1. Using Transition Words in Your Writing

2. 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.

3. What are transition words?
Transitions
What are transition words?

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

5. Add the missing transition
It was an unusually cold spring. The
trees were leafing out.
It was an unusually cold spring.
However, the trees were leafing out.

6. 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.

7. Revision Walt never cleaned out the inside of
his car. Consequently, it smelled
and looked horrible!

8. 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

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

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

11. 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!

12. 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

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

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

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

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

17. 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

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. Homework 1. Complete sheet , ‘Connect the Links to Make a Chain’
2. Highlight any transition words you have in your writing piece
3. Rate your use of transition words using check box ‘Rate Your Transitions’ (staple to writing)
4. Add transitions to make your writing flow more smoothly. Highlight your new transitions in another colour
5. Rewrite this draft of your writing, double- spaced for next day
6. Keep all prior drafts