Transitions in writing

Transition Words- what do they do? In writing, a transition is a word, phrase or sentence that connects one section to another. A transition can be as simple as a single word. In fiction, you might see the word 'meanwhile' used as a transition. Here's an example: Marla summoned all her training in order to vanquish the kraken. Meanwhile, her brother was at home, eating chips.

What happens if you take out that 'meanwhile What happens if you take out that 'meanwhile?' Those two sentences seem disjointed and awkward. The transition word helps move us from one place to another. 'Meanwhile' moves us around in location. Other transitions move us around in time: 'then,' 'soon,' 'later,' 'next,' 'finally.' We could use these words to describe how we found that huge cow. I found exit 72. Then, I got lost again. Later, I saw a sign for the cow again. Finally, I found it! Ok, that's not a compelling story, but note how the transition words move us along in time.

Transition Words In Non-Fiction In an essay, you may use transition words to organize your thoughts and ideas. You can use words to indicate that you're expanding upon your idea. They can also provide additional support for an argument. These words include: 'also,' 'furthermore,' 'similarly,' 'likewise,' 'too,' 'including' and 'like.'

They don't have to begin your sentence They don't have to begin your sentence. In fact, I just said 'You can also provide additional support for an argument.' See that 'also' in there? That's me expanding upon my idea. They can be at the end of a sentence, too. Oh, I just did what I was describing. Furthermore, these may be simple words to provide structure, like first, second and third. These are like signs on the road indicating milestones in the essay. They tell your reader that they're moving from one idea to another.

Here's an example: There are countless reasons I love salad Here's an example: There are countless reasons I love salad. First, it's a healthy lunch option. Second, it's easy to prepare. Third, no one steals your salad from the fridge. Each idea here is separated by a transition word that tells us a new reason is coming. It's important that the transitions fit the logic of the work, though. If that last sentence was Third, my favorite food is ice cream, then it's the wrong transition. In this case, you want something like 'however.' This is effectively a u-turn. Maybe you want to show a counterargument. You can use words like: 'but,' 'although,' 'however,' 'conversely,' 'still' and 'yet.'

Transition Phrases So far, we've focused on single words. With transitions, though, you're not limited to single words. This is like the difference between a sign that says 'stop' and one that says 'do not enter.' 'Stop' tells you all you need in one word. But what if 'do not enter' was just 'do' or 'not' or 'enter?' That wouldn't be good.

Think about these phrases: 'for example,' 'in other words,' 'in fact,' 'to illustrate' and 'in particular.' These are like 'also' and 'likewise' in that they help you build upon an idea. On the other hand, transitional phrases, like 'on the other hand,' can also serve as u-turns. Think about these: 'in contrast,' 'by comparison,' 'in spite of this,' 'be that as it may' and 'forget all that stuff I just said.' Wait, scratch that last one. But those others ones are all good. Transition phrases can effectively signal to your reader that we're nearing the end: 'in summary,' 'in conclusion,' 'to summarize,' and 'as I have shown.'