Transitional Words and Phrases
One of your primary goals as a writer is to present ideas in a clear and understandable way. To help readers move through your complex ideas, you want to be intentional about how you structure your paper as a whole as well as how you form the individual paragraphs that comprise it. In order to think through the challenges of presenting your ideas articulately, logically, and in ways that seem natural to your readers, check out some of these resources: Developing a Thesis Statement , Paragraphing , and Developing Strategic Transitions: Writing that Establishes Relationships and Connections Between Ideas.
While clear writing is mostly achieved through the deliberate sequencing of your ideas across your entire paper, you can guide readers through the connections you’re making by using transitional words in individual sentences. Transitional words and phrases can create powerful links between your ideas and can help your reader understand your paper’s logic.
In what follows, we’ve included a list of frequently used transitional words and phrases that can help you establish how your various ideas relate to each other. We’ve divided these words and phrases into categories based on the common kinds of relationships writers establish between ideas.
Two recommendations: Use these transitions strategically by making sure that the word or phrase you’re choosing matches the logic of the relationship you’re emphasizing or the connection you’re making. All of these words and phrases have different meanings, nuances, and connotations, so before using a particular transitional word in your paper, be sure you understand its meaning and usage completely, and be sure that it’s the right match for your paper’s logic. Use these transitional words and phrases sparingly because if you use too many of them, your readers might feel like you are overexplaining connections that are already clear.
Categories of Transition Words and Phrases
Causation Chronology Combinations Contrast Example
Importance Location Similarity Clarification Concession
Conclusion Intensification Purpose Summary
Transitions to help establish some of the most common kinds of relationships
Causation– Connecting instigator(s) to consequence(s).
accordingly as a result and so because
consequently for that reason hence on account of
since therefore thus
Chronology– Connecting what issues in regard to when they occur.
after afterwards always at length during earlier following immediately in the meantime
later never next now once simultaneously so far sometimes
soon subsequently then this time until now when whenever while
Combinations Lists– Connecting numerous events. Part/Whole– Connecting numerous elements that make up something bigger.
additionally again also and, or, not as a result besides even more
finally first, firstly further furthermore in addition in the first place in the second place
last, lastly moreover next second, secondly, etc. too
Contrast– Connecting two things by focusing on their differences.
after all although and yet at the same time but
despite however in contrast nevertheless nonetheless notwithstanding
on the contrary on the other hand otherwise though yet
Example– Connecting a general idea to a particular instance of this idea.
as an illustration e.g., (from a Latin abbreviation for “for example”)
for example for instance specifically that is
to demonstrate to illustrate
Importance– Connecting what is critical to what is more inconsequential.
chiefly critically
foundationally most importantly
of less importance primarily
Location– Connecting elements according to where they are placed in relationship to each other.
above adjacent to below beyond
centrally here nearby neighboring on
opposite to peripherally there wherever
Similarity– Connecting to things by suggesting that they are in some way alike.
by the same token in like manner
in similar fashion here in the same way
likewise wherever
Other kinds of transitional words and phrases Clarification
i.e., (from a Latin abbreviation for “that is”) in other words
that is that is to say to clarify to explain
to put it another way to rephrase it
granted it is true
naturally of course
finally lastly
in conclusion in the end
to conclude
Intensification
in fact indeed no
of course surely to repeat
undoubtedly without doubt yes
for this purpose in order that
so that to that end
to this end
in brief in sum
in summary in short
to sum up to summarize
Improving Your Writing Style
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Clear, Concise Sentences
Use the active voice
Put the action in the verb
Tidy up wordy phrases
Reduce wordy verbs
Reduce prepositional phrases
Reduce expletive constructions
Avoid using vague nouns
Avoid unneccessarily inflated words
Avoid noun strings
Connecting Ideas Through Transitions
Using Transitional Words and Phrases
Have a language expert improve your writing
Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.
- Knowledge Base
- Transition sentences | Tips & examples for clear writing
Transition Sentences | Tips & Examples for Clear Writing
Published on June 9, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 6, 2021.
Clear transitions are crucial to clear writing: They show the reader how different parts of your essay, paper, or thesis are connected. Transition sentences can be used to structure your text and link together paragraphs or sections.
… In this case, the researchers concluded that the method was unreliable.
However , evidence from a more recent study points to a different conclusion . …
Table of contents
Transitioning between paragraphs, transitioning to a new section, transitions within a paragraph.
When you start a new paragraph , the first sentence should clearly express:
- What this paragraph will discuss
- How it relates to the previous paragraph
The examples below show some examples of transition sentences between paragraphs and what they express.
Placement of transition sentences
The beginning of a new paragraph is generally the right place for a transition sentence. Each paragraph should focus on one topic, so avoid spending time at the end of a paragraph explaining the theme of the next one.
The first dissenter to consider is …
However, several scholars dissent from this consensus. The first one to consider is …
While transitions between paragraphs are generally a single sentence, when you start a new section in a longer text, you may need an entire transition paragraph. Transitioning to a new section involves summarizing the content of the previous section and expressing how the new one will build upon or depart from it.
For example, the following sentences might be an effective transition for a new section in a literary analysis essay.
Having established that the subjective experience of time is one of Mann’s key concerns in The Magic Mountain , it is now possible to explore how this theme facilitates the novel’s connection with World War I. The war itself is not narrated in the book, but rather hinted at as something awaiting Castorp beyond the final pages. In this way, Mann links his protagonist’s subjective experience of time to more than just his illness; it is also used to explore the period leading up to the outbreak of war.
As in academic writing generally, aim to be as concise as you can while maintaining clarity: If you can transition to a new section clearly with a single sentence, do so, but use more when necessary.
Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting
Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:
- Academic style
- Vague sentences
- Style consistency
See an example
It’s also important to use effective transitions within each paragraph you write, leading the reader through your arguments efficiently and avoiding ambiguity.
The known-new contract
The order of information within each of your sentences is important to the cohesion of your text. The known-new contract , a useful writing concept, states that a new sentence should generally begin with some reference to information from the previous sentence, and then go on to connect it to new information.
In the following example, the second sentence doesn’t follow very clearly from the first. The connection only becomes clear when we reach the end.
By reordering the information in the second sentence so that it begins with a reference to the first, we can help the reader follow our argument more smoothly.
Note that the known-new contract is just a general guideline. Not every sentence needs to be structured this way, but it’s a useful technique if you’re struggling to make your sentences cohere.
Transition words and phrases
Using appropriate transition words helps show your reader connections within and between sentences. Transition words and phrases come in four main types:
- Additive transitions, which introduce new information or examples
- Adversative transitions, which signal a contrast or departure from the previous text
- Causal transitions, which are used to describe cause and effect
- Sequential transitions, which indicate a sequence
The table below gives a few examples for each type:
Grouping similar information
While transition words and phrases are essential, and every essay will contain at least some of them, it’s also important to avoid overusing them. One way to do this is by grouping similar information together so that fewer transitions are needed.
For example, the following text uses three transition words and jumps back and forth between ideas. This makes it repetitive and difficult to follow.
Rewriting it to group similar information allows us to use just one transition, making the text more concise and readable.
Cite this Scribbr article
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Caulfield, J. (2021, December 06). Transition Sentences | Tips & Examples for Clear Writing. Scribbr. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/transition-sentences/
Is this article helpful?
Jack Caulfield
Other students also liked, transition words & phrases | list & examples, how to write topic sentences | 4 steps, examples & purpose, academic paragraph structure | step-by-step guide & examples, what is your plagiarism score.
Essay Writing Guide
Transition Words For Essays
Transition Words For Essays - The Ultimate List 2023
11 min read
Published on: Oct 30, 2017
Last updated on: Feb 23, 2023
On This Page On This Page
Tired of stumbling through clunky, disjointed paragraphs? Want to elevate your writing game and captivate your readers?
Here’s your solution!
Today we're diving into the magic of transition words, the secret weapon of great essay writing. These power-packed words seamlessly connect your ideas and keep your readers engaged from beginning to end.
So, grab your pen and paper, and get ready to take your writing to the next level!
What are Good Transition Words for Essays?
Transition words are used to show your readers the relationship between words, phrases, sentences, or even paragraphs.
The transition will make it easier for you to convey your ideas and thoughts in an understandable way. The additional purpose of a transitional word or phrase is to prepare the reader for what is coming.
It is important to pay attention to these words if you are writing an essay that can easily convey your ideas.
In addition to that, transition words are also important when it comes to switching from one idea to another. Without transition words, your readers can easily lose direction.
Another important thing here is moderation. Lacking or even overusing transition words and phrases can lead to a clunky and confusing piece of paper.
List of Good Transition Words for Essays
Transition words are extremely important. They not only connect thoughts and ideas but also highlights a shift, opposition or contrast, agreement or emphasis, purpose, result, etc, in the line of argument.
So, transition words are used to achieve various purposes. Other than connecting ideas better, you will be able to put your sentences together smoothly.
Therefore, below you can find some good transition words for essays in different categories.
This transition words for essays list will make it easier for you to understand what words to use in what situation.
Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!
Transition Words for Argumentative Essays
- To begin with
- By contrast
- One alternative is
- To put more simply
- At the same time
- On the contrary
- With this in mind
- All things considered
- As a result
- Generally speaking
- That is to say
- Yet another
Conclusion Transition Words for Essays
- In any event
- As mentioned
- In other words
- As you can see
Transition Words for Persuasive Essays
- Consequently
- In addition
- furthermore
- Additionally
- Besides that
- In the same way
- Pursuing this further
Transition Words for Essays PDF
List of Common Transition Words
To help you further, here are some common transition words for essays that can be used in almost any situation.
For Addition
- Besides That
- Equally Important
- Furthermore
- In Addition
- In The Second Place
For Comparison
- In Comparison
- In The Same Way
- At The Same Time
- But At The Same Time
- Conversely
- Even So/Though
- On The Contrary
- Now That
- Soon
- Immediately
- Afterward
For Emphasizing
- Primarily
- In Essence
- Indeed
- To Put It Another Way
- More Accurately
- Namely
For Repetition
- In Other Words
- To Put It Another Way
- Also
Sequence Transition Words
- Firstly
- Subsequently
- In The First Place
- To Begin With
For Showing Exception
- At The Same Time
- Nevertheless
- On The Other Hand
For Proving
- For This Reason
- Certainly
- To Demonstrate
- In Fact
- Clearly
- As A Result
Paragraph Transition Words for Essays
- To put it differently
- Once and for all
- In the meantime
Transition Words for Essay's First Body Paragraph
- To start with
- In the first place
- First and foremost
- In the beginning
Transition Words for Essay's Second Body Paragraphs
- Simultaneously
- Subsequently
- In addition to this
- Furthermore
Transition Words for Essay's Last Body Paragraphs
- In conclusion
- Finally
- Last but not least
- To sum up
- Altogether
Transition Words for Compare and Contrast Essays
- In contrast
- Nevertheless
- Nonetheless
- Notwithstanding
Transition Words for Informative Essays
- As can be expected
- Specifically
Transition Words for Expository Essays
- For one thing
- Equally important
- Another reason
- Not long after that
- Looking back
Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!
Transition Words for Cause and Effect Essays
- In order to
- Provided that
- Accordingly
- Because of this
Transition Words for Synthesis Essays
- As noted earlier
- This leads to
- Another factor
- This lead to
- The underlying concept
- In this respect
Transition Words for Analysis Essays
- (once) again
- To demonstrate
Transition Words for Quotes in Essays
- Acknowledges
Beginning Transition Words for Essays
These are some introduction transition words for essays to start writing:
- First of all
- For the most part
- On one hand
Transition Words for Essays College
Here are some college level transition words for essay:
- Pursuing this
- What’s more
- In a like manner
- In the same fashion
Transition Words for Essays Middle School
- For instance
Transition Words for Essays High School
- To summarize
- On the other hand
Transition Words for College Essays
- The next step
- There is no doubt
- Corresponding to
- At first glance
- In the long run
Do’s and Don’ts of Using Transition Words
So, now you have some strong transition words for essays at hand. But how do you use these transition words?
Here are the basic do and don’ts of using transition words for essays.
- Understand that these terms are an important part of any type of essay or paper, adding to its overall flow and readability.
- Use these words when you are presenting a new idea. For example, start a new paragraph with these phrases, followed by a comma.
- Do not overuse transition words. It is one of the most common essay writing problems that students end up with. It is important to only use those words required to convey your message clearly. It is good to sound smart by using these words but don’t overdo it.
- Avoid using these words at the start and in the middle. Always try to use transition words only a few times where it is necessary to make it easy for the readers to follow the ideas.
So, now you have an extensive list of transition words. These are some of the best transition words for essays that you can add to your essays.
If your essay seems redundant because you used similar transition words, you can always have a look at this list to find some good replacements.
So, whenever you’re writing an essay, refer back to this list and let your words flow!
If you still feel that your essay is not properly conveying your ideas, turn to our expert essay writers at MyPerfectWords.com.
If you have some write-up, our essay writing service will make it flow without changing the entire content. Or, if you wish to have an essay from scratch, we’ve got you covered!
Simply contact us and place your order now. Our writers will take care of everything to help you ace your assignment.
Nova A. (Literature, Marketing)
Nova Allison is a Digital Content Strategist with over eight years of experience. Nova has also worked as a technical and scientific writer. She is majorly involved in developing and reviewing online content plans that engage and resonate with audiences. Nova has a passion for writing that engages and informs her readers.
People also read
An Ultimate Essay Writing Guide for Students
Learn How to Write An Essay in Simple Steps
A Complete 500 Word Essay Writing Guide With Examples
Interesting Essay Topics to Ensure A Better Grade
Different Types of Essays In Academic Writing
Essay Format: A Basic Guide With Examples
Learn How to Create a Perfect Essay Outline
Learn How to Start an Essay In Simple Steps
A Complete Essay Introduction Writing Guide With Examples
What is a Hook Example For an Essay? Know Now
Learn How to Write a Thesis Statement With Examples
Good Thesis Statement Examples For Your Help
What is a Topic Sentence? - Definition & Examples
Learn How to Write a Conclusion in Simple Steps
What are the 4 Types of Sentences - Definition & Examples
Rules and Writing Conventions For College Student
Essay Writing Problems - 5 Most Paralyzing Problems
Useful Tips for Students on How to Make an Essay Longer
How to Title an Essay - A Short Guide & Examples
Learn How to Write a 1000 Word Essay Like a Pro
Share this article
Keep reading
We value your privacy
We use cookies to improve your experience and give you personalized content. Do you agree to our cookie policy?
Website Data Collection
We use data collected by cookies and JavaScript libraries.
Are you sure you want to cancel?
Your preferences have not been saved.
Complete List of Transition Words
100 words and phrases to use between paragraphs.
Viorika Prikhodko / E+ / Getty Images
- Writing Essays
- Writing Research Papers
- English Grammar
- M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
- B.A., History, Armstrong State University
Once you have completed the first draft of your paper, you will need to rewrite some of the introductory sentences at the beginning and the transition statements at the end of every paragraph . Transitions, which connect one idea to the next, may seem challenging at first, but they get easier once you consider the many possible methods for linking paragraphs together—even if they seem to be unrelated.
