Transition Words and Phrases
Sequence: again, also, and, and then, besides, finally, first…second…third, furthermore, last, moreover, next, still, too
Time: after a bit, after a few days, after a while, afterward, as long as, as soon as, at last, at length, at that time, before, earlier, immediately, in the meantime, in the past, lately, later, meanwhile, now, presently, shortly, simultaneously, since, so far, soon, then, thereafter, until, when
Comparison: again, also, in the same way, likewise, once more, similarly
Contrast: although, but, despite, even though, however, in contrast, in spite of, instead, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, on the contrary, on the one hand…on the other hand, regardless, still, though, yet
Examples: after all, even, for example, for instance, indeed, in fact, of course, specifically, such as, the following example, to illustrate
Cause and Effect: accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this purpose, hence, so, then, therefore, thereupon, thus, to this end
Place: above, adjacent to, below, beyond, closer to, elsewhere, far, farther on, here, near, nearby, opposite to, there, to the left, to the right
Concession: although it is true that, granted that, I admit that, it may appear that, naturally, of course
Summary, Repetition, or Conclusion: as a result, as has been noted, as I have said, as we have seen, as mentioned earlier, in any event, in conclusion, in other words, in short, on the whole, therefore, to summarize
Further Reading
- http:// www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/transitions.html – This article discusses the function and importance of transitions. It suggests you decide how you will organize the paper before you decide what transitions to use. It also discusses how transitions work as well as the various types of transitions that occur: between sections, between paragraphs, and within paragraphs. Then it gives a list of logical relationships and the transitional words that express those relationships.
