Using Transitions
Transition
Idea Idea
© 2001 by Ruth Luman
Reference
s
Transitions
Look at the two groups of sentences below.
Which sentences read more smoothly? Click on
an answer below.
My friend, Marcos, loves to play sports and is very athletic.
He has won a scholarship to play football at a university
next year.
My friend, Marcos, loves to play sports and is very athletic.
In fact, he has won a scholarship to play football at a
university next year.
Transitions
What are
transition words?
Transitions
A transition word directly tells the reader the
logical relationship between one idea and
another idea.
Transition
Idea Idea
Example
;however,
Marcos loves to go his parents won’t allow
swimming in the ocean. him to do that.
The transition, however, tells the reader that
the logical relationship between the two ideas is
contrast.
Transitions
Transitions are words that help make
your writing more coherent. They create
connections between:
- one clause and another clause
- one sentence and another sentence
- one group of sentences and the next
group of sentences
Joining Two Independent Clauses
One way of joining two independent clauses is
with a semicolon, a transition, and a comma.
; furthermore,
Marcos is a he’s very good at
great swimmer scuba diving.
Marcos is a great swimmer ;furthermore, he’s very
good at scuba diving.
Connecting Two Sentences
You can use a transition and comma to tell the
reader the logical relationship between two
sentences.
In fact,
Marcos is very athletic. he plays three
sports at school.
Marcos is very athletic. In fact, he plays three sports
at school.
Types of Transitions
Relationship Transition
Addition Moreover
Furthermore
In addition
besides
Marcos loves to ski he likes to fish.
;moreover,
;furthermore,
;in addition,
;besides,
Types of Transitions
Relationship Transition
Reinforcement/Emphasis Indeed
In fact
Marcos plays basketball
The transition and
second clause ;in fact,
reemphasize the
first clause. ;indeed,
he plays every Saturday.
Types of Transitions
Relationship Transition
Exemplification For example
For instance
In particular
Marcos enjoys outdoor sports
The second
;for example,
clause is more
specific than the ;for instance,
first.
;in particular,
he likes hiking, skiing, and fishing.
Types of Transitions
Relationship Transition
Contrast However On the contrary
In contrast On the other hand
Marcos enjoys scuba diving
;on the other hand,
$$$
;however,
;on the contrary,
;in contrast,
I think it is an expensive sport.
Types of Transitions
Relationship Transition
Result or Effect Consequently Accordingly
Thus Hence
Therefore As a result
;thus,
Marcos broke his leg ;consequently, he can’t play basketball.
;therefore,
;hence,
;as a result,
;accordingly,
Types of Transitions
Relationship Transition
Time Meanwhile (at the same time)
Subsequently (after)
Thereafter (after)
;subsequently,
Marcos scored a goal his team won the game.
;thereafter,
after
Seatwork:
Identify the correct signal or transition word to
complete the sentence.
1. We have a mouse in the house.
_________ we should get a cat.
Unfortunately,
Therefore,
2. Michael is very athletic and plays on the
school basketball team. __________, his
brother just stays at home and plays video
games all day.
However,
In addition,
3. There are many occupations
today.___________, you can become a
doctor, engineer, teacher, artist, athlete,
musician, or chef, just to name a few.
Such as,
For example,
4. The US government has been spending
its money recklessly for too long.
_____________, the plans that Congress
proposes are destined to put the nation at
great economic risk in the future.
As a result,
Futhermore,
5.Getting a college degree is
important. __________, building a
good network of friends is crucial to
future success.
In conclusion,
More importantly,
6.Hawaii is a beautiful place to live.
______________, Siberia is a very
inhospitable location.
In addition,
On the contrary,
7.Eating well will help you live a
healthier life. __________ exercising
every day is also highly recommended.
Moreover,
As a result,
8.Without getting a college degree, it
will be difficult to get a job.
______________, some will say, “It’s
not what you know, but who you
know.”
Moreover,
However,
9.The economy looks like it is
improving. Therefore/However, with
unemployment still very high, we are
far from passing through the
recession.
Therefore,
However,
10.Getting a degree from law school is
a great accomplishment.
____________, it does not guarantee
that one will have a job after
graduation.
However,
In addition,
