What are Transitions?
Transitions are key words or phrases that tie together the ideas in your paper. They help your readers smoothly understand the message you’re trying to convey in any type of writing. They can signal to the reader what they should be interpreting based on the information being presented. Without transitions, your writing could be seen as “choppy”, and your readers could get confused by your organization of ideas.
How do transitions work?
Transitions will depend upon the organization of your paper. Transitions cannot be substitutes for poor organization. Your paper’s organization should have two main elements: the order in which the ideas or information is being presented, and the relationships between those ideas.
Example:
Pretend you are writing a paper that argues against the use of AI generated art.
Paragraph A: Talks about ideas that support the viewpoint that AI generated art should be used.
Transition: “Despite the previous perspectives, there are many reasons that AI generated art should not be used.”
Paragraph B: Talks about ideas that support the viewpoint that AI generated art should not be used.
The transition for this scenario suggests to the reader that although there are viewpoint mentioned in Paragraph A, they should consider the viewpoints in Paragraph B.
Types of Transitions
Transitions can be words, phrases, sentences, or even entire paragraphs. However, they will always function the same. Transitions will always either imply or directly provide a summary for the content of a preceding idea. They will also always help the reader anticipate the new information that’s about to be presented.
Transitions between sections: Longer projects may require transitional paragraphs that summarize the content that was just covered, with specification on how it was relevant to the overall project topic.
Transitions between paragraphs: Transitions between paragraphs will bring attention to the relationship that exists between the ideas conveyed in the new paragraph and the previous paragraph.
Transitions within paragraphs: Transitions within paragraphs are typically one word or a short phrase. They do the same job as other transitions by helping readers connect and anticipate what they’ve read.
Transitional Expressions
|
LOGICAL RELATIONSHIP |
TRANSITIONAL EXPRESSION |
|---|---|
| Similarity | also, in the same way, just as … so too, likewise, similarly |
| Exception/Contrast | but, however, in spite of, on the one hand … on the other hand, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, in contrast, on the contrary, still, yet |
| Sequence/Order | first, second, third, … next, then, finally |
| Time | after, afterward, at last, before, currently, during, earlier, immediately, later, meanwhile, now, recently, simultaneously, subsequently, then |
| Example | for example, for instance, namely, specifically, to illustrate |
| Emphasis | even, indeed, in fact, of course, truly |
| Place/Position | above, adjacent, below, beyond, here, in front, in back, nearby, there |
| Cause and Effect | accordingly, consequently, hence, so, therefore, thus |
|
Additional Support or Evidence |
additionally, again, also, and, as well, besides, equally important, further, furthermore, in addition, moreover, then |
| Conclusion/Summary | finally, in a word, in brief, briefly, in conclusion, in the end, in the final analysis, on the whole, thus, to conclude, to summarize, in sum, to sum up, in summary |