Transition words and phrases can help your paper move along, smoothly gliding from one topic to the next. If you have trouble thinking of a way to connect your paragraphs, consider a few of these 100 top transitions as inspiration. The type of transition words or phrases you use depends on the category of transition you need, as explained below.
Additive Transitions
Probably the most common type, additive transitions are those you use when you want to show that the current point is an addition to the previous one, notes Edusson , a website that provides students with essay-writing tips and advice . Put another way, additive transitions signal to the reader that you are adding to an idea and/or your ideas are similar, says Quizlet , an online teacher and student learning community. Some examples of additive transition words and phrases were compiled by Michigan State University writing lab. Follow each transition word or phrase with a comma:
- In the first place
- Furthermore
- Alternatively
- As well (as this)
- What is more
- In addition (to this)
- On the other hand
- Either (neither)
- As a matter of fact
- Besides (this)
- To say nothing of
- Additionally
- Not to mention (this)
- Not only (this) but also (that) as well
- In all honesty
- To tell the truth
An example of additive transitions used in a sentence would be:
" In the first place , no 'burning' in the sense of combustion, as in the burning of wood, occurs in a volcano; moreover , volcanoes are not necessarily mountains; furthermore , the activity takes place not always at the summit but more commonly on the sides or flanks..." – Fred Bullard, "Volcanoes in History, in Theory, in Eruption"
In this and the examples of transitions in subsequent sections, the transition words or phrases are printed in italics to make them easier to find as you peruse the passages.
Adversative Transitions
Adversative transitions are used to signal conflict, contradiction, concession, and dismissal, says Michigan State University. Examples include:
- In contrast
- But even so
- Nevertheless
- Nonetheless
- (And) still
- In either case
- (Or) at least
- Whichever happens
- Whatever happens
- In either event
An example of an adversative transition phrase used in a sentence would be:
" On the other hand, professor Smith completely disagreed with the author's argument."
Causal Transitions
Causal transitions—also called cause-and-effect transitions—show how certain circumstances or events were caused by other factors, says Academic Help . The website that offers assistance with academic writing adds: "They [causal transitions] make it easier for the reader to follow the logic of the arguments and clauses represented in paper." Examples include:
- Accordingly
- As a result
- Consequently
- For this reason
- Granting (that)
- On the condition (that)
- In the event that
- As a result (of this)
- Because (of this)
- As a consequence
- In consequence
- So much (so) that
- For the purpose of
- With this intention
- With this in mind
- Under those circumstances
- That being the case
An example of a causal transition used in a sentence would be:
"The study of human chromosomes is in its infancy, and so it has only recently become possible to study the effect of environmental factors upon them." –Rachel Carson, "Silent Spring"
Sequential Transitions
Sequential transitions express a numerical sequence, continuation, conclusion , digression , resumption, or summation, says Michigan State, which gives these examples:
- In the (first, second, third, etc.) place
- To begin with
- To start with
- Subsequently
- To conclude with
- As a final point
- Last but not least
- To change the topic
- Incidentally
- To get back to the point
- As was previously stated
An example of a sequential transition would be:
"We should teach that words are not the things to which they refer. We should teach that words are best understood as convenient tools for handling reality... Finally , we should teach widely that new words can and should be invented if the need arises." –Karol Janicki, "Language Misconceived"
In sum , use transition words and phrases judiciously to keep your paper moving, hold your readers' attention, and retain your audience until the final word.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/GettyImages-498564365-58f52c3d3df78ca159d85e97.jpg "transition words in process essay")
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
How to Write a Process Essay: Step-by-step Guide
The process essay, also known as the "how-to" essay, is commonly written for people or companies that need tutorials or a set of instructional steps. Whether it's building a robot or cooking a chocolate cake, process essays use a similar format for any variations. They follow a step-by-step style, with the initial step influencing the second, which influences the third, and so on. Each step carries its own importance, and a poor explanation of one step can ruin the entire process. It's important to stay concise and efficient. However, before you begin writing your essay, you should do some small preparations. Let's discover them with our research writing service .
What Is a Process Paper?
A process essay is a type of essay that explains a process step by step and gives guidance for a certain process, working mechanism, procedure, etc. Process essays range from very simple ones, such as instructions for how to ride a bicycle, to more complex ones, such as a chemistry lab report of an oxidative reaction experiment. The goal of a process paper is to give its readers guidance and directions.
Feeling Overwhelmed Writing a Process Essay on Your Own?
Simply send us your paper requirements, choose your paper writer and we’ll get it done fast.
A process paper is characterized, first of all, by explaining a process using a description. Some words that are frequently used in process essays are “further”, “then”, “next”, “first”, “last”, “finally”, and “initially”. It is really important to remember that every process essay includes features, such as:
- clear and straightforward narration - the last thing you want to do is to confuse your reader with complex language and an unorganized thought thread;
- chronological order - avoid skipping steps and shifting them around, as it will result in misunderstanding and frustration for the readers;
- transition words - make sure to separate the next step from the previous ones by using transition words;
- descriptions of the steps - make sure your steps are clear and easy to follow.
There are several types of process essays. The first one is directional - it explains the “how to” for something. It can take on a wide range of subjects, such as how to apply for a credit card, how to get your driver’s license, how to plan a wedding, etc. The outcome of the directional essay should be a result. In the cases of the examples above: a credit card, a driver’s license, or a carefully planned wedding. The other type of process paper is informational - it explains how something works. Here are some examples: how a weather forecast is determined, how a space rocket works, how intermittent fasting changes your body, etc. An informational essay explains something to a reader and does not necessarily end up with a result, like directional does.
Another type of essay that is similar to a process essay is a process analysis essay. The biggest difference is that a process analysis essay not only explains the steps, but also analyses them in depth. It has all of the characteristics of a process essay, although goes into more detail about the causes and consequences of every step.
How to Write a Process Essay
Writing a process essay is not extremely difficult. By following simple rules and a set of steps, a successful, well-structured essay can be guaranteed.
Prepare The Small Stuff
Here we gathered some small general tips and advice that you should follow throughout your writing process to make sure that all of the expectations of a process paper are met.
- Determine the Audience's Skill Level. It's important to base the level of complexity of the essay on who the readers will be. For example, if you need to teach a friend how to do a simple fix or create a certain tool, then it would be most reasonable to stick to more basic terminology. However, if you are writing an essay for your astrophysics professor about the creation of a black hole in the universe, use more sophisticated and informative terminology.
- Make a List of Materials. Obviously, the creation of anything comes with some prerequisites. Whether it's items or ideas, the importance of knowing the necessities beforehand and having them ready to go is essential. Make sure to place each item in accordance with its importance. The more impactful a part is, the higher up on the list it should be.
- Write out Each Task. In a step-by-step tutorial, each individual task carries some sort of weight. Since an entire process can not be complete if a step is skipped, it's crucial to write out every single step. However, don't go overboard in your explanations. It's not necessary to bring the tutorial to a microscopic level, but each step should be understandable and competent.
If you still have difficulty writing, you can get essay help online from our service.
Process Essay Topics
Choosing a topic for a process paper can be quite challenging. A good place to start is with your passions. If you pick something you are excited about, you can make it interesting for your readers and fun for yourself to write about. If your professor limits you to write a process essay on something you have very little knowledge of, choose a topic that is intriguing and triggers your interest. Then, conduct enough thorough research to make sure you understand everything perfectly before you go ahead and try to explain it to someone else.
Another very important thing to consider while writing a process essay is your audience. It is highly unlikely that college students are interested in instructions for “How to Get Into Your Dream School” or “How to Pass Your SATs”. Make sure your topic relates to the subject you are studying and you are following your professor’s prompt guidelines.
Here are some ideas that might be of interest for you:
- How to lose weight on a keto diet
- How your immune system fights COVID-19
- How to start selling on Amazon
- How to improve your credit score
- How to decrease your social media usage
- How to apply for unemployment insurance
- How to improve your college performance
- How to open your first bank account
It's important to note that these essay topics are just some common examples used by several college students for their course papers. Feel free to use any one of them if you want, or think of one on your own. Just make sure it's a PROCESS!
Process Essay Outline
Most essay outlines follow the standard scheme: Intro > Body Paragraphs > Conclusion . follow the standard scheme: Intro > Body Paragraphs > Conclusion. A good process essay outline should look like this:
- Introduction — brief your reader on your topic, explain why you have chosen it and how you are planning to approach the explanation of the process.
- Body — the biggest part of your essay that should be divided into paragraphs for easier understanding and structure. Make sure each paragraph is flowing smoothly into the next one with connective words.
Paragraph 1. First step of the process. Explain what the step is, what the best way to perform it is, and how to avoid common mistakes when doing it.
Paragraph 2. The next step of the process (the same as in Paragraph 1). Thoroughly explain what this step is about.
- Conclusion . Here you need to explain why your instructions are valuable. It is your opportunity to persuade your reader(s) that the steps you presented and the process they learned will be useful for them in the future.
Every process is different: some can take a couple of minutes, while others can take months or years to complete. The length of the essay is generally based on the difficulty and number of steps it takes. However, the structure doesn't maneuver.
Introduction
The first thing that you want to do as a writer for your process paper is to help your readers be interested in your individual process. Be descriptive about it, paint a picture for your readers. A joke or a personal reference can be a great attention grabber and can pull your reader right in. For somebody to be keen on approaching your process, they have to express interest in it. Though, it generally goes without saying that many writers ignore this fact. Let's break it down into subsections:
- Give a little bit of historical background. People often want to know the origins of whatever it is that they're working on. Introducing this part of the process helps to intrigue your readers, as well as give them a sense of purpose for the task.
- Create an approximate timeframe. Unfortunately, your readers don't have all day to spend on this one event. In addition to learning about its purpose, people want to know how long the task will take. This way, they can decide how to break up the work. If it's a quick fix, then they can knock it out in one session. However, if it's a large-scale operation, then your readers will obviously have to create their own time schedule.
For example, let’s say that the topic of your essay is “How to Save Money”. You can start the introduction of your process essay by explaining that as a college student, you often find yourself in need of extra money and you are stuck with bad money habits. This will create a good connection with your readers, because almost everyone has been in a situation of needing to be savvy with their finances. Another thing you can mention is the importance of saving money and the multiple opportunities it presents, such as being able to invest it, being able to pay off a credit card debt, or being able to save up to avoid taking out a student loan.
Feeling Overloaded and Stressed?
Our professional writers are ready to help you 24/7!
Body Paragraphs
This is the point in the process essay where you start introducing the step-by-step process your readers will need to take. A lot of the time, it helps to break down each process into subsections. For example, if a step has many parts to it, it would be clever to create a paragraph on its own just for that step. Remember, it's important to keep things smooth and efficient. Break down the body paragraphs in unity with the steps. Let's go into more detail about each step:
Each step should be carefully explained. Every step will vary in length. Think about it: every instruction manual has several steps. Some are more difficult to comprehend or perform than others. For this reason, create your steps and explanations accordingly. You should be able to get a sense of their length and difficulty based on the explanation.
Don't forget to explain the purpose. People don't want orders barked at them aimlessly. Besides just accomplishing a task, people want to learn as they perform.
- Why did they do this?
- What was the purpose of this method?
- Why did we do it this way and not this other way?
To make everything flow smoothly use transitions. Make the steps flow one after another to create a well-structured essay. As you introduce the next step, consider using transition words like “next”, “now”, “then”, “so that”, etc.
Before writing the steps out in full sentences, it is a great idea to create an outline for your body paragraphs. Here is an outline for the body paragraphs of a process essay on “How to Save Money”:
Paragraph 1:
- keep track of your expenses
- organize your collected data
- decide what you can skimp on in your spendings
Paragraph 2:
- create a realistic budget
- check weekly to ensure you are sticking to it
- save 15% of every monthly income
- set a tangible goal for saving, such as a car
This example uses only two body paragraphs, but feel free to include more to ensure a better understanding and cohesive flow for your paper. Although, do not include excessive unnecessary details that clutter your essay and make understanding it even more difficult. While writing your essay, include small brief explanations for each statement. For example, “Even though eating out and grabbing a coffee on your way to class sounds tempting, setting a budget and saving 15% of each of your monthly earnings aside can help you have enough to put down a downpayment on a new car.” Here the reader will understand that there is a direct relationship between each step and the result it is going to give.
Showing the readers that they are learning and not just repeating is one of the most effective ways to lock down their attention and keep them coming back!
After going through every step meticulously and explaining the whole process, a process essay needs a confident conclusion. This paragraph should be short, sweet, and to the point. It's main goal is to accomplish the following tasks:
- Discuss the main result. After the readers have completed the process, they should be left with a final result. It's important that you explain to your readers what the end result will look like, and what can be done with it.
- Restate the process’s general purpose. After completing the task, you obviously would like to know its overall purpose. When your readers feel that they have accomplished a challenge, learned something from it, and have a path to take the result towards, they will be satisfied!
- State your Overall Conclusion. To put a pretty tie around your process essay means that you need to neatly wrap things up! Restate some of the highlightable points as well as the process’s key overall purpose. Make sure that your readers feel accomplished after going through your process, and ensure that you strengthen the necessity of its purpose with a nice concluding sentence!
The conclusion of an essay on “How to Save Money” would explain that the completion of all of the steps will result in saving money that can be used for a specific goal or for rainy day fund purposes. You can mention the importance of every step and briefly repeat some of the key points.
Post-Writing Tips
Here are some final tips to wrap up your writing process. Use them as a checklist for a successful and coherent essay.
- Make sure the work is simple enough to follow. Worst-case-scenario: its author creates a feeling of absolute confusion in the reader’s mind. To avoid this problem, always remember that your readers can be beginners. Do not try to impress them with complicated words or sentences, use simple language to provide clear directions on how to do something. Give as many details as possible, but do it plainly. "Why is he making me do this?" "What was the purpose of this?" "I don't understand this step at all!" If the reader is asking themself these questions, then it's time to do some editing!
- Experiment and try it for yourself or ask a friend. There's no better way to experience success than to actively attempt your process through your own instructions. If everything truly makes sense, then you should have no problem solving the task using your own words. Even better, ask a peer to try it through your words to get an outside point of view.
- Choose the right topic for you and research it well
- Maintain a logical order of steps, make it easy to follow
- Avoid using imperative sentences - you do not want to sound like an Apple TV manual
- Explain terms that are most likely outside of most people’s range of common knowledge
If you have a ready-made essay but need to make significant changes to it, you can use our rewrite my essay service .
Video Guide: How to Write a Process Essay
Now that you know all about process essays and how to write them, we have prepared some great essay topic ideas in case you are stuck and cannot choose one:
Building a business from scratch is an intricate process that entails a number of steps. Each of these steps should have specific objectives and measurable outcomes.The following analysis gives the basic steps followed when building any business from scratch.
