indicate time or sequence relations:
as soon as
at that time
earlier
next
recently
soon
later
afterwards
at last
meanwhile
before
presently
thereafter
often
as long as
at length
subsequently
lately
frequently
until
while
after a short time
at the same time
previously
in the meantime
occasionally
when
Does the next thing I am going to say simply make an ADDITION to something Ive just said?
Use these transitions to indicate addition.
again
finally
similarly
additionally
also
in addition
first
last
then
furthermore
second
likewise
besides
in fact
equally important
(equally importantly)
moreover
Does the next event I am writing about occur BECAUSE OF the event I just wrote about?
Use these transitions to indicate cause and effect.
accordingly
consequently
otherwise
since
because
hence
then
truly
as a result
in short
therefore
so
in other words
finally
thus
in order that
Transitions
Last Updated 10/9/2002 by Henri Dongieux


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Am I showing how two things are ALIKE?
Use these transitions to indicate comparison.
also
as well as
likewise
like
similarly
too
both ___ and ___

neither___ nor___
in a like manner
Am I showing how two things are DIFFERENT?
Use these transitions to indicate contrast.
although
but
for all that
nevertheless
even though
despite
though
yet
however
still
whereas
or
and
in spite of
nonetheless
conversely
nor
even though
in opposition to
on the other hand
in contrast (to)
notwithstanding
on the contrary
otherwise
Am I AGREEING with a certain idea so that I can more STRONGLY prove a different point?
Use these transitions to indicate that you are conceding a point to the opposition:
of course
certainly
no doubt
granted (that)
doubtless
nonetheless
to be sure
Am I showing a SPECIFIC DETAIL or example about a more general point I am making?
Use these transitions to indicate special features or examples:
for example
in fact
that is
especially
for instance
indeed
to illustrate
in general
incidentally
in particular
frequently
usually
in other words
specifically
occasionally
as an illustration
Am I BRINGING TOGETHER THE POINTS of my argument or beginning the final idea of the essay?
Use these transitions to indicate summary (conclusion). Many of these words or phrases should be
followed by a comma when they are used at the beginning of a sentence. Please consult Comma Use.
so
hence
therefore
in short
to summarize
and so
thus
in summary
in other words
consequently
finally
on the whole
in brief
to conclude
last
lastly
all in all
in conclusion
to sum up
Transitions
Last Updated 10/9/2002 by Henri Dongieux


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There are, of course, other ways of showing transitions in your writing. A few of these include the following:
Repeating key words or phrases

He walked until his feet hurt. He walked until his arms felt like two bars of lead. He walked until,
finally, he could no longer put one foot in front of the other. (This particular construction is known
as parataxis, or alignment, within linguistics, and is a common way of collapsing the difference
between ideas and thereby presenting disparate notions as part of a unified whole.)

Her dress was a bright, vibrant red. Amid the summer pastels worn by the other girls, it stood out
like a lush red rose in a bed of pale pink flowers, and throughout that long afternoon, his weary
eyes kept turning toward that red dress like a moth toward a glowing flame. (This construction
would be classified as deixis, or placement, since both red and dress reference red dress
occurring previously in the text. Deixis helps to centrali ze and unify things or concepts across
several sentences.)

Since word repetition tends to add emphasis, be careful that you do not overdo this technique.

Using parallel structures

When you drive an old car, you may not be surprised if you have a bumpy ride.

When you drive a new one, you expect everything to go more smoothly.