8/7/2015

Improving Style: Using Transitions

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THE WRITER'S HANDBOOK

U S I N G

T R A N S I T I O N S

Handbook Index
Academic and
Professional Writing
Writing Process and
Structure
Improving Your Writing
Style
Clear,ConciseSentences
UsingTransitions

Grammar and Punctuation

Cite References in Your
Paper
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HomeWriter'sHandbook

Transitional Words and Phrases

Transitionalwordsandphrasescancreatepowerfullinksbetweenideasin
yourpaperandcanhelpyourreaderunderstandthelogicofyourpaper.
However,thesewordsallhavedifferentmeanings,nuances,andconnotations.
Beforeusingaparticulartransitionalwordinyourpaper,besureyou
understanditsmeaningandusagecompletelyandbesurethatit'stheright
matchforthelogicinyourpaper.
Addition
Comparison
Effect
Intensification
Summary
Pronouns

Time
Contrast
Clarification
Concession
Conclusion
Exemplificationor
Illustration

Place
Cause
Qualification
Purpose
Demonstratives

moreover
inthesecondplace
evenmore
last,lastly
and,or,nor

too
again
next
finally
first

while
after
when

immediately
later,earlier
soon

never
always
whenever

meanwhile
during

sometimes
afterwards

inthemeantime
now,untilnow

next
then
sofar

following
atlength
thistime

once
simultaneously
subsequently

there
wherever
neighboringon

nearby
oppositeto
above,below

Addition
furthermore
also
inaddition
further
besides
second,secondly,etc.

Time

Place
here
beyond
adjacentto

Exemplification or Illustration
toillustrate
forinstance
forexample

todemonstrate
asanillustration

specifically
e.g.,(forexample)

bythesametoken
likewise

similarly
insimilarfashion

Comparison
inthesameway
inlikemanner

Contrast
https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Transitions.html

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8/7/2015

Improving Style: Using Transitions

yet
nonetheless
however
onthecontrary
ontheotherhand

andyet
afterall
though
incontrast
atthesametime

nevertheless
but
otherwise
notwithstanding

inotherwords
toclarify

toexplain
torephraseit

consequently
hence

accordingly
asaresult

sothat

tothatend,tothisend

almost
never

nearly
always

probably
frequently

perhaps

maybe

although

indeed

torepeat

byallmeans

ofcourse
withoutdoubt

doubtedly
yes,no

certainly
undoubtedly

infact

surely

infact

granted

ofcourse,itistrue

tosummarize

insum

inbrief

tosumup

inshort

insummary

toconclude

finally

Clarification
thatistosay
i.e.,(thatis)
toputitanotherway

Cause
because
since
onaccountof
forthatreason

Effect
therefore
thus

Purpose
inorderthat
forthispurpose

Qualification

Intensification

Concession
tobesure

Summary

Conclusion
inconclusion

Demonstratives acting as transitions

this
that

those

these

Pronouns serving as links to clearly refer to a specific

word or phrase
his
it

its
their

theirs
your

her

they

our

https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Transitions.html

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