Transition words create cohesion and improve writing flow, helping audiences stay focused on your argument or narrative as you move between sentences, paragraphs, or sections of your work.
Without transition words and phrases, writing can feel like trying to move across a broken bridge as you navigate a series of unconnected ideas. But writing that uses well-placed transitional words makes the relationship between the ideas clearer and the journey smoother.
Transition words can be categorized based on the way they function. These different types of transitional words and phrases signal different relationships between ideas. Knowing how to use a variety of transitional devices will help your readers better understand and be convinced by what you have to say.
Below is a list of transition words organized by function, followed by examples of how using different transitional phrases creates different meanings.
Addition
- again
- and
- also
- equally important
- moreover
Comparing
- however
- likewise
- in comparison
- compared to
Contrasting
- although
- but
- however
- in contrast
Spatial
- beyond that
- above
- behind
- below
Conclusions
- consequently
- in conclusion
- in summary
- therefore
Sequence
- after
- before
- earlier
- first/second/third
Clarification
- in other words
- that is to say
- to clarify
- to put it another way
Examples
- for example
- to illustrate
- for instance
Concession
- granted that
- in spite of
- although this may be true
Cause / Effect
- because
- in effect
- since
- accordingly
Conclusions
- in summary
- in conclusion
- to sum up
- this means
Examples of Transition Words in Use
Example 1
This first example shows how transitional phrases improve the flow of an otherwise dense, technical document. Notice how the inclusion of four small words makes the paragraph much clearer
No transition words:
Proper compression of audio files and projects is an important step to ensuring equal gain throughout your project. Non-compressed audio files can have a range of volumes. Dramatic shifts in volume can cause undue stress on listeners. This manual will model several ways to properly compress audio files before export.
With transition words:
Proper compression of audio files and projects is an important step to ensuring equal gain throughout your project. For example, non-compressed audio files can have a range of volumes. Moreover, dramatic shifts in volume can cause undue stress on listeners. To help you avoid such issues, this manual will model several ways to properly compress audio files before export.
Example 2
The next example comes from literary scholar Hester Blum’s “The Prospect of Oceanic Studies,” and it demonstrates a situation where although the text is comprehensible without the transition words, adding them makes the sentences easier to follow and overall more pleasant to read.
No transition words
Seamen… were alienated both from their labor and from the privileges of national belonging. These conditions of isolation and distance granted sailors certain benefits over other laboring groups, such as mill workers or farmers. One such advantage is the uncommon extent of literacy among seamen.
With transition words
Seamen… were alienated both from their labor and from the privileges of national belonging. Yet these conditions of isolation and distance granted sailors certain benefits over other laboring groups, such as mill workers or farmers. One such advantage, for example, is the uncommon extent of literacy among seamen.
Example 3
This next example from Malcolm Gladwell shows how even a single transition word can add nuance to a sentence. In this case, the transition word but highlights the drama in Bannister's attempt to stand in contrast to history.
No transition word
The four-minute barrier had daunted runners for generations; Bannister intended to break through it so that others might follow
With transition word
The four-minute barrier had daunted runners for generations, but Bannister intended to break through it so that others might follow.
Conclusion
Going forward, notice the transition words and phrases used by your favorite writers. Pay particular attention to the way they use transition words to facilitate their arguments and help bring clarity to their ideas.