Saving can be defined as a differed consumption or keeping aside a portion of your income for unexpected future uncertainties or plans. Read for reason and actual steps for saving more money
Read also a thesis statement example from our author. In this article, you can learn something useful for yourself.
Still Need Help?
If you still feel like you could use some help with your process essay, do not hesitate to seek help from our writing service. Our writers specialize in a wide range of essays of different types including creative writing essay , process essays, and would be more than happy to assist you with writing, editing, or direction if you are feeling uneasy. Click the button below and college admission essay writer will process your requests fast.
Related Articles
How to Write a Process Essay?
18 June, 2020
14 minutes read
Author: Tomas White
What is a “process essay”? What makes it different from dozens of other papers you create on a daily basis? What are its main components and what the main goal of this type of writing you need to bear in mind? If you're looking for answers to these questions, you're in luck! You can get them all from our academic guide on how to write a process essay.
Composing a process essay can be rather complicated especially if you are not familiar with this type of writing and do not know what pitfalls and specifications to pay attention to.
That is why our custom essay writing service has created this guide to help you tackle this task. We will answer all these questions in our article below and even provide you with great process essay examples and topics you can write on to stand out. So, if that sounds like something you need right now, read on: we are here to help and equip you with knowledge!
But first things first. Since it is impossible to create an excellent process essay without crystal clear understanding of the term, we will start with the definition. So, let’s dive in!
What is a process essay?
A process essay is commonly written either to explain how something works or to guide a reader through the process of completing a particular task, states the process essay definition.
Process essays also go under the “How-to articles” title and aim to teach the target audience how to achieve certain goals or complete specific assignments.
So, look at it like this. In case of “How to quit smoking” process essay, your primary goal is to provide several helpful ways of quitting this habit. These might be evidence-based recommendations if you have experience in this area, or simply common sense ideas you found while conducting your research.
Now that you realize what you will be working with, let’s look into different types of process essays and practical ways to compose them. Our essay writing guide will walk you through the process essay writing step by step.
Types of process essays
There are two main types of such papers: the ones that explain how something works , and those that show you how to complete a particular task .
1. How to do something.
Though it sounds quite self-explanatory, we’d like to emphasize the importance of clear instructions in case you are writing a process essay.
Your readers must be able to follow your guidance and complete each step successfully. So, split the process into small steps, keep it short and to the point at each stage of crafting a process essay.
For instance, in a “How to quit smoking” process essay , you can split the whole process into seven steps:
- Choose a date for a quit day;
- Imagine life without cigarettes and expect it;
- Have one last cigarette as a “Goodbye!”;
- Be among people to support you;
- Keep your goal in perspective not to give up;
- Don’t fall for substitutes;
- Be accountable.
2. How something works.
By contrast, this is an informative type of writing that aims to achieve one goal – explain the principle of work behind some process. Unlike the mentioned above type, this process essay type does not encourage a reader to take an action and do something step by step.
However, you must make sure that by the end of your essay, the audience will know for sure how something functions.
As an example of this type of a process essay, let’s see how an earthquake happens .
- First, the energy within the earth core builds up due to various moves in the earth crust;
- The energy level grows up and causes tension in the tectonic plates;
- After some time, the pressure radiates outwards by moving the plates from each other;
- The seismic waves shake the earth as they get from the core of the earth to the surface;
- That is when the earthquake takes place.
Before we go any further, let’s look at another example. In case of “How to prepare for a vacation” process essay, your task is to compose a few steps that your readers can take when getting ready for their vacation. In other words, you are describing how to do something.
Meanwhile, “What happens to your brain when you sleep” process essay is merely an explanation of the principle. In it, you are not encouraging readers to take any actions whatsoever. So, here is the fundamental difference.
How to write a process essay?
Getting started with process essay writing
When developing a process essay outline, take some time to answer the following questions:
- Who is your target audience? How deep is their knowledge of the subject? The complexity of your essay depends on their skills level. Thus, for instance, when explaining to your peers how to stretch a dollar to see the world, you can use basic terminology and examples they can relate to. However, your vocabulary should be way more sophisticated if you are writing a process essay on how to improve the overall quality of higher education in your state to the City Council.
- How can you divide the process into small steps? You do not want to bore your audience to death with unnecessary details in a process essay. Yet, you cannot afford to skip valuable steps if they are crucial to the overall understanding of the subject of your process essay. So, try to find the golden cut and figure out the most suitable amount of steps.
- What sources will you use for the task? It goes without saying that you can only use reliable sources to support your argument in a process essay. These sources should be all mentioned in the end of your essay. And remember about proper in-text citation styles. Read the materials carefully and take only the information that will add value to your essay and helps make it shine.
How to write a process essay outline
Finally, let’s look into the process essay structure. Needless to say that you must start with something that will grab readers’ attention, or in other words, “a hook.”
It is true for any essay, and process essay writing is not an exception.
The structure of your essay regardless of the process essay topics should consist of:
- A powerful introduction.
- Main body paragraphs.
- An interesting conclusion.
Related Post: Essay outline | Research Paper outline
Sounds simple, yet there are several things you should not forget about process essay writing.
How to write an introduction to a process essay
Once you compose a hook, mention why you believe that readers should use your approach to solve a problem even though there are dozens of other ones. We know two effective ways to achieve this in your process essay:
- Show how much time this task will take . People don’t have all the time in the world to tackle just this one task. So, you’ll really help them by stating how much time completing something using your approach will take and underline that with your approach described in a process essay it will take less time than if they opt for a different one. “Writing can be tough, especially if you always felt that it is not exactly your suit. However, Michael D. Pollock, a credible expert in this area, has recently presented 10 effective tips that will help you learn writing fast and make you able to craft a 1000-word article in 30 minutes. So, keep reading to find out how you can write this fast too.”
- Introduce your audience to the historical background of the approach (if any) you’re using in a process essay. Let them see the roots of your solution. Here is what a good introduction of a process essay should look like: “Giving a speech with lots of eyes concentrated on you is not an easy task. No wonder so many students dread this task. However, speech can be a powerful tool, and we can teach you how to give them right. Steve Jobs is known as one of the best public speakers of our time. People were sitting on the edge of their seats when he spoke. And we’ll teach you how to grab attention like he did using just five simple tricks he applied.”
At last, compose an engaging thesis of a process essay. Many students consider it a scary part. But it all goes down to this.
Your thesis statement should reason why your way is the best and why readers looking for answers should search no more and give your solution a chance.
It’s easier than you think. Here is a good thesis statement example:
“With more than 580 million tons of household waste produced all over the world, Every tiny effort you make to become eco-friendly counts. And if you don’t want to spend extra money on sustainable products but want to save the environment, use our guide on ten simple eco-friendly steps you can do daily without even noticing it!”
This is what a thesis statement for a process essay on how to be eco-friendly would look like. Yours can be different, but you get the idea!
How to plan main body paragraphs
- Dedicate one body paragraph to one point you want to bring to light.
- Provide enough details on each step including the ultimate goal of this step and reasons why this method was chosen for its achievement.
- Keep it short and to the point.
How to write a conclusion
Now is that time you reminded the readers about the purpose of a process essay, reasons why you chose this particular approach, and briefly mentioned steps needed to accomplish the task.
Besides, you can call your audience to action but only in case you are writing an essay that shows how to do something. Otherwise, it will be inapplicable.
Finally, help them set their expectations right: what results can they count on in the end? How long will it take them to achieve those results after reading your process essay and applying its tips?
How to use transition words in a process essay
Transition words can help you create a seamless reading experience. You can take readers smoothly from one step to another. And what is more you can help them immerse into the process!
Therefore, begin each new paragraph with a transition word, add one in between examples you provide, and summarize your instructions with them, too.
Think of transition words as of bridges that connect paragraphs and sentences. They make smooth communication between the two possible. And with them in your process essay, no reader feels irritated or frustrated with your writing style, as they have to stumble upon every other sentence in your piece.
Good process essay topics
It is not enough to just know the theory to create a good process essay. One should also come up with a topic that will be both interesting and useful to his readers. Here’s a list of our suggestions on process essay ideas:
- How to choose a perfect future career.
- How to survive college and stay sane.
- How to eat healthy on campus.
- How to balance your social and academic life.
- How to pay out a student loan while still at college.
- How to improve your public speaking skills.
- How to see the world with only $100 in your pocket.
- How to learn a foreign language.
- How to renovate your apartment and not go bankrupt.
- How to start your own business.
- How to prepare for your first interview.
- How to get volunteers to help you clean the neighborhood.
- How to write a life list.
- How to set boundaries in the relationship.
- How to study overseas for free.
Related Posts: Argumentative essay topics | Compare&Contrast essay topics
Process essay writing tips
Wrapping up, we would like to introduce you to a couple of vital recommendations on process essay writing:
- Your process essay subject cannot be too broad or too narrow. Look out for the golden cut!
- Introduce your readers to possible complications of the process. After all, forewarned is forearmed.
- Create a short vocabulary your audience can use in case they are not familiar with the terminology essential to the general understanding of the process essay in question.
- Develop a list of resources your readers will need as they deal with certain tasks. This way you will have them prepared to put your recommendations to action right away.
- Always write a process essay using Active Voice!
Need help with your process essay writing? Handmadewriting is here for you to help. Drop us a line to get our professional essay writers to develop an excellent piece for you!
Best Essay Writing Services 2023
Student life can often be quite challenging because students have to deal with challenging college essay writing assignments. To facilitate the learning process, many services help you complete written work and get high scores. Now we will tell you about the best services that you can turn to and get high-quality papers. Essay Writing Service […]
A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death
Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]
Nursing Research Paper Topics
Selecting an academic paper topic is a crucial step in the writing process. The variety of nursing research topics makes it challenging to find the appropriate paper theme. But if you choose a sound nursing research paper subject, it will contribute to a flawless thesis statement, using relevant resources, a smooth writing process, and impressive […]
How To Write An Essay
Transition Words For Essays
Transition Words for Essays - An Ultimate List
Published on: Jan 1, 2021
Last updated on: Jan 3, 2023
On This Page On This Page
Essay writing is one academic assignment type that is based on some essential factors to be drafted professionally. Many students with excellent writing skills fail to provide good essays as they are not conscious of the basic technicalities.
One factor that contributes the most to the overall balanced and well-connected content is the usage of transitional words. These words tie the whole information together and maintain a logical flow.
Learn how transition words for your essays are and how to use them in this simple guide.
What are Transition Words?
Transition words are linking words used to connect sentences and ideas in the content. They help the audience move from one idea to another, building a coherent relationship within the document.
When writing an essay , it is essential to make sure that the information provided is readable and understandable by the readers. For this purpose, explicit language, transition words, and phrases are used.
Moreover, these words set a base for the idea that is going to be discussed next.
Transition words can either make or break the entire essay. It is mandatory to keep in view that not every sentence in your essay needs a transitional phrase. Use it in moderation to make sure that your document is not confusing.
Your first order with us is FREE!
Types of Transitions
Generally, there are three types of transitions that are used while drafting a piece of document. Depending on the length, complexity, and kind of text, transitions can take the following form:
- Transition Between Sections - When your document is lengthy, transition paragraphs are used to summarize a particular section for the readers. In addition to this, it also links the information that is to be shared next.
- Transition Between Paragraphs - The transition between paragraphs is when you logically connect the two paragraphs. This connection summarizes the paragraph’s primary concern and links it to the next idea of the other paragraph.
- Transition Within Paragraphs - They act as cues for the readers to prepare them for what is coming next. They are usually single words or small phrases.
Good Transition Words for Essays
Transitional words depend on the relationship you want to convey to the audience about the ideas and paragraphs. Below is a list of words and phrases that can be used to link different sentences, paragraphs, and sections.
Identify which transition expression you want to share for your logical relationship.
Transition Words for Argumentative Essay
- In the same way
- Equally important
- Furthermore
- Comparatively
- Additionally
- In addition
- Not only...but also
Transition Words for Compare and Contrast Essay
- In contrast
- Different from
- On the contrary
- In spite of
Transition Words for Informative Essay
- Provided that
- With this in mind
- For the purpose of
- In the hope that
- In order to
- With this intention
Transition Words for College Essays
- In other words
- By all means
- To demonstrate
- As in illustration
- To put it another way
Transition Words for Cause and Effect Essay
- As a result
- For this reason
- Because the
- Under those circumstances
- Accordingly
- Consequently
Transition Words for Essay Paragraphs
- At the present time
- To begin with
- In due time
- In a moment
- All of a sudden
- Immediately
Transition Words for Space or Place
- In the middle
- On this side
- In the distance
- In the background
- Here and there
Transition Words for Conclusion
- As can be seen
- By and large
- To summarize
- In the final analysis
- Generally speaking
- On the whole
Tips to Use Transition Words in your Essay
Choosing the right transition word is one thing and using it appropriately is another. Professionals suggest first to analyze where and how to use the transition word to make the content appropriate.
Expert essay writers at MyPerfectWords.com have provided some tips for the students. These tips will help them accurately use transition words and bring a logical balance to the content.
- It is essential to first understand that transitional words are as important as any factor in writing an essay. So use them wisely.
- Use these words only when introducing a new idea and want to link it to the previous one.
- Avoid overusing transition words in your essay. Use them where it is necessary.
- Never use a transition word at the end of a sentence.
The success of your essay depends on many small factors. Transitional words are one of those factors that contribute to a well-written essay.
It might take time for you to learn these words, but practice makes the man perfect.
If you are anxious about drafting a flawless essay but are not aware of the transition words and how to use them, let professionals do their job.
Get help from the expert essay writers at CollegeEssay.org to produce a perfect document that will fulfill all academic requirements.
Whether you are looking for assistance in a simple college essay or a complicated research paper, we can help you create quality content.
Simply place your order to hire a professional for your custom essay at the most reasonable price.
Barbara P (Literature, Marketing)
Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.
People also read
How to Write an Essay - A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn How to Title an Essay Like a Professional Writer
How to Create a Perfect Essay Outline Like a Pro
Essay Format - An Easy Writing Guide & Examples
What is a Thesis Statement - A Complete Guide
Hook Examples - Give an Interesting Start to Your Essay
A Guide to Writing a 1000 Word Essay for School or College
All You Need to Know About a 500-word Essay
Different Types of Essay: Definition with Best Examples
Writing an Essay Introduction - Step by Step Guide
Expert Writing Guide on How to Start an Essay
Learn How to Write a Topic Sentence with Examples
How to Write a Conclusion - Expert Guide & Tips
Amazing Essay Topics & Ideas for Your Next Project (2022)
Explore the Different Types of Sentences with Examples
Share this article
Keep reading
Essay Writing Guide
Transition Words For Essays
Last updated on: Feb 14, 2023
100 Best Transition Words for Essays
By: Nova A.
Reviewed By: Jacklyn H.
Published on: Jul 9, 2019
Essay writing is a technical process that requires much more effort than simply pouring your thoughts on paper.
What the writer is trying to convey and how they do it plays a significant role in this process. Also, your essays are assessed according to a particular criteria and it is your responsibility to ensure that it is being met.
