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200 Transition Words: Improve Your Writing Flow

Team Desklib

Published: 2022-10-14

Table of Content

  • Why Are Transition Words Important?
  • Perks of Using Transition Phrases
  • Types of Transition Words And Phases
  • The following are the principal groups of essay transitional phrases:
  • Bridging the Gap
  • Essay Transition Words: 200 Words
  • Transition words in the context of - Convention, Addition, Or Similarity
  • Transition words in the context of - Section or Order
  • Transition words in the context of - Opposition or Contradiction
  • Transition words in the context of - Results and Causes
  • Transition words in the context of - Examples, Backup, or Implication
  • Transition words in the context of - Time, Location, or Space/Place
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It's common knowledge that transition words should be used between paragraphs, but knowing which ones to use and where to place them can be challenging. It's also challenging to think of fresh alternatives without automatically resorting to the words "however," "but," or "and."

Essay transitions let the reader follow the flow of your ideas. They can be used to connect ideas, provide comparison and contrast, or otherwise guide the reader through your ideas and arguments.

In order to construct a piece of writing that flows smoothly, it is essential to include transition words for essays. To help your academic writing read more smoothly, deliberately employ these linking terms. They enable readers to switch between ideas.


How Do Transition Words Work? 

What exactly are transitional words? Let's begin with the basics and fundamentals - 

Transitional words and phrases are used to connect two sentences to give them meaning in continuation. In these sentences, the latter sentence is a result or an effect of the former sentence. They are more like conjunctions as they form a link in your writing. 

A comma is also used as a transition word. If the two sentences are complete, you can combine them with a semicolon rather than a period. This strengthens the connection between your thoughts a little bit. Here's an illustration: Raima couldn't attend the quiz since she was down with a fever on Monday. 

Any kind of transitional phrases that are included should be used at the start of each paragraph in your writing body. This not only facilitates your transition to your following idea but also sets up the next point that you’re trying to make. 

Why Are Transition Words Important? 

Despite the fact that it could seem that your sentences would be OK without any transition words, they actually significantly improve your writing.

Transitional words and phrases improve the flow of sentences by creating a sense of continuity between two ideas or thoughts. Essays become simpler to read and more coherent for your lecturer as a result. As you can see, by inserting a transition word between the two sentences, the idea that one thing led to another is connected and the sentences flow together. 

Perks of Using Transition Phrases 

Transitional phrases in any of your essays can bring up the flow of your writing and can make it way simpler for you to write in an organized manner. This is particularly crucial at the conclusion of your body paragraphs, where you need to flow naturally from one idea to the next.

Consider your sentences as a pile of bricks but without any solid mortar in order to hold them together so that they can make sense to the readers. However, providing a solid foundation in between that joins each brick and keeps the building from falling apart, is when the house will stand its ground. Similar to that mortar is the transitional word. Your sentences may be strong enough to stand alone, but using transition words helps to make your content more cohesive.

Types of Transition Words And Phases 

Actually, there are a few different categories into which transitional words and phrases might be divided. The meaning and context of the word influence these categories. For instance, you would use a transition word from the "agreement, addition, or likeness" category if you were adding to a statement you've already made.

The following are the principal groups of essay transitional phrases:

  • Accord, Supplement, or Similarity
  • Sequencing or Ordering
  • Inconsistency or Opposition
  • Causing and Affecting
  • Examples, justification, or emphasis
  • Place/Spatial Location, or Time
  • Summary, Clarification, or Conclusion

You don't have to utilize transitional words and phrases from these categories and lists; you can use them however you like. These lists, however, are intended to serve as a guide to assist you in selecting the appropriate phrase to finish your thinking and notion. Your paper may completely change course if you utilize the incorrect transition term in the incorrect situation.

Bridging the Gap 

In the end, you need to keep in mind that transition words are based on the connection between two phrases or ideas. There are several kinds of relationships between words, just as there are various kinds of ties between individuals. These are the different categories that are relevant here.

You can demonstrate how one topic can flow into another by utilizing transition words at the end of one body paragraph before the next. In addition, this might be a case of cause and effect, where one thing happens as a result of the other, or of agreement, where one thing builds on the other.

Essay Transition Words: 200 Words

Make sure you're employing the appropriate transitional phrases in the appropriate places when using them in essays. 

Your essay will be graded using your ability to use or include transition words according to how well you can organize and explain your thoughts and arguments. Any form of paper you write, from argumentative essays to personal reflections, requires you to be able to clearly express your ideas so that the reader can easily follow along.

