Transition Words to Use in Your Essays: Moving Between Points and Paragraphs
When students ask about issues of “flow” in their writing, most often it is an issue of transitioning from one idea to the next. Specifically, not using the most effective transition words to move between thoughts or paragraphs.
Transition words are used to guide a reader from one idea to the next. When they are missing, that means writing can sometimes come off as confusing, resulting in issues of clarity. Unclear writing tends not to score very highly among professors and instructors.
However, transition words are also a great way to help you figure out when you need to break into new sections or paragraphs. Using the right transition word can help new ideas emerge and result in more interesting writing and can even shape the working thesis statement you hammer out early on.
Plus, proper transition words end up helping with the ever-elusive “flow” of writing.
What are Transition Words?
Let’s synthesize some definitions and see what we arrive at, shall we?
From Touro University: “Transitional words are like bridges between parts of your essay. They are cues that help the reader interpret your ideas. Transitional words or phrases help carry your thoughts forward from one sentence to another and one paragraph to another. Finally, transitional words link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.”
From Grammarly: “Transition words are words that help writing move smoothly from one topic to another without confusing the reader. Words like however, next, or in conclusion prepare the reader by signaling that the topic is shifting. Transition words can introduce new or contrasting ideas, show cause-and-effect relationships, and form other connections between different sentences.”
Lastly, let’s look at UNC Chapel Hill: “In both academic writing and professional writing, your goal is to convey information clearly and concisely, if not to convert the reader to your way of thinking. Transitions help you to achieve these goals by establishing logical connections between sentences, paragraphs, and sections of your papers. In other words, transitions tell readers what to do with the information you present to them. Whether single words, quick phrases, or full sentences, they function as signs that tell readers how to think about, organize, and react to old and new ideas as they read through what you have written.”
With those in place, we see that the central idea of a transitional word is that it moves from one topic to another. These can carry ideas forward, or introduce new or contrary ideas. Transition words help with the organization of thoughts as we move through a written work.
Seems simple enough, yeah?
TLDR; you need to use transition words to help the reader move through your writing without confusing them; these words can signal a change in topic or structure that helps the reader “switch gears.”
Okay, Give Me a List of Transition Words, Then!
Patience! Transition words are not a cureall to organizational problems and are not something you can throw in at random. Certain transition words are based on certain associations. So, be sure to pick the fitting word for the type of move you are making in the essay.
| Transition Type | Example Transition Words |
|---|---|
| Addition | Additionally, again, as well, further, furthermore, in addition, moreover, then |
| Cause and Effect | Accordingly, as such, consequently, therefore, thus |
| Conclusions | Finally, in conclusion, in the end, thus, to conclude, to summarize, in summary |
| Contrast | But, contrastingly, however, on the other hand, nevertheless, nonetheless, in contrast, on the contrary, yet |
| Emphasis | Even, indeed, in fact, of course, undoubtably |
| Position | Above, adjacent, below, beyond, nearby |
| Similarity | Also, just as, likewise, similarly |
| Time | After, afterward, at last, before, currently, first (second, third, etc.), firstly (secondly, thirdly, etc.), following, immediately, later, next, now, recently, subsequently, then |
This isn’t a complete list of every available transition word out there. A simple Google search does wonders in revealing even more words you can use. These are just some of the more common ones used in student writing.
So, that’s it?
Potentially. At least for now.
There is always a chance at a longer list of transition words in a follow-up post. We can also later explore transitions used in written examples. If you have questions on transitions or need more information, you can always drop a comment on this post, or contact Writer X.
Until then, consider this a brief overview on the importance of transition words in essay writing.
Cite This Page
Here are citations for this webpage based on the most common undergrad essay formats.
MLA: X, Writer. “Transition Words to Use in Your Essays.” Essay Writing 101. Essay Writing 101, 2 nov. 2024, essaywriting101.com/2023/02/01/make-an-easy-working-thesis-statement/.
APA: X, Writer. (2024, November 2). Transition Words to Use in Your Essays – Essay Writing 101. Essay Writing 101. essaywriting101.com/2023/02/01/make-an-easy-working-thesis-statement/
Chicago: Writer X, “Transition Words to Use in Your Essays – Essay Writing 101,” Essay Writing 101, November 2, 202a, essaywriting101.com/2023/02/01/make-an-easy-working-thesis-statement/.
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