Along with other aspects, you need to make sure that the paper is coherent and maintains a logical connection throughout the paper. This can successfully be achieved with the help of transition words for essays.
If you are new to the concept of transition words and phrases, deep dive into this article in order to find out the secret for improving your essays.
On this Page
What are Transition Words?
As writers, our goal is to communicate our thoughts and ideas in the most clear and logical manner. Especially when presenting complex ideas, we must ensure that they are being conveyed in the most understandable way.
To ensure that your paper is easy to understand, you can work on the sequencing of ideas. Break down your ideas into different sentences and paragraphs then use a transition word or phrase to guide them through these ideas.
Think of a transition as a conjunction or a joining word. It helps create strong relationships between ideas, paragraphs, or sentences and assists the readers to understand the word phrases and sentences easily.
They form a bridge and logical flow to connect sentences and different types of transitions to connect ideas making sure that there’s a smooth writing flow. In addition to tying the entire paper together, they help demonstrate the writer’s agreement, disagreement, conclusion, or contrast.
However, you must keep in mind that just using or including transitional words isn’t enough to highlight relationships between ideas. The content of your paragraphs must support the relationship as well.
List of Good Transition Words for Essays
As mentioned above, there are different categories of transitions that serve a unique purpose. Understanding these different types will help you pick the most suitable word or phrase to communicate your message.
Here we have categorized transition words for different types of essays and relationships for your assistance – use them appropriately!
Transition Words for Argumentative Essays
Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!
Transition Words for Compare and Contrast Essays
Transition words for cause and effect essays, transition words to start a paragraph, transition words for conclusions.
Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!
Do’s and Don’ts of Using Essay Transitions
You have probably understood how transition words can save you from disjointed and directionless paragraphs. They are the missing piece that indicates how ideas are related to one another.
If you are still unable to distinguish transitions to open or conclude your essays, don’t be upset - these things require time and practice.
If you have an important paper or research paper due now, you can get in touch with the expert writers at 5StarEssays.com and pay to write my essay . They will incorporate the right transitions according to the type of paper, ensuring a coherent flow of ideas.
Place your order today and get quality content at the most pocket-friendly rates available.
Marketing, Law
As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.
Was This Blog Helpful?
Keep reading.
- How to Write an Essay - A Complete Guide with Examples
- Interesting Thesis Statement Examples for Your Essay
- Writing a 500 Word Essay - Easy Guide
- What is a Topic Sentence – Easy Guide with Examples
- A Complete Essay Outline - Guidelines and Format
- Essay Format: Detailed Writing Tips & Examples
- How to Write a Conclusion - Examples & Tips
- Essay Topics: 100+ Best Essay Topics for your Guidance
- How to Title An Essay in 5 Minutes
- How to Write a Perfect 1000 Word Essay
- How To Make An Essay Longer - Easy Guide For Beginners
- Learn How to Start an Essay Effectively with Easy Guidelines
- Types of Sentences With Examples
- Hook Examples: How to Start Your Essay Effectively
- Essay Writing Tips - 10+ Essential Tips and Techniques
- Thesis Statement - A Detailed Writing Guide & Examples
- Art Topics - Brilliant Ideas to Begin With
- Writing Conventions and Tips for College Students
People Also Read
- compare and contrast essay examples
- types of plagiarism
- research paper writing
- essay writing skills
- how to write a synopsis
Burdened With Assignments?
Advertisement
© 2023 - All rights reserved
2000+ SATISFIED STUDENTS
95% Satisfaction RATE
30 Days Money-back GUARANTEE
95% Success RATE
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Contact Us
© 2022 5StarEssays.com. All rights reserved.
LOGIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT
SIGN UP TO YOUR ACCOUNT
- Your phone no.
- Password Password must be minimum 8 characters.
- Confirm Password
- I have read Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms and Conditions .
FORGOT PASSWORD
- SEND PASSWORD
97 Transition Words for Essays You Need to Know
A transition is a “passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another.” At least that’s what Merriam-Webster’s dictionary says. But that thing’s only been around for like 184 years or so, so I’d like to amend it a bit.
Instead, let’s say a transition is “a passage from one state, stage, subject, place, or IDEA to another.” That’s what we do when we transition in our essays. We transition between ideas that are usually related to one subject.
Click To Tweet
We do this from section to section, from paragraph to paragraph, from sentence to sentence, and often, within individual sentences.
On the macro level (sections and paragraphs), we often use whole paragraphs or sentences to transition from one idea to the next. However, on the micro level (between and within sentences), we use transition words .
Politicians use transitions all the time when they’re presented with an undesirable question and prefer to spin to another subject.
Well, some are better at it than others.
For better or worse, we’re focusing on these little gems today: transition words for essays. Why? Because they’re oh-so-important when it comes to moving from one idea to another and melding those ideas into one cohesive whole within your essay.
Without transition words, you can lose your direction. But their overuse, or misuse, can lead to a clunky, redundant mess of transitional madness.
So today, let’s tackle what you need to know about using transition words for essays.
What Exactly Are Transition Words, and Why Are They Important?
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably all too used to writing essays. I don’t need to explain to you the essay’s prevalence in just about every level of the education system.
You already understand the different types of essays that require you to analyze , interpret , compare and contrast , and break down any number of subjects.
When writing any essay, it’s important that all of your ideas progress in a clear and concise direction. It’s also important that you present them in a logical order. After all, we can only focus on one idea at a time .
What makes transition words so important? They allow us, as writers, to seamlessly move from one idea to the next. They also let us do so in a way that’s almost imperceptible to the reader .
Let’s take this quote as an example:
“Times of transition are strenuous, but I love them. They are an opportunity to purge, rethink priorities, and be intentional about new habits.” —Kristin Armstrong
In this quote, we see the speaker uses the transition word “but” to shift from the difficulty related to life transitions to the positives that can come from them. It flows so well that you don’t even notice the word.
In contrast, imagine if she said, “Times of transition are strenuous. I love them.” This would give the reader pause as the connection isn’t clear. Instead, by using “but,” Armstrong effectively transitions you to the positive aspects of her thinking, which she then elaborates on.
As you can see, neglecting to use transition words entirely will result in writing that’s disconnected and difficult to read and understand. Transition words are vital to establishing flow and fluency in your paper. That flow and fluency allows your reader to seamlessly identify and connect to your ideas.
However, when transitions are overused or misused, they can be counter-productive.
What Are Some Common Transition Mistakes?
Learning to use transitions is easy, but learning to use them fluidly is more difficult . It’s kind of like dancing. Anyone can hold on to another person and move his feet. Doing it gracefully is another story.
So let’s take a look at some of the most common mistakes I see with the use of transition words for essays.
Transition by numbers
“Firstly, smoking is bad for your lungs. Second, smoking can discolor your teeth. Third, smoking is bad for the people around you. In the fourth place, smoking is very expensive.”
Often when writing an essay, we’re asked to present several arguments or pieces of evidence. So numbering each of the points as we present them seems logical. However, this isn’t a list. It’s an essay. Try to avoid using “first,” “second,” and “third” exclusively when transitioning to a new point.
The broken record
“Exercise can improve your cardiovascular function. In addition, it can increase your self-esteem. Additionally, exercise can be a great way to meet new people. Plus, exercise can extend your life and make you feel younger.”
Some transition words will be used more than others, and that’s fine. However, a big part of writing is finding the right balance. You may have a favorite transition word, but try to show some restraint in using it. Switch it up from time to time. Avoid overusing transitions that essentially all mean the same thing.
Starting with ands and buts
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been taught that it’s a sin to start a sentence with “and” or “but.” And being the rebel writer I am, I love to break this rule (<– see?). But I have to admit, doing it continuously is less than ideal (<– see?).
Spelling it out
Transitions are meant to guide your reader through your essay from idea to idea and section to section. Consequently, there’s this tendency to spell everything out. I’ve read so many conclusion paragraphs that begin with “in conclusion.”
If you’re writing a strong conclusion, then there’s no reason to spell this out. Your reader will know. Trust me.
Now that you know why transition words are important and how to use them correctly, let’s take a look at 97 transition words for essays.
Transition words can be used to achieve various effects . Therefore, I’ve broken the following transition words into categories. This makes them a bit easier to digest—and refer back to later.
These transition words are used to provide additional information on a point.
- additionally
- furthermore
- in addition
- not to mention
- correspondingly
Example: “Developing strong reading habits will improve your grade in English class, as well as any other class that involves reading, which happens to be all of them.”
Contradiction
These transition words are used to show the flip side of a point. They can be incredibly useful when transitioning from one side of an issue to the other.
- nonetheless
- in contrast
- nevertheless
- even though
Example: “The loss of my mother was the most difficult moment of my life. T hen again , it was also the point when I began truly living my own life.”
These transition words are often used at the beginning of a sentence to show the cause of an action.
- in order to
- provided that
- with this in mind
Example: “I always think about having a drink when I’m feeling stressed about work.”
These are used in a similar way as the cause transitions, but later in the sentence to show the result of an action.
- as a result
- consequently
- accordingly
- because of this
Example: “I was feeling stressed about work; thus , I thought about having a drink.”
These transition words are used to drive a point home by providing further information for the reader to think about in relation to it.
- in other words
- for instance
- for example
- particularly
- principally
Example: “Bullying in school can be detrimental to students, particularly when it occurs during the formative years of their education.”
These transitions are used to bring together various points that you’ve mentioned in your paper.
- in any event
- as mentioned
- as you can see
Example: “ As mentioned , smoking is harmful to your health and the health of those you love.”
Arrangement
These are extremely important when it comes to developing strong flow from idea to idea, especially when they relate to time.
- at the same time
- in the future
- in the past
- subsequently
Example: “ Before we discuss the candidates’ platforms, let’s review their political histories.”
Putting Transition Words for Essays into Practice
This is by no means an exhaustive list . However, each of these transition words is common and valuable. They’re definitely transition words for essays you need to know. I encourage you to refer back to this list anytime you write an essay.
Need some inspiration? Check out these example essays where the writers did a good job of using transition words to connect ideas:
- Comparing the Diction and Syntax in the Works of Langston Hughes and Sandra Cisneros
- A Summary and Investigation of Green Buildings
- American High Schools Compared to the Swedish School System
If you find that your essay lacks smooth transitions, the list of 97 transition words for essays will help you to add some.
If your essay feels redundant upon second reading because you’ve used similar transition words repeatedly, use these categories to find some good replacements.
If it still doesn’t feel right, I suggest you send your essay to the editing team at Kibin . Not only will the professional editors review your use of transitions, but they’ll work with you to improve your use of transition words for essays going forward.
Psst... 98% of Kibin users report better grades! Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays .
About the Author
Jared is a Kibin editor , a wanderer, and an ESL teacher. He grew up in a really small town in Missouri with his nose in a book and a pen in his hand.
- academic writing
- transition words
- word choice
Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.
10.5 Process Analysis
Learning objectives.
- Determine the purpose and structure of the process analysis essay.
- Understand how to write a process analysis essay.
The Purpose of Process Analysis in Writing
The purpose of a process analysis essay is to explain how to do something or how something works. In either case, the formula for a process analysis essay remains the same. The process is articulated into clear, definitive steps.
Almost everything we do involves following a step-by-step process. From riding a bike as children to learning various jobs as adults, we initially needed instructions to effectively execute the task. Likewise, we have likely had to instruct others, so we know how important good directions are—and how frustrating it is when they are poorly put together.
Writing at Work
The next time you have to explain a process to someone at work, be mindful of how clearly you articulate each step. Strong communication skills are critical for workplace satisfaction and advancement. Effective process analysis plays a critical role in developing that skill set.
On a separate sheet of paper, make a bulleted list of all the steps that you feel would be required to clearly illustrate three of the following four processes:
- Tying a shoelace
- Parallel parking
- Planning a successful first date
- Being an effective communicator
The Structure of a Process Analysis Essay
The process analysis essay opens with a discussion of the process and a thesis statement that states the goal of the process.
The organization of a process analysis essay typically follows chronological order. The steps of the process are conveyed in the order in which they usually occur. Body paragraphs will be constructed based on these steps. If a particular step is complicated and needs a lot of explaining, then it will likely take up a paragraph on its own. But if a series of simple steps is easier to understand, then the steps can be grouped into a single paragraph.
The time transition phrases covered in the Narration and Illustration sections are also helpful in organizing process analysis essays (see Table 10.1 “Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time” and Table 10.2 “Phrases of Illustration” ). Words such as first , second , third , next , and finally are helpful cues to orient reader and organize the content of essay.
Always have someone else read your process analysis to make sure it makes sense. Once we get too close to a subject, it is difficult to determine how clearly an idea is coming across. Having a friend or coworker read it over will serve as a good way to troubleshoot any confusing spots.
Choose two of the lists you created in Note 10.52 “Exercise 1” and start writing out the processes in paragraph form. Try to construct paragraphs based on the complexity of each step. For complicated steps, dedicate an entire paragraph. If less complicated steps fall in succession, group them into a single paragraph.
Writing a Process Analysis Essay
Choose a topic that is interesting, is relatively complex, and can be explained in a series of steps. As with other rhetorical writing modes, choose a process that you know well so that you can more easily describe the finer details about each step in the process. Your thesis statement should come at the end of your introduction, and it should state the final outcome of the process you are describing.
Body paragraphs are composed of the steps in the process. Each step should be expressed using strong details and clear examples. Use time transition phrases to help organize steps in the process and to orient readers. The conclusion should thoroughly describe the result of the process described in the body paragraphs. See Chapter 15 “Readings: Examples of Essays” to read an example of a process analysis essay.
Choose one of the expanded lists from Note 10.54 “Exercise 2” . Construct a full process analysis essay from the work you have already done. That means adding an engaging introduction, a clear thesis, time transition phrases, body paragraphs, and a solid conclusion.
Key Takeaways
- A process analysis essay explains how to do something, how something works, or both.
- The process analysis essay opens with a discussion of the process and a thesis statement that states the outcome of the process.
- The organization of a process analysis essay typically follows a chronological sequence.
- Time transition phrases are particularly helpful in process analysis essays to organize steps and orient reader.
Writing for Success by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
Thank you for your interest in our company.
Unfortunately, we are not hiring writers now due to low season.
We will be glad to review your application in the future.
Make sure there's no plagiarism in your paper
Write your essays better and faster with free samples
Generate citations for your paper free of charge
How to Write a Process Essay: Excellent Guide with 10+ Examples
Updated 26 Sep 2022
Process essay explains how to do something. This is a kind of tutorial that describes a process step by step.
For example , you need to cook a pie or draw a picture. In this case, you will need to follow step-by-step instructions. Each preceding step influences each subsequent one.
As we have vast experience in writing this type of papers, we would like to share several tips with you so you don't have to wonder who can help to write essay for me . It’s important to make a good paper to understand the details of this procedure better. Let's follow the tips from professionals at our trustworthy essay writing service and get to know how to write a process essay with us!
What is a Process Essay?
