http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/style/transitioncues.html
Transitions help readers connect the ideas in a piece of writing; they're the glue that shows how pieces of your text fit together. Often all you'll need is a word or phrase to lead readers through your text. Cues that lead forward compare and contrast lead through a sequence clarify or emphasize lead through cause and effect relationships lead to concessions, reservations, dismissals, or conditions.
lead to conclusions
Cues that lead readers forward from information they've already read to new information.
To move readers into additional information or further development of your ideas. Old Information Transition ADDITION Actually, Additionally, Again, Also, And Besides Equally important, Finally, First, Second, Third, etc. Further, Furthermore, Incidentally, Indeed, In fact, Lastly, Moreover, Not only this, but this as well What's more, New Information
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To draw readers' attention to a particular location or place One place Transition PLACE Adjacent, Alongside, At the side, In the background, In the distance, In the front, Another place
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To let readers know that a digression is about to begin or end Transition Digression back to Transition Main point begin DIGRESSION/RESUMPTION Anyhow, Anyway, Incidentally, To change the subject, Digression Main point
As I was saying, To get back to the point, At any rate, By the way, To return to the subject, To resume,
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Consequently, To clarify the purpose of something Transition Something move in to PURPOSE For fear that In the hope that In order to
Thus,
Its purpose
Cues that make readers stop and compare what they've just read to what they're about to read
Transition Just read equal or not equal COMPARISON/CONTRAST Although/Although this is true And yet At the same time, But Conversely, For all that, In comparison, In contrast, In the same manner/way, However, Likewise, Meanwhile, Nevertheless, Nonetheless, Nothwithstanding, On the contrary, On the other hand, Similarly, Still, While this is true When in fact Whereas About to read
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To emphasize a point that readers are about to read Transition Point just read !!!! EMPHASIS As a matter of fact, In any case, In any event, Indeed, In fact, Obviously, That is Undoubtedly, Emphatic point
In conclusion, To conclude, To clarify for readers the writer's reservations Transition Point just read even so RESERVATION Admittedly, Indeed, Reservation
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To dismiss a point that readers are likely to think of Transition Point may be true BUT DISMISSAL All the same, At any rate, Either way, In either case, In either event, Whatever happens, Dismissal
In any case/event, Whichever happens, To establish a condition or conditions affecting the subject Transition The subject is true IF CONDITION Although But However, Nevertheless, Although this is true, Even though, In spite of Since This condition is met
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As noted earlier, To summarize what you've already said Transition Points made nutshell SUMMARY All in all, All together, As I mentioned, As I stated, Briefly, By and large, Finally, Given these facts, In brief, In conclusion, In short, In summary, On the whole, Overall, Since So Summing up, Then, Therefore, To conclude, To put it briefly, To summarize, Summary
To introduce readers to a conclusion or conclusions Transition Points made the end is coming CONCLUSION Accordingly, As a result, In short, In summary, Conclusion
In conclusion, To conclude,
For additional information on strategies which enable readers to connect the ideas in a piece of writing, see Cohesion. 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 The Write Place
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This page was written by Judith Kilborn for the Write Place, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota, and may be copied for educational purposes only. If you copy this document, please include our copyright notice and the name of the writer; if you revise it, please add your name to the list of writers. Last update: 5 October 1999 URL: http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/style/transitioncues.html
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