If you're running out of inspiration or need some fresh ideas, here is a list of 200 Transition words that one can successfully inculcate in their essays or any writing piece for that matter -  

Transition words in the context of - Convention, Addition, Or Similarity

  • In addition to
  • In reality
  • Added to
  • Likewise
  • Additionally
  • Also significant
  • Also
  • In the same vein
  • Relatively
  • Consequently
  • Again
  • In addition... but also
  • In the same fashion
  • As well as 
  • Thus
  • As a result
  • In a similar way
  • Taking into account
  • In the light of 
  • Let alone 
  • Even so
  • Too
  • Additional
  • And 
  • Similarly
  • Just like 
  • In the same vein
  • In fact
  • Another 
  • Including

Transition words in the context of - Section or Order 

  • Firstly.Secondly.Thirdly 
  • Following... 
  • Concurrently
  • After that... eventually
  • Subsequent 
  • Initially... subsequently
  • Previously... now
  • Since
  • Once 
  • To start with 
  • Sooner... later
  • Immediately 
  • Soon
  • When that point
  • At this time 
  • Immediately after 
  • Before 
  • Later 
  • Earlier 
  • Both... and

Transition words in the context of - Opposition or Contradiction 

  • Despite the fact that
  • While it might be true 
  • However 
  • On the one hand... 
  • Nonetheless
  • In contrast 
  • Notwithstanding
  • Nevertheless
  • Yet 
  • On the contrary
  • Still 
  • In addition 
  • Despite the possibility that this is true
  • Despite the fact that 
  • Rather 
  • Be that as it May 
  • Above all 
  • Despite the fact that 
  • Admittedly 
  • Alternatively 
  • Though 
  • Regardless of 
  • Different from 
  • At the same time 
  • Albeit 
  • Although 
  • But 
  • That said 
  • Granted

Transition words in the context of - Results and Causes 

  • As a result 
  • Consequently 
  • Thus 
  • In light of this 
  • Therefore 
  • In light of the following considerations 
  • Therefore 
  • With this in mind 
  • Owing to 
  • In as much as 
  • Due to 
  • At the end that 
  • In order to 
  • In light of 
  • While 
  • In the event that 
  • Unless 
  • Provided that 
  • Seeing that 
  • Being that 
  • Because 
  • As 
  • Since
  • Then 
  • In the event that

Transition words in the context of -  Examples, Backup, or Implication

  • For instance
  • Particularly 
  • For instance
  • Of course 
  • Again 
  • Honestly
  • To clarify 
  • To show 
  • To illustrate
  • As an example
  • Specifically 
  • To demonstrate
  • Additionally 
  • Of equal importance
  • In addition to 
  • Equally important 
  • Besides
  • Also 
  • For the purpose of 
  • Definitely 
  • More crucially 
  • More importantly
  • In fact 
  • For the sake of Another crucial aspect
  • Definitely 
  • Especially 
  • Or to put it another way
  • Specifically 
  • As an example 
  • Above all 
  • So that

Transition words in the context of - Time, Location, or Space/Place 

  • After 
  • Afterward 
  • Finally 
  • In the meantime 
  • Then 
  • Subsequently
  • Earlier 
  • Presently 
  • Concurrently
  • Adjacent 
  • Close by
  • Immediately after 
  • In the past 
  • Present-day 
  • Occasionally 
  • This moment
  • After 
  • Quickly 
  • While 
  • Presently 
  • In the future 
  • Previously 
  • Above 
  • Below 
  • During 
  • Currently 
  • Afterward 
  • Earlier 
  • Here 
  • There
Use Transition Words Carefully In Your Essays 

You might still have a few queries after learning the words to use to switch between arguments and thoughts. You may be wondering where in your writing to utilize transitional phrases and how they relate to the main idea.

- You can insert transitional phrases into your essays or writing tasks in the following places:

- In the sentences that serve as the topics for each paragraph.

- To establish links between the outcome or argument and the evidence put forth.

- Use the last sentence of each paragraph as a transition into the following one.

- At the start of your introductory or concluding paragraphs.

- Summarize your main ideas in your conclusion.

Conclusion- 

Avoid using too many transitional phrases in your essay. You don't need them in every sentence, but you do need them in some crucial areas. Your reader can feel that you are underestimating their ability to establish intuitive connections if you employ too many transitions.

Watch out for sentence splices. Because we are so used to uttering them in colloquial English, it is simple to write sentence fragments containing transition words without realizing they aren't entire sentences. Make sure each of your sentences is able to stand alone.

More Reading:- 

  1. Emotive Language - Types, Benefits, and Examples
  2. 9 Amazing Tips to Improve Assignment Writing Skills
  3. Step-by-step Guide For How to Write a Dissertation?
  4. How to Choose a Research Topic?
  5. 190+ Interesting Informative Speech Topics & Ideas
  6. 150+ Good Debate Topics for Students

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