In order to understand how to write it, firstly you need to learn what it is. Therefore, let’s start with the definition. This paper explains the process of making something. The numerical order is used when writing a process essay. This type is written in a descriptive manner. It has qualities of technical documents. Words, such as “later”, “next”, “finally”, “eventually” are often used to describe the process.
The following features characterize a process paper:
- The chronological order of described events
- Description of repeated steps to follow
- Fixed order
- Clarity of narration
- The presence of transition words.
Process Essay Outline
The structure of this paper is similar to any other assignment, meaning that it comprises of introduction, main paragraphs and conclusion. You need to create an outline to ease the procedure of writing process essay. Use bullet points not to forget the essential ideas you would like to deliver.
For instance , if you’re creating a process essay about making excellent sushi, in your outline you may state the following: “Add fish”. Further, you could add the following description: “Add salmon, shrimps or eel”. The more details you add to it, the better.
Need more writing assistance?
Connect with our top writers and receive a paper sample crafted to your needs.
Introduction of Process Essay
So, how to write a process essay? The introduction is the first part of the text exposed to readers. Therefore, it should grab their attention from the first lines. A colorful description can help to fulfill this task. This method is inherent to creative essays also, so if you've written this type before, it'll be a big plus for you.
For example , if you are describing a receipt of sushi, you may wish to start with the following words: “Japanese sushi is a well-known dish which is loved all over the world for many years.” By keeping a lively and vibrant language, you can stimulate people to continue reading.
Further, you need to let readers know how much time they should to cook sushi because we are living in a world where every single minute is precious. They will be thankful to you if you help save their time. It is essential to provide people who read with the exact time estimate from the beginning to the end. Let them know the materials or tools that help reduce the amount of time spent on cooking sushi. You may share advice related to preparations and making a list of all ingredients to shorten the cooking time.
For example , you may write in your process paper: “Making sushi takes 30 minutes of preparation time and 10 minutes of cooking.”
The next action is to write a thesis statement. It is one sentence that describes the research problem to be considered in the paper. It can be the last sentence of the introduction.
For example , a great thesis may sound like: “This assignment explores how to create sushi at home quickly by preparing necessary ingredients in advance.”
Body Paragraphs of Process Essay
Before starting to compose the main part of your process essay, consult your outline. Follow your outline closely and create appropriate headlines to divide your paper into smaller pieces. Pay attention to clarity and order of paragraphs. Be careful with items that contain many steps. Use different words to maintain flow. Make clear transitions and acknowledge previous steps regarding particular items.
The process essay outline may look as follows :
- Make a list of ingredients
- Cook rice
- Prepare fish and cheese
- Prepare ginger
- Prepare soy sauce
- Prepare tools to make sushi (sushi rug)
- Make this sushi
- Serve sushi
As a rule, this paper has three or more paragraphs in the body section. You need to use enough details when writing a process essay, but don’t overload it with unnecessary details not to confuse your readers. Your paper must be clear and coherent to deliver core ideas without excessive details.
By adding transition words, you can encourage people to read. You should use the words “then”, “next” and “now” to add coherence. Use of these words gives you an opportunity to make your paper more cohesive.
For example , if you don't know how to start a phrase in process essay, use “next” to switch from one step to another: “Next, prepare your fish.”
Further, using first-person pronouns like “I”, “me”, “mine”, “we”, “us” or “ours” is not a good idea. It would be better to narrate from the second or third person (“it”, “they”) to make your readers trust your instructions more. For instance, it is better to write as follows: “This paper describes...” rather than “I shall describe”.
You should mention any cautionary notes if any to warn your readers about actions they should skip. You can discuss these actions either in the main text or in the conclusion part of your essay. This is important if your task can cause harm.
For example , caution a reader if the food may be spoiled: “Make sure salmon is of good quality because raw fish is used in sushi”.
You should also mention when writing process essay what people need to do with the final product. By describing what this product looks like you will give the idea of what readers should expect from it. You may also specify how to use the product because potential users do not necessarily know how to do it.
If you’re explaining how to make tasty sushi, you could write the following: “Now you need to serve the table to eat sushi. Propose plates of sushi, soya sauce, and ginger to your friends or family members.”
The Conclusion of Process Essay
In conclusion, you can restate the importance of the topic discussed. Try to end your paper positively Remind people why they spent a lot of time to complete this task. Praise your readers and encourage them to follow your directions.
An example of a proper conclusion can be: “We finished! A delicious and quick meal that is good for the whole family is ready to be served now. Next time, do experiments with different filling for sushi.” In this way, you will encourage your readers to track your upcoming publications.
Final Steps
After finishing, you need to edit and proofread the text:
- First, read your text and evaluate whether it is easy to understand. It is better to read it aloud because you can hear stylistic and grammar mistakes.
- Picture each detail of your text in mind, check all phrases for coherence and feel confident that your descriptions match images. Also, ensure all paragraphs are placed in the right order.
- Do not rely on online spell-checkers too much when checking mistakes and typos because they don’t take into account the context of your assignment.
- Check if your instructions are clear and detailed enough so readers can understand them.
- Give your text to a friend for reading and ask him if he understood instructions. If possible, choose someone from your target audience.
How to Write a Process Essay: Composing Tips
The procedure of creating this paper reminds of creating a manual. Its objective is to explain the process of doing something in details to someone who had never done this before. These tips will help you while writing:
- Choosing topics for process essay – 50% of the success of your future paper depends on the choice of topic.
- Gather as much information as possible about the issue of your research, study your subject well.
- Research your topic thoroughly before starting to write and take notes.
- Make a coherent essay featuring precise and relevant comments to enhance its quality.
- Assume that your readers are not aware of the topic under discussion and explain all details of the procedure.
- Observe flow and maintain logical order when you want to tell about the next step.
- It’s crucial to explain each step of the action you’re describing because everyone needs to know the reasons behind each action.
- Use specific words when switching to another activity (furthermore, then, before, that, etc.)
- If you use terms that don’t belong to common knowledge, you need to explain their meaning.
- Using imperative sentences is not a cool idea because in this case, your work will remind a manual rather than an essay.
When you finished this paper, check phrases for consistency and run your paper through an online plagiarism checker .
Advantages of Writing Process Essays
Each type helps develop certain skills. For example, a comparison paper helps improve different skills and find similarities and differences between two events or actions. Process essay helps expand the following abilities:
Analytical – when composing a process paper, you need to switch logically and represent events in order. Aiming to write this essay, you need to be able to think analytically. Also, you need to keep the interest of everyone and describe the action in dynamics. One of the benefits is that you can transfer these analytical skills into other areas of your life. For example, you can use your skills at work when performing complicated tasks.
Information prioritization – when you are writing a paper, use precise phrases because vague expressions reduce the paper quality. On the stage of research you have to analyze a great number of resources and choose several of them that add value to your work. You need to include only valuable information and exclude unnecessary information.
Complying with instructions – when you’re trying to do something in compliance with guidelines, you’re learning to follow the procedure of smooth transition to another step. Gradually you learn how to reach a goal. This skill can be used in each aspect of your life as well.
Keeping an eye for details – details are very important when you're writing a process essay. Just try to scrutinize each word and phrase to present value for your readers. This is particularly important when you need to complete this paper because your readers will follow you little by little. Attention to details is essential in any workplace.
Conclusion of the Article
We hope that our article was useful for you and you can start right now. If you think you’re not creative enough to start independently or maybe you don’t have enough experience, you can always apply for our service to buy nothing day essay examples or just order the best process essay using our writing agency.
In our agency, we provide reliable service at a reasonable price, so you can easily pay for essays online . Our support team is available 24/7, and our professional writers are capable of writing high quality essays online on time. Each of them is the author of a big number of academic papers. Besides, we offer a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with the quality of the final work. Also, a free review of your article review paper is available if you have any suggestions regarding the improvement of the work. Therefore, don’t hesitate to apply for the professional help and save your time. Use our agency to get better results and to be the best students in your school!
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback.
Written by Dr. Mart
Good day, students! I’m Dr. Mart (Ph.D.). I like when everything is logic, thus, the papers I make are always well-structured and without any redundant information. I’m eager to write some difficult documents which require strong analysis and advanced calculations. It’s extremely interesting for me to imitate styles of writing, and my customers say I do it really well. I also like modern literature. One of my favourite authors, Fredrick Backman, wrote once: Never trust people who do not have something in their lives that they love beyond all reason. And I have writing that makes me feel alive and important.
Related Blog Posts
85 fantastic process essay topics for students.
Writing different essays on different topics requires different processes. While it is a simple concept, it is not always so easy to know how to ge...
How to Write a Process Analysis Essay: Topic Samples and Writing Guidelines
When preparing a process analysis essay, it is imperative to provide insight on the right way to handle a function and the processes involved. Take...
Receive regular updates, discounts, study guides and more
You have subscribed to EduBirdie news.
Thanks for subscribing!
Check your inbox to verify your email.
Transitions
What this handout is about.
In this crazy, mixed-up world of ours, transitions glue our ideas and our essays together. This handout will introduce you to some useful transitional expressions and help you employ them effectively.
The function and importance of transitions
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.
Transitions signal relationships between ideas—relationships such as: “Another example coming up—stay alert!” or “Here’s an exception to my previous statement” or “Although this idea appears to be true, here’s the real story.” Basically, transitions provide the reader with directions for how to piece together your ideas into a logically coherent argument. Transitions are not just verbal decorations that embellish your paper by making it sound or read better. They are words with particular meanings that tell the reader to think and react in a particular way to your ideas. In providing the reader with these important cues, transitions help readers understand the logic of how your ideas fit together.
Signs that you might need to work on your transitions
How can you tell whether you need to work on your transitions? Here are some possible clues:
- Your instructor has written comments like “choppy,” “jumpy,” “abrupt,” “flow,” “need signposts,” or “how is this related?” on your papers.
- Your readers (instructors, friends, or classmates) tell you that they had trouble following your organization or train of thought.
- You tend to write the way you think—and your brain often jumps from one idea to another pretty quickly.
- You wrote your paper in several discrete “chunks” and then pasted them together.
- You are working on a group paper; the draft you are working on was created by pasting pieces of several people’s writing together.
Organization
Since the clarity and effectiveness of your transitions will depend greatly on how well you have organized your paper, you may want to evaluate your paper’s organization before you work on transitions. In the margins of your draft, summarize in a word or short phrase what each paragraph is about or how it fits into your analysis as a whole. This exercise should help you to see the order of and connection between your ideas more clearly.
If after doing this exercise you find that you still have difficulty linking your ideas together in a coherent fashion, your problem may not be with transitions but with organization. For help in this area (and a more thorough explanation of the “reverse outlining” technique described in the previous paragraph), please see the Writing Center’s handout on organization .
How transitions work
The organization of your written work includes two elements: (1) the order in which you have chosen to present the different parts of your discussion or argument, and (2) the relationships you construct between these parts. Transitions cannot substitute for good organization, but they can make your organization clearer and easier to follow. Take a look at the following example:
El Pais , a Latin American country, has a new democratic government after having been a dictatorship for many years. Assume that you want to argue that El Pais is not as democratic as the conventional view would have us believe.
One way to effectively organize your argument would be to present the conventional view and then to provide the reader with your critical response to this view. So, in Paragraph A you would enumerate all the reasons that someone might consider El Pais highly democratic, while in Paragraph B you would refute these points. The transition that would establish the logical connection between these two key elements of your argument would indicate to the reader that the information in paragraph B contradicts the information in paragraph A. As a result, you might organize your argument, including the transition that links paragraph A with paragraph B, in the following manner:
Paragraph A: points that support the view that El Pais’s new government is very democratic.
Transition: Despite the previous arguments, there are many reasons to think that El Pais’s new government is not as democratic as typically believed.
Paragraph B: points that contradict the view that El Pais’s new government is very democratic.
In this case, the transition words “Despite the previous arguments,” suggest that the reader should not believe paragraph A and instead should consider the writer’s reasons for viewing El Pais’s democracy as suspect.
As the example suggests, transitions can help reinforce the underlying logic of your paper’s organization by providing the reader with essential information regarding the relationship between your ideas. In this way, transitions act as the glue that binds the components of your argument or discussion into a unified, coherent, and persuasive whole.
Types of transitions
Now that you have a general idea of how to go about developing effective transitions in your writing, let us briefly discuss the types of transitions your writing will use.
The types of transitions available to you are as diverse as the circumstances in which you need to use them. A transition can be a single word, a phrase, a sentence, or an entire paragraph. In each case, it functions the same way: First, the transition either directly summarizes the content of a preceding sentence, paragraph, or section or implies such a summary (by reminding the reader of what has come before). Then, it helps the reader anticipate or comprehend the new information that you wish to present.
- Transitions between sections: Particularly in longer works, it may be necessary to include transitional paragraphs that summarize for the reader the information just covered and specify the relevance of this information to the discussion in the following section.
- Transitions between paragraphs: If you have done a good job of arranging paragraphs so that the content of one leads logically to the next, the transition will highlight a relationship that already exists by summarizing the previous paragraph and suggesting something of the content of the paragraph that follows. A transition between paragraphs can be a word or two (however, for example, similarly), a phrase, or a sentence. Transitions can be at the end of the first paragraph, at the beginning of the second paragraph, or in both places.
- Transitions within paragraphs: As with transitions between sections and paragraphs, transitions within paragraphs act as cues by helping readers to anticipate what is coming before they read it. Within paragraphs, transitions tend to be single words or short phrases.
Transitional expressions
Effectively constructing each transition often depends upon your ability to identify words or phrases that will indicate for the reader the kind of logical relationships you want to convey. The table below should make it easier for you to find these words or phrases. Whenever you have trouble finding a word, phrase, or sentence to serve as an effective transition, refer to the information in the table for assistance. Look in the left column of the table for the kind of logical relationship you are trying to express. Then look in the right column of the table for examples of words or phrases that express this logical relationship.
Keep in mind that each of these words or phrases may have a slightly different meaning. Consult a dictionary or writer’s handbook if you are unsure of the exact meaning of a word or phrase.
Make a Gift
- Words with Friends Cheat
- Wordle Solver
- Word Unscrambler
- Scrabble Dictionary
- Anagram Solver
- Wordscapes Answers
Make Our Dictionary Yours
Sign up for our weekly newsletters and get:
- Grammar and writing tips
- Fun language articles
- #WordOfTheDay and quizzes
By signing in, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy .
We'll see you in your inbox soon.
How Do I Include Transition Words in My Essay?
- DESCRIPTION how to use transition words in an essay
- SOURCE Oatyco / iStock / Getty Images Plus
- PERMISSION Used under Getty Images license
English teachers often ask students to include transition words in their essays. Transition words connect ideas in sentences and paragraphs. Therefore, they're an important part of writing.
Using Transition Words
Have you ever talked to someone who jumped around a lot in their conversation? It can be difficult to follow their train of thought. Well, transition phrases prevent your writing from doing a similar thing.
Sequential words like "first," "second," "then," and "afterward" are great for organizational purposes. But you can also tie thoughts together with words like "nevertheless" or "however." Even simple words like "and" and "but" can tie sentences and paragraphs together in informal writing.
