Transitions...in your essay

Transition Words & Phrases

Use transition words and phrases to show the direction of your thoughts.

Without transitions, important ideas can be completely missed or misinterpreted.

Use transition words and phrases to show the direction of your thoughts.

Combine short, choppy sentences.

Read your writing aloud to hear awkward constructions and unnecessary repetition.

Lists of Transition Words & Phrases

Addition: also, in addition, too, moreover, and, besides, furthermore, equally important, then, finally

Example: for example, for instance, thus, as an illustration, namely, specifically

Contrast: but, yet, however on the one hand/on the other hand, nevertheless, nonetheless, conversely, in contrast, still, at the same time

Comparison: similarly, likewise, in the same way

Concession: of course, to be sure, certainly, granted

More Transition Words & Phrases

Result: therefore, thus, as a result, so, accordingly

Summary: hence, in short, in brief, in summary, in conclusion, finally

Sequence: first, second, third, next, then, finally, afterwards, before, soon, later, meanwhile, subsequently, immediately, eventually, currently

Place: in the front, in the foreground, in the back, in the background, at the side, adjacent, nearby, in the distance, here, there

Paragraph Flow

Introduction: the first section of a paragraph; should include the topic sentence and any other sentences at the beginning of the paragraph that give background information or provide a transition.

Body: follows the introduction; discusses the controlling idea, using facts, arguments, analysis, examples, and other information.

Conclusion: the final section; summarizes the connections between the information discussed in the body of the paragraph and the paragraph’s controlling idea.

Why use transitions?

Transitional expressions emphasize the relationships between ideas, so they help readers follow your train of thought or see connections that they might otherwise miss or misunderstand. The following paragraph shows how carefully chosen transitions (CAPITALIZED) lead the reader smoothly from the introduction to the conclusion of the paragraph.

Example

I don’t wish to deny that the flattened, minuscule head of the large-bodied "stegosaurus" houses little brain from our subjective, top-heavy perspective, BUT I do wish to assert that we should not expect more of the beast. FIRST OF ALL, large animals have relatively smaller brains than related, small animals. The correlation of brain size with body size among kindred animals (all reptiles, all mammals, FOR EXAMPLE) is remarkably regular. AS we move from small to large animals, from mice to elephants or small lizards to Komodo dragons, brain size increases, BUT not so fast as body size. IN OTHER WORDS, bodies grow faster than brains, AND large animals have low ratios of brain weight to body weight. IN FACT, brains grow only about two-thirds as fast as bodies. SINCE we have no reason to believe that large animals are consistently stupider than their smaller relatives, we must conclude that large animals require relatively less brain to do as well as smaller animals. IF we do not recognize this relationship, we are likely to underestimate the mental power of very large animals, dinosaurs in particular.

Keep in mind…

Transitional words and phrases connect sentences and paragraphs to each other. Paragraph transitions suggest a particular relationship between one idea and the next.

THIS IS THE BIG IDEA OF TRANSITIONAL SENTENCES IN YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS

Explanation

Quite often, if you are having a terrible time figuring out how to get from one paragraph to the next, it may be because you shouldn't be getting from one paragraph to the next quite yet, or even ever; there may be something crucial missing between this paragraph and its neighbors—most likely an idea or a piece of evidence or both. Maybe the paragraph is misplaced, and logically belongs elsewhere. The reason you can't come up with a gracious connective sentence is that there's simply too large an intellectual span to cross, or that you've gone off in the wrong direction.

Transitions between paragraphs that really do belong where they are in the essay can be strengthened by the repetition or paraphrasing of one paragraph's key words into the next.

Paragraph-to-ParagraphCoherence

The paragraphs in your essay should flow logically from one to another.

Transition sentences concluding one paragraph and beginning another help to bridge parts of the discussion.

Without transition “bridges” between paragraphs, the discussion will seem disjointed- the flow would be off and leave the reader hanging with their thoughts from the previous paragraph.

Body – First Paragraph

The first paragraph of the body should contain the strongest argument, most significant example, cleverest illustration, or an obvious beginning point. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the “reverse hook” which ties in with the transitional hook (thesis statement) at the end of the introductory paragraph. The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the second paragraph of the body.

Body – Second Paragraph

The second paragraph of the body should contain the second strongest argument, second most significant example, second cleverest illustration, or an obvious follow up to the first paragraph in the body. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the first paragraph of the body. This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph (the second subpoint listed). The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional hook to tie into the third paragraph of the body.

The third paragraph of the body should contain the weakest argument, weakest example,weakest illustration, or an obvious follow up to the second paragraph in the body. The first sentence of this paragraph should include the reverse hook which ties in with the transitional hook at the end of the second paragraph. The topic for this paragraph should be in the first sentence. This topic should relate to the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph (the third subpoint).The last sentence in this paragraph should include a transitional, concluding hook that signals the reader that this is the final, major point being made in the paper. This hook also leads into the last or concluding paragraph.

Body – Third Paragraph

Topic SentenceProvide the main idea of the paragraph.

Supporting EvidenceInclude specific textual evidence: cited quotes, paraphrases orsummary; or evidence that supports your thesis from othersources: anecdotes, first-person interviews or your ownexperience.

AnalysisExplain to the reader the significance of the evidence you haveprovided. Think about why you chose to include it. How does thepiece of evidence support your thesis?

TransitionConnect each paragraph with a sentence or two that demonstrateshow each idea leads into the next, and how they work together tosupport your position.

How It Should Look