You can use transition words to help join sentences. Typical transitions are words like:
- but
- however
- for this reason
- in contrast
- moreover
- still
- nevertheless
What Are Transition Words in Writing?
Transitions are words or phrases that describe the direction of a sentence or paragraph change.
They link ideas - related and unrelated - so that readers don't have to switch back and forth while reading different thoughts in more than one sentence.
Transition words allow you to develop an idea in your writing without presenting too many thoughts to the reader at the same time.
Transition words prepare readers for new information by introducing it with words they are already familiar with before switching gears during the following sentence or paragraph.
How to Organize Transition Words
13 different types of transition words or phrases:
- Illustration
- Contrast
- Addition
- Time
- Space
- Concession
- Similarity Or Comparison
- Emphasis
- Details
- Examples
- Consequence or Result
- Summary
- Suggestion
You can see examples for each type in the table below.
Improve your writing skills with some tips on how to use transitions smoothly!
Transitions are not the same as a comma or a conjunction.
The words and, but, and so are three of the most common transition words and serve a distinct purpose in writing.
Use "but" to join sentences if they talk about different things.
Example:
Use "and " if you want to add more information on top of what was already said.
Example:
In both these examples, notice how more information is added to the first part without changing the main idea completely.
Be conscious of your transition words!
It can't be overstated how helpful transitional words are in making the reading experience smoother.
Simple phrases like "Anyway, back to what I was saying" will help move readers through blocks of text while still providing different contexts within those texts.
Lastly, if you're struggling with using transitional phrases, start by reading your writing out loud. Reading it aloud will help you identify areas where the text becomes choppy, and, with practice, you can revise and improve these sections by finding appropriate transition words.
Transitions are like gears in a machine
If everything is working well, your writing will keep going smoothly, and you won't have to think much about it.
Gears must mesh well with each other, or they'll grind together, which nobody wants! So if one word seems off from the context of the sentence, try changing the wording slightly so that the rhythm flows better.
Here are some good transition words you could use that are not so common:
- already, as soon as, at last, beyond, by the time, despite that fact that, during this time
- granted, on account of this/that, seeing as how, since, because
- after all is said and done, all things considered, anyhow
What is a good transition sentence?
A good transition sentence helps the reader follow a seamless line of thought from one point to another.
A general guideline is that each paragraph should focus on one idea, which means transitions are critical because they can create a logical separation between paragraphs and ideas.
These sentences should also be concise, so they don't confuse the reader or detract from the cogency of your argument.
Your tone will dictate how your sentence sounds to readers - informative and detached (scientific) or inviting and creative (fictional). If you know your audience - you should be aware of the tone they usually prefer!
Here's an example of a good transition for 'casual' readers.
The construction of your sentences should be as clear and logical as possible.
Example of a bad transitional sentence:
The reader might misunderstand the meaning of your sentence if your words contradict themselves. For example:
This sentence is awkward! It doesn't make sense to say 'although' before a fact or action has happened. The sentence implies that the person studied for a long time despite failing the test. The intended meaning is that the person studied for a long time before the test - but still failed!
How to Use Transition Words
| Use to show... | Transition Word or Phrase |
| Illustration | Thus, for example, for instance, namely, to illustrate, in other words, in particular, specifically, such as |
| Similarity | also, in the same way, just as ... so too, likewise, in like fashion, in like manner, analogous to, likewise, similarly |
| Exception/Contrast | at the same time, but, contrarily, conversely, however, in spite of, on the one hand, on the other hand, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, in contrast, on the contrary, still, yet, while this may be true |
| Sequence/Order | first, second, third, next, then, finally |
| Time | after, afterward, at last, before, currently, during, earlier, immediately, later, meanwhile, now, recently, simultaneously, subsequently, then |
| Example | for example, for instance, namely, specifically, to illustrate |
| Emphasis | even, indeed, in fact, of course, truly |
| Place/Position | above, adjacent, below, beyond, here, in front, in back, nearby, there |
| Cause and Effect | accordingly, consequently, hence, so, therefore, thus |
| Additional Support or Evidence | additionally, again, also, and, as well, besides, equally important, further, furthermore, in addition, moreover, then |
| Conclusion/Summary | finally, in a word, in brief, briefly, in conclusion, in the end, in the final analysis, on the whole, thus, to conclude, to summarize, in sum, to sum up, in summary |