- The process of writing an essay is quite simple. First, you should start with a great idea and brainstorm some details for it.
- Some might argue that liberal arts education is unimportant in today’s economy. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
- Making a casserole is a multi-step process that can be confusing for some beginning cooks. But a good set of instructions can help.
Here are some tips on how to use transition words in an essay.
1. Keep Transition Words in Mind as You Plan
Transition words run the risk of being overused. The key to using them efficiently is to add enough to make the reader understand the points being made without using so many that the phrases become cumbersome. Let's look at the writing process, which will help you decide where to place them and how often to use them.
Transition Words in the Writing Process
The only way to get better at writing is to do more writing. As for transitions, try a few different ones on for size. Let's review the writing process:
- brainstorming
Noting Transitions in Your Outline
Planning an outline will help you see where you need to place transition words and tie your thoughts together. Then, as you enter into your first draft, you'll already have your needle threaded and can neatly sew your paragraphs together.
1. Introduction - Write a personal anecdote about being a new student. 2. Many students must make a school transition due to moves, etc. (Possible transition: “I was not alone in the experience of changing schools.”) 3. Social connections are important for student success. (Possible transition: “As a result of these transitions, social connections become very important.”) 4. Lunch groups and other programs help new students socialize and can make a difference. (Possible transition: “However, there are a number of ways schools can help.”) 5. Conclusion - Provide a summary and restate thesis. (Possible transition: “In short, schools have a responsibility …”)
Even after the draft is complete, transition words can still be added to the revision and editing stage. Having a list of transition words available may help you with word placement.
List of transition words
2. decide where to place transitions.
The versatility of transition words makes them easy to place. Knowing where to place these words or phrases will allow you to easily insert them.
Transition Word Placement in Sentences
Transition words can go almost anywhere in a sentence, including the beginning, middle and end. The key is that the transition word refers back to the previous thought or forward to the next thought.
For sentences, transition words can be placed:
- at the beginning of the sentence - Afterward, the doctor will decide the best course of treatment for you.
- in the middle of a sentence - The patient, however, was still in a lot of pain.
- at the end of a sentence - The treatment was quite effective by comparison.
Transition Word Placement in Paragraphs
Linking paragraphs is an important consideration when you’re choosing transition words for essays. Each paragraph needs to be linked to the one before it or the one after. As you’re writing, add on transition words to form these connections.
For paragraphs, transitions can be found:
- at the beginning the paragraph - Next, it's important to consider patient care.
- at the end of the paragraph - With patient care addressed, it's time to move on to charting.
3. Consider the Relationship of What You’re Connecting
When you’re connecting two things in your writing, those two things can have various relationships. Think about the things you’re connecting. How are they connected? These are some of the options.
Additional Information
One sentence or paragraph may add extra information that supports or further explains what you’ve already written.
There are many reasons to consider a standard poodle as a pet. Specifically , if you are allergic to dogs, this breed can be a good choice.
Disagreement
Sometimes, one point or paragraph disagrees with the previous one or adds a conflicting view.
Some schools use uniforms to help reduce the chance a student will be bullied for her clothing. However , there is little evidence uniforms help reduce bullying.
Cause and Effect
In some cases, one point is connected to another by cause and effect.
The emerald ash borer spreads quickly and silently through populations of ash trees. Because of this hidden spread, homeowners are often surprised to see their ash trees infested with the pest.
Sometimes, things happen in order, and your transition words can show this order.
When my mom got home from the grocery store, she looked anxious. After I had helped her put the groceries away, she told me what had happened.
One paragraph may offer a summary of the previously communicated information.
For all of these reasons , mobile banking is both a convenient and safe alternative to in-person transactions.
4. Choose the Right Transition Words
Since transitions show relationships among sentences and paragraphs, recognizing the types of transitions will help you choose the most appropriate one. The following chart can help you find the right transition word for a specific use.
Additive Transitions
These transitions add or introduce information. They can also be used to show similarities or to further clarify ideas. Some examples of additive transitions include:
Adversative Transitions
These transitions show readers' conflicts, contradictions, dismissals, or emphasis. Some examples of adversative transitions include:
Causal Transitions
These transitions show the relationship of cause and effect or consequence. Some example of causal transitions include:
Sequential Transitions
These transitions show the reader chronological sequences in time or provide a sequence to a logical argument . Some examples of sequential transitions include:
5. If in Doubt, Repeat a Word or Phrase
If you aren’t sure what transition word to use in your writing or what the relationship is between two paragraphs, you can create a transition by repeating a word or phrase. Look at the final sentence of one paragraph and use one or more of the words in the first sentence of the next paragraph. Here’s an example:
Taking a photograph is mostly about looking at the light and how it falls on a subject. Does it come from the front, enveloping the subject evenly? If so, it sometimes makes sense to take the photo from a different angle, giving shadows a bit more of a place in the image. Giving shadows a place is important because they help add dimension to your image …
The Power of Transitions
Think of transition words as the thread that stitches a piece of clothing together. They provide uniformity and cohesion to essays in particular. If you’re writing an essay, it might also be helpful to keep this transition word lists for students by your side for your next assignment.
Purdue Online Writing Lab College of Liberal Arts
Transitional Devices
Welcome to the Purdue OWL
This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.
Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.
A discussion of transition strategies and specific transitional devices.
Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are cues that help the reader to interpret ideas a paper develops. Transitional devices are words or phrases that help carry a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another. And finally, transitional devices link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.
There are several types of transitional devices, and each category leads readers to make certain connections or assumptions. Some lead readers forward and imply the building of an idea or thought, while others make readers compare ideas or draw conclusions from the preceding thoughts.
Here is a list of some common transitional devices that can be used to cue readers in a given way.
and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)
To Compare:
whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis a vis, but, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true
because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is
To Show Exception:
yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes
To Show Time:
immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then
in brief, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted
To Emphasize:
definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation
To Show Sequence:
first, second, third, and so forth. A, B, C, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon
To Give an Example:
for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate
To Summarize or Conclude:
in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently
Expository Essays: A Complete Guide
You write a lot of essays, and while they might share some broad characteristics such as their structure, they can be quite different from each other. Some essays are meant to convince the reader that the position you’re arguing is the correct position, while others explore the differences and similarities between literary works. Beyond these, you might also be assigned to write essays that explain subjects, events, and concepts to the reader, sometimes walking them through processes. These essays are known as expository essays.
Give your essays extra polish Grammarly helps you write with confidence Write with Grammarly
What is an expository essay?
An expository essay is an essay that communicates factual information. Broadly, this type of writing is known as expository writing . Expository essays rely on different structures to communicate their positions, like compare and contrast, process essays, and analyzing cause and effect.
Expository writing is one of the four main types of writing . The others are persuasive, narrative, and descriptive writing.
Knowing how to write an expository essay, along with knowing how to write other types of essays , is an essential skill for any student to master. Expository writing isn’t the place to be cute, clever, or edgy; it’s the kind of writing where you position facts and observations to let them speak for themselves in the most effective way possible. It’s the kind of writing you do when you’re analyzing information you’ve been assigned to study, thinking critically about concepts covered in class, and explaining the processes and reasons behind the conclusions you’ve reached.
The purpose of expository writing
Expository writing has a clear purpose: to educate the reader. While it may also entertain or persuade the reader, these are secondary benefits and not the author’s goal. Well-crafted expository writing demonstrates the author’s expertise on the subject and in many cases demonstrates how they learned about their subject.
For example, you might be assigned to write an essay about the mock trial your class held. In this essay, you would introduce the assignment and the case your class worked on through the trial. Then in the following body paragraphs , you would describe each stage in the mock trial process (discovery, opening statements, cross-examination, closing statements, jury deliberation, and verdict) and how your class completed each of these stages. In the final paragraph, you would state the verdict your class reached and the judge’s ruling.
Your essay about the mock trial doesn’t argue that the ruling was right or wrong. It merely explains the process your class used to work through the trial process and learn how real court cases move through the court system. In other words, your essay would present facts and process rather than opinion and commentary.
Types of expository essays
As we mentioned above, expository essays come in many forms. These include the following:
Classification essays
In a classification essay, you write about various subjects within one category, discussing each subject’s unique characteristics alongside the characteristics that connect it with others in its category. For example, you might write a classification essay about different kinds of herding dogs. Your essay would start with a thesis statement about how herding breeds are different from other categories of dogs, then in each paragraph, discuss specific herding breeds (corgi, collie, heeler, etc.).
Definition essays
A definition essay defines its subject by presenting clear facts about it. Your definition essay might challenge commonly repeated myths about a historical event by presenting firsthand accounts of the event from primary sources and discussing relevant social, political, and economic trends that impacted the event and influenced perceptions of it.
Process essays
A process essay walks the reader through the steps involved in completing a task. A recipe has a lot in common with a process essay. A process essay’s opening paragraph explains the process that will be covered and the end result of following the directions. Each body paragraph is a step in the process, then the conclusion explains what the reader should have achieved by completing each step.
Compare-and-contrast essays
In a compare-and-contrast essay , you support your thesis statement by examining the differences and similarities between the sources cited. For example, you might write an essay comparing and contrasting the dress code at your school with the dress codes at two neighboring schools. Your body paragraphs might examine the differences in which articles of clothing are and aren’t allowed as well as the overall preciseness of each dress code’s language and the amount of “gray area” present in each policy.
Cause-and-effect essays
As the name implies, a cause-and-effect essay gets into how specific events and/or actions caused others to occur. They sometimes trace chains of events to explore why we find ourselves facing certain circumstances today. An example of a cause-and-effect essay might be one tracking how shifting market trends over the past few decades impacted the industries in your region, creating the current local economy.
How expository essays are structured
Expository essays follow the same general structure you use with every essay assignment : an introduction, body paragraphs that support and expand upon the points you made in your introduction, then a conclusion that reiterates those points and underscores your thesis.
Unless your instructor requires your essay to hit a certain word count, there’s no specific length your essay needs to be. Similarly, it doesn’t need to have a specific number of paragraphs—but it does need to express your points thoroughly and accurately. To achieve this, your essay should follow this format, give or take the quantity of body paragraphs for the number of supporting points you make:
Introduction
In the introduction, you present your essay topic and your thesis statement, ideally hooking your reader with intriguing facts. You also introduce your supporting evidence and all necessary context to help your reader understand your thesis.
Body paragraph
Each supporting point you make needs its own body paragraph. Although the five-paragraph essay is typically considered the “standard” essay length, you might need a six-paragraph or longer essay to thoroughly communicate your thesis statement.
Use transition words and sentences to transition between body paragraphs. Transition words and sentences are the phrases that express the relationship between two paragraphs, signaling to the reader why you’re making a specific point and how that point fits into your overall work.
In your last body paragraph, you’ll need to transition to your conclusion. That doesn’t mean you should start summarizing here—give your final body paragraph as much insight and detail as you gave your previous body paragraphs.
In your conclusion, you restate your thesis statement and summarize the points you made in your body paragraphs. It should neatly tie up any loose ends and answer any lingering questions the reader may have.
How do you write an expository essay?
Before you write your next expository essay, familiarize yourself with the conventions and rules for essay writing . These general guidelines will help you structure your essay and determine the most effective way to present your information. But because you’re writing an expository essay, it’s also important that you understand and incorporate all the characteristics that separate expository essays from other kinds of writing. Keep the following rules for expository writing in mind:
- Despite the taboo, insects make an excellent food source and could stem humanity’s looming food shortage, based on both their protein output and the sustainability of farming them.
- The backlash to rock ’n’ roll music in the ’50s by religious groups and traditionalists actually boosted the genre’s popularity instead of diminishing it as intended.
- Your tone should be objective and academic . While narrative and descriptive essays can take on artistic, impassioned, and familiar tones, expository essays stick to conventional language and a neutral tone.
- Stick to the facts. An expository essay is not the place to express your opinion—or even present the facts in a way meant to change or shape the reader’s opinion.
- Always be completely sure of the facts you’re presenting. That means thoroughly vetting your sources, cross-checking them with other reputable sources, and properly citing every fact you put forth as the truth.
Start writing your expository essay the same way you would start the writing process for any other project: by brainstorming. If you weren’t assigned a topic, you’ll need to determine an appropriate topic on your own—brainstorming is where you’ll determine that topic. It’s also where you’ll determine your thesis statement, the most important component of your expository essay . Don’t move forward with outlining your essay until you have a thesis statement.
Once you have a clear thesis statement, it’s time to outline your essay. With an expository essay, it’s especially important that you present accurate facts in a logical way. It can be very helpful to note your sources for each paragraph in your outline.
With a completed outline, it’s time to start writing. Follow the standard writing process through this first draft, editing, and your revision. Once you’re finished, make sure you proofread your essay carefully—not only for grammar and spelling mistakes, but to double-check that you’ve properly cited every source and formatted your essay according to your assigned style guide.
You write the essay, Grammarly gives it extra polish
In an expository essay, it’s especially important that your writing is mistake-free. Having spelling and grammatical mistakes in your writing undermines your credibility as a writer, so even if your ideas and insights are solid, readers won’t get as much out of your work as they would if it had no mistakes.
That’s why proofreading is so important . . . and why Grammarly is so helpful. Before you submit your essay, use Grammarly to catch any mistakes or unclear sentences that might have sneaked past you while you were proofreading your work. It can also ensure that the tone you’re using is the tone you want to be using—and that it’s consistent through your whole essay.
- Words with Friends Cheat
- Wordle Solver
- Word Unscrambler
- Scrabble Dictionary
- Anagram Solver
- Wordscapes Answers
Make Our Dictionary Yours
Sign up for our weekly newsletters and get:
- Grammar and writing tips
- Fun language articles
- #WordOfTheDay and quizzes
By signing in, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy .
We'll see you in your inbox soon.
Transition Words: Examples In Sentences, Paragraphs & Essays
- DESCRIPTION transition words in a sentence
- SOURCE cake/ice cream: hollymolly / iStock / Getty Images Plus , girl: Qvasimodo / iStock / Getty Images Plus
- PERMISSION Used under Getty Images license
Transitional words and phrases help make a piece of writing flow better and connect one idea to the next. Because there's more than one way to connect ideas, there are many types of transitional phrases to show a variety of relationships. View several transition words and examples of phrases used in sentences, paragraphs and essays.
What Are Transitional Words and Phrases?
So, what are transition words? Well, transition words work to connect thoughts, sentences and paragraphs together. Transition words are important within a sentence or paragraph because they allow your arguments to flow seamlessly from one sentence or thought to another. When introducing transition words , the most basic transition words are conjunctions that join words, phrases or clauses together. For example, words like and , but and or can connect two sentences together.
- I ran home, and I got there just in time. ( and is a transition word that connects the two occurrences equally)
- I ran home, but I was still late. ( but introduces a contrast)
- I could run home, or I could stay at school and work. ( or presents two different options)
As you can see in the examples above, even simple conjunctions serve different purposes. Knowing the different categories of transition words , which you'll see below, will help you choose the ones that best get your point across.
