Improve Your Writing Today!

Transition

Word or phrase that shows relationship between ideas. Usually used at the start of a sentence.

Improve Your Writing Today!

Can you quickly and easily improve your writing? Absolutely! For over 20 years, I've taught these tips to students and seen their writing dramatically improve. Why?

1. Using transition words helps you resist the habit of using a simple subject-verb sentence structure.
2. Transitions link your ideas more effectively and create more nuanced meaning.
3. Finally, transitions make your writing sound more professional and less like spoken language.

How To Use Sentence Starter Lists

The most important tip for improving your writing quickly is to follow one rule:

Start every sentence in a paragraph with a different word. How? Here is my step-by-step guide:

• Use the transition list as you write: Think about how the sentences in your paragraph are related to one another. If you are comparing and contrasting two ideas, then use the "Showing Contrast" transition words (see list below). Are you writing about steps in a process? Then use the "Adding to an Idea" transition words below. When writing about something that happened, use the "Sequence/Time" transitions I've provided.
• Using the transition list while you are revising: Sometimes, it is easier not to worry about these words until your final draft stage, especially if you are a beginning writer. How do you do this? Use the following tips:

1. Go through your first draft and circle the first word in every sentence.
2. If you use the same word to start a sentence twice in a paragraph, then you need to choose another transition word and re-word the sentence.

Choosing the Right Word

How can you choose the right word for each sentence? What makes using transitions improve your writing is that it forces you to explain the connections between your ideas. Ask yourself:

1. What does the sentence before this one say?
2. How does this sentence relate to that one?
3. Scan the list for a transition that seems to fit best. You can also use these questions for help:

Does this sentence add information? Use: moreover, furthermore, additionally, not only...but also, or another addition transition.

Does the sentence contrast or contradict? Use: however, on the other hand, in contrast, yet, conversely, or another contrasting transition.

Are you writing something that happens in order? Use: next, then, in fact, similarly, or a time word like first, second, third, and finally.

Does this sentence add evidence? Use: for example, consequently, for this reason, or another adding transition.

Does the sentence emphasize an idea? Use: obviously, especially, as a rule, particularly, or another emphasizing transition.

Does the sentence start your conclusion: Use: finally, in conclusion, in sum, obviously, or another concluding transition.

Tips to Remember

1. Use a variety of transition words, not the same one.

2. Put a comma after the transition word.

3. Put the subject of the sentence after the comma.

Transition Word List

Words to Show Contrast	Words to Add to an Idea	Words That Show Cause	Words That Add Emphasis
however	additionally	accordingly	admittedly
although	moreover	as a result	above all
conversely	furthermore	because	as a rule
in contrast	as well as	consequently	as usual
instead	another reason	due to	assuredly
in comparison	along with	for this reason	certainly
nevertheless	also	for this purpose	chiefly
whereas	coupled with	hence	especially
yet	correspondingly	otherwise	granted
on the one hand…on the other hand	for example	since	generally speaking
on the contrary	in addition	so then	for the most part
other than	indeed	subsequently	in this situation
outside of	in fact	therefore	no doubt (undoubtedly)
rather	identically	thereupon	obviously
still	likewise	this is why	of course
besides	again	thus	ordinarily
comparatively	similarly	wherefore	particularly
different from	whereas	following this	singularly
even though	likewise	as you can see	unquestionably
otherwise	one other thing	for all of those reasons	usually

2. Use a Variety of Words When Citing Examples

especially	for one thing	in particular (particularly)	specifically
chiefly	as an illustration	markedly	this can be seen in
for/as an example	illustrated with/by	namely	such as
for instance	in this case	including	in fact

3. Use Different Words to Order Events and Sequence Time

first... second... third...	currently	with this in mind	in turn
generally... furthermore... finally	during	for now	later on
in the first place... also... lastly	earlier	immediately	meanwhile
to be sure... additionally... lastly	eventually	in the meantime	next
first... just in the same way... finally	finally	for the time being	then
basically... similarly... as well as	first of all	the next step	simultaneously
afterward	to begin with	in conclusion	soon
at first	in the first place	in time	while

4. Use Interesting Words When Summarizing

after all	in any event	in other words	on balance
all in all	in brief	in short	that is (that is to say)
all things considered	in conclusion	in brief	therefore
briefly	in essence	in summary	to put it differently
by and large	indeed	in the final analysis	to sum up
hence	on the whole	in the long run	to summarize
in any case	overall	namely	finally

Short paragraph without transition words:

Cell phones have changed our family communication for the worse. Parents complain their teenagers spending too much time on their phone. Teenagers are annoyed that they can't get the attention of their parents who are always working or shopping on their phones. We need to make some changes.

Adding transition words:

Generally speaking, cell phones have changed our family communication for the worse. Obviously, parents complain about their teenagers spending too much time on their phones. Moreover, teenagers are annoyed that they can't get the attention of their parents who are always working or shopping on their phones. Unquestionably, we need to make some changes.

Improving Your Writing Over Time

Just following my tips to add transition words to your essay can often make your essay much better and will probably improve your grade. Inevitably, as soon as I tell my classes about this technique their writing improves dramatically. Better yet, the more you use transition words in revision, the more you begin to add that technique to your writing during the first draft.

Why does that help? It begins training you to think about how your ideas relate to one another and helps you to write essays that are deeper, more connected and logical. If you've found this technique helpful, or if you have another sentence starting technique, please add your comments below to help out other writers.