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Transition Words and Phrases

This document provides examples of transition words and phrases used to connect ideas within and between paragraphs. It lists common transition words for categories such as cause and effect, time, comparison, concession, and place. The document also provides examples of transition sentences that flow between paragraphs by referencing the previous idea and alluding to the next. It concludes by explaining how transition words and phrases help make writing flow logically and how readers may struggle without clear transitions.

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138 views2 pages

Transition Words and Phrases

This document provides examples of transition words and phrases used to connect ideas within and between paragraphs. It lists common transition words for categories such as cause and effect, time, comparison, concession, and place. The document also provides examples of transition sentences that flow between paragraphs by referencing the previous idea and alluding to the next. It concludes by explaining how transition words and phrases help make writing flow logically and how readers may struggle without clear transitions.

Uploaded by

Jayvee Dividina
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Transition Words and Phrases

Cause and Effect Example Contrast Time Comparison


Accordingly After all Although After a while Again
As a result Even But Afterward Also
Because For example However As soon as In the same way
Consequently For instance In contrast At last Just as
For this purpose In fact In spite of Before Likewise
Hence Indeed Instead Currently Once more
Since Namely Nevertheless During Similarly
So Of course Nonetheless Earlier So too
Then Specifically Notwithstanding Immediately
Therefore Such as On the contrary In the meantime Summary/Conclusion
Thus To illustrate On the other hand Later As a result
To this end Regardless Meanwhile As we have seen
Still Now Finally
Place Sequence Yet Presently In a word
Above Again Recently In brief
Adjacent to Also Repetition/Emphasis Simultaneously In conclusion
Below And Again Since In short
Beyond Besides As mentioned above So far In the end
Closer to Finally As mentioned earlier Subsequently On the whole
Elsewhere First Equally important Then Therefore
Far Furthermore In fact To conclude
Here Last In other words Concession To summarize
In back Moreover Indeed Although it is true that
In front Next Of course Granted
Near Second To emphasize I admit that
Nearby Still To repeat an earlier point Naturally
Opposite Then Truly Of course
There Third
Transitions
NC State Writing and Speaking Tutorial Services ∗ NC State Graduate Writing Center
go.ncsu.edu/wsts ∗ 919.515.3163 ∗ go.ncsu.edu/gwc

What are transitions?


Transitions show the relationship between your ideas and help make your paper flow so that the reader can see the logical steps you
took to synthesize information and arrive at your conclusions.

What do transition words and phrases look like?


Transition words and phrases connect ideas within each paragraph. For example:

Many students in the class I teach have conflicting views on the best ice cream flavor. In fact, our class discussion turned into a
spirited debate. Although we tried to remain civil, some students got overly excited. However, one student felt bored by the discussion
due to her dairy allergy. As a result, she sat quietly in the back of the room. I admit that I should have considered her dietary
restrictions when I proposed this topic for discussion. Therefore, I will try to be more accommodating next semester.

What do transition sentences look like?


A transition sentence that flows between paragraphs would include reference to the ideas discussed in the above paragraph as well as
an allusion to what is coming next. For example:

Cats make good pets for many families. They provide companionship to their owners and show their love by cuddling and purring.
Others love cats because they reduce vermin. However, some animal lovers prefer a different domesticated animal: the dog.

Cats are loved by many, but they don’t have the same reputation that dogs do as “man’s best friend.” The love that dogs have for their
owners is unparalleled. They are loyal protectors, and many dogs have sacrificed their lives to save their owners. Other dogs provide
services to individuals with disabilities. For these reasons, dogs make far better pets than cats.

How do you know if you need to work on them?


If you are not sure whether you need to work on transitions, you might want to read the paper aloud or work with a friend to hear their
opinion. If your reader is struggling to understand your thought process, that may be one indicator to take a second look at
organization. Comments that suggest your writing is choppy or disjointed, it doesn’t flow, or ideas don’t fit together are other
indicators to revise.

Works Consulted:
Azusa Pacific University Writing Center (http://www.apu.edu/writingcenter/resources/); UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Center
(http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/transitions/); University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center (http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Transitions.html)

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