Other transition words are adverbs that describe the way an action is performed or how it relates to another idea.
- I went to the mall after he gave me my paycheck.
- Bowling is a sport in which the player with the highest score wins. Conversely, the goal in golf is to get the lowest score.
- First, we are going fishing. Then , we will get ready for dinner.
Paragraph Example With Transition Words
Simple transition words don’t just work on a singular sentence level. They can work to bring together an entire paragraph. Read through the paragraph without transition words. Then, look at the same paragraph with transition words added. Do you see how the example without transition words is choppy and abrupt? Transition words help your thoughts flow from one idea to the next and connect sentences for conciseness.
- DESCRIPTION transition words animation
- SOURCE redchocolatte / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Types of Transition Words and Phrases
There are several types of transition words and phrases, and each category helps the reader to make certain connections. Some signal the building of an idea, while others help readers compare ideas or draw conclusions. Here is a list of transition words and common transition sentence examples.
List of transition words
Types of transitions in writing.
When it comes to the creation of essays and papers, using transitions becomes more important. You need to use transitions within and between sentences, to connect paragraphs and to connect whole sections of an essay. See how transition words and phrases work to connect sentences, paragraphs and sections through examples.
Transitions Within Sentences
Transition words can be used to connect thoughts within a sentence. This transition highlights chronology or the order in which events occurred. Check out these transition word examples.
- Original: Susan spoke up, thinking of the right answer.
- With Transitions: Susan spoke up after thinking of the right answer.
- Original: Susan wanted cake. She wanted ice cream.
- With Transitions: Susan wanted cake, but she also wanted ice cream.
- Original: Drawing takes talent. Drawing takes dedication. Everyone can learn to draw.
- With Transitions: While it may be true that drawing takes talent and dedication, everyone can learn to draw.
Transition Words Between Paragraphs
When transitions are used between paragraphs, they are often in the form of a phrase or clause that refers to the previous information while introducing a new idea. These transitions often come at the beginning of new paragraphs. See how this works by exploring these transition sentence examples.
- In conclusion , the thesis is clear.
- It follows logically that the answer results from the points made earlier in this paper.
- Lastly , it is important to link all these points together.
- Next , we will look at the evidence for improving nutrition in schools.
- Despite the previous argument , it is also important to think about bees when discussing pollution.
Examine how this works through a longer paragraph example. Notice how the transition words and phrases make the flow from one paragraph to the next seamless.
Lastly , the effect poverty has on education needs to be examined. Many students below the poverty line do not have access to transportation and other resources that allow them to take advantage of school of choice. Additionally , the services available through programs within their area are lacking. It follows logically that these students lack access to quality education and services students in middle class homes have. As you can see , poverty can have an impact on several aspects of an individual’s life. Not only does it impact their work and home life, but their education as well. Therefore , as a community, it’s pivotal to provide advanced services and assistance to individuals in lower-income areas.
Transitions Between Sections
When writing a longer essay or research paper, it’s important to use transitions to link one section to another. Not only do you use transition words to create this section, but the paragraph itself is a transitional paragraph. Here's what a transition paragraph might look like.
In the previous section, this study explored the demographics of the Chicago, Illinois area. Understanding the diversity of the population throughout the area is particularly important to dissecting the implementation of after-school programs. In the following paragraphs, the study will consider the importance demographics play in understanding the need-based programs.
Using Transition Words
If you want a quick reference guide for using transition words in sentences, paragraphs and papers, this infographic is the perfect tool.
- DESCRIPTION transition words examples infographic
- SOURCE river: colematt / iStock / Getty Images Plus , people icons: browndogstudios / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Signs You Need Transition Words
When students start out as writers, it can be hard to know exactly when to use transition words. However, there are a few things you can look for to know when you should include transition words in your essay .
1. Section Sounds Choppy or Abrupt
If the paragraph or sentence you are writing sounds abrupt, transition words are needed.
- Original: Michael didn't have enough money to buy his mom flowers. He wasn't old enough to get a job. He felt sad on Mother's Day.
- With Transitions: Michael didn't have enough money to buy his mom flowers because he wasn't old enough to get a job. Nevertheless , he felt sad on Mother's Day.
2. Trouble Following Train of Thought
While writing without transitions can be abrupt, it can also be confusing. It’s important to guide readers from one thought to the next.
- Original: Tracy did not have money. Jill had money. Tracy bought a gift for her mother.
- With Transitions: While Tracy did not have money, Jill did. Therefore , Tracy bought a gift for her mother.
Without using the transition words, it’s hard to follow how Tracy could buy the gift.
3. Writing Jumps From One Idea to Next
Since you write the way you think, it can be easy to jump from one idea or point in your thesis statement to the next. However, this can be hard for readers to follow. Use transition words in these areas to guide readers from one idea to the next easier.
- Original: Locations below the poverty level need more education services. It’s important to discuss how poverty affects work life.
- With Transitions: As you can see , locations below the poverty level need more education services. Next , it’s important to also discuss how poverty affects work life.
Common Mistakes With Transition Words
While using transition words might seem easy, it’s anything but. Many times, transition words are used incorrectly in a sentence or paragraph. Explore a few common mistakes of transition words to ensure you use them correctly in your writing.
Mixing Up the Meaning of Your Transition Words
When adding transition words to your writing, you need to know what they mean to use them correctly. For example, therefore is commonly used incorrectly in a phrase.
- Incorrect: Low-income households do not have disposable income. Therefore, backpacks are expensive.
- Correct: Low-income households do not have disposable income. Therefore, it might be hard for them to buy expensive backpacks.
When using cause and effect words like therefore , make sure the connection from one sentence to the next is a logical one.
Additionally, words like and or as well as can get confused because people think they are interchangeable. However, they are not. When you’re presenting two things of equal importance, you need to use and . For two topics that are related but one is more important, you can use as well as .
- Incorrect: Both my introduction as well as my conclusion presented my thesis statement.
- Correct: Both my introduction and conclusion presented my thesis statement.
Transition Words Making Informal Sentences
Another area that’s important to watch when using transition words in technical writing is adding informal writing techniques. And , also and so are transition words you should be adding to sentences. However, adding them to the beginning of the sentence makes it less formal. Therefore, you might want to consider more formal transition words like additionally and furthermore .
- Informal: So the research points to a clear correlation between demographics and location.
- Formal: Furthermore, the research points to a clear correlation between demographics and location.
- Informal: And the research examined the demographics of each area.
- Formal: Additionally, the research examined the demographics of each area.
Creating Incomplete Sentences With Transition Words
When you use transition words, it’s important to ensure you don’t accidentally create an incomplete sentence. For example, words like, if , although and since are subordinating conjunctions . Therefore, you can easily create a fragment sentence if you aren’t careful.
- Fragment: Jones argues for the Oxford comma. Although everyone doesn’t agree.
- Complete: Jones argues for the Oxford comma, although everyone doesn’t agree.
- Fragment: Because the research showed a correlation. We completed the experiment.
- Complete: Because the research showed a correlation, we completed the experiment.
Overusing Transition Words
Transition words require a delicate balance. While you can have too few transition words, you can also add too many. Not only is using too many transition words distracting in the writing, but it can also make the piece hard to read and understand. See how too many transition words can disrupt a passage through this example.
- Overusing transition words - During spring break, we went to see my aunt. Therefore, I wanted to bring a present. However, I wasn't sure what to bring. At the same time, we didn't have time to go to the store, so I went without a present.
- Corrected version - During spring break, we went to see my aunt. I wanted to bring a present. However, I wasn't sure what to bring. We didn't have time to go to the store, so I went without a present.
See how the transition words "therefore" and "at the same time" aren't really serving any purpose in the article. By removing them the story actually flows better and is easier to understand.
Building a Smooth Transition
These are just a few examples of the many transition words and phrases available in the English language to make your writing more cohesive. Bear in mind that it is possible for some words to be placed in more than one category, depending on the way you use them or the ideas you're trying to connect. Additionally, transition words used by 2nd graders will differ from 6th grade transition word usage.
For even more on transition words, see our comprehensive list of 51 useful transitional words . The more transition words you use in your writing, the smoother and more interesting it will be for your readers. Now, with transition words firmly solidified in your mind, learn how to write a memorable speech .
Transition Words for Essays: Learn These 7 Types
Transition words for essays connect your ideas smoothly for your reader. They can link two concepts together, allow you to compare and contrast, or otherwise lead your reader through your thoughts and your arguments.
When writing essays, it is vital to use transition words for essays in order to create a piece of work that flows well. These linking words can be used strategically throughout your academic writing to make it read more smoothly. They allow readers to move from one idea to another.
This is far from an exhaustive list of transition words; in fact, there are more than 200 transition words and phrases in English. We’ve grouped options into several types of transition words. The following options are among the most effective transition options for essay writing.
1. Agreement, Addition, and Similarity Words and Phrases
2. contradiction, limitation, and opposition transition phrases, 3. cause, intention, and purpose words, 4. example, support, and emphasis transition words, 5. effects, consequences, and results, 6. sequence, chronology, or time, 7. summaries, conclusions, and restatements of arguments, the final word on transition words for essays, faq about transition words for essays, essay writing resources.
These transition words allow you to add new ideas to strengthen an argument. They express agreement with the preceding material, add new information, and reinforce ideas. The punctuation used around these phrases depends on the specific structure of your sentences.
In a list, these words come after commas. They can also be used with a semicolon when you are introducing two related thoughts that each are expressed in full clauses.
Common transitions in this category include:
- in the first place, second place, etc.
- in like manner
- as a matter of fact
- in addition, also, together with
- equally, identically, uniquely
- furthermore
Example: Susan B. Anthony argued for the rights of workers; furthermore, she championed the cause of equal pay for equal work.
In an argumentative essay, you may wish to show two sides of an argument. For instance, you may wish to list the pros of a course of action followed by the cons.
Transitional words and phrases like but, or, and rather can show contrary points of view . Often, when a contrasting thought is used, you will offer your ideas in a new paragraph. This can help readers understand that they are about to see a point of view that may contradict what they were previously told.
Examples of transitional phrases in this category include:
- in or by contrast
- but, or, still
- on the contrary
- in spite of
- at the same time
- nevertheless, nonetheless, or regardless
- even though
Example: The committee wanted to address all of their concerns at the meeting. However, there was not enough time to listen to everyone’s complaints.
These are transitional words and phrases often used to demonstrate cause and effect. They serve as a logical connection between these two ideas.
Examples of cause and effect words you can use in your research paper or essay include:
- in the event that
- If/then phrases
- provided that
- so that or so as to
- due to or owing to
- in the hope that
- for the purpose of
- for fear that
Example: They offered a reward in the hope that this would encourage more people to participate.
These words are used when presenting evidence or examples that support an idea. They can also indicate the importance for the reader.
Examples of transition words in this category include:
- for example or for instance
- to emphasize
- in this case
- for this reason
- to put it differently or to put it another way
- that is to say
Example: No other explorer arrived at the checkpoint. To put it another way, he is the first and only to make it.
Often, an essay writer will want to show how one event caused another. These transition words typically indicate that one event happened after another.
Examples of words and phrases in this category include:
- as a result
- accordingly
- consequently
- under the circumstances
Example: The bears broke into the supply tent and ate everything. As a result, the explorers needed to go back for resupplies sooner than anticipated.
These transitional words help you establish an order of events. They can express which event happened after another. They can also communicate that something is temporary and applies only for now. These phrases have overlap with cause-and-effect words.
Examples of words in this category include:
- for the time being
- until or till
- prior to or before
Example: For the time being, they are adhering to the provisional process.
At the end of an essay, you will need to bring all of your ideas together in a logical manner. Transition words here introduce your restatement, summarization, or conclusion.
Many consequence-and-effect words and phrases will work here, as well. These are the words that help you tie together everything you’ve written before.
Examples in this category include:
- in the final analysis
- as demonstrated above
- in summary or in conclusion
- generally speaking
- as can be seen
- by and large
- ultimately or obviously
- in the long run
Example: As can be seen, these events contributed to the situation today.
There are a number of words and phrases that can be used to make your writing smoother and easier to follow. When writing, do not overuse any one type of transition.
Instead, choose different ones from the different categories above each time. These will allow you to make good transitions from one section to another.
What are transitions for essays?
Transitions allow you to smoothly move from one idea to another. They connect each idea in a way that is clear and logical.
How do you transition to a new paragraph?
Think of new paragraphs as being similar to new sentences. Ensure that you have offered a completed thought, but also that the new paragraph can be linked to the one before.
What are the best transition words?
The best word will depend on your writing style, your topic, and the purpose of your essay. Experiment with different words and phrases to see which fit your goals. There are well over 200 transition words and phrases in the English language.
How can I incorporate transition words?
Often, these words will appear naturally in your writing. If you feel that a transition from one idea to another is too abrupt, a transition word can help. Determine which type of transition you are using, then choose the appropriate word.
What is a Personal Essay?
Best Essay Checkers
Great Essay Writing Topics
The Difference Between Grammar and Punctuation
Using an AI Grammar Checker
PaperRater Vs Grammarly
Essay Writing Tips
Join over 15,000 writers today
Get a FREE book of writing prompts and learn how to make more money from your writing.
Success! Now check your email to claim your prompts.
There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.
Lara is a freelance writer currently located in the Florida Keys. She frequently covers health, wellness and how-to topics.
View all posts
New paper type - Summary of online lectures 5% OFF!
essay writing service
KingEssays reviews:
4.4 out of 5
4.5 out of 5
Transition Words for Essays: Best Way to Improve Your Papers
Transitions words are important elements of every written paper. If you check various essays written by professional writers, you can always find how greatly different parts of the text are linked. The transition words allow connecting various parts of paper into one single piece. They let writers perform a strong essay with a proper structure and format.t
The transition words for essays are the exact words like “beside,” “and,” “thus,” “because” that allow connecting sentenced, paragraphs, and parts of the text. They show the relationship and order of phrases and sentences in the text. It is easier for readers to get the main point of your essay and understand how the ideas are revealed when you use good transition words.
Best Ways to Use Transition Words for Essays
All transition words for essays have their particular purposes. The ways they are used in the text allow gaining various benefits. For example, when you use “therefore” at the beginning of the text, you share the fact that the current sentence is the ongoing of the previous one. It shows that the same idea is revealed and explained in both sentences. It is often used when you need to describe a certain issue or event in the first sentence and its effect on the following one. In some way, transition words work like a glue that connects and holds different sentences. Since every writer should complete a strong essay with the main idea fully revealed, it is very important to keep the paper focused on the most important statement. Without the transition words and phrases that connect sentences, the whole text will look like a bunch of separated pieces.
I was very happy because he stayed with me for a weekend.
Since our first meeting, he changed his mind about our agreement.
We are new in this place; thus , we keep quiet about our doubts.
