Using Transition Words in Your Writing Mini-Lesson

Transitions Look at the two groups of sentences below. Which sentences read more smoothly? Why? My friend, Marcos, loves to play sports and is very athletic. He has won a scholarship to play football at a university next year. My friend, Marcos, loves to play sports and is very athletic. In fact, he has won a scholarship to play football at a university next year.

What are transition words? Transitions What are transition words?

Transitions Example: John skipped meals regularly. Therefore, he was always hungry.

transitions It was an unusually cold spring. The trees were leafing out. It was an unusually cold spring. However, the trees were leafing out.

What is wrong with this transition? Walt never cleaned out the inside of his car. Nevertheless, it smelled and looked horrible! This transition makes no sense. It suggests a contrast when no contrast is asked for.

Revision Walt never cleaned out the inside of his car. Consequently, it smelled and looked horrible! Or As a result, it smelled and looked horrible!

Transition Words A word or phrase that links two ideas or sentences. These show how ideas connect. If there are no transitions, readers must make the ‘connections’ on their own. This slows reading down and makes it confusing.

Transition Words Can occur anywhere - At the beginning of a sentence In the middle of a sentence At the end of a sentence

Transition Words A transition word directly tells the reader the logical relationship between one idea and another idea. Transition Idea Idea

Transition Words There are many transition words. As you become a more experienced writer you will use lots of types of transition words. Let’s look at a few of the basics. These will help to improve your writing right now!

Words to show LOCATION Above Across Against Along Among Around Behind Below Beneath Beside Between Beyond By Down In back of In front of Inside Into Near Off Onto On top of Outside Over Throughout To the right Under

Words to Show TIME While After Next week Yesterday At Soon Before During First Second Third Now Until Meanwhile Today Tomorrow Next week Yesterday Soon Later Afterward Immediately Finally Then Next As soon as When Suddenly

Words to COMPARE (two things) Likewise Like As Also While Similarly In the same way In contrast

Words to CONTRAST (to show differences between things) But However Still Yet Although Otherwise On the other hand Even though

Let’s practice…. Read the passage Highlight any transition words you find Share with a partner

Ty’ree was all right after Mama died. But I was all wrong Ty’ree was all right after Mama died. But I was all wrong. The year before, I’d seen this show about snakes. They showed this one snake slipping out of its old skin and then leaving that old skin on the ground behind him. That’s how I felt – like Mama’d been my skin. But I hadn’t grown a new skin underneath, like that snake had. I was just blood and bones spreading all over the place. Every night Ty’ree stayed with me in my room till I cried myself to sleep. And the next morning he’d find me sleeping curled up on the floor beside his bed. After a few weeks of me ending up on the floor, he called Aunt Cecile, and she came back to new York and asked around trying to find a doctor I could go to – a psychologist. Some afternoons I’d come home from school to find Aunt Cecile sitting at the dining room table writing down and crossing out numbers as she talked on the phone. And some evenings I’d catch her and Ty’ree whispering about different doctors, their fees and social benefits. Then, one afternoon Aunt Cecile announced that she’d found a person I could talk to named Dr. Vernon. That Wednesday and for a whole lot of Wednesdays after that, Aunt Cecile would take me to Dr. Vernon – an old man with a nice office in Harlem. -from Miracle Boys by Jacqueline Woodson

Ty’ree was all right after Mama died. But I was all wrong Ty’ree was all right after Mama died. But I was all wrong. The year before, I’d seen this show about snakes. They showed this one snake slipping out of its old skin and then leaving that old skin on the ground behind him. That’s how I felt – like Mama’d been my skin. But I hadn’t grown a new skin underneath, like that snake had. I was just blood and bones spreading all over the place. Every night Ty’ree stayed with me in my room till I cried myself to sleep. And the next morning he’d find me sleeping curled up on the floor beside his bed.

After a few weeks of me ending up on the floor, he called Aunt Cecile, and she came back to new York and asked around trying to find a doctor I could go to – a psychologist. Some afternoons I’d come home from school to find Aunt Cecile sitting at the dining room table writing down and crossing out numbers as she talked on the phone. And some evenings I’d catch her and Ty’ree whispering about different doctors, their fees and social benefits.

Then, one afternoon Aunt cEcile announced that she’d found a person I could talk to named Dr. Vernon. That Wednesday and for a whole lot of Wednesdays after that, Aunt Cecile would take me to Dr. Vernon – an old man with a nice office in Harlem.