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.