Order an Exclusive Paper of Top Standard
100% Originality Assured. Only Qualified Specialists
Top Quality
96% customers' satisfaction rate
400+ Native Writers
with minimum Master's degree
Discounts & Bonuses
5% discount with FIRST5 code
Transition words for essays can be placed in any part of a sentence and used for different purposes. Often, they allow connecting various parts of a sentence as well. Such words like “because”, “since”, “thus” can connect two clauses in a single sentence. In fact, transition words can connect any simple parts as same as huge paragraphs.
Types of Transition Words for Essays
There are several categories of transitions words for essays. These categories are based on the type of transition you need to make. Definitely, there are many words that can be used for a single transition. It makes writing even more interesting process. Still, you need to be very attentive to what transition words to use since it will surely influence the core message of your text. Often, those who are not native English speakers need time and practice to learn how to use transition words properly. You should always take into account the purpose of a certain word’s usage and situation.
The Importance of Transition Words: Examples
Transition words greatly ease the reading process. They let your teacher understand the main point of a paper better. Transition words are often used to increase the readability of the essay. This is very important, because it can affect your grade, which your professor will give you. In such a case, you should learn how to use transition words for essays properly to improve your writing.
Paragraph A
I am planning to discuss the importance of constant practicing for writers. The only effective way to become a real master of words is to regularly perform various written pieces. The experience itself brings additional advantages, like knowledge of multiple formats and writing requirements. With almost automated and trained actions, you can perform great texts even without checking numerous tutorials. It greatly saves time and effort. Only continuous repetitions can make you a real expert. Real talent is always a combination of natural abilities and practice.
Paragraph B
In this section, I am planning to discuss the importance of constant practicing for writers. Firstly, the only effective way to become a real master of words is to regularly perform various written pieces. Secondly, the experience itself brings additional advantages like knowledge of multiple formats and writing requirements. With almost automated and trained actions, you can perform great texts even without checking numerous tutorials. Therefore, it greatly saves time and effort. Finally, only continuous repetitions can make you a real expert. Because real talent is always a combination of natural abilities and practice.
You can see in Paragraph A and Paragraph B how transition words influence the meaning of an entire text. When you do not use proper words to link the sentences, it gets really difficult to come up with the right meaning and plot of a story. You just get separate arguments that do not combine into a single picture.
How to Improve Text with Transition Words
The transition between two separate parts of the sentence or parts of the text allows readers to see the full picture. Transition words allow completing a whole story properly. When you have correctly arranged paragraphs, readers will pay more time reading your paper. When you lack proper transition words and phrases, they will quickly get bored with badly organized text.
When you want to improve your paper, using transition words and phrases is an obvious choice. They can greatly improve your written piece and assure its high readability. It is difficult to find good writers who do not use transition words for essays. In fact, once using them correctly, you gain a bunch of benefits. Besides, with practice, it becomes almost natural, adding transition words into your essay. Many authors use transition words to prepare a well-written paper. Firstly, they check the purpose of the used words. Further, they use them to outline certain effects, describe the order of the events, summarize findings, etc. There are many ways you can use transition words for essays.
How to Use Transition Words and Phrases Properly
When you need to prepare a strong report or research paper, you need to use transition words and phrases. They are quite obligatory for your paper’s good readability. They also make it easier for readers to get the main message of your text. In order to use the transition words properly, you need to pay your attention to the following factors:
Before starting a writing process, pay enough time to check the transition words you plan to use. There are several types of transition words. In means they cannot be used everywhere in the text. They need to be used in a certain place and under proper conditions. In any case, you can learn how to write them down accurately. However, it must be done before you start your work. Learn the definition of the transition words for essays. Check some examples of how and where they can be used. It will help to prepare an excellent final paper.
The reader needs to see a clear pattern when checking your paper. They need to get the main message at once. Therefore, use the transition word for essays effectively. These words can help you to arrange the sentences in proper order. Moreover, they can let you reveal your ideas once you assure a better structure. Every essay requires a standard introduction, main body, and conclusions. Transition words and phrases allow assuring proper transitions between the main part of the text.
There is a list of good transition words to use in your written pieces. Any of the used transition words for essays can improve your writings. But, it is true only when you apply these words properly in the context. Actually, you need more practice in order to select and apply transition words and phrases into the text. Once completing numerous writing assignments, you will learn how to write perfect papers with proper structure and format.
Good Transition Words to Use for Essays
If you want to make your written piece really recognizable, you need to add some good transition words. In actual fact, these words allow expressing your thoughts and ideas more effectively. They join various parts of the text and allow completing a single paper. The words and phrases used to connect different sentences allow assuring a proper structure of your written piece.
When you need proper transitions, words and phrases, you can check a bunch of great phrases and their meanings. All the transition words for essays are divided by categories depending on the purpose of their use. You cannon simply put any words in your text and expect it to improve your writings. The transition words for essays must be applied in the context as it should be. When you use the needed words correctly, you get a completed paper with the main statement revealed and supported by facts. You can compare two paragraphs with and without proper transition words used to see how they can change the entire report.
Paragraph 1
Telling your spouse that you need some time alone can be problematic. Your partner may think that your relationships go through a tough phase. You can start feeling yourself like a traitor. The familiar need to be alone for a while is quite natural. You need to explain it to your partner. If properly discussed, the familiar issue will not cause any troubles or quarrels.
Paragraph 2
Telling your spouse that you need some time alone can be problematic. Firstly, your partner may think that your relationships go through a tough phase. Secondly, you can start feeling yourself like a traitor. In fact, the familiar need to be alone for a while is quite natural. Nevertheless, you need to explain it to your partner at the start. As a result, if properly discussed, the familiar issue will not cause any troubles or quarrels.
As you can see, the second paragraph is much better than the first one. It has better readability as well. The words “firstly/secondly” allow defining the main reasons of the described issue. The expression “in fact” shows the described situation as it is. The word “nevertheless” shows that something cannot be avoided. The phrase “at the start” reveals the proper time for actions. And “as a result” sums up the revealed ideas. With all the transition words and phrases used, the text becomes really understandable and logical.
Best Transition Words for Argumentative Essays
When you already know what transition words for an essay are, it is time to check what particular words to use when preparing various types of papers. An argumentative essay is a research work actually. This academic assignment must be performed properly and with the main topic fully discovered. Therefore, the used transition words and phrases must follow the main purpose of the entire research work. In such type of paper, an author provides solid arguments and support them with relevant evidence. Using transition words for essays, you need to define certain arguments, highlight their support evidence, and show the logical order. Often, writers need to compare two opposite arguments. Thus the use of contrast words and phrases is logical. In these papers, authors often use such phrases like “however,” “instead,” “alternatively,” “on the other hand,” “otherwise.” They help to show and analyze the two opposite points of view. You can also use a bunch of other good transition words to let the reader get the main point of your report easily. Moreover, with these phrases and words, you can emphasize the most important research result and findings.
Best Transition Words for Persuasive Essays
Persuasive essays are aimed at motivating readers to share the author’s point of view. They are often written using quite appealing language and a lot of personal meanings. Once you can make the main idea really personal for readers, it is easier to persuade them. In fact, you need to provide strong arguments and relevant evidence to persuade your readers. Therefore, be sure to place important opinions. There are many transition words you can use in your paper. In the case of a persuasive assignment, the used words should highlight your point of view and its solidity.
Persuasive papers often require connecting words that can be used at the opening like “admittedly”, “generally speaking”, “granted”. Besides, in order to restate your point, you may need to use such phrases like “to explain”, “to clarify”, “this is to say”. In conclusion, you can use “in the final analysis”, “to conclude”, “in final consideration”, etc.
You need to remember to complete research work with numerous strong arguments and evidence. The transition words can help to list the results of your research properly and outline every conducted analysis. You need to be comprehensive while writing a report. A good vocabulary will also be very beneficial for your final results.
Generally speaking, the results of the analysis have revealed the rapid tendency of market tools modification. To clarify, the financial monitoring tools currently bring more possibilities for enforcement agencies. In brief, they allow gathering the information that previously was concealed.
The results of the analysis have revealed the rapid tendency of market tools modification. The financial monitoring tools bring more possibilities for enforcement agencies. They allow gathering the information that previously was concealed.
DO’s and Don’ts of Using Transition Words for Essays
Like every other part of the sentence, transition words must be properly used. Definitely, many words and phrases, if correctly applied, increase the text’s readability. Still, if you have no idea how to use them, it can ruin your paper. These expressions are important pieces in your puzzle.
In order to prepare a strong piece of writing, apply only those transitions, words, and phrases that allow assuring good readability and logical flow. Read your text a few times to check if you properly select the transition words for essays. You can outline your ideas, define important points, assure a proper order of thoughts once using transition words. When you start a paper with “as a result” or “to sum up,” the reader understands that you come to your conclusions. Transition words for essays always assure logical connections.
Do not try to put too many transition words in your paper. The good transition words are the ones that are used by the book. Use them to reveal your message and make the text really understandable for readers. Do not try to sound too smart; make sure your main statement and arguments are clear and supported by evidence. Avoid using the words in the middle of the text. It can make the reader a little frustrated with the revealed ideas. Do not skip checking writing requirements and tutorials when writing your essays. You can find there a lot of information about proper transition words for essays and their explanation.
How to Organize Transition Words
There is a huge list of transition words for essays. Once you know how to use them, you can submit an excellent and flawless paper. Besides, these words allow completing really interesting and intriguing pieces of writing. Moreover, they assure a proper order of sentences in the text. Good transition words are the ones that are used properly. You will learn how to use them in your text by reading books.
Transition words and phrases allow organizing the entire paper. They build a connection between the main parts of the text – an introduction, main body, and conclusions. Besides, they connect two or more clauses in a single sentence. If you need to prepare an excellent work, start with an outline. Actually, an outline can be used as a very effective writing plan. In addition, it will ease the entire writing process. Further, you can add transitional words and phrases to join the separated sentences, paragraphs, or parts of the text. Be ready to check the meaning of transition words and the purpose of their use.
In fact, a bunch of transition words and phrases can be used in any type of academic paper. You just need to check the categories of the words and place them correctly. They can be used to start a paragraph, outline some important concepts, provide an opposite point of view, summarize certain ideas, provide a proper order of arguments, etc. Be ready to use them in your work and enjoy how your papers become better organized and readable with the applied transition words. With strong and logical content, you will make your paper really recognizable.
Popular Essays
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Categories of Transition Words and Phrases Causation Chronology Combinations Contrast Example Importance Location Similarity Clarification Concession Conclusion Intensification Purpose Summary Transitions to help establish some of the most common kinds of relationships Causation- Connecting instigator (s) to consequence (s). accordingly as a result
33 Transition Words and Phrases 'Besides,' 'furthermore,' 'although,' and other words to help you jump from one idea to the next. Transitional terms give writers the opportunity to prepare readers for a new idea, connecting the previous sentence to the next one.
Types and examples of transition words There are four main types of transition word: additive, adversative, causal, and sequential. Within each category, words are divided into several more specific functions. Remember that transition words with similar meanings are not necessarily interchangeable.
Using appropriate transition words helps show your reader connections within and between sentences. Transition words and phrases come in four main types: Additive transitions, which introduce new information or examples Adversative transitions, which signal a contrast or departure from the previous text
Transition words are used to show your readers the relationship between words, phrases, sentences, or even paragraphs. The transition will make it easier for you to convey your ideas and thoughts in an understandable way. The additional purpose of a transitional word or phrase is to prepare the reader for what is coming.
Sequential transitions express a numerical sequence, continuation, conclusion, digression, resumption, or summation, says Michigan State, which gives these examples: In the (first, second, third, etc.) place To begin with To start with Initially Secondly Next Subsequently Before Afterward After this To conclude with As a final point
transition words - make sure to separate the next step from the previous ones by using transition words; descriptions of the steps - make sure your steps are clear and easy to follow. There are several types of process essays. The first one is directional - it explains the "how to" for something.
How to use transition words in a process essay Transition words can help you create a seamless reading experience. You can take readers smoothly from one step to another. And what is more you can help them immerse into the process!
Transition words are linking words used to connect sentences and ideas in the content. They help the audience move from one idea to another, building a coherent relationship within the document. When writing an essay, it is essential to make sure that the information provided is readable and understandable by the readers.
Do's and Don'ts of Using Essay Transitions What are Transition Words? As writers, our goal is to communicate our thoughts and ideas in the most clear and logical manner. Especially when presenting complex ideas, we must ensure that they are being conveyed in the most understandable way.
Transition words that introduce, agree, and add on One of the most common ways transition words are used is to introduce new ideas and add onto topics that have already been explored in the piece. Transition words and phrases in this category include: coupled with in addition (to) further furthermore moreover likewise equally important too first
Suggested transition words to lead readers through your essay Process essays are generally organized according to time: that is, they begin with the first step in the process and proceed in time until the last step in the process. It's natural, then, that transition words indicate that one step has been completed and a new one will begin. Some ...
A transition is a passage from one state, stage, subject, place, or IDEA to another. Click To Tweet We do this from section to section, from paragraph to paragraph, from sentence to sentence, and often, within individual sentences.
The time transition phrases covered in the Narration and Illustration sections are also helpful in organizing process analysis essays (see Table 10.1 "Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time" and Table 10.2 "Phrases of Illustration").
The presence of transition words. Process Essay Outline The structure of this paper is similar to any other assignment, meaning that it comprises of introduction, main paragraphs and conclusion. You need to create an outline to ease the procedure of writing process essay. Use bullet points not to forget the essential ideas you would like to ...
Basically, transitions provide the reader with directions for how to piece together your ideas into a logically coherent argument. Transitions are not just verbal decorations that embellish your paper by making it sound or read better. They are words with particular meanings that tell the reader to think and react in a particular way to your ideas.
Knowing how to use transitions words in an essay effectively is key to a well-structured, A-worthy paper. Discover what you need to know to achieve this. ... Transition Words in the Writing Process. The only way to get better at writing is to do more writing. As for transitions, try a few different ones on for size. Let's review the writing ...
Transitional devices are words or phrases that help carry a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another. And finally, transitional devices link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.
Process essays. A process essay walks the reader through the steps involved in completing a task. A recipe has a lot in common with a process essay. ... Use transition words and sentences to transition between body paragraphs. Transition words and sentences are the phrases that express the relationship between two paragraphs, ...
READING - Transitional Words and Phrases: Showing Relationships Within and Between Sentences rev. July 2005 TRANSITIONAL WORDS AND PHRASES SHOWING RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN AND BETWEEN SENTENCES ... Transition Words for Process Analysis Essay | PDF Sample Created Date:
Transition words are important within a sentence or paragraph because they allow your arguments to flow seamlessly from one sentence or thought to another. When introducing transition words, the most basic transition words are conjunctions that join words, phrases or clauses together.
When writing essays, it is vital to use transition words for essays in order to create a piece of work that flows well. These linking words can be used strategically throughout your academic writing to make it read more smoothly. ... Example: For the time being, they are adhering to the provisional process. 7. Summaries, Conclusions, and ...
Transition words greatly ease the reading process. They let your teacher understand the main point of a paper better. Transition words are often used to increase the readability of the essay. ... Check and learn your transition words for essays. Before starting a writing process, pay enough time to check the transition words